Marcia Marcus papers, 1928-2016, bulk 1950-2000

Biographical material dates from 1928-2000s and consists of address books, calendars, diplomas, certificates, life documents, identification cards, and resumes. A few files relate to Marcus's parents and include marriage certificates and naturalization papers. Travel mementos and memorabilia contain maps, tickets, and other items of ephemera saved by Marcus. One file relates to Marcus' teaching activities at Vassar College.

The material in this series is arranged alphabetically.

The bulk of this series was digitized, except for duplicates and blank pages of address books. Only the cover and relevant pages of the yearbook were digitized.

Personal and professional correspondence dates from 1953-2016 and includes illustrated letters, postcards, greeting cards, and memoranda. There is correspondence with her husband, children, and close friends, and letters from galleries, museums, and other arts organizations. Notable correspondents include Sally Avery, Dody Müller, Robert (Bob) Richenburg, as well as Dorothy Gill Barnes, Elaine Benson, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, and Myron Stout. One digital video recording found among the correspondence with Kate Prendergast, Marcus' daughter, documents the storage of Marcus' paintings.

Marcia Marcus's letter drafts and letters to unidentified recipients are at the beginning of the series. The rest of the series is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Correspondents with first names only are grouped separately at toward the end of the series, followed by letters from unidentified correspondents, and greeting cards.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for duplicates and two folders of greeting cards.

Interviews date from 1970s-1980 and include one sound recordings with Marcus on sound cassette and two transcripts. Marcus responds to questions regarding her paintings, her influences, the art scene in New York City, her role as an educator, and other topics. There is also one sound recording on cassette of an interview with the artist Rose Mosner.

The Marcia Marcus interviews are first, followed by the Rose Mosner interview at the end of the series.

The transcripts in this series have been digitized. The sound cassettes have not been digitized.

Writings date from 1970s-2014 and consist of artist statements, two diaries, two notebooks, notes, lists, poems, and a few writings by others. The diaries record day-to-day activities and reflections, while the notebooks contain jottings, notes, and lists. The writings by others are mostly essays about Marcia Marcus written by others.

The material in this series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for duplicates.

Project files date from 1960s-1990s and contain material related to exhibitions Marcus curated, grant applications, a mail art project, and a collaborative proposal for an exhibition space called Sister Chapel.

The material in this series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for duplicates.

Personal business records date from 1960s-2000s and consist of conservation documentation relating to Marcus' paintings, leases for residences and studios, financial ledgers, price lists for exhibitions, receipts for art supplies, loan agreements, contracts for exhibitions and teaching positions, as well as documentation related to unemployment benefits.

This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for duplicates and blank pages.

Printed material dates from 1950s-1990s and documents Marcus' extensive exhibition history through announcements, clippings, and exhibition catalogs. A few newsletters and other printed matter consisting of programs, minutes, and sheet music are also found here.

This series has been arranged alphabetically by folder title.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for duplicates. Exhibition catalogs and other publications have had their covers, title pages, and relevant pages digitized.

Photographic material dates from 1950s-1990s and includes photographic prints, negatives, contact sheets, and slides. Subjects include Marcus at all stages of her life, family, friends, the studio, exhibitions, travel, as well as hundreds of photographs and slides documenting her paintings. One folder contains photographs Marcus used as source material. The snapshots of artwork document the progress of some of her paintings from early sketch to the final completed work, along with images of Marcia Marcus posing for paintings and some snapshots she used for reference. The disbound photograph album mostly contains photographs of Marcia Marcus's time in New York City during the early to mid-1950s, especially the time she spent with fellow artists, students, and teachers at the Art Students League.

This series consists of photographic material loosely grouped by subject. Photographs of Marcia Marcus are at the beginning of the series, followed by photographs of people, artwork, and places. The slides are not in any particular order.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for duplicates, negatives, and blank versos of photographs. Due to the sheer volume of snapshots of artwork, only a sampling from each batch of snapshots was digitized.

Eight sketchbooks date from circa 1954-2000 and contain hundreds of sketches and studies in pencil, pen, and watercolor. Subjects include flora, fauna, landscapes, and figures. One sketchbook appears to be by Dody Muller.

The sketchbooks are loosely in chronological order.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for blank pages.

Artwork dates from 1950s-1990s and includes sketches in pencil and marker, a collage, and over one hundred watercolor studies of flora, fauna, landscapes, and figures.

This series is loosely grouped by medium. Sketches come first, followed by watercolors, which are mostly undated.

This series has been digitized in its entirety.