John Gruen and Jane Wilson papers, 1909-2016

Collection Information

Size: 25 Linear feet; 21.65 Gigabytes

Summary: The papers of photographer and art critic John Gruen and painter Jane Wilson measure 25 linear feet and 21.65 GB and date from 1909 to 2016. The papers document their careers through biographical material; correspondence with family, friends, colleagues, and art institutions; book manuscripts, articles, interview transcripts, notes, and other writings; loan agreements, commissions, and other documentation related to exhibitions and writing articles for publications; inventories, price lists, royalty statements, and other personal business records; photographs; and artwork. Some of the documents, photographs and interviews are in digital format.

Biographical/Historical Note

John Gruen (1926-2016) was an art critic and photographer who lived and worked in New York. Jane Wilson (1924-2015) was a landscape and expressionism painter who primarily lived and worked in New York. Gruen and Wilson married in 1948.

Provenance

The papers were donated in several installments between 1982 and 2016. Donations between 1982 and 2003 were made by John Gruen and Jane Wilson, and the 2016 donation was made by Julia Gruen, daughter of Gruen and Wilson.

Language Note

The majority of the materials are in English. Some of the correspondence and printed materials are in French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Funding Note

The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.