José de Rivera papers, 1930-1991

Biographical material consists of a biographical account, resumé, military records documenting de Rivera's service in both the U. S. Army and the Navy, a transcript of an interview in which de Rivera describes his development as an artist, an Art Directors Club certificates of merit, a certificate of fitness, an honorary doctorate diploma, files and lists of addresses, an annotated wall calendar, and miscellaneous notes and writings.

Letters are primarily from de Rivera's patron, Howard Goldsmith, but include single letters from John Canaday, Emlen Etting, Dag Hammarskjold, and G. Vantongerloo. There is also a letter of recommendation from Marcel Breuer and an invitation from the Lyndon Johnson White House.

Personal business records consist of a general release from de Rivera to William Kaufman acting on behalf of Helen Eisenstein, rent records for de Rivera's assistant, sculptor Roy Gussow, inventories of sculpture including small sketches of some of the works, a contract concerning the Taller Ediciones JB book about de Rivera's art work, and miscellaneous records including receipts for the sale of art work.

Commission files contain letters, contracts, receipts, clippings, blueprints, miscellaneous printed material, and photographs concerning de Rivera's projects including the Brussels Construction for the Brussels Universal and International Exhibition and his sculpture for the 1964 New York World's Fair. Of primary significance is the file concerning Infinity, commissioned for the plaza in front of the Smithsonian Museum of History and Technology, now the National Museum of American History. This file contains a detailed photographic record of the construction and installation of this work which, in 1967, was the largest abstract sculpture commissioned by the government. Also of note is the file for Construction #73 for the American Iron and Steel Institute which contains a reel of 16mm motion picture film showing the sculpture Homage to the World of Minkowski at the Grace Borgenicht Gallery.

Art work consists of four sketchbooks, drawings, primarily of designs for sculpture and brooches, and some scattered schematic drawings for unidentified projects, and geometric collages including detached cut out shapes.

Printed material consists of clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs for de Rivera and others, press releases, programs, brochures, booklets, a copy of the book José de Rivera Constructions by Dore Ashton and Joan M. Marter, and reproductions of art work. Miscellaneous printed material includes a first day cover envelope dated honoring Stuart Davis.

Photographs are of de Rivera including one with Burgoyne Diller, miscellaneous art-related events, his studio, his art works, and of miscellaneous exhibition installations at the Grace Borgenicht Gallery and of his 1972 Retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Of special interest are the photographs concerning Flight and The Cavalryman which document the stages of de Rivera's work on these sculptures.