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

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Series 4: Walt Kuhn Family Papers, 1859-1978
25.8 linear feet
Box 3-26, 32-35, OV 39-55

This series contains records of Walt Kuhn's artwork, career, travels, personal and professional associations, family members, and work in vaudeville, film, and interior design. The bulk of material relating to Kuhn's career as a painter can be found in Kuhn's Letters to Family, General Correspondence, Selected Gallery and Exhibition Files, Provenance Files, and to a lesser extent in Financial Records, Notes and Writings, and Printed Materials. Walt Kuhn's Letters to Family, written to his father, wife, and daughter span his entire career and contain candid, personal accounts of his activities and many illustrations. Also included in the papers are biographical narratives and documents; records related to Kuhn's theater, film, and design projects; and original cartoons, drawings, sketches, and photographs. Audio recordings made in 1965 and 1969 contain the recollections of Kuhn's daughter, Brenda Kuhn.
Annotations in pen or orange crayon found throughout this series were probably made by Vera Kuhn and should not be confused with dates marked in pencil by Archives staff during initial microfilming in the 1960s. Penciled dates on correspondence were taken from the postmarks of envelopes, which were disposed of during microfilming.
This series is arranged according the following 12 subseries:
4.1: Biographical Material, 1882-1972
4.2: Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1901-1949
4.3: General Correspondence, 1890-1966
4.4: Selected Gallery and Exhibition Files, 1920-1966
4.5: Provenance Files, 1910-1964
4.6: Other Projects, 1869-1897, 1910, 1922-1941
4.7: Financial Records, 1920-1961, 1972
4.8: Notes and Writings, 1901-1972
4.9: Printed Materials, 1908-1987
4.10: Artwork, 1906-1952
4.11: Photographs and Scrapbooks, 1859-1978
4.12: Audio Recordings, 1965, 1969
4.1:Biographical Material, 1882-1972
0.5 linear feet
Boxes 3, 32
This series contains biographical documentation of Walt Kuhn, his wife and daugher, his father and mother, his in-laws, and their ancestors. Found in this series is a handwritten chronology containing notes on the Armory Show. Other types of material include additional biographical narratives and chronologies prepared by Walt Kuhn, Vera Kuhn, and others; identification cards, passports, death certificates and other official documents; obituaries; correspondence and notes on genaeology; published biographies; printed materials relating to Kuhn and Spier family homes; and medical records and correspondence. Artifacts include a framed dollar marked "first dollar earned by Walt Kuhn" and a medallion from art school.
Additional autobiographical writings can be found in Series 4.8: Notes and Writings. More obituaries of Walt Kuhn can be found in the 1949 clippings in Series 4.10: Printed Materials. Wills and documentation of family estates are in Series 4.7: Financial Records. Additional biographical information can be found in the audio recordings of Brenda Kuhn in Series 4.13: Audio Recordings.
DescriptionContainer
Narratives and Chronologies
Walt Kuhn, 1927-1962, undated
3
23
George Spier, 1925-1936
3
24
Personal Documents
Walt Kuhn Family, 1909-1959, undated
3
25
Francis Kuhn, 1889, 1926-1928, undated
3
26
Passports, 1925-1932
3
27
Walt Kuhn Obituaries, 1949
3
28
Woodlawn Cemetery, 1949
3
29
Genealogical Research, 1944-1945, undated
3
30
Biographical Publishers, 1930-1950, undated
2 folders
3
31-32
Printed Miscellany, 1882-1885, 1906-1913, 1926, 1939, 1949,
3
33
Medical Records
Walt Kuhn, 1939, 1948-1949, undated
3
34
Vera and Brenda Kuhn, 1925-1957, undated
3 folders
3
35-37
Life Extension Institute, 1923-1928, undated
3
38
Artifacts, 1892, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 32
3
39
Oversized Artifact, 1892
Oversized material scanned with Box 3, F39
32
4.2:Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1901-1949
1.7 linear feet
Box 3-5, OV 39
Walt Kuhn traveled frequently throughout his life for weeks and months at a time, and while away he wrote lengthy letters almost daily, first to his parents from art school in France and Germany in 1901-1903, and from 1909 on to his wife and daughter. His candid and detailed letters to his family reveal otherwise hidden motives and feelings regarding events, career, art, politics, and personalities. Scattered letters to Walt from Vera and Brenda are interfiled chronologically in this subseries, and are especially revealing of Vera's involvement in her husband's career.
Occasionally, Kuhn writes from New York when Vera is out of town. Significantly, these occasions include the winter of 1911-1912, when he writes that "a new society" of artists is forming in reaction to the conservatism of the National Academy of Design, referring to the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, which would go on to mount the Armory Show of 1913. (For Kuhn's letters to his wife dealing directly with the Armory Show, dating from September 1912 to April 1913, see Series 1.1, Armory Show Correspondence, Organizer's Letters.) Other significant New York events described include Kit Kat Balls and Penguin Club events from 1914, 1917, and 1918.
Kuhn advised several important collectors of contemporary art, sometimes traveling with them to make purchases, and his letters home include descriptions of the collections and studios they visit. Collectors include Marie Harriman (especially 1931, see also Selected Gallery and Exhibition Files), John Quinn (1913, 1918, 1919, 1920), and Florida collectors Bert and Olive Taylor, Josephine and Ernest Kanzler, and Paul and Mary "Minna" Mellon (1945, 1947). Conversations with Mary and A. Conger Goodyear and Lillie P. Bliss about the formation of the Museum of Modern Art are related to Vera in letters from 1928 and 1929.
Kuhn's letters home reveal attitudes towards artists and other colleagues, as well as his many personal and professional prejudices. A painting trip to Paris in 1933 brings news of publisher Alfred Skira, and the artists Pablo Picasso, Demetrius Galanis, Man Ray, Cecil Howard, and Andre Derain. Letters from Ogonquit, ME, report on other artists who worked nearby, such as Edwin Booth "Ted" Grossman, Bernard Karfiol, John Laurent, John Carroll, Patsy Santo, and Yasuo Kuniyoshi. From 1940 to 1942, a house on Lake Buel in Great Barrington, MA serves has a studio where Kuhn paints and tutors Mary Harriman Rumsey, Lily Emmet Cushing, and Harry Whitney, among others.
As designer and writer of vaudeville productions in the 1920s, Kuhn wrote home from the road about the politics and personalities of backstage life. Casts of his shows included performers Raymond Hitchcock and Lee Morse. During business trips for the Union Pacific railroad from 1936 to 1948, Kuhn wrote letters home about regional art and society circles throughout the Midwest and West. Significant Western contacts include artists Ralph Stackpole, Otis Oldfield, Rinaldo Cuneo, Edward Weston, critic Arthur Millier, collector Walter Arensburg, and film celebrities Cecil B. de Mille and Gary Cooper.
Kuhn's habit of writing to Vera when separated from her continued during his final illness and hospitalization in 1948 and 1949. Letters from this period are marked by his deteriorated mental state.
Illustrations are often found in Kuhn's letters, especially those written during painting trips to Paris, Maine, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Florida. Additional illustrated letters are filed with Artwork and with Photographs and Scrapbooks.
Photographs and photographic postcards are found throughout the series. Among them are photographs of the Gottlieb Reber estate in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1931; Arizona in 1928; and Florida in the 1940s. Many of the photographs mentioned in letters are filed in Series 4.11: Photographs and Scrapbooks.
Significant enclosures include letters from Charles Sheeler in 1922 and 1924, an exhibition catalog and floorplan for a Montross Gallery exhibition of 1914, and an original print of a nude by Kuhn, sent in 1918. Other enclosures were separated and may be filed elsewhere in the Kuhn Family Papers.
DescriptionContainer
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1901
3
40
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1902
3
41
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1903
3
42
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1906, 1909
3
43
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1911 August-September
3
44
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1911 October-November
3
45
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1911 December
3
46
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1913 July
3
47
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1913 August-September
3
48
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1914 January-March, undated
3
49
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1915-1917
4
1
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1918
4
2
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1919
4
3
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family (copies), 1919
4
4
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1920, undated
4
5
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1922, undated
4
6
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1923 February
4
7
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1923 June-December
4
8
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family (copies), 1923
4
9
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1924
4
10
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1925, undated
4
11
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1927-1928
4
12
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1929
2 folders
4
13-14
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1931
2 folders
4
15-16
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1932, 1933
4
17
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1934-1935
4
18
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1936, undated
2 folders
4
19-20
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1937
4
21
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1938
2 folders
4
22-23
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1939
4
24
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1940 May-July
4
25
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1940 August
4
26
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1940 September-October
4
27
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1941
4 folders
4
28-31
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1942
3 folders
4
32-34
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1943
4
35
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1944
3 folders
4
36-38
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1945, undated
8 folders
oversized material housed in OV 39
5
1-8
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1946
5
9
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1947, undated
3 folders
oversized material housed in OV 39
5
10-12
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1948, undated
2 folders
5
13-14
Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, 1949, undated
5
15
Oversized Enclosures in Walt Kuhn Letters to Family
Oversized material scanned with Box 5, F1 and F10
OV 39
4.3:General Correspondence, 1890-1966
4 linear feet
Box 5-9, 32, OV 40
Correspondence in this series is primarily between Walt Kuhn and his professional and personal contacts and spans his entire career. Correspondents include family members, fellow artists, students, dealers, museum and gallery staff, collectors, friends, fans, critics and colleagues. Copies of outgoing correspondence are often present and are interfiled chronologically. Also included is scattered correspondence of Vera and Brenda Kuhn, and correspondence written after Kuhn died that documents his family's efforts to exhibit, sell, and donate his work.
The content of the correspondence ranges from personal and candid to purely transactional. Artists, collectors, dealers, and critics involved in the creation of significant works of art and collections in the early 20th century are represented. An alphabetical index of selected correspondents in this series is provided in the appendix. Another resource for accessing correspondence are the card files in Series 4.8: Notes and Writings, where correspondence with various contacts was indexed by the Kuhns and filed alphabetically by name.
In 1938, Walt and Vera Kuhn wrote and self-published the pamphlet, "The Story of the Armory Show" and sent it
gratis
to hundreds of interested parties. Among the correspondence from that year are many heartfelt reponses from fellow artists and other witnesses to the 1913 event, including Charles Sheeler, William Glackens, Stuart Davis, André Derain, Henri Roché, Walter Pach, and J.H. du Bois to name just a few.
Kuhn regularly instructed students through the mail with lengthy letters about painting techniques and methods. San Francisco painter Otis Oldfield is represented by over 100 lengthy letters in this subseries. Kuhn's letters to Oldfield, returned at Kuhn's request in 1945 for a publication project that was never realized, are interfiled. Other correspondence students include Patsy Santo, Frank di Gioia, Watson Bidwell, John Bernhardt, John Laurent, Goldie Paley, and Eric Lundgren. See the appendix for dates.
Types of material include letters (sometimes illustrated), postcards, invitations, announcements, and Christmas cards, which are sometimes made of original artwork. Enclosures are often found, such as photographs, clippings, tracings of art work, writings, receipts, passes and membership cards. Some letters indicate enclosures that were previously separated and can be found in other series.
Significant writings enclosed with correspondence include an early vaudeville script written by Kuhn and his friend, Archibald Macnab (1923); drafts of articles about Kuhn by the poet Genevieve Taggard (1931), critic Alan Burroughs (1930), and patron Eloise Spaeth (1950); and an unpublished history of the 1913 Armory Show by Paul Bird (1938). Photographs and photographic postcards are also found throughout the series. Included are photo postcards from Spain and France (1925), and from Arizona and California (1928); and photographs related to Kuhn's work for the Union Pacific Railroad Company (1936, 1938).
Additional correspondence can be found throughout the collection. See individual series descriptions for details.
A list of selected correspondents from this series can be found in the Index with cross-references to correspondents found in 4.4: Selected Gallery and Exhibition Files, and 4.5: Provenance Files.
DescriptionContainer
General Correspondence, 1890-1913, undated
5
16
General Correspondence, 1914-1919
5
17
General Correspondence, 1920-1922
5
18
General Correspondence, 1923
2 folders
5
19-20
General Correspondence, 1924-1925
5
21
General Correspondence, 1926
5
22
General Correspondence, 1927
3 folders
5
23-25
General Correspondence, 1928
4 folders
5
26-29
General Correspondence, 1929
4 folders
oversized material housed in Box 32
5
30-33
General Correspondence, 1930
3 folders
6
1-3
General Correspondence, 1931
3 folders
6
4-6
General Correspondence, 1932
5 folders
6
7-11
General Correspondence, 1933
3 folders
6
12-14
General Correspondence, 1934
4 folders
6
15-18
General Correspondence, 1935
4 folders
6
19-22
General Correspondence, 1936
5 folders
6
23-27
General Correspondence, 1937
7 folders
oversized material housed in Box 32
6
28-34
General Correspondence, 1938
12 folders
7
1-12
General Correspondence, 1939
6 folders
7
13-18
General Correspondence, 1940
5 folders
oversized material housed in Box 32
7
19-23
General Correspondence, 1941
6 folders
oversized material housed in OV 40
7
24-29
General Correspondence, 1942
4 folders
7
30-33
General Correspondence, 1943
4 folders
7
34-37
General Correspondence, 1944
4 folders
8
1-4
General Correspondence, 1945
5 folders
8
5-9
General Correspondence, 1946
3 folders
oversized material housed in Box 32
8
10-12
General Correspondence, 1947
4 folders
oversized material housed in Box 32
8
13-16
General Correspondence, 1948
8 folders
8
17-24
General Correspondence, 1949
8 folders
8
25-32
General Correspondence, 1950
3 folders
8
33-35
General Correspondence, 1951
4 folders
9
1-4
General Correspondence, 1952
3 folders
9
5-7
General Correspondence, 1953
3 folders
9
8-10
General Correspondence, 1954
9
11
General Correspondence, 1955-1957
9
12
General Correspondence, 1958-1960
9
13
General Correspondence, 1961-1963
9
14
General Correspondence, 1964-1966, undated
9
15
General Correspondence, A-L, undated
9
16
General Correspondence, M-W and Illegible, undated
9
17
General Correspondence, Kuhn Fragments, undated
9
18
Oversized General Correspondence and Enclosures
Box 8, F11 and F13
Oversized material scanned with Box 5, F31; Box 6, F30; Box 7, F23
32
Oversized Blueprint Enclosed with General Correspondence
Oversized material from Box 7, F24
OV 40
4.4:Selected Gallery and Exhibition Files, 1920-1966
1.5 linear feet
Box 9-10, OV 41
This series contains a variety of materials relating to exhibitions and sales of Walt Kuhn's artwork between 1920 and 1958. Files for the Harriman and Durand-Ruel galleries also document selected exhibits of other artists and other activities of these galleries.
Documentation for exhibitions that took place in the 1920s is sparse; included are catalogs, announcements, inventories, and receipts for exhibitions at M. de Zayas Gallery, Montross Gallery, Beaux Arts Galerie, Grand Central Art Galleries, M. Knoedler and Co., the Arts Club of Chicago, Albert Roullier Galleries, and Anderson Galleries.
From 1930 onwards, exhibitions are more thoroughly documented. Records of exhibitions typically include announcements, marked catalogs, guest lists, diagrams showing the arrangement of art work in the galleries, letters detailing the production of the show or responding to the show, press coverage, and summary documents showing attendance figures and sales. For some exhibitions, there are also photographs and guest books.
Because of Kuhn's long relationship with the Marie Harriman Gallery, files contain a variety of unique materials. Included is correspondence concerning exhibits of André Derain, Pablo Picasso, and Demetrius Galanis in the early 1930s. Also found are detailed regional reports on museums and private collectors throughout the United States and their relative interest in modern art. Other items include vouchers for sales of Kuhn's artwork, a 1931 cartoon by Kuhn of himself with Marie Harriman in Europe; a photographic portrait of Harriman by Berenice Abbott and another by Underwood and Underwood; and a transcript of a 1931 radio address given by Marie Harriman.
The series is arranged by gallery or exhibition in rough chronological order. The Western Traveling Exhibition files are further broken down by venue and arranged in the order in which the exhibition traveled.
Additional materials relating to the galleries and exhibitions named in this series can be found elsewhere in the collection. Exhibitions before 1920 are discussed in some detail in Walt Kuhn Letters to Family from those years. Additional exhibition catalogs and announcements are found in Printed Materials, and correspondence with galleries exists in General Correspondence. See individual series descriptions for more details.
See the Index for a list of selected correspondents from series 4.3 General Correspondence with cross-references to this series and 4.5: Provenance Files.
DescriptionContainer
Miscellaneous Galleries, 1920-1929, 1933
9
19
Grand Central Art Galleries, 1926-1927
9
20
Downtown Gallery, 1927-1933, undated
9
21
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1930
9
22
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1931
9
23
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1932
7 folders
9
24-30
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1933
4 folders
9
31-34
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1934
3 folders
10
1-3
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1935
2 folders
10
4-5
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1936
2 folders
10
6-7
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1937
4 folders
10
8-11
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1938
10
12
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1939
2 folders
10
13-14
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1940
2 folders
10
15-16
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1941
3 folders
10
17-19
Marie Harriman Gallery, 1942-1943, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 41
10
20
Durand-Ruel Galleries, 1943-1944
2 folders
10
21-22
Durand-Ruel Galleries, 1944
10
23
Durand-Ruel Galleries, 1945
2 folders
10
24-25
Durand-Ruel Galleries, 1946
2 folders
10
26-27
Durand-Ruel Galleries, 1947-1948
10
28
Durand-Ruel Galleries, 1948, 1950
10
29
Western Traveling Exhibition
Marked Catalog, 1947
10
30
Colorado Springs, CO, 1946
10
31
Colorado Springs, CO, 1947
10
32
Colorado Springs, CO, 1947-1948
10
33
San Francisco, CA, 1946-1948
10
34
Santa Barbara, CA, 1947
10
35
Los Angeles, CA, 1946-1947
10
36
Los Angeles, CA, 1947-1948
10
37
Omaha, NE, 1947
10
38
Bloomfield Hills, MI, 1947
10
39
Milwaukee, WI, 1947-1948
10
40
Pittsburgh, PA, 1947-1948
10
41
Syracuse, NY, 1947-1948
10
42
Cincinnati Art Museum Exhibition, 1948
10
43
Albany Institute of History and Art, 1958
10
44
University of Arizona, 1966
10
45
Oversized Marie Harriman Gallery Material
Oversized material from Box 10, F20
OV 41
4.5:Provenance Files, 1910-1964
2.7 linear feet
Box 11-13, 32, OV 42-44
The Kuhns kept meticulous records of Walt Kuhn's art work. Their original file folders contain detailed annotations about paintings and sculptures, along with art reproductions, tracings, and other documentation. Annotations include information such as the model used for the work; where the work was created, exhibited, reproduced, and sold; and critical response. Some of the files also contain correspondence, clippings, exhibition catalogs, announcements, and bills of sale. Tempera paintings, watercolors, etchings, and lithographs are documented in a bound ledger filed at the end of this series.
Occasionally files contain other unique documentation. The unusually thick file for "Still Life with Red Bananas," for example, contains printed materials related to a controversy over the 1946 international exhibition of the State Department's collection of modern art, which was cancelled in response to conservative reaction. The collection was sold as "surplus" by the War Assets Administration, and the public outcry that ensued is documented in clippings in this file.
In addition to photographs of works of art, photographs in this series include publicity photographs of Edna St. Vincent de Millay standing before the painting "Mario" in her home and other installation views. Original sketches can be found in the files for Lahr's portrait and the paintings "Zuleika," "Absolom's House," "Beach Scene," "Green Apples with Gray Curtain," "Interior," and "Maternity." Miscellanous tracings and watercolor sketches of paintings whose original file folders are not present are filed at the end of this series.
Files are arranged alphabetically by the the artwork's title or by a key word in the title, grouping files for clown paintings, girl paintings, pine tree paintings, etc. This arrangement has been preserved, although it is idiosyncratic. Files for individual works have been grouped together in general alphabetical files. Large files are filed and listed individually. Execution dates of artwork for some files are provided in parentheses after the file headings and should not be confused with record dates.
Original files are very brittle and have torn edges and missing fragments. Microfilm of the collection made in 1965 may show the file before such damage occurred (reels D242A-D242B). Additional material related to the provenance of Kuhn's artwork is filed in Financial Records and elsewhere in the collection. See individual series descriptions for more details. A record book documenting Vera Kuhn's art jewelry is in Photographs and Scrapbooks.
See the Index for a list of selected correspondents from 4.3 General Correspondence with cross-references to this series and 4.4: Selected Gallery and Exhibition Files.
DescriptionContainer
ABS - ACR, 1916-1945
11
1
ACR - APP, 1921-1941
Oversized material housed in OV 42
11
2
APP - ATH, 1927-1964
Oversized material housed in OV 43
11
3
"Athlete in Green" (1946), 1946-1947
11
4
ATH - BER, 1919-1953
Oversized material housed in OV 42
11
5
BLA - BLO, 1922-1946
Oversized material housed in OV 42
11
6
"The Blue Clown" (1931), 1931-1944
11
7
"The Blue Clown" (1931), 1946-1953, undated
11
8
BOU - CAM, 1918-1949
11
9
CAR - CLO, 1915-1959
11
10
CLO - CLO, 1929-1959
11
11
CLO - DOR, 1915-1938
Oversized material housed in OV 42
11
12
DOR - EIG, 1925-1937
Oversized material housed in OV 42
11
13
ELE - FLO, 1918-1940
Oversized material housed in OV 42
11
14
FLO - GIR, 1921-1946
Oversized material housed in OV 42
11
15
GIR - GIR, 1920-1942
11
16
GIR - GRE, 1912-1946
Oversized material housed in OV 42
11
17
GRE - GUI, 1930-1947
11
18
HAR - HYD, 1915-1938
Oversized material housed in OV 42
12
1
"Imaginary History" Series, 1918-1923
Oversized material housed in OV 42
12
2
"Imaginary History" Series, 1918-1921, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 42
12
3
IND - KAN, 1921-1947
Oversized material housed in OV 42
12
4
Portrait of Burt Lahr (1947), 1947-1952
12
5
LAN - MAN, 1918-1945
12
6
MAN - MAN, 1918-1947
12
7
MAR - MOR, 1912-1960
12
8
MOU - PIE, 1926-1946
Oversized material housed in OV 42
12
9
PIN - PIN, 1918-1946
12
10
PIT - POT, 1919-1945
Oversized material housed in OV 43
12
11
RED - ROS, 1924-1946
12
12
ROS - SAN, 1910-1961
Oversized material housed in OV 42
12
13
SHE - STI, 1922-1948
Oversized material housed in OV 42
12
14
"Still Life with Red Bananas" (1941), 1941-1951, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 42
12
15
STI - TRE, 1921-1942
Oversized material housed in OV 42
12
16
TRE-TRI (1937-1939), 1937-1944
13
1
"Trio" (1937), 1937-1941
13
2
"Trio" (1937), 1941-1951, undated
13
3
TRU - WHI, 1922-1959
Oversized material housed in OV 42
13
4
WHI - YEL, 1915-1938
Oversized material housed in OV 42 and OV 43
13
5
"Young Clown" (1932), 1935-1948, undated
13
6
YOU-ZUL (1915, 1925-1939), 1915-1942
13
7
Tempera, Watercolor, Etching, Lithograph Records (1915-1938), undated
Oversized bound volume housed in Box 32
13
8
Miscellaneous Tracings of Artwork, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 44
13
9
Miscellaneous Watercolor Sketches of Paintings (1933-1942), undated
13
10
Oversized Tempera, Watercolor, Etching, Lithograph Records (1915-1938), undated
Oversized material scanned with Box 13, F8
32
Oversized Tracings of Artwork from Provenance Files
Box 13, F4-5
Oversized material scanned with Box 11, F2, F5-6, F12-15, F17; Box 12, F1-4, F9, F13-16
OV 42
Oversized Tracings of Artwork from Provenance Files
Box 13, F5
Oversized material scanned with Box 11, F3; Box 12, F11
OV 43
Oversized Miscellaneous Tracings of Artwork
Oversized material scanned with Box 13, F9
OV 44
4.6:Other Projects, 1869-1897, 1910, 1922-1941
1.6 linear feet
Box 13-14, 33, 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.
DescriptionContainer
Theater
Scripts by Kuhn, 1923, undated
13
11
Scripts by Others, 1910, 1923-1928, undated
2 folders
13
12-13
Music, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 33
13
14
Notebooks and Notes, 1922-1923, undated
(includes sketches)
13
15
Contracts and Receipts, 1922-1923, 1927-1928
13
16
Photograph, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 33
13
17
Programs and Flyer, 1922, 1927, undated
13
18
Scrapbook, 1922-1923
Oversized material housed in Box 33
13
19
Items Removed from Scrapbook, 1922-1923
13
20
Artwork, 1923, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 45
13
21
List of Theaters in the United States with Seating Capacity Over 1500, undated
13
22
Motion Picture, "Walt Kuhn's Adventures in Art: Learning to See"
Scripts, circa 1939
13
23
Photographs and Titles Used in Film, circa 1939, undated
4 folders
13
24-27
Photographs and Titles Used in Film (copies), circa 1939, undated
13
28
Expenses, 1939
13
29
Printed Materials, 1938-1939
13
30
Interior and Graphic Design, Union Pacific Railroad Company
Frontier Shack (1936), 1936, 1938, undated
13
31
Frontier Shack (1936), undated
13
32
Frontier Shack (1936), 1885-1897, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 33
13
33
Frontier Shack (1936), 1937-1941, undated
13
34
Frontier Shack (1936), Copies, undated
13
35
Little Nugget (1937), circa 1937
2 folders
(index cards and lists of comedians of the stage used for photos for Little Nugget)
14
1-2
Little Nugget (1937), undated
3 folders
14
3-5
Little Nugget (1937), Copies, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 33
14
6
Little Nugget (1937), Blueprints, 1937, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 40, OV 41
14
7
Little Nugget (1937), 1937-1948
14
8
Little Nugget (1937), Photographs, 1937
14
9
Little Nugget (1937), Photographs, 1948
14
10
Little Nugget (1937), Photographs, undated
14
11
Little Nugget (1937), Duplicates, undated
14
12
Copper King (1938), circa 1938
Oversized material housed in OV 40
14
13
Sun Valley Lodge, 1939, undated
14
14
Sun Valley Lodge, Sketches, undated
14
15
Sun Valley Lodge, 1937
14
16
Sun Valley Lodge, Photographs of Rodeo, undated
14
17
Sun Valley Lodge, 1937-1938, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 45
14
18
Sun Valley Lodge, Printed Material, undated
14
19
Golden Spike Days, 1939
14
20
Hollywood Club Car, 1941, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 33 and OV 41
14
21
Miscellaneous Notes and Writings, undated
14
22
Miscellaneous Printed Materials, 1938-1940, undated
14
23
Oversized Theater Music
Oversized material scanned with Box 13, F14
(Original scores for "Lilies of the Field")
33
Oversized Theater Photograph
Oversized material scanned with Box 13, F17
33
Oversized Theater Scrapbook
Oversized material scanned with Box 13, F19
33
Oversized Frontier Shack Material
Oversized material scanned with Box 13, F33
33
Oversized Little Nugget Material (copies)
Oversized material from Box 14, F1-12
33
Oversized Hollywood Club Car Material
Oversized material scanned with Box 14, F21
33
Oversized Little Nugget Blueprints
Oversized material from Box 14, F7
OV 40
Oversized Copper King Blueprints
Oversized material from Box 14, F13
OV 40
Oversized Little Nugget Blueprints
Oversized material from Box 14, F7
OV 41
Oversized Hollywood Club Car Material
Oversized material scanned with Box 14, F21
OV 41
Oversized Theater Artwork
Oversized material scanned with Box 13, F21
OV 45
Oversized Sun Valley Lodge Material
Oversized material scanned with Box 14, F16 and F18
OV 45
4.7:Financial Records, 1920-1961, 1972
1 linear foot
Box 14-15
This series contains records of the Kuhn family's financial assets and transactions. Types of material include account books, correspondence, legal documents, bills, and receipts. Sales of artwork are documented in Accounts of Moneys Received, Accounts of Paintings Sold, and to a lesser extent, Bills and Receipts. Also among the bills and receipts are insurance policies, travel expenses, lithography and publication expenses, and receipts for the shipment, framing, and photography of art works. Documents from the Walt Kuhn estate include a detailed appraisal made late in 1949 after his death, which lists several hundred works of art in his studio and on loan in various museums, among other property. A copy of the appraisal is annotated with notes of sales up to 1955.
The file on Copyrights contains correspondence and copyright registration certificates for Kuhn's theater acts, publications and motion picture. Copyright information about Kuhn's translations of 1912 are filed with those publications in Armory Show Records. Information included in tax returns includes payments made to Kuhn's models, who are named as employees. Other files document more personal financial transactions. Notebooks filed under Assets summarize information about savings, mortgages, stocks, bonds, and other property.
DescriptionContainer
Accounts of Moneys Received, 1923-1949
2 volumes
14
24
Account of Painting Sales (1944-1949, 1952-1956), undated
14
25
Assets, 1927-1953
5 volumes
14
26
Bills and Receipts, 1925-1929, undated
partially scanned
14
27
Bills and Receipts, 1930-1932
partially scanned
14
28
Bills and Receipts, 1933-1936
14
29
Bills and Receipts, 1937-1939
14
30
Bills and Receipts, 1940-1941
14
31
Bills and Receipts, 1941-1942
14
32
Bills and Receipts, 1943-1944
partially scanned
14
33
Bills and Receipts, 1945-1947
partially scanned
14
34
Bills and Receipts, 1948-1950
14
35
Bills and Receipts, 1951-1952
14
36
Bills and Receipts, 1953-1957, undated
14
37
Bond and Mortgage Guarantee Company, 1938, 1942
14
38
Copyrights, 1923, 1938-1942
14
39
Estates
Walt Kuhn, 1949-1955
4 folders
15
1-4
Francis Kuhn, 1882-1953
2 folders
15
5-6
Francis Kuhn (copies), 1882-1953
5 folders
15
7-11
George Spier, 1923-1924
15
12
Last Wills and Testaments of Vera and Walt Kuhn, 1925-1950
15
13
Lawyer's Mortgage Company Reorganization, 1937-1949
2 folders
15
14-15
Leases, 1928-1961, 1972
15
16
Miscellaneous Printed Materials, 1930-1953, undated
15
17
Notes of Personal Expenses, 1911, 1937-1949, undated
15
18
Savings Account Books, 1928-1960
16 volumes
15
19-20
Stocks and Bonds, 1920-1954
15
21
Storage, 1936, 1941-1953
15
22
Tax Records, 1936-1958, undated
2 folders
15
23-24
Utilities, 1934-1953, undated
8 folders
15
25-32
4.8:Notes and Writings, 1901-1972
4 linear feet
Box 17-19, 32
This series contains writings by Walt Kuhn, his family, and others, and notes relating to Kuhn's contacts, publications, artwork, and other activities. Types of material include index card files, address books, notebooks, manuscripts, typescripts, clippings, correspondence, and photographs.
Card Files containing the Kuhns' scrupulous notes about people make up the bulk of this series. The files were kept in three separate alphabetical files with overlapping dates. They contain contact information, anecdotal details about shared meals, cocktail parties, or excursions, and cross-references to correspondence. Attachments such as clippings, correspondence, photographs, exhibition catalogs, and social announcements are common. Photographs and artwork found among the cards have been removed to separate folders, including images of Alan Burroughs, Sadakichi Hartmann, and Patsy Santo, and watercolor drawings by Lewis Barrington and Jean Oberlé. The original arrangement of the card file is idiosyncratic.
Notes on Artwork include a list of Kuhn's artwork which sold at the auction of John Quinn's art collection in February 1927; many lists of artwork compiled for exhibition, shipping, and inventory; and detailed descriptions of early artwork written by Kuhn.
Walt Kuhn's Notes and Notebooks include travel notes from Europe, the Western United States, and Maine, with a few sketches. Vera Kuhn's travel writings recount family trips to Nova Scotia from 1909 to 1912, and a trip to Europe in 1925.
Miscellaneous Personal Notes range from shopping lists and recipes to more significant notes such as those about he disposition of artwork after Kuhn's death. Collection Notes are notes about the family papers written on envelopes. The items once contained by the envelopes were separated from their contents during initial processing and are now filed throughout the Walt Kuhn Family Papers.
Other writings include manuscripts and visual materials from lectures given by Kuhn and Alfred Barr in 1934 about modern art collecting. Two articles about Kuhn published in Collier's in the 1940s are also filed here, along with related correspondence including letters from actress Dorothy Stickney, writer H.L.Mencken, and a number of Kuhn's former models. Photographs taken for the Collier's articles are filed with Photographs and Scrapbooks.
Miscellaneous Writings by Walt Kuhn include an autobiographical essay and writings on modern art and artists. Kuhn's writings from the period of his final illness and hospitalization are also filed here. Writings about Kuhn include manuscripts by Alan Burroughs, Jeanne Robert Foster, Blanche Matthias, and Frank E. Washburn Freund. Also included are typewritten copies of published essays about Kuhn's work.
Additional writings by Walt Kuhn are in Armory Show Records, Kit Kat Club and Penguin Club Records, and Other Projects. Significant writing about his artwork and techniques can also be found in his outgoing correspondence.
DescriptionContainer
Contacts
Card File 1, A-V;, circa 1928-1948
(4 file boxes)
16
1-4
Card File 1, W-Z;, circa 1928-1948
(1 file box)
17
1
Card File 2, A-R;, circa 1928-1948
(3 file boxes)
17
2-4
Card File 2, S-Z;, circa 1928-1948
(1 file box)
18
1
Card File 3, A-Z;, circa 1928-1948
(3 file boxes)
18
2-4
Items Removed from Card File 1, 1930-1947
19
1
Items Removed from Card File 2, undated
19
2
Items Removed from Card File 3, 1934-1947
19
3
Address Books, 1943-1956, undated
2 volumes
19
4
Address Books, 1930-1952, undated
5 volumes
partially scanned
19
5
Mailing Lists, 1931-1963, undated
2 folders
19
6-7
Model Contacts and Contracts, undated
19
8
Miscellaneous Contact Information, 1937-1941, undated
19
9
Artwork Lists and Notes, Quinn Sale;, 1927
19
10
Artwork Lists and Notes, 1936-1965, undated
2 folders
oversized material housed in Box 32
19
11-12
Artwork Descriptions, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 32
19
13
"Story of the Armory Show" Notes, 1938-1939, undated
19
14
50 Paintings
Notes, 1941
19
15
Walt Kuhn Notes and Notebooks, 1936, undated
19
16
Vera Kuhn's Travel Writings, 1909
19
17
Vera Kuhn's Travel Writings, 1910
19
18
Vera Kuhn's Travel Writings, 1912
19
19
Vera Kuhn's Travel Writings, 1925
19
20
Brenda Kuhn's Travel Notebooks, 1935-1936
19
21
Miscellaneous Personal Notes, 1931-1959
3 folders
oversized material housed in Box 32
19
22-24
Collection Notes, 1920-1972, undated
5 folders
19
25-29
Contents of Safe Deposit Box, undated
19
30
Lectures by Walt Kuhn and Alfred Barr, 1934
19
31
Visual Materials for Lecture, undated
19
32
Collier's
Articles by and about Walt Kuhn, 1943, 1948, undated
19
33
Miscellaneous Writings by Walt Kuhn, 1927-1948, undated
19
34
Miscellaneous Writings about Walt Kuhn, 1922-1965, undated
19
35
Miscellaneous Other Writings, 1935, 1938, undated
19
36
Quotations and Statements about Art, undated
19
37
Oversized Artwork Lists and Notes
Oversized material scanned with Box 19, F12
32
Oversized Artwork Descriptions
Oversized material scanned with Box 19, F13
32
Oversized Miscellanous Personal Notes
Oversized material scanned with Box 19, F22 and F23
32
4.9:Printed Materials, 1908-1987
3.9 linear feet
Box 20-23, 34, OV 40, 46-47
This series contains books, pamphlets, clippings, magazines, exhibition catalogs, invitations, announcements, art reproductions, programs, postcards, blueprints, and other printed ephemera gathered by Walt Kuhn and his family throughout their lives. Copies of published works by Walt Kuhn are filed here, as well as publications by friends and associates, including inscribed copies of works by Constantin Brancusi, Edwin Bjorkman, Frank Crowninshield, and Alice Garrett.
Exhibition Catalogs are found for Kuhn and other artists. Catalogs are occasionally annotated with reactions to artwork or other notes. For Kuhn catalogs marked with prices and/or buyers, see 4.4: S elected Gallery and Exhibition Files. For catalogs of the Armory Show, see Armory Show Records.
Clippings document Kuhn artwork and exhibitions, art institutions, art trends, collectors, other artists, Kuhn's other projects with the Union Pacific and theater, published life events of people known to the Kuhn's, articles written by friends, Walt Kuhn obituaries, and other miscellany. A significant portion of the clippings filed here are duplicated in other series.
Many of the periodicals in this series contain reproductions of Kuhn's artwork. Promotional Ephemera for Kuhn's publications, lectures, and other appearances are also filed here, along with circus programs and posters, and mailings on a range of subjects. Other printed materials are scattered throughout the collection. See individual series descriptions for details.
DescriptionContainer
By Walt Kuhn
Magazine Articles, 1947-1948
Oversized material housed in Box 34
20
1
A Little Bird Told Me
, 1908
20
2
Fifty Paintings by Walt Kuhn
(with Paul Bird), 1940
20
3
"The Story of the Armory Show,", 1938
20
4
By Others, Bjorkman-Fraenkel, 1925-1937, undated
20
5
By Others, Garrett-Oldfield, 1932, 1935-1936
20
6
By Others, Federal Emergency Relief Administration, 1933
20
7
Blueprints of the Mrs. C.C. Rumsey Residence, 1926-1927
Oversized material housed in OV 40
20
8
Clippings, 1913-1940
33 folders
oversized material housed in OV 46
20
9-41
Clippings, 1941-1966, 1986-1987, undated
30 folders
21
1-30
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1922-1923
21
31
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1927-1929
21
32
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1930
2 folders
21
33-34
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1930-1931
21
35
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1932
21
36
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1933-1934
21
37
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1934
21
38
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1935-1936
21
39
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1936-1937
21
40
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1938-1944
21
41
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1944
22
1
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1945-1946
22
2
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1947
22
3
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1948
22
4
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1949-1952
22
5
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1953-1959
22
6
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, 1960-1969, 1987
22
7
Exhibition Catalogs, Invitations, and Announcements, undated
2 folders
22
8-9
Other Exhibition Ephemera, 1941-1964, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 46
22
10
Magazines, Newsletters, and Bulletins with Reproductions or Criticism of Kuhn Artwork
General, A-B, 1937-1953
22
11
Art Digest
, 1929-1948
22
12
Art News
, 1944
22
13
General, C-I, 1927-1951
22
14
Rainbow
, 1920
22
15
General, L-T, 1929-1948
22
16
Time
, 1953, 1962
22
17
Other Magazines, Newsletters, and Bulletins, A-C, 1933-1956
Oversized material housed in Box 34
22
18
Other Magazines, Newsletters, and Bulletins, F-M, 1935-1962
22
19
Other Magazines, Newsletters, and Bulletins, P-W, 1931-1951
22
20
Other Reproductions of Kuhn Artwork, 1931-1964, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 34
22
21
Miscellaneous Art Reproductions, 1947, undated
22
22
Professional Organizations, 1948, undated
22
23
Promotional Ephemera
Walt Kuhn, 1928-1945, undated
22
24
Circus Programs, 1937-1948
3 folders
22
25-27
Circus Posters, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 47
22
28
Other Subjects, 1925-1968, undated
5 folders
23
1-5
Postcards, undated
2 folders
23
6-7
Sheet Music, 1888-1928, 1939-1940, undated
3 folders
oversized material housed in Box 34
23
8-10
Social Invitations and Announcements, 1929-1951, undated
23
11
Oversized Magazine Article by Walt Kuhn
Oversized material scanned with Box 20, F1
34
Oversized Other Magazines, Newsletters, and Bulletins
Oversized material from Boxes 22, F18-20
34
Oversized Other Reproductions of Kuhn Artwork
Oversized material from Box 22, F21
34
Oversized Sheet Music
Oversized material from Box 23, F8
34
Oversized Blueprints of the Mrs. C.C. Rumsey Residence
Oversized material from Box 20, F8
OV 40
Oversized Clippings
Oversized material from Box 21 and Box 22
OV 46
Oversized Exhibition Ephemera
Oversized material from Box 22, F10
OV 46)
Oversized Circus Posters
Oversized material from Box 22, F28
OV 47
4.10:Artwork, 1906-1952
1.2 linear feet
Box 23, 32, OV 48-54
This series contains original drawings, sketches, and prints created by Walt Kuhn. See also Series 4.11: Photographs and Scrapbooks, for addtional artwork in scrapbooks.
Cartoons include bird cartoons published in
Life
and in the book
A Little Bird Told Me
(1908, see Printed Materials), personal cartoons by Vera and Walt Kuhn depicting themselves, and one sketch of the Kuhns attributed to the cartoonist Oscar Edward Cesare. Two sketchbooks from Kuhn's trips to the Western United States are found, as well as Kuhn family Christmas cards, with Walt Kuhn's linotype prints of western scenes. Kuhn's ongoing interest in the circus is seen in his notes, sketches, and ink drawings of clown acts from 1941, accompanied by a short essay by Kuhn entitled "Plan to Revitalize the Clown and Fun Problem of the Circus." Folders containing miscellaneous artwork include rough sketches and designs, as well as finished drawings and cartoons, mostly undated.
Illustrated letters, sketches, and cartoons are scattered throughout the collection. See individual series descriptions for more details. Copies of artwork in this series are marked as such and filed alongside originals. Reproductions of additional artwork are filed in Provenance Files and Photographs and Scrapbooks.
DescriptionContainer
Original Drawings for
Life
, circa 1906-1912, undated
partially scanned
oversized material housed in OV 48-54
23
12
Personal Cartoons, 1909-1910
23
13
Sketchbooks from Trips to the Western U.S., 1928, 1936
23
14
Walt Kuhn Christmas Cards
Original Drawings, 1938, 1947, undated
23
15
Hand-Colored and 2-color Prints, 1931-1955, undated
23
16
Duplicates, 1933-1952, undated
23
17
Clown Act Sketches, Notes, and Watercolor Drawings, circa 1941
4 folders
23
18-21
Miscellaneous Original Sketches, Drawings, and Cartoons, 1929-1947, undated
2 folders
oversized material housed in Box 32
23
22-23
Miscellaneous Original Sketches, Drawings, and Cartoons, Copy, undated
23
24
Prints, 1928, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 32
23
25
The Hunt
(Paper Toy Figures), circa 1920
23
26
Costume Crest by Walt Kuhn, undated
23
27
Reproductions of Early Cartoons by Walt Kuhn, 1906, 1937, undated
23
28
Artwork by Others
17th Century German Engraving, undated
23
29
Heirich von Zügel Sketch, undated
23
30
Jules Pascin Portrait of Walt Kuhn (reproduction of 1916 drawing), 1940
23
31
Patsy Santo Painting and Tracings, 1940, undated
23
32
Brenda Kuhn Painting, 1922
23
33
Brenda Kuhn Scrapbook, 1934-1935
(includes one sketch by Walt Kuhn)
23
34
Oversized Miscellaneous Sketch
Oversized material scanned with Box 23, F22
32
Oversized Prints
Oversized material scanned with Box 23, F25
32
Oversized Original Drawings for
Life
Oversized material scanned with Box 23, F12
OV 48-54
4.11:Photographs and Scrapbooks, 1859-1978
3.5 linear feet
Box 23-26, OV 55
This series contains individual photographs, notes, photograph albums, and scrapbooks of photographs and other materials, which depict Walt Kuhn, his family, friends and colleagues, homes and studios, art school, travel in the U.S. and Europe, works of art, and other miscellany.
Among the persons pictured are Walt, Vera, and Brenda Kuhn, LaSalle Spier, John Quinn, Frederick James Gregg, George Overbury "Pop" Hart, Gus Mager, William and Edith Glackens and family, Pablo Picasso, Cecil Howard, Jo Davidson, W. Averell and Marie Harriman, Gary Cooper, Otis Oldfield, Lily Cushing Emmet, Patsy Santo, and many of Kuhn's models. Also included are portraits of Kuhn by Frederic D. Pangborn and Edward Weston.
Scrapbooks (Volumes 5, 6, and 7) contain photographs, illustrated letters by Walt and Vera Kuhn, postcards to Vera's parents, real photo postcards, reproductions of early artwork of Walt Kuhn, and other ephemera. Illustrations depict Kit Kat Balls, the 23rd St. studio, and Fort Lee, NJ among other subjects. Many of the people and places depicted in albums and scrapbooks are also depicted in individual photographs, which are arranged within broad subject headings.
Selected subjects are noted in the inventory list, below. Additional photographs are scattered throughout the collection. Additional scrapbooks can be found among Armory Show Records, Kit Kat Club and Penguin Club Records, and Other Projects. Additional illustrated letters are found in Armory Show Records, Walt Kuhn Letters to Family, and Artwork. Refer to individual series descriptions for more details.
DescriptionContainer
Photograph Albums and Scrapbooks
Volume 1: Illustrated Photograph Album, 1896-1901
Oversized material housed in Box 35
(Brooklyn NY bicycle shop; homes; Paris art school)
23
35
Volume 1: Illustrated Photograph Album, Duplicate, circa 1901
23
36
Volume 2: Photograph Album, 1899-1900
(California and Southwest)
23
37
Volume 2: Photograph Album, Duplicate Prints from Glass Negatives, 1899-1900
23
38
Volume 2: Photograph Album, Original Glass Negatives, Copy Prints/Negatives, 1899-1900
2 folders
23
39-40
Loose Item from Volume 2, circa 1899-1900
23
41
Volume 3: Photograph Album; Germany, circa 1901-1904
(Royal Academy in Munich, Wörth, Germany; Heinrich von Zügel; includes sketches)
23
42
Volume 3: Photograph Album; Germany, Duplicates, Negatives, and Copy Prints, circa 1901-1903, undated
2 folders
23
43-44
Loose Items from Volume 3, 1901-1902, undated
(includes masquerade ball in Munich)
23
45
Volume 4: Photograph Album, 1904-1907, undated
(Vera Spier and Friends)
24
1
Volume 5: Scrapbook, 1909-1912, undated
partially scanned due to condition
(Walt and Vera Kuhn and friends; Fort Lee, NJ and 23rd St. studio; Kit Kat Balls; Blandford, Nova Scotia; photographs, drawings and illustrated letters to parents)
24
2
Volume 5: Scrapbook, Copy Prints, 1909-1912, undated
24
3
Loose Items from Volume 5, circa 1901-1937, undated
(Royal Academy in Munich; New York School of Art class; Hackensack, NJ crowd; John Quinn; Vera Kuhn in costume; Kit Kat Ball drawing, original cartoons)
24
4
Volume 6: Scrapbook, 1909-1910, undated
(23rd St. studio; photographs, drawings, and illustrated postcards)
24
5
Volume 6: Scrapbook, Copy Prints and Duplicates, undated
24
6
Loose Items from Volume 6, 1909
24
7
Volume 7: Scrapbook; Nova Scotia, 1909-1910
Oversized material housed in Box 35
(Kuhns' and Glackens' in Nova Scotia, photographs, postcards, ephemera, drawings)
24
8
Volume 7: Scrapbook; Nova Scotia, Copy Prints, undated
24
9
Volume 8: Photograph Album; Nova Scotia, 1912
Oversized material housed in Box 35
24
10
Volume 8: Photograph Album; Nova Scotia, Duplicates, 1912
24
11
Volume 9: Photograph Album, 1911-1923
(Brenda Kuhn baby book; Ogunquit, ME; Fort Lee, NJ; Adirondaks)
24
12
Volume 9: Photograph Album, Duplicate Prints and Copies, 1912-1920, undated
2 folders
24
13-14
Loose Items from Volume 9, 1913-1923, undated
24
15
Volume 10: Photograph Album, circa 1911-1916
(Brenda Kuhn, Waldo Schmitt)
24
16
Volume 11: Photograph Album; Summers, 1924-1935
not scanned due to format of album
(Kuhn family summer homes and studios)
24
17
Volume 11: Photograph Album; Summers, Duplicates and Copy Prints, 1927-1933, undated
2 folders
24
18-19
Volume 12: Photograph Album, 1928
(Prescott, AZ buildings; Walt Kuhn in Prescott; NYC buildings and parks)
24
20
Volume 13: Dismantled Photograph Album, 1931-1933
(Trips to Europe)
24
21
Volume 13: Dismantled Photograph Album, Duplicates and Copy Prints, 1931, undated
2 folders
24
22-23
Volume 14: Photograph Album; Central City, CO, 1936
24
24
Volume 15: Photograph Album, undated
(unidentified woman traveling in the Southwest circa 1910s)
24
25
Volume 16: Dismantled Scrapbook of Eloise Spaeth, 1944-1946, undated
(copy prints, Walt Kuhn biographical)
24
26
Walt Kuhn (alone)
Portrait by Frederic D. Pangborn, circa 1904-1905, 1962
Oversized material housed in Box 35
24
27
Portrait by Frederic D. Pangborn, Copy Prints, undated
24
28
Portrait by Robert Waida, undated
24
29
Portrait by Robert Waida, Duplicates, undated
24
30
Portrait by Edward Weston, undated
24
31
Portrait by Edward Weston, Copy Prints, undated
24
32
Early Walt Kuhn Photographs, 1882-1911, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 35
24
33
Early Walt Kuhn Photographs, Copy Prints, undated
24
34
Later Walt Kuhn Photographs, circa 1927, 1948, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 35
24
35
Later Walt Kuhn Photographs, Negative and Duplicate, 1948, undated
24
36
Family (see also Albums, Homes and Studios, Travel)
Kuhn Family Photographs, circa 1865-1899, undated
24
37
Kuhn Family Photographs, Copy Prints, undated
24
38
Spier Family Photographs, 1868, 1881, undated
24
39
Spier Family Photographs, 1889, 1897, undated
24
40
Vier Spier (later Kuhn), 1901-1904, undated
24
41
Vier Spier (later Kuhn), Copy, undated
24
42
Vera Spier and Friends, 1898-1908, undated
24
43
LaSalle Spier (Vera Kuhn's brother) and Friends, 1909-1936, undated
24
44
Brenda Kuhn, 1935-1949, undated
24
45
Brenda Kuhn, Duplicate, undated
24
46
Brenda at Summer Camp, 1930
24
47
Friends of Brenda Kuhn, 1927-1936
(Nanette Tarbox Beals)
24
48
Vera and Brenda Kuhn, 1940, 1951
24
49
Other Family, 1938-1948, undated
24
50
Friends and Colleagues (see also Albums, Travel, and Homes and Studios)
Adler Family, Sonoma, CA, 1899-1901, 1921, undated
25
1
Walt Kuhn, Rudy and Helen Dirks,
et al
, 1900
25
2
Walt Kuhn, John Quinn,
et al
at Wawbeek, NY, 1913
25
3
Walt Kuhn, John Quinn,
et al
at Wawbeek, NY, Copy Negatives and Prints, undated
25
4
Walter Pach Portrait, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 35
25
5
Walter Pach Portrait, Copy Prints, undated
25
6
George Overbury "Pop" Hart, circa 1915, 1926, undated
(with Walt Kuhn, Gus Mager in Fort Lee, NJ; Coyesville, NJ; Mexico)
25
7
George Overbury "Pop" Hart, Copy Negatives and Copy Prints, undated
25
8
Lenna and Ira Glackens, 1925, 1939, 1940
25
9
Otis Oldfield, George Fitzgerald,
et al
, 1931
25
10
Lily Cushing Emmet and Family, 1939, undated
25
11
Alice Wadsworth and Walt Kuhn at Goodyear Home, 1940
25
12
O. A. Renne, 1940s
25
13
Walt Kuhn with Bert Lahr, Ethel Merman,
et al
, circa 1947
25
14
Walt Kuhn with Bert Lahr, Ethel Merman,
et al
, Duplicate, circa 1947
25
15
Walt Kuhn and Frank Cullen, Stuart, FL, 1947, undated
25
16
Walt Kuhn and Frank Cullen, Stuart, FL, Copies, 1947, undated
25
17
Walt Kuhn with Neighbors, NYC, 1947
25
18
Bert and Olive Taylor and Family, undated
25
19
Julie Millicent Ingersoll, 1948-1952, undated
25
20
Julie Millicent Ingersoll, Duplicates, 1951, undated
25
21
Others, 1930-1947, undated
25
22
Homes and Studios (see also Albums)
23rd Street Studio, NYC, 1909
25
23
Fort Lee, NJ, circa 1915-1918, 1935, 1964
25
24
Fort Lee, NJ, Duplicates and Copy Prints, undated
25
25
Maine
(Ogunquit and Cape Neddick homes, towns, Kuhn family)
Maine, 1926-1927
25
26
Maine, 1944-1946
25
27
Maine, 1948
25
28
Maine, 1950-1951
25
29
Maine, 1960-1972
25
30
Maine, Duplicates, 1944
25
31
14th Street Studios and Penguin Club, 1930
(exterior views)
25
32
18th Street Studio, NYC, 1929, 1940-1948
3 folders
oversized material housed in Box 35
(Walt Kuhn with models, including Helen Miller, George Fitzgerald, Ruth Johnston; 2 photo shoots for
Collier's
Magazine, including color transparencies and contact sheets; William Ward photographs of Walt Kuhn)
25
33-35
18th Street Studio, NYC, Copy Negatives and Prints, Duplicates, 1940, 1978, undated
4 folders
25
36-39
Hotel Albert Apartment, NYC, 1941-1949, undated
25
40
Hotel Albert Apartment, NYC, Duplicates, 1949
25
41
Summer Studio at Lake Buel, Great Barrington, MA, 1941-1942
3 folders
(Walt Kuhn, Ruth Johnston, Paul Bird, Lily Cushing Emmet, Harry Whitney, Barnum and Bailey Circus in Pittsfield, MA)
25
42-44
Summer Studio at Lake Buel, Great Barrington, MA, Negatives, Duplicates and Copies, 1941-1942, undated
3 folders
25
45-47
Glackens Home, NYC, 1948-1949, undated
25
48
Glackens Home, NYC, Duplicates, 1948-1949, undated
25
49
Winslow Homer Studio Exterior, 1934
copy prints only
25
50
Homes of Family Members, 1925-1950, undated
25
51
Miscellaneous Family Places, 1930-1964
(Walt Kuhn birthplace and grave)
25
52
Travel (see also Albums)
Florida and Georgia, undated
25
53
Florida and Georgia, Duplicates, undated
25
54
Nova Scotia, 1912
25
55
Northeastern U.S., 1917-1931
25
56
Northeastern U.S., 1930-1934, undated
25
57
Northeastern U.S., Duplicates and Copy Prints, undated
2 folders
25
58-59
Europe, 1925-1933
3 folders
(group photograph including Kuhn, Pablo Picasso, Jo Davidson, Cecil Howard and others in Paris; W. Averell and Marie Harriman at the Warburg estate in Paris)
25
60-62
Europe, Duplicates, 1925, 1931
25
63
Western U.S., 1928-1937
3 folders
(Harriman family, Sally Fox, Gary Cooper, Otis Oldfield; Prescott, AZ; California; Sun Valley Resort, Ketchum, ID)
25
64-66
Western U.S., Duplicates and Copy Prints, 1928, undated
2 folders
25
67-68
Photographic Postcards, undated
25
69
Miscellaneous Photographs
Unidentified Cartes de Visites, 1859-1883, undated
2 folders
25
70-71
A Cuban Trip and Letter to Vera Kuhn, undated
25
72
Kenyon Farm, Virginia, 1904
25
73
Garibaldi Rebels in Juarez, Mexico, 1910s
25
74
Paris Nudes, 1920
25
75
Show People, 1928, 1934, undated
Oversized material housed in OV 55
25
76
Show People, Copy Print, undated
25
77
New York City Scenes, 1929-1930, undated
25
78
Spain Scenes by Hal Kravis, 1936
25
79
Stock Photographs of Venice, Italy, undated
25
80
Miscellaneous Unidentified Photographs, undated
25
81
Reproductions of Artwork
Vera Spier Art Jewelry Record Book, 1908
(Woodstock, NY studio)
25
82
Early Childhood Drawings, circa 1882, undated
Oversized material housed in Box 35
25
83
Cartoons for
Wasp
(1899-1900), undated
Oversized material housed in Box 35
25
84
Paintings, 1940-1947, undated
25
85
Paintings, Negatives, Duplicates and Copies, undated
3 folders
25
86-88
Drawings and Cartoons (including duplicates), 1941, undated
2 folders
oversized material housed in Box 35
26
1-2
Carvings, Collage, Sculpture, 1964, undated
26
3
Installation Views, 1946-1951, undated
26
4
Installation Views, Negative and Duplicates, 1946-1948
26
5
Artwork by Others, 1934-1949, undated
26
6
Oversized Photograph Album, Volume 1
Oversized material scanned with Box 23, F35
35
Oversized Scrapbook, Volume 7: Nova Scotia
Oversized material from Box 24, F9
35
Oversized Photograph Album, Volume 8: Nova Scotia
Oversized material from Box 24, F11
35
Oversized Walt Kuhn Portrait by Pangborn
Oversized material from Box 24, F28
35
Oversized Early Walt Kuhn Photographs
Oversized material from Box 24, F34
35
Oversized Later Walt Kuhn Photographs
Oversized material from Box 24, F36
35
Oversized Walter Pach Portrait
Oversized material scanned with Box 25, F5
35
Oversized 18th Street Studio, NYC Photographs
Oversized material scanned with Box 25, F35
35
Oversized Early Childhood Drawings
Oversized material from Box 25, F83
35
Oversized Cartoons for
Wasp
Oversized material from Box 25, F84
35
Oversized Reproductions of Drawings and Cartoons
Oversized material from Box 26, F1
35
Oversized Photographs of Show People
Oversized material from Box 25, F76
OV 55
4.12:Audio Recordings, 1965, 1969
0.2 linear feet
Box 26; 8 audio reels [circa 24 hours], 1 audio cassette
This series consists of 8 audio reels and 1 audio cassette. Reels 1 to 7 were made by Brenda Kuhn (1911-1993), daughter of Walt Kuhn, as she went through her father's papers from March to November, 1965, on the eve of their accession to the archives. In her recordings, she makes specific reference to letters, artwork, photographs, and other documents found in the Armory Show Records and Walt Kuhn Family Papers. In some cases, Brenda is able to provide witness accounts of persons and events documented in the papers. However, her comments often stray far afield of the papers and art historical figures known to her as she muses on the activities of her own life and her vocation as promoter of her father's work. On reel 6, side 2 she interviews Grace Jones Sarka, wife of Charles Sarka and friend of Walt Kuhn during his early years as an artist in New York.
On reel 8, Brenda Kuhn's recollections are guided by Garnett McCoy, curator at the Archives of American Art, who interviews her about Walt Kuhn, the Kuhn family, and their contemporaries. Selected subjects on reels 1 to 8 are listed with the box inventory. All reels were recorded on both sides at a speed of 1 7/8 inches per second unless otherwise noted.
The audio cassette was recorded on "Walt Kuhn Day" at Kuhn House in Cape Neddick, ME on the 50th anniversary of Walt Kuhn's death in 1969.
DescriptionContainer
Brenda Kuhn's Recordings, 1965
(1 of 4)
Reel 1, First Side (Side 2): Brenda Kuhn discusses Walt Kuhn's letters of 1936 and vaudeville materials. Selected subjects include Union Pacific Railroad; Kuhn's contacts in Hollywood, CA; attitude towards homosexual men; his personality and manner of writing; the circus; Maine landscapes; the Kit Kat Club and Penguin Club artist's balls; burlesque; Vera Kuhn; Walt Kuhn's vaudeville productions.
Reel 1, Second Side (Side 1): Brenda Kuhn discusses Vera Kuhn's date books and Kuhn family Christmas Cards. Selected subjects include a complete description of Christmas Cards and the disposition and exhibition of Walt Kuhn's paintings.
Reel 2: Brenda Kuhn discusses Walt Kuhn letters from 1936 to 1946. Selected subjects include Walt Kuhn's stay at Lake Buel in 1941 and in Idaho in 1936; Averell Harriman's career; Kuhn's health, final illness, treatment, and death; Kuhn's cartoons; Kuhn's Cape Neddick, ME house; Mark Hanna; Ruth Johnston, Isabel and Paul Bird; Kuhn's oak tree paintings; Kuhn's anti-Semitism in letters; Jules Pascin.
26
7
Brenda Kuhn's Recordings, 1965
(2 of 4)
Reel 3, Side 1: Brenda Kuhn discusses Armory Show records and Walt Kuhn letters from 1936 to 1941. Selected subjects include Brenda's decision to donate papers to AAA; recollections of Fort Lee, NJ, 1909-1919; Ogunquit, ME house; 18th St. studio; Kuhn's animal art; circumstances of Philip Guston taking over WK studio in 1957; La Salle Spier; Spier home in Chevy Chase, MD; Kuhn's searches for landscape subjects; Arthur B. Davies second family as David A. Owen, and his daughter, Ronven Owen; Kuhn's cooking talents and his parents' Brooklyn restaurant, the International House; stage celebrities.
Reel 3, Side 2: Brenda Kuhn discusses Walt Kuhn letters from 1941 and 1944. Selected subjects include Kuhn's automobiles; painting methods; Frank di Gioia; Brenda's epilepsy; Vera Kuhn.
Reel 4, Side 1: Brenda discusses photographs and Walt Kuhn letters from 1936 to 1944. Selected subjects include Walt Kuhn's transition from cartoonist to fine artist; Kuhn family photographs; community of artists in Fort Lee, NJ, including Jules Pascin, Pop Hart, Paul Bransom, Rudy Dirks; meeting of Walt and Vera Kuhn; Penguin Club Kuhn's Maine landscape paintings; reading habits; Cape Neddick, ME; Perkins Cove, ME and the Laurent family; Alfred Frankfurter; onset of Kuhn's mental illness.
Reel 4, Side 2: Brenda Kuhn discusses Walt Kuhn publication Fifty Paintings, and letters from 1920 and 1938 to 1947. Selected subjects include watching her father paint; Kuhn's hobby of carving toys for children; Kuhn's experiences at Lake Buel, MA; Kuhn's guitar-playing; Brenda's plans for a museum in Cape Neddick; Kuhn's smoking habits; Edna St. Vincent de Millay purchase of "Mario"; Kuhn's illness and idea for "State of Maine Follies"; Vera's record-keeping habits; Kuhn's teaching, especially John Laurent; Frank di Gioia.
26
8
Brenda Kuhn's Recordings, 1965
(3 of 4)
Reel 5, Side 1: Selected subjects include Durand-Ruel Galleries; Margery Petit Caron; Kuhn's clown drawings and use of pass to circus; Kuhn's costume collection.
Reel 5, Side 2: Brenda Kuhn discusses Walt Kuhn letters from 1938-1948. Selected subjects include Walt Kuhn's painting techniques; Paul Bransom, social life at Clark's restaurant in Maine; Ogunquit, ME Playhouse; Kuhn's social life, family life, and involvement with show people; Kuhn's automobiles; Kuhn's rivalry with Picasso; relationship with Gary Cooper; Kuhn's time on Florida's Gold Coast; relationship with Paul and Minna Mellon.
Reel 6, Side 1: Selected subjects include Walt Kuhn's reading habits; Cape Neddick, ME; Kuhn family's relationships with the Glackens family; Edith Halpert; confusion over Kuhn's birth date.
Reel 6, Side 2: Brenda Kuhn muses on prospects for Walt Kuhn centenary and publications; Brenda Kuhn interviews Grace Jones Sarka, who describes her relationship to Walt Kuhn beginning in 1903, and their artists' community centered around the 23rd St. studio in New York.
26
9
Brenda Kuhn's Recordings, 1965
(4 of 4)
Reel 7 (labeled 6B): Brenda Kuhn attends Elizabeth Navis day at Wichita Museum; discusses the Murdoch collection; Kuhn's relationship with Maurice Prendergast and William Glackens; importance to Kuhn of Eakins' painting The Gross Clinic. (Note: Side 2 of this reel is not recorded)
Reel 8 (labeled #7), Side 1: Garnett McCoy interviews Brenda Kuhn, November 19, 1965. Selected subjects include Kuhn's feelings about his contemporaries and artist circles; Kuhn's personality and aesthetic, and his attitudes towards art, politics, family, religion, Jews, etc.; Kuhn's work with collectors, especially John Quinn; Penguin Club; vaudeville; Kuhn's 14th St. studio; Clara Davidge; Frederick James Gregg; writing and distribution of "The Story of the Armory Show;" discovery of Armory Show records and Milton Brown; Arthur B. Davies; brief recollections of Edward and Jo Hopper, Edith and William Glackens, Charles Sheeler, John Sloan, personality and death of George Luks, Walter Pach, Abraham Walkowitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, Louis Bouché, George Bellows, Robert Henri; Kuhn in Florida.
Reel 8 (labeled #7), Side 2: Garnett McCoy interview with Brenda Kuhn, cont. Selected subjects include relationships with dealers Annie Montross, Edith Halpert, the Harrimans, Durand-Ruel, and Maynard Walker; Albert Freueh, Marius de Zayas; Kuhn's attitude towards critics; Kuhn's public relations philosophy; the dissolution of the Association of American Painters and Sculptors; Jules Pascin; Mary Roberts; Kuhn's mental illness; Vera Kuhn; disposition of the estate.
26
10
"Walt Kuhn Day,", July 13, 1969
1 sound cassette
26
11

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