Dorothea A. Dreier papers, 1881-1941, bulk 1887-1923

Collection Information

Size: 2.6 Linear feet

Summary: The papers of artist and art patron Dorothea A. Dreier measure 2.6 linear feet and date from 1881-1941, with the bulk of the material dating from 1887-1923. The papers document the life and work of Dorothea Dreier and also contain the papers of and about members of her immediate family, particularly her sisters, Mary and Katherine Dreier, and Margaret Dreier Robins. Found are correspondence, printed materials, legal and financial records, photographs, and one sketchbook by Dreier.

Biographical/Historical Note

Dorothea A. Dreier was born on December 8, 1870, in Brooklyn, New York to German immigrant parents. The second of five children in a close knit, socially progressive family, her siblings include the social reformers and suffragettes Mary E. Dreier and Margaret Dreier Robins. However she was closest to her youngest sister, Katherine S. Dreier, fellow artist, patron of modern art and cofounder of the Société Anonyme, an organization dedicated to the promotion of modern art in the United States. Her sole brother, H. Edward Dreier, followed his father into business and managed the family investments. Read More

Provenance

The bulk of the collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in 1959 by Mrs. Peter Voorhees, Dorothea A. Dreier's neice. Additional materials were donated in 2007 by Theodore and Barbara Dreier, Dreier's great-nephew and great-neice.

Related Materials

The papers of Katherine S. Dreier related to the Société Anonyme Archives are located at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.

The Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute of Harvard University holds the papers of Mary E. Dreier

Language Note

The collection is in English and German.

Digitization Note

The papers of Dorothea A. (Dorothea Adelheid) Dreier in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2009. The bulk of the papers have been scanned and total 4,336 images.

Funding Note

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