With generous funding from Barbara G. Fleischman, the Archives of American Art partnered with the Center for the History of Collecting in America at the Frick Art Reference Library of The Frick Collection to create a series of 20 oral history interviews of art collectors. The Archives together with the Frick developed a list of potential interview candidates across the US whose unique stories contribute to the history of collecting and patronage in America. The project had three primary goals: to increase the Archives’ and the Center’s sources for the study of collecting in America; to make the transcripts and audio and/or video portions of the interviews available at the Archives and the Center and through their websites; and to encourage new avenues of inquiry by placing these materials in the broad context of the history of the visual arts.
All interviews were digitally recorded between 2012 and 2018, transcribed, and edited. All unrestricted transcripts are available through the Archives’ and the Frick’s websites.
For further information about this project, contact:
Liza Kirwin, Deputy Director, Archives of American Art, KirwinL@si.edu
Interviews
George Abrams (b. 1932) is a lawyer and art collector in Boston, MA.
Interview with George Abrams conducted by Louisa Wood Ruby on January 25-26, and October 25, 2018.
Eli Broad (b. 1933) is an entrepreneur and art collector in Los Angeles, CA.
Interview with Eli Broad conducted by Avis Berman on January 30, and April 16, 2012.
Fleur Bresler (b. 1926) is a collector of American craft and decorative arts in Rockville, MD.
Interview with Fleur Bresler conducted by Glenn Adamson on April 19, 2018.
Douglas Cramer (b. 1931) is an American television producer and contemporary art collector in New York, NY.
Interview with Douglas Cramer conducted by Avis Berman on October 23, and December 13, 2013.
Hester Diamond (b. 1928) is an art collector in New York, NY.
Interview with Hester Diamond conducted by Judith Olch Rochards on October 4-5, 2017.
Barney Ebsworth (1934–2018) was a travel business executive and art collector in Hunts Point, WA.
Interview with Barney Ebsworth conducted by Mija Riedel on April 12-13, 2017.
Tony Ganz (b. 1947) is a film producer and art collector in Brentwood, CA.
Interview with Tony Ganz conducted by Hunter Drohojowska-Philp on December 6, 2014.
Mimi Haas (b. 1946) is a community volunteer and art collector in San Francisco, CA.
Interview with Mimi Haas conducted by Mija Riedel on October 26, 2018.
Peter Lunder (b. 1933) and Paula Lunder (b. 1934) are art collectors and philanthropists in Boston, MA.
Interview with Peter and Paula Lunder conducted by James McElhinney on October 19-20, 2017.
Cheech Marin (b. 1946) is an actor, writer, director, and art collector in Pacific Palisades, CA.
Interview with Cheech Marin conducted by Josh T. Franco on October 17-18, 2018.
Steve Martin (b. 1945) is an art collector, comedian, actor, musician, and author in Beverly Hills, CA.
Interview with Steve Martin conducted by James McElhinney on February 4-5, 2015.
Robert E. Meyerhoff (b. 1924) is a philanthropist and art collector in Phoenix, MD.
Interview with Robert E. Meyerhoff conducted by James McElhinney on December 11-12, 2014.
S.i. Newhouse (1927–1917) was an art collector and the chairman and CEO of Advance Publications. Victoria Newhouse is an architectural historian, author, and art collector.
Interview with S.I. and Victoria Newhouse conducted by Avis Berman on January 4,, and January 18, 2012.
Clifford Schorer (b. 1966) is an art collector in Boston, MA and London, England.
Interview with Clifford Schorer conducted by Judith Olch Richards on June 6-7, 2018.
Jon Shirley (b. 1938) is an art collector and the retired president, chief operating officer, and director of the Microsoft Corporation in Medina, WA.
Interview with Jon Shirley conducted by Mija Riedel on August 7-8, 2018.
Alfred A. Taubman (1924–2015) was a businessman and philanthropist in Bloomfield Hills, MI.
Interview with Alfred A. Taubman conducted by Avis Berman on June 6, and July 13, 2013.
Alice Walton (b. 1949) is an art collector in Bentonville, AR.
Interview with Alice Walton conducted by Avis Berman on May 30-31, 2017.
Virginia Wright (b. 1929) is an art collector and philanthropist in Seattle, WA.
Interview with Virginia Wright conducted by Mija Riedel on April 22-23, 2017.
Hanford Yang (b. 1929) is an architect and art collector in Edison, NJ.
Interview with Hanford Yang conducted by Judith Stein on October 28, and December 14, 2016.
Helen Zell (b. 1942) is a philanthropist in Chicago, IL.
Interview with Helen Zell conducted by Avis Berman on December 5-6-, 2016.