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Buehr family papers, 1880-1984

Buehr family papers, 1880-1984

Buehr, family, 1866-1952

Painter, Portrait painter, Etcher

Representative image for Buehr family papers, 1880-1984

This site provides access to the papers of family Buehr in the Archives of American Art that were digitized in 2016, and total 1,012 images.

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Collection Information

Size: 0.9 linear feet

Summary: The Buehr family papers date from 1880-1984 and measure 0.9 linear feet. The collection documents the lives and careers of a prominent Chicago family of artists, which included Karl Albert Buehr, his wife Mary Hess Buehr, their children Kathleen Buehr Granger and George F. Buehr, and Karl Buehr's brother-in-law, Will Hess.

Biographical/Historical Note

Karl Albert Buehr (1866-1952) was a painter of genre scenes, portraits, and Impressionist landscapes. Karl's wife, Mary Hess Buehr (1871-1962) was a painter specializing in miniatures and decorative paintings. Their children Kathleen and George F. Buehr, were both artists as well. George (-1983), known for his watercolors and collages, was director of museum education and a lecturer at the Art Institute of Chicago. Kathleen (1902- ), a graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, was painter and author.

Provenance

George Buehr's wife, Margo Hoff, donated the family papers in April, 1986, as part of the Archives' Chicago survey project. George Granger, son of Kathleen Buehr Granger, donated the remaining material in June, 1986.

Funding

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

A Finding Aid to the Buehr Family Papers,
1880-1984
, in the Archives of American Art
AAA.buehfami
Author
Finding aid prepared by Jetta Samulski
Biographical Note
The Buehr family was a prominent Chicago family of artists, which included Karl Albert Buehr, his wife Mary Hess Buehr, their children Kathleen Buehr Granger and George F. Buehr, and Karl Buehr's brother-in-law, Will Hess.
Born in 1866 in Germany, Karl Albert Buehr was a painter of genre scenes, portraits, and Impressionist landscapes. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Julian Academy in France and the London School of Art. From 1899 to 1902 he lived in Holland, and then spent the first decade of the twentieth century at Giverny, France. A member of the Giverny artists, Buehr exhibited widely in Europe. Buehr became a U.S. citizen and served in the U.S. Cavalry during the Spanish-American War. In Chicago he became a highly respected teacher at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and one of the city's most popular painters. Buehr died in Chicago in 1952.
Karl's wife, Mary Hess Buehr, was born in Chicago in 1871. She was a painter who studied in Holland and France, and held three exhibitions at the Paris Salon. Mary specialized in miniatures and decorative paintings. She was also a lithographer, lecturer, and teacher active in Chicago. She died in Orwell, Vermont, in 1962.
Their children, Kathleen and George F. Buehr, were both artists as well. George, known for his watercolors and collages, was director of museum education and a lecturer at the Art Institute of Chicago. He died in Chicago in 1983 at age 78. Kathleen was born in Chicago in 1902. A graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, Kathleen was painter and author. Several of her articles are found in the papers, including "My Most Unforgettable Character," published in 1969 in
The Reader's Digest
.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged as six series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1880-1976 (5 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1898-1980 (8 folders; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, circa 1915-1970 (4 folders; Box 1)
Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1899-1984 (12 folders; Box 1-2, OV 3)
Series 5: Artwork, circa 1940-circa 1975 (6 folders; Box 2)
Series 6: Photographs, circa 1886-1947 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)
Scope and Content Note
The Buehr family papers date from 1880-1984 and measure 0.9 linear feet. The collection documents the lives and careers of a prominent Chicago family of artists, which included Karl Albert Buehr, his wife Mary Hess Buehr, their children Kathleen Buehr Granger and George F. Buehr, and Karl Buehr's brother-in-law, Will Hess. Found among the papers are biographical accounts, family histories, Karl Buehr's personal and professional correspondence, love letters between Karl and Mary Hess, writing by various family members, printed materials, artwork in the form of drawings by Kathleen Buehr Granger, and family and travel photographs, including two photo albums.
Provenance
George Buehr's wife, Margo Hoff, donated the family papers in April, 1986, as part of the Archives' Chicago survey project. George Granger, son of Kathleen Buehr Granger, donated the remaining material in June, 1986.
Processing Information
The papers were processed in 1989 by Jean Fitzgerald and a finding aid prepared in July 2004 by Jetta Samulski. The collection was prepared for digitization by Megan Bean and digitized in 2016 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Additional Forms Available

The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2016 and is available on the Archives of American Art's website. Materials which have not been scanned include duplicates of printed material, photographs, and writings; blank pages and versoes of printed materials. In some cases, printed materials have had relevant pages scanned.

Restrictions on Access

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

How to Cite This Collection

Buehr family papers, 1880-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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