Collection Information
Size: 10.1 Linear feet
Summary: The papers of New York art collector, dealer, and interior designer Hester Diamond measure 10.1 linear feet and date from circa 1953-2020. The collection documents Diamond's career through biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, personal business records, artist and artwork files, printed material, and photographic material. A portion of the collection is born-digital.
Biographical material includes calendars, published interviews and profiles, and a New York Times obituary. Writings consist of diaries. Correspondence reflects relationships with artists, art historians, dealers, and museums. Of particular note are extensive correspondence from Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Antoine Pevsner, and Mark Tobey, as well as multiple letters from Henry Moore, Leo Steinberg, and others.
Extensive artwork files document works in Diamond's collection, including photographs, records of sales, provenance, conservation, publications, and loans for exhibitions. Also documented are Diamond's collections of mineral specimens, furniture, and decorative arts. Personal business records and photographic materials document Hester and Harold Diamond's activities as art dealers, Hester's interior design business, and her philanthropic activities, including the Medici Archive Project and VISTAS (Virtual Images of Sculpture in Time and Space). Additional files include Diamond's class notes from various art history courses.