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Clay Spohn papers, circa 1862-1985, bulk, 1890-1985

Clay Spohn papers, circa 1862-1985, bulk, 1890-1985

Spohn, Clay Edgar, 1898-1977

Muralist, Sculptor, Painter, Educator, Printmaker

Collection Information

Size: 19.9 linear feet

Summary: The Clay Spohn papers measure 19.9 linear feet and date from circa 1862 to 1985, with the bulk of the material dating from 1890 to 1985. The collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, business records, notes and writings, artwork, printed material, and photographs reflecting the life and career of painter and educator Clay Spohn.

Biographical/Historical Note

Clay Spohn (1898-1977) was a painter and educator from New York, N.Y. Born in San Francisco, Spohn studied at the Art Students League from 1922 to 1924, under George Luks, and Guy Pene Du Bois, and became acquainted with Alexander Calder. From 1926 to 1927, he studied in Paris at the Academie Modern. Returning to San Francisco in 1927, Spohn became an active member in the Bay Area art scene. In 1945, Spohn was employed as instructor of drawing and painting at the California School of Fine Arts, where he befriended Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still. Spohn moved to Taos, N.M., in 1952, and participated in several national exhibitions, but by 1964, he had returned to New York and taught at the School of Visual Arts until 1969. In 1971, the Oakland Museum sponsored a retrospective of Spohn's work.

Provenance

The material on reel D169 was lent for filming by Clay Spohn in 1964. The material on reel 5461-5474 was donated by Spohn's friend and the executor of his estate, Urban Neininger, in 1978.

Location of Originals

  • Reel D169: Originals returned to lender, Clay Spohn, after microfilming.

A Finding Aid to the Clay Spohn Papers, circa 1862-1985, bulk 1890-1985, in the Archives of American Art
AAA.spohclay
Author
Finding aid prepared by Jean Fitzgerald
Biographical Note
Clay Edgar Spohn was born November 24, 1898, in San Francisco, to Lena (Schaefer) and John Henry Spohn. From 1919 to 1921, Spohn studied at the University of California at Berkeley, and from 1922 to 1924, he studied at the Art Students League in New York under Kenneth Hayes Miller, Boardman Robinson, George Luks and Guy Pene Du Bois. He also became acquainted with Alexander Calder at the Art Students League. In 1924, Spohn was employed as an assitant designer to muralist Ezra Winter. From 1926 to 1927 he studied in Paris at the Academie Modern, a school run by Fernand Leger and Orthon Fireze.
Returning to San Francisco in 1927, Spohn became an active member in the Bay Area art scene. The Treasury Department commissioned him, in 1938, to execute a mural for the Montebello, California post office, and in 1939, he completed another mural under the sponsorship of the WPA for Los Gatos Union High School in Los Gatos, California.
In 1942, the San Francisco Museum of Art mounted Spohn's solo exhibition "Fantastic War Machines and Guerragraphs", consisting of a series of drawings inspired by dreams of World War II. From 1945 until his resignation in 1950, Spohn was employed as instructor of drawing and painting at the California School of Fine Arts, where he befriended Clyfford Still and Mark Rothko. In 1949, at the California School, he organized a group exhibition entitled "The Museum of Unknown and Little Known Objects", in which Spohn's extraordinarily-constructed objects were a focal point.
Spohn moved to Taos, New Mexico in 1952, and participated in several national exhibitions. He was Visiting Lecturer at Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, in 1958, after which he moved to New York City where he executed a series of paintings under the sponsorship of the collector J. Patrick Lannan. From 1964 to 1969, he taught at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
After a two year move to Taos, Spohn returned to New York in 1971. In 1974, the Oakland Museum sponsored a retrospective of Spohn's work.
Clay Spohn died in New York City on December 19, 1977.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three parts. Part 1 was lent to the Archives of American Art in 1964 by Clay Spohn, and was microfilmed and returned to Spohn. Part 2 was donated to the Archives of American Art by Urban Neininger in 1978 and was partially microfilmed. Because material from part 2 was not processed until over three decades after filming Part 1, the overall organization is inconsistent. In general, material within folders is arranged chronologically.
Part 1: Clay Spohn Papers, 1926-1963
Part 2: Clay Spohn Papers, circa 1862-1985 (boxes 1-22, OV 23, 19.9 linear ft.)
Part 3: Addition to the Clay Spohn Papers, 1958-1977 (box 24; 0.4 linear ft.)
Scope and Content Note
The Clay Spohn papers measure 20.4 linear feet and date from circa 1862 to 1985 with the bulk of the material dating from 1890 to 1985. The collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, business records, notes and writings, artwork, printed material, and photographs reflecting the life and career of painter and educator Clay Spohn.
Part 1 includes sketchbooks with annotated drawings by Spohn, writings including reminiscensces by Spohn, letters, clippings, and photographs of Spohn's artwork.
Part 2 includes biographical material; correspondence between Spohn and his colleagues; business records such as Spohn's general accounting records; Spohn's notes and writings on a variety of subjects; drawings and sketchbooks; printed material such as exhibition announcements and catalogs; and photographs of subjects such as Spohn, his family and colleagues, his house, and his artwork.
Provenance
The material on reel D169 was lent for filming by Clay Spohn in 1964. The material on reel 5461-5474 was donated by Spohn's friend and the executor of his estate, Urban Neininger, in 1978.
Location of Originals
  • Reel D169: Originals returned to lender, Clay Spohn, after microfilming.
Processing Information
Part 2 of the collection was processed by Jean Fitzgerald in 1998. The finding aid to Parts 1 and 2 was written by Jean Fitzgerald in 1998. A small addition was accessioned in 2008 and minimally processed in 2017.

Additional Forms Available

Part 1 of the collection is available on microfilm reel D169. Part 2 is partially available on microfilm reels 5461-5474. The microfilm is available for interlibrary loan.

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

Clay Spohn papers, circa 1862-1985, bulk, 1890-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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