Kennedy Galleries Miscellaneous records, 1864-circa 1983

Collection Information

Size: 1.28 Linear feet

Summary: The Kennedy Galleries Miscellaneous Records date from 1864 - circa 1983 and measure 1.28 linear feet. These scattered records were compiled by gallery owner Martha Fleischman and relate to art collections and artists historically represented by or associated with the gallery. The collection includes a few letters, one essay, reports, ledger pages, a certificate, printed materials, and photographs of artists and artwork, particularly artwork by Walt Kuhn.

Biographical/Historical Note

Established in 1874 by Hermann Wunderlich as H. Wunderlich & Co. in Manhattan, Kennedy Galleries has a long history of dealing American art. When Wunderlich died in 1892, Edward G. Kennedy took over the gallery and changed the name in 1912 to Kennedy & Co. Kennedy was the first U.S. dealer to exhibit the etchings and paintings of James McNeill Whistler, and he compiled a 1910 catalogue raisonné of the artist's work. Kennedy retired in 1916, and Herman Wunderlich (Jr.) became senior partner.

Provenance

These records were donated to the Archives in 2005 and 2006 by Martha Fleischman, director of the Kennedy Galleries, who compiled these miscellaneous items from the Kennedy Galleries' storage.

Related Materials

Also found at the Archives of American Art are the Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman Papers, 1837-1984, bulk 1935-1979; an interview of Lawrence A. Fleischman conducted in 1970, Feb. 28-Mar. 9, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art; an interview of Lawrence A. Fleischman conducted 1994 Apr. 18, by Gail Stavitsky, for the Archives of American Art; and an interview of Barbara Fleischman (Lawrence Fleischman's wife) conducted 2011 Dec. 27 and 2012 Jan. 5, 20, and 23 by Avis Berman for the Archives of American Art.

Funding

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.