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Lillian and Frederick Kiesler papers, circa 1910s-2003, bulk 1958-2000

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Series 2: Frederick Kiesler papers , 1923-1992
7.1 Linear feet
Boxes 40-46, OV 53

Series 2 contains Frederick Kiesler's papers and documents his professional career as an architect, sculptor, and teacher. Among his papers are biographical materials, including passports, schedule and appointment books; correspondence with architects, publishers, editors, universities, museums, galleries, manufacturers, artists and friends, including L. Alcopley, Leopold Arnaud, Armand P. Bartos, Piero and Virginia Dorazio, George Howe, Kay Johnson, Jane Owen, and others, and photocopied letters from Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp, and Piet Mondrian; business and finance records, most of which were collected in preparing tax returns; correspondence and materials related to exhibitions, including "Inside the Endless House" (1966) and the International Theatre Exposition (1924); teaching files and production notes from Juilliard School of Music; personal notes and writings; a bound copy of the "Bibliography of Works Written By or About Frederick Kiesler"; clippings, and other printed materials; and several photographs of artwork.
There is overlap between this series and Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler, circa 1913-2003 (Subseries 1.10) in the Lillian Kiesler Papers, circa 1910s-2003 (Series 1), especially exhibition files, printed material, and photographs.
The series is arranged as 8 subseries:
  • 2.1: Biographical Material, 1947-1965, undated
  • 2.2: Correspondence, 1923-1965, undated
  • 2.3: Business and Financial Records, 1937-1965
  • 2.4: Exhibition Files, 1924-1992, undated
  • 2.5: Teaching Files, 1937-1964, undated
  • 2.6: Writings and Notes, 1933-1980, undated
  • 2.7: Printed Material, 1926-1966, undated
  • 2.8: Photographic Material, undated

2.1: Biographical Material, 1947-1965, undated

Biographical material is arranged alphabetically by subject.
Description Container
Appointments and Schedules, 1965, undated
40
1
Curriculum Vitae, undated
40
2
Passports, 1947, 1953, 1957, 1963
40
3
Schedule Books, 1964-1965
40
4
Schedule Book, undated
40
5

2.2: Correspondence, 1923-1965, undated

The bulk of Frederick Kiesler's correspondence is with architects, publishers, editors, universities, museums, galleries, manufacturers, artists and friends about projects, business, and teaching; personal correspondence does not comprise a significant portion of the material until after 1952. Correspondence includes incoming letters and carbon copies of letters from Frederick Kiesler; there is some correspondence in German and French. Included are L. Alcopley, Leopold Arnaud, Armand P. Bartos, Piero and Virginia Dorazio, George Howe, Kay Johnson, Jane Owen, and others. There are also photocopied letters from Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp, and Piet Mondrian. There is no correspondence to or from Lillian Kiesler found here. Additional related correspondence is in Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler, circa 1913-2003 (Subseries 1.10) in the Lillian Kiesler Papers, circa 1910s-2003 (Series 1). Correspondence is arranged first by subject, then chronologically.
Description Container
Christmas Cards Received, 1963
40
6
Office of War Information Exhibition, 1944-1945
40
7
Chronological, 1923, 1926, 1930-1932
40
8
Chronological, 1933-1936
40
9
Chronological, 1937
40
10
Chronological, 1938-1939
40
11
Chronological, 1940
40
12
Chronological, 1941
40
13
Chronological, 1942-1943
40
14
Chronological, 1944
40
15
Chronological, 1945
40
16
Chronological, 1946
40
17
Chronological, 1947
40
18
Chronological, 1948
40
19
Chronological, 1949
40
20
Chronological, 1950
40
21
Chronological, 1951-1952
40
22
Chronological, 1953
40
23
Chronological, 1954
40
24
Chronological, 1955
40
25
Chronological, 1956
40
26
Chronological, 1957
40
27
Chronological, January-June 1958
41
1
Chronological, July-December 1958
41
2
Chronological, January-March 1959
41
3
Chronological, April-May 1959
41
4
Chronological, June-July 1959
41
5
Chronological, August-September 1959
41
6
Chronological, October-December 1959
41
7
Chronological, January-March 1960
41
8
Chronological, April-May 1960
41
9
Chronological, June-July 1960
41
10
Chronological, August-December 1960
41
11
Chronological, January-June 1961
41
12
Chronological, July-December 1961
41
13
Chronological, January-March 1962
41
14
Chronological, April-May 1962
41
15
Chronological, June-August 1962
41
16
Chronological, September-December 1962
41
17
Chronological, 1963
41
18
Chronological, January-June 1964
41
19
Chronological, July-December 1964
41
20
Chronological, January-March 1965
41
21
Chronological, April-June 1965
41
22
Chronological, July-August 1965
41
23
Chronological, September-December 1965
41
24
Chronological, undated
41
25

2.3: Business and Financial Records, 1937-1965

The bulk of the materials found here are tax returns from the 1940s to mid-1960s and records used in preparing returns, such as bank statements, bills and receipts, and income memos. Also included are travel documents and expenses, inquiries and notes about job applicants, and material related to a Ford Foundation grant. Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Description Container
Bank Receipts, Steffi Kiesler, 1963
42
1
Bank Records, 1959-1961
42
2
Bills Paid, 1962
42
3-15
Bills Paid, 1963
42
16-19
Harry Bodansky Income Tax Data, 1953-1962
42
20-24
Cancelled Checks and Bills, Steffi Kiesler, 1962
42
25-26
Chemical Bank N.Y. Trust Co., 1962
42
27-38
Chemical Bank N.Y. Trust Co., Deposits, 1962
42
39
Domestic Travel, 1962
42
40
Expenses, Petty Cash, 1962
42
41-42
Expenses, Petty Cash, 1963
42
43
Federation Bank and Trust Co., 1963
42
44
Federation Bank and Trust Co., Deposits, 1962
43
1
Federation Bank and Trust Co., Regular Checking, 1962
43
2
Federation Bank and Trust Co., Special Account Checking, 1962
43
3
Financial, 1962
43
4
Ford Foundation Bills, 1962-1964
43
5
Ford Foundation Bills, 1st and 2nd Installments, 1962-1963
43
6
Ford Foundation Bills Paid, 3rd Installment, 1963-1964
43
7
Ford Foundation Guggenheim Grant, 1962-1965
43
8
Ford Foundation Special Account, 1963-1964
43
9
Foreign Travel, 1962
43
10
Job Applicants, 1956-1959
43
11
Job Applicants, 1965
43
12
Kiesler and Bartos Finances, 1957, 1959
43
13
Leases, 1937-1965
43
14
Tax Return Records 1941, 1941-1942
43
15
Tax Return Records 1942, 1942-1944
43
16
Tax Return Records 1943, 1943-1944
43
17
Tax Return Records 1944, 1944-1945
43
18
Tax Return Records 1945, 1945-1946
43
19
Tax Return Records 1946, 1947, 1946-1947
43
20
Tax Return Records 1948, 1948-1949
43
21
Tax Return Records 1949, 1949-1950
43
22
Tax Return Records 1950, 1950
43
23
Tax Return Records 1951, 1951-1952
43
24
Tax Return Records 1952, 1952-1953
43
25
Tax Return Records 1953, 1953-1954
43
26
Tax Return Records, 1953-1954
43
27-30
Tax Return Records 1959, 1958-1960
43
31-32
Tax Return Records 1959, 1958-1960
44
1-6
Tax Return Records 1960, 1959-1961
44
7-13
Tax Return Records 1961, 1960-1961
44
14-15
Tax Return Records 1961, 1960-1961
45
1-4
Tax Return Records 1963, 1963
45
5-8

2.4: Exhibition Files, 1924-1992, undated

Exhibition files contain correspondence and printed material related to exhibits held primarily after Frederick Kiesler's death. Additional material related to exhibits can be found in Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler, 1913-2003 (Subseries 1.10) in the Lillian Kiesler Papers, circa 1910s-2003 (Series 1). Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Description Container
The Book of the Shrine, 1992
Oversized material housed in OV 53.
45
9
Inside the Endless House, 1966-1969, undated
45
10
International Theatre Exposition (in German), 1924
45
11
Martha Jackson Gallery, 1965-1966
45
12
Monograph, Bogner, Dieter. Friedrich Kiesler 1890-1965. Vienna: Löcker Verlag, 1988
Inscribed.
45
13
Monograph, Phillips, Lisa. Frederick Kiesler. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 1989
45
14
"The Object in the Open Air," Museum of Contemporary Crafts, 1966
45
15
The Book of the Shrine, 1992
Oversized material from Box 45, Folder 9.
OV 53

2.5: Teaching Files, 1937-1964, undated

Found here is correspondence, artwork and papers by Frederick Kiesler's students at Juilliard, notes on productions, and administrative files. Correspondence regarding teaching can also be found in Correspondence, 1923-1965, undated (Subseries 2.2) in the Frederick Kiesler Papers, 1923-1992 (Series 2). Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Description Container
Contracts, 1937-1940
45
16
Juilliard Students' Works, undated
45
17-18
Juilliard Students' Works, Papers, 1944, 1954-1956, undated
46
1
Juilliard Students' Works, Visual Arts (3 folders), 1955-1956, undated
46
2-4
Juilliard Miscellaneous, 1939-1956, undated
46
5
State Education Department (N.Y.), 1940-1964, undated
46
6

2.6: Writings and Notes, 1933-1980, undated

Writings and notes contains Lillian Kiesler's "Bibliography of Writings By or About Frederick Kiesler" (1971; 1980), as well as desk notes, a notebook, and research material. Addition writings can be found in Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler, 1913-2003 (Subseries 1.10) in the Lillian Kiesler Papers, circa 1910s-2003 (Series 1). Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Description Container
Bibliography of Writings By or About Frederick Kiesler, 1971, undated
46
7-8
Bibliography of Writings By or About Frederick Kiesler, 1980
46
9-11
Desk Notes and Miscellany, 1959
46
12
Desk Notes and Miscellany, 1965
46
13
Miscellaneous Notes, 1933-1965, undated
46
14
Research Material Notes for "Architectural Record", 1937
46
15

2.7: Printed Material, 1926-1966, undated

Printed material includes newspaper and magazine clippings, announcements and invitations, flyers, and plastic samples. Additional related printed material can be found in Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler, 1913-2003 (Subseries 1.10) in the Lillian Kiesler Papers, circa 1910s-2003 (Series 1). The items are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Description Container
Clippings, 1926-1966
Oversized material housed in OV 53.
46
16
Miscellaneous, 1939-1965
46
17
Printers on Plastic, undated
46
18
Clippings, 1962
Oversized clippings from Box 46, Folder 16.
OV 53

2.8: Photographic Material, undated

There is one folder of black and white photographs of sculptures. Each photograph is notated on the back in pencil. Additional related material can be found in Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler, 1913-2003 (Subseries 1.10) and Photographic Material, circa 1910s-1950s (Subseries 1.13) in the Lillian Kiesler Papers, circa 1910s-200 (Series 1).
Description Container
Photographic Material, undated
46
19

Make a Request

  • To request an appointment to view materials, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reading Room" button. Please note, you will receive the full box.
  • To request reproductions, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reproduction" button.