Ritchie, Andrew Carnduff

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Art administrator, historian, teacher, author. Born in 1907 and died in 1978.

From the description of Andrew Carnduff Ritchie papers, [ca. 1930-1978]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122355086

Andrew Carnduff Ritcie, b. 1907; d. 1978, Art administrator, art historian of Canaan, Conn.

From the description of Oral history interview with Andrew Carnduff Ritchie, 1977 June 16-17. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 646397546

Andrew Carnduff Ritchie (1907-1978) was an art administrator and historian.

From the description of Andrew Carnduff Ritchie letters from Alfred Hamilton Barr, 1954-1958. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 756820990

Art administrator, art historian; Canaan, Conn. Born 1907, died 1978.

From the description of Andrew Carnduff Ritchie interview, 1977 June 16-17. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 220190015

Art administrator, historian; born in 1907 and died in 1978.

From the description of Andrew Carnduff Ritchie letters from Alfred Hamilton Barr, 1954-1958. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122647908

Andrew Carnduff Ritcie (1907-1978) was an art administrator and art historian from Canaan, Conn.

From the description of Oral history interview with Andrew Carnduff Ritchie, 1977 June 16-17. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 779477525

Andrew Carnduff Ritchie (1907-1978) was born in Scotland. When he was 15, his family emigrated to the United States, settling in Pittsburgh. He attended the University of Pittsburgh from 1927 to 1933, earning an MFA degree in 1933. A foreign study fellowship enabled him to attend the University of London from 1933 to 1935. He was granted a PhD from that institution in 1935. His field of scholarly interest was English medieval art and 18th century painting. However his career in museum administration shows that his interest in art was far broader than this would seem to indicate. From 1935 to 1942 he held the position of lecturer and researcher at the Frick Collection in New York. During this period he also wrote book reviews for the Art Bulletin and lectured at universities in New York. In mid-1942, Ritchie became the director of the Albright Art Gallery. In June 1945, he received a one-year leave of absence from the directors of the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy (B.F.A.A.) to serve in the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Division of the occupying United States 5th Army in Austria. His work recovering Nazi war loot made him in demand on the post-war lecture circuit, particularly in Western New York. Several exhibitions in 1946 and 1947 focused on recovered European art. For his work in Austria he received the Cross of the French Legion of Honor with rank of chevalier. Interesting correspondence in this collection includes letters from Baroness Alphonse de Rothschild documenting the recovery and restitution of Rothschild art and furniture, much of which was chosen during the war for Adolf Hitler's collection, and was found after the war in the famous Altausee salt mine, Salzkammergut, Austria. Ritchie's report to the directors of the Academy on his return, as well as lecture transcripts included in this series, include information about his experiences in Austria and southern Germany.

After his seven-year term at the Albright, he became director of the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, succeeding Rene D'Harnoncourt in that position. From 1957 to his retirement in 1973 he directed the Yale University Art Gallery. He died in Connecticut, August 12, 1978. In addition to catalogues and articles, his published works, included: English Painters: Hogarth to Constable (1942); Abstract Painting and Sculpture in America (1951); and Sculpture of the Twentieth Century (1953). He received many academic distinctions and was the first American citizen to ever receive a honorary doctorate from the London Royal College of Art (1970). His depth of knowledge and gift for scholarly analysis is evident in many of his letters in this collection.

From the description of Andrew C. Ritchie records, 1942-1949. (Albright-Knox Art Gallery). WorldCat record id: 660831436

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Papers of John Coolidge and Agnes Mongan, 1909-2006 Harvard Art Museums. Archives
creatorOf San Francisco Art Association and related organizational records Archives of American Art
creatorOf Kruse, Alexander Z., 1888-1972. Papers of Alexander Z. Kruse, 1890-1972 (bulk 1930s-1960s). Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
referencedIn Archives pamphlet file : Ritchie, Andrew Carnduff, 1907-1978 : miscellaneous uncataloged material. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
referencedIn Papers of Paul J. Sachs, 1903-2005 Harvard Art Museums. Archives
referencedIn Papers, 1939-1984 Harvard Art Museums. Archives
creatorOf Belle Krasne Ribicoff papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Loewi, Adolph. Correspondence to Alma Mahler, 1945. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Ritchie, Andrew Carnduff. Andrew C. Ritchie records, 1942-1949. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, G. Robert Strauss, Jr. Memorial Library
referencedIn Thomas Carr Howe papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Belle Krasne Ribicoff papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Ritchie, Andrew Carnduff. Letter, 1940, to Lewis Mumford. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
creatorOf Andrew Carnduff Ritchie papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. Director's Office Records, 1955-1977. Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, The Clark
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Oral history interview with Andrew Carnduff Ritchie Archives of American Art
referencedIn Oral history interview with Virginia Cuthbert Archives of American Art
Relation Name
correspondedWith Albright Art Gallery (Buffalo, N.Y.) corporateBody
associatedWith Albright-Knox Art Gallery corporateBody
associatedWith Association of Art Museum Directors. corporateBody
associatedWith Barr, Alfred Hamilton, 1902-1981. person
associatedWith Coolidge, John, 1913-1995 person
correspondedWith Coolidge, John, 1913-1995 person
associatedWith Cummings, Paul person
associatedWith Cuthbert, Virginia, 1908-2001, person
associatedWith Howe, Thomas Carr person
associatedWith Krasne Ribicoff, Belle person
associatedWith Kruse, Alexander Z., 1888-1972. person
associatedWith Loewi, Adolph. person
correspondedWith Neilson, Katharine B. (Katharine Bishop) person
correspondedWith Parkhurst, Charles person
associatedWith Ribicoff, Belle Krasne, 1924- person
associatedWith Sachs, Paul J., 1878-1965 person
associatedWith San Francisco Art Association. corporateBody
correspondedWith Schenck, Edgar Craig, 1909-1959 person
associatedWith Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. corporateBody
correspondedWith Washburn, Gordon B. (Gordon Bailey), 1904- person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Connecticut--Canaan
New York (State)--Buffalo
Connecticut--Canaan
Connecticut--Canaan
Connecticut--Canaan
Europe
Subject
Art, American
Art historians
Artists
Art museum directors
Art museums
Arts administrators
Arts administrators
Art thefts
Educators
Museums
National socialism and art
World War, 1939-1945
Occupation
Activity

Person

Active 1954

Active 1958

Birth 1907

Death 1978

Americans

English

Information

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Ark ID: w6b960wz

SNAC ID: 85811897