Henry Ward Ranger Estate papers, 1888-circa 1999, bulk 1904-1954

This series documents the appraisal, administration, and distribution of Ranger's estate by the National Academy of Design to various galleries, museums, and other art institutions including Brooks Memorial Art Gallery, Des Moines Association of Fine Arts, Fine Arts Society of San Diego, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Oberlin College, and others. The bulk of the material comprises appraisal records, including an appraisal of Ranger's Noank studio conducted by William Macbeth, who was a co-executor of Ranger's estate with Charles Henry Phelps, prior to his death on August 10, 1917; an estate ledger listing all of the estate's contents including artwork by Ranger and others, and personal effects; correspondence and agreements with museums and other art institutions that received artwork purchased by the Ranger fund; and financial records documenting assets and liabilities, including cancelled checks, receipts, investment and tax records, and records documenting real estate investments that formed part of his estate.

One folder of Ranger personal papers includes a letter from Ranger to a judge with a transcript that was used during the litigation process to help prove the fraudulence of Edith Ranger's claims on the estate; one letter from attorney John B. Tuck to Ranger discussing the conveyance of Ranger's farm property in Fabius; and one letter to Ranger from Adolph G. shortly before Ranger's death. This folder also contains a one-page, handwritten family tree; a page of notes that could be Ranger's notes on his will; two of Ranger's business cards, and two of his studio invitation cards; an exhibition announcement of a Century Association loan exhibition (1916) with a list of Ranger's New York City addresses from 1881-1905; a magazine page showing a picture of Ranger at his easel in the outdoors; a photo postcard of Ranger; and six negatives of Ranger. There is one folder of Ranger family letters, including six letters from Edith Ranger to her sick father, two from Henry Ward Ranger's uncle; and one from Louise Ranger Whitmore.

Also found are legal documents recording claims against the estate and their settlement or rejection; news clippings about Ranger's bequest to the National Academy of Design; a catalog of a centennial memorial exhibition of Ranger's artwork in 1958; and a folder of correspondence and printed material which records the history of the Ranger fund up to 1993 with a copy of a curator's report on the fund's activity status.

Records are arranged by type and chronologically, where possible, thereafter.

A portion of this series has been digitized, including records which provide biographical information about Ranger and provenance information for his artwork, or document his estate gift to the National Academy of Design.

Records which have not been digitized include routine estate records not related to the purchase and distribution of artwork, including portions of the estate ledger.