Lilly Martin Spencer papers, 1828-1966

Collection Information

Size: 0.9 Linear feet

Summary: The papers of portrait and genre painter Lilly Martin Spencer, measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1828-1966. The collection includes biographical material, scattered lists, notes, receipts, and legal documents relating to Spencer's life and work, Spencer's business and family correspondence, printed material, a lithograph, photographs of Spencer and others, and photographs of Spencer's artwork.

Biographical/Historical Note

New York and Ohio painter Lilly Martin Spencer (1822-1902) was known for her popular portrait paintings and humorous domestic genre scenes.

Provenance

The collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in 1971 by Lillian Spencer Gates, Spencer's granddaughter.

Related Materials

The Archives of American Art also has microfilm (reel 132) of the Martin family papers and Campus Martius Museum records regarding Lilly Martin Spencer. Originals are located at the Campus Martius Museum, Ohio Historical Society. The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reel 131 including family history; biographical material; circa 50 photographs of Spencer and her paintings; M.A. thesis, "Lilly Martin Spencer: American Painter of the Nineteenth Century," by Ann Byrd Schumer; articles about Spencer's life and work, 1959; and a list of paintings owned by her granddaughter, Lillian Spencer Gates. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Language Note

English .

Digitization Note

This site provides access to the papers of Lilly Martin Spencer in the Archives of American Art that were digitized in 2020, and total 1,101 images.

Funding Note

The collection was digitized in 2022 with funding provided by the Lichtenstein Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art