Subseries 4.6 | A Finding Aid to the Walt Kuhn Family papers and Armory Show records, 1859-1984, bulk 1900-1949 | Digitized Collection | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

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4.6: Other Projects , 1869-1897, 1910, 1922-1941

1.7 Linear feet

Box 13-14, 33, 56, OV 40-41, 45

Although the bulk of the Walt Kuhn Family Papers are related to Walt Kuhn's artwork and career as a painter, items in this series document Kuhn's other creative projects in theater, motion pictures, and graphic and interior design.

In the 1920s, Kuhn designed and staged several vaudeville acts or "satirical ballets," which were performed in New York, Chicago, Atlantic City, and elsewhere. Included in this series are scripts, notebooks, sketches and drawings of costumes and stage sets, receipts, contracts, music, programs, a photograph, and a scrapbook. Notebooks contain sketches and production notes, contact information for theater people, and receipts signed by performers, among other notes. Scrapbooks contain clippings, programs, and one watercolor costume drawing. Other early theatrical writings and photographs can be found in Kit Kat Club and Penguin Club Records, and Kuhn describes his theater experience in detail in Walt Kuhn Letters to Family.

In 1939, Kuhn wrote and directed a silent, educational motion picture film called "Walt Kuhn's Adventures in Art - Learning to See." Kuhn gave lectures with the film from 1939 to as late as 1947. Papers related to this project include drafts of scripts, notes, and visual materials used in the film, including intertitles, photographs and a collage. Drafts for another film, apparently never made, are also filed with scripts. Items relating to copyright of these projects are filed with Financial Records.

From 1936 until 1943, Kuhn was employed by the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad Company through his connection with Averell Harriman, husband of Marie Harriman and UP's Chairman of the Board. He designed and decorated club cars and lounges for Streamliner trains, designed posters and brochures, and consulted for other projects. Kuhn's historically-themed club cars, "The Frontier Shack" and "The Little Nugget" involved two of his favorite historical themes, the old west and early stage comedians. Kuhn also designed graphics for UP's Sun Valley Lodge in 1937. Documents related to UP include blueprints, sketches, a poster, research notes, source materials, publicity, photographs, correspondence, pamphlets, tickets, sample materials, and notes. Related materials are filed in General Correspondence and Photographs and Scrapbooks.

Theater and Motion Picture files are arranged by type of material, and UP files are arranged by project.

This bulk of this series has been digitized except for: the 2015 addition, copies, and some oversized material, due to size and/or conditio. For publications, such as books, catalogs, and pamphlets, typically only the covers or covers and title pages have been digitized.

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.

Washington D.C. Headquarters and Research Center

New York Research Center

Affiliated Research Centers

Walt Kuhn Family papers and Armory Show records, 1859-1984, bulk 1900-1949

Creator

Occupation

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4.6: Other Projects , 1869-1897, 1910, 1922-1941

1.7 Linear feet

Box 13-14, 33, 56, OV 40-41, 45

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Description	Container	Select
Theater		Select: Theater
Scripts by Kuhn, 1923, undated	13 11	Select: Scripts by Kuhn, 1923, undated
Scripts by Others, 1910, 1923-1928, undated	13 12	Select: Scripts by Others, 1910, 1923-1928, undated
Scripts by Others, 1910, 1923-1928, undated	13 13	Select: Scripts by Others, 1910, 1923-1928, undated
Music, undated Oversized material housed in Box 33	13 14	Select: Music, undated Scope and Contents note Oversized material housed in Box 33
Notebooks and Notes, 1922-1923, undated (includes sketches)	13 15	Select: Notebooks and Notes, 1922-1923, undated Scope and Contents note (includes sketches)
Contracts and Receipts, 1922-1923, 1927-1928	13 16	Select: Contracts and Receipts, 1922-1923, 1927-1928
Photograph, undated Oversized material housed in Box 33	13 17	Select: Photograph, undated Scope and Contents note Oversized material housed in Box 33
Programs and Flyer, 1922, 1927, undated	13 18	Select: Programs and Flyer, 1922, 1927, undated
Scrapbook, 1922-1923 Oversized material housed in Box 33	13 19	Select: Scrapbook, 1922-1923 Scope and Contents note Oversized material housed in Box 33
Items Removed from Scrapbook, 1922-1923	13 20	Select: Items Removed from Scrapbook, 1922-1923
Artwork, 1923, undated Oversized material housed in OV 45	13 21	Select: Artwork, 1923, undated Scope and Contents note Oversized material housed in OV 45
List of Theaters in the United States with Seating Capacity Over 1500, undated	13 22	Select: List of Theaters in the United States with Seating Capacity Over 1500, undated
Motion Picture, "Walt Kuhn's Adventures in Art: Learning to See"		Select: Motion Picture, "Walt Kuhn's Adventures in Art: Learning to See"
Scripts, circa 1939	13 23	Select: Scripts, circa 1939
Photographs and Titles Used in Film, circa 1939, undated	13 24	Select: Photographs and Titles Used in Film, circa 1939, undated
Photographs and Titles Used in Film, circa 1939, undated	13 25	Select: Photographs and Titles Used in Film, circa 1939, undated
Photographs and Titles Used in Film, circa 1939, undated	13 26	Select: Photographs and Titles Used in Film, circa 1939, undated
Photographs and Titles Used in Film, circa 1939, undated	13 27	Select: Photographs and Titles Used in Film, circa 1939, undated
Photographs and Titles Used in Film (copies), circa 1939, undated	13 28	Select: Photographs and Titles Used in Film (copies), circa 1939, undated
Expenses, 1939	13 29	Select: Expenses, 1939
Printed Materials, 1938-1939	13 30	Select: Printed Materials, 1938-1939
Interior and Graphic Design, Union Pacific Railroad Company		Select: Interior and Graphic Design, Union Pacific Railroad Company
Frontier Shack (1936), 1936, 1938, undated	13 31	Select: Frontier Shack (1936), 1936, 1938, undated
Frontier Shack (1936), undated	13 32	Select: Frontier Shack (1936), undated
Frontier Shack (1936), 1885-1897, undated Oversized material housed in Box 33	13 33	Select: Frontier Shack (1936), 1885-1897, undated Scope and Contents note Oversized material housed in Box 33
Frontier Shack (1936), 1937-1941, undated	13 34	Select: Frontier Shack (1936), 1937-1941, undated
Frontier Shack (1936), Copies, undated	13 35	Select: Frontier Shack (1936), Copies, undated
Little Nugget (1937), circa 1937 (index cards and lists of comedians of the stage used for photos for Little Nugget)	14 1-2	Select: Little Nugget (1937), circa 1937 Scope and Contents note (index cards and lists of comedians of the stage used for photos for Little Nugget)
Little Nugget (1937), undated	14 3	Select: Little Nugget (1937), undated
Little Nugget (1937), undated	14 4	Select: Little Nugget (1937), undated
Little Nugget (1937), undated	14 5	Select: Little Nugget (1937), undated
Little Nugget (1937), Copies, undated Oversized material housed in Box 33	14 6	Select: Little Nugget (1937), Copies, undated Scope and Contents note Oversized material housed in Box 33
Little Nugget (1937), Blueprints, 1937, undated Oversized material housed in OV 40, OV 41	14 7	Select: Little Nugget (1937), Blueprints, 1937, undated Scope and Contents note Oversized material housed in OV 40, OV 41
Little Nugget (1937), 1937-1948	14 8	Select: Little Nugget (1937), 1937-1948
Little Nugget (1937), Photographs, 1937	14 9	Select: Little Nugget (1937), Photographs, 1937
Little Nugget (1937), Photographs, 1948	14 10	Select: Little Nugget (1937), Photographs, 1948
Little Nugget (1937), Photographs, undated	14 11	Select: Little Nugget (1937), Photographs, undated
Little Nugget (1937), Duplicates, undated	14 12	Select: Little Nugget (1937), Duplicates, undated
Copper King (1938), circa 1938 Oversized material housed in OV 40	14 13	Select: Copper King (1938), circa 1938 Scope and Contents note Oversized material housed in OV 40

Washington D.C. Headquarters and Research Center

New York Research Center

Affiliated Research Centers

Walt Kuhn Family papers and Armory Show records, 1859-1984, bulk 1900-1949

Creator

Occupation

Make a Request

4.6: Other Projects , 1869-1897, 1910, 1922-1941 1.7 Linear feet Box 13-14, 33, 56, OV 40-41, 45

Make a Request

4.6: Other Projects , 1869-1897, 1910, 1922-1941

1.7 Linear feet

Box 13-14, 33, 56, OV 40-41, 45