Midtown Galleries records

ArchivalResource

Midtown Galleries records

1904-1997

Records of Midtown Galleries [including the addition], circa 1904-1997, comprise 86.82 linear feet on 117 microfilm reels. Records are sparse for the early years when the gallery was operated as a cooperative. As the business expanded and became profitable, recordkeeping was more systematic and thorough. Records consist of administrative correspondence, 1927-1989 and undated; exhibition records, 1934-1982 and undated; inventories and sales records, 1946-1980 and undated; financial records, 1933-1957; miscellaneous, 1934-1985 and undated; photographs, circa 1925-circa 1980; printed matter, 1932-1982 and undated; personal papers of Alan D. and Mary J. Gruskin, 1932-1983 and undated; and Papers of Francis C. Healey, 1932-1935 and undated An addition, represents scattered material, 1932-1997 and undated, that remained after the gallery closed in 1995. It includes administrative records, 1934-1995 and undated; photographs circa 1938-1988 and undated; artists records, 1932-1993 and undated; exhibitions, 1958-1993 and undated; videotapes, 1977-1988; and oversize printed matter, 1973-1977 and undated Because microfilmimg of the Midtown Galleries records was already underway when this material was received, it could not be integrated with the main portion of the collection.Administrative correspondence is categorized as General Correspondence, Artists Correspondence, and Artists Applications. General Correspondence is with clients, collectors, museums and galleries, arts organizations, and businesses providing services to Midtown Galleries, and concerns routine business matters. Artists Correspondence contains both personal and business letters since the Gruskins were close friends of many artists represented by Midtown Galleries. Artists Applications consists of correspondence with artists seeking representation by Midtown Galleries. Both accepted and rejected artists are included in this subseries.Exhibition records includes schedules and general correspondence about cooperative exhibitions and traveling shows. Exhibition files, arranged by title, contain correspondence concerning arrangements for each show.Inventories include listings by artist and by warehouse location; also, lists of paintings on consignment, paintings returned to artists, loan/shipping log, and "traffic cards." Sales records include "groups totals,: artists account ledger, and sales slips.Financial records consist of bills paid, banking records, accounting records, and tax returns with related documentation.Miscellaneous items include manuscripts of <emph render="italic">Isabel Bishop Catalogue Raisonne and Biography </emph>by Karl Lunde and <emph render="italic">The Art of Philip Guston </emph>by Lester D. Longman. Also included are legal documents such as Act of Incorporation, partnership agreement, and leases; 32 guest registers, 1924-1985 and undated, and 15 samples of artist-designed fabrics produced by Onandoga Silk Co., 1946-1947. Photographs of people include founders Alan D. Gruskin and Francis C. Healey, Mary J. Gruskin (Mrs. Alan D.) and many artists affiliated with Midtown Galleries. Photographs of works of art are by Midtown artists and others. Also, illustrations for <emph render="italic">Painting in the U.S.A. </emph>by Alan D. Gruskin; 2 albums of photographs of the work of Waldo Peirce, circa 1925-1930s (probably compiled by Peirce). Photographs of exhibitions include Midtown Galleries exhibitions and shows elsewhere featuring works by Midtown artists. Miscellaneous photographs include: Gruskin's Department Store (Pa.); models used by artists Julien Binford, Henry Koerner, and Doris Rosenthal; properties owned by Julien Binford and Hans Moeller; Anatol Shulkin's travel pictures of the Soviet Union; store window displays featuring Midtown artists, and fashion models at Midtown Galleries.Printed matter includes material produced by Midtown Galleries: exhiition catalogs, 1932-1983 and undated; news releases, 1932-1983 and undated; <emph render="italic">Midtown News</emph>, 1965-1970; and miscellaneous items, 1943-1970 and undated Printed matter produced by others includes is comprised of artists files consisting mainly of newsclippings; also, articles about Midtown Galleries and the Gruskins.Personal papers of Mary J. and Alan D. Gruskin contain biographical information, correspondence, financial records, miscellaneous items, calendars, and writings of Alan D. Gruskin. Correspondence, 1931-1970 and undated, with family and friends concerns personal business; also, letters of condolence on the death of Alan D. Gruskin, 1970. Financial records include personal finances and documentation of gifts of artwork to institutions, with appraisals and tax information. Calendars, 1939-1983, record both personal engagements and some business appointments. Writings of Alan D. Gruskin include manuscripts and drafts of columns, short stories, a screenplay, radio broadcasts, and lecture notes from courses at Harvard.Papers of Francis C. Healey are comprised of correspondence that relates to both gallery and ersonal business. Also included are scripts and drafts for radio broadcasts, printed matter, press releases, and proposals for radio programs.Administrative records received with the addition include general correspondence, correspondence with clients, and correspondence regarding gifts, sales and purchases. Records concerning the sale of Midtown Galleries to John Whitney Payson include Gruskin's and Payson's inventories. Also, included is a history of the gallery.Photographs are of the Gruskins, their friends, and country house; also, views of Midtown exhibitions, openings, artists, and individual works of art.Artists records are comprised mainly of artists files, largely containing printed matter. Among the artists records are a file of holiday cards by various artists, many with original artwork. Also included are catalogs of group shows featuring Midtown artists at other galleriesExhibition materials include announcements, news releases, catalogs, miscellaneous printed matter, and a guest book. A small number of these items are dated after Payson's purchase of Midtown Galleries.Videotapes of William Palmer, Isabel Bishop, and Robert Vickrey, as well as oversize printed matter relating to Midtown artists, complement the artists records.

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6630627

Archives of American Art

Related Entities

There are 47 Entities related to this resource.

Fiene, Ernest, 1894-1966

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c53n39 (person)

Painter, lithographer, etcher, illustrator and teacher. Died 1965. From the description of Ernest Fiene papers, 1926-1965. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 86122739 ...

Midtown-Payson Galleries.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gz1h63 (corporateBody)

Hale, Nathan Cabot

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6058jwv (person)

Sculptor, writer, and instructor at the Art Students League; New York, N.Y. Born 1925. From the description of Nathan Cabot Hale papers, 1960-1993. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122566281 ...

Peirce, Waldo, 1884-1970

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bc4q6m (person)

Nationally recognized American artist Waldo Peirce (1884-1970) was known for illustrating envelopes. Peirce was a Harvard alumnus, having earned his Harvard AB 1908; the addressee, William Bingham (1889-1971) earned his Harvard AB 1916 and served as director of athletics at Harvard from 1926 to 1951. These envelopes were sent during a period when the Harvard football team was at a low point and being criticized by the press. From the description of Illustrated envelopes addressed to ...

Gruskin, Alan D. (Alan Daniel), 1904-1970

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vt2f74 (person)

Davis, Gladys Rockmore, 1901-1967

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jm2h8j (person)

Painter, writer; New York, N.Y.; b. 1901; d. 1967. From the description of Gladys Rockmore Davis papers, 1925-1966. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 86118431 ...

Maldarelli, Oronzio, 1892-1962

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tf7sv4 (person)

Oronzio Maldarelli (1892-1962) was an Italian-born American sculptor and teacher. He was known for his figurative works and taught at the Beaux Arts Institute of Design in New York and at Columbia University. From the guide to the Oronzio Maldarelli Photographs, before 1966, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries) Figure sculptor; New York, N.Y. From the description of Oronzio Maldarelli papers, 1952-1963. (Unknown). WorldCat record i...

Varga, Margit, 1908-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65z59hc (person)

Lahm, Renée D. 1897-1945

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6b35gq2 (person)

Shulkin, Anatol, 1899-1961.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63566f2 (person)

Moller, Hans, 1905-2000

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vh6d6p (person)

Parsons, Betty, 1900-1982

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6w19vs9 (person)

Betty Parsons (b. January 31, 1900, New York, NY–d. July 23, 1982, New York, NY) was one of the leading art dealers in New York City specializing in modern art, particularly the work of the Abstract Expressionists. She opened Betty Parsons Gallery in 1946 at 11 E. 57th St., later moving to 24 W. 57th St. The history of the Betty Parsons Gallery is inextricably bound to the life and experiences of its founder. Betty Parsons was born Betty Bierne Pierson on Janua...

Soyer, Isaac

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6350mpw (person)

Painter, lithographer, and instructor; New York, N.Y. From the description of Isaac Soyer letters, 1938-1946. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122502566 ...

Mangravite, Peppino, 1896-1978

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rr252z (person)

Painter, mural painter, art educator; d. 1978. Born in Lapari, Italy. Came to New York City in 1914. Headed art departments at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Avon School, Fieldston School, Potomac School and Ethical Culture School. From the description of Peppino Mangravite papers, 1918-1982. (Smithsonian Archives of American Art). WorldCat record id: 80064129 Peppino Mangravite (1896-1978) was a painter, mural pa...

Vickrey, Robert, 1926-2011

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kd27x0 (person)

Robert Vickrey (1926- ) is a portrait painter and illustrator, from Cape Cod, Mass. and Naples, Fla. Vickrey mastered Egg Tempera painting and is well known for his illustrations for the cover of "Time" magazine. Throughout his career, Vickrey also painted portraits of nuns from the order of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. From the description of Robert Vickrey papers, 1955-1999. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 710020062 ...

Thon, William, 1906-2000

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6x64cw0 (person)

d. December 6, 2000. From the description of Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. (Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)). WorldCat record id: 83820797 Thon, William, 1906-2000, Painter of New York, N.Y. and Port Clyde, Maine. Thon died December 6, 2000, at age 92. Studied at the Art Students League. Served as a trustee and artist in residence at the American Academy in Rome. From the description of Oral history interview with William ...

Nagler, Fred, 1891-1983

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68k78gd (person)

Painters; Massachusetts and Dallas, Tex. Fred Nagler and Edith Kroeger met while studying at the Art Students League in New York. Fred was a painter of religious subjects. Edith was a landscape painter. From the description of Fred and Edith Nagler papers, 1913-1979. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79728212 ...

Sokole, Miron, 1901-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pk0p22 (person)

Painter, art historian, and instructor; New York, N.Y. From the description of Miron Sokole papers, 1935-1971. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122455628 ...

Etnier, Stephen, 1903-1984

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6x92wfn (person)

Painter; South Harpswell, Maine. From the description of Stephen Etnier papers, 1915-1989. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122599436 Stephen Etnier (1903-1984) was a painter from Harpswell, Me. From the description of Oral history interview with Stephen Etnier, 1973 Feb. 22 [sound recording]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80584357 ...

Taubes, Frederic, 1900-1981

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jd57kb (person)

Betts, Edward H., 1920-2008

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dn5f9d (person)

Coiner, Charles T., 1897-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w605864v (person)

American painter and art director at N.W. Ayer &amp; Sons, advertising agency. Coiner (1897-1989) joined Ayer in 1924 as a layout designer, became art director in 1929, and was a vice-president when he retired in 1964. Coiner designed the blue eagle symbol of the National Recovery Administration, civilian defense and government posters during World War II, and the Boys Clubs of America commemorative stamp, issued in 1960. From the guide to the Charles Coiner Papers, 1933-1984, (Speci...

Nagler, Edith Kroger, 1890-1986

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sr6wgv (person)

Painters; Dallas, Tex. From the description of Fred and Edith Nagler interview, 1979 Dec. 14 [sound recording]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 78750438 Edith Kroger Nagler (1890-1986) was a painter of Dallas, Tex. From the description of Oral history interview with Fred and Edith Nagler, 1979 Dec. 14. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 646397654 Painter and writer; Huntington, Massachusetts. Born in New York City. Her maiden name was...

Reinhardt, Siegfried Gerhard, 1925-1984.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6ns5f72 (person)

Painter, designer; St. Louis (Kirkwood), Missouri. From the description of Oral history interview with Siegfried G. Reinhardt, 1976 May 22-June 26. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 220200032 ...

Gruskin, Mary J.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6m45wcc (person)

Wingate, Arline, 1906-1998

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68p731j (person)

Sculptor, lecturer, teacher; East Hampton, N.Y. Married name is Mrs. Clifford Hollander, Arline Wingate Hollander. From the description of Arline Wingate papers, 1931-1974. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122455631 ...

Martin, Fletcher, 1904-1979

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67h2t4n (person)

Printmaker, painter, mural painter. From the description of Fletcher Martin interview, 1964 Nov. 19. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 220195015 Fletcher Martin (1904-1979) was a printmaker, painter, and mural painter from Sarasota, Fla. and Guanajuato, Mexico. From the description of Oral history interview with Fletcher Martin, 1964 Nov. 19. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 767864575 ...

Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6h4227k (person)

Artist; interviewee married Harold G. Wolff. From the description of Reminiscences of Isabel Bishop : oral history, 1956. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 309726591 Painter; New York, (N.Y.). Died 1988. From the description of Isabel Bishop interview, 1987 Nov. 12- Dec. 11. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 220201617 Painter; New York, N.Y.; d. 1988. From the description of Isabel Bishop interview, 1987 Nov. 12-...

Fiene, Ernest, 1894-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pk70rd (person)

Rosenthal, Doris, d. 1971.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69s4hmb (person)

Guston, Philip, 1913-1980

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6md9p24 (person)

xmlns="urn:isbn:1-931666-33-4">Painter. From the description of Oral history interview with Philip Guston, 1965 Jan. 29. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 78587878 Philip Guston, born Phillip Goldstein (June 27, 1913 – June 7, 1980), was a painter and printmaker in the New York School, an art movement that included many abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. In the late 1960s Guston helped to lead a transition from abstract expressionism to neo...

Midtown Galleries

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qc60pc (corporateBody)

Alan D. Gruskin (1904-1970) hoped to become an artist, but while still a student realized that his talents were better suited to art administration than painting. Following graduation from Harvard University, he worked at a New York gallery that specialized in old masters, returning home to Pennsylvania after a year to pursue a writing career that ultimately proved unsuccessful. Gruskin returned to New York and opened Midtown Galleries at 559 Fifth Avenue in 1932. Specializing in wo...

Schoener, Jason

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6np5scz (person)

Sculptor, ceramist, painter, educator; Oakland, California. Born 1919. Schoener graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art and also studied at Case Western Reserve, the Art Students League of New York, and Columbia University. He and his wife, Virginia, settled in the San Francisco Bay area in 1953. Schoener was a longtime professor at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. During his Navy service in WWII, Schoener produced a series of watercolors which...

Etting, Emlen, 1905-1993

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6794wk0 (person)

Emlen Etting (1905-1993) was a filmmaker and printmaker from Philadelphia, Pa. From the description of Oral history interview with Emlen Etting, 1988 Oct. 12 [sound recording]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 646395845 Filmmaker, printmaker; Philadelphia, Pa.; d. 1993. From the description of Emlen Etting interview, 1988 Oct. 12 [sound recording]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 82977073 Painter and illustrator; Philadelphia, Pa. Died 1993. ...

Magafan, Ethel, 1915 or 1916-1993

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jf2sjq (person)

Painter, mural painter; Woodstock, N.Y. From the description of Ethel Magafan interview, 1964 Nov. 5. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 220194956 From the description of Oral history interview with Ethel Magafan, 1964 Nov. 5. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 312026004 Ethel Magafan (1915 or 6-1993) was a mural and landscape painter from Colorado. Painted murals for the WPA. Jenne Magafan was her twin sister. From the description of Et...

Kingman, Dong, 1911-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6ws8wpk (person)

d. May 12, 2000. From the description of Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. (Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)). WorldCat record id: 81018659 Dong Kingman (1911-2000) was an American painter of Chinese heritage, known for his watercolors. Along with many other artists of his era he was a participating artist in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) created by the federal government to help support the arts. He received numerous awards and accolades, among them two...

Palmer, William, 1906-1987

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62n5v41 (person)

Painter, mural painter; Iowa and New York. From the description of Oral history interview with William C. Palmer, 1965 June 12. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 220195712 William C. Palmer (1906-1987) was a painter, mural painter, and educator from Iowa and New York. From the description of Oral history interview with William C. Palmer, 1980 Aug. 5-1981 Aug. 22 [sound recording]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 613315331 From the description of Oral history...

Healey, Francis C.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6km70db (person)

Simkhovitch, Simka, 1893-1949.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6xp95h9 (person)

Painter; Connecticut. Born in Russia. Came to U.S. in 1924 and settled in Greenwich, Conn. From the description of Simka Simkhovitch papers, 1931-1987. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122577325 ...

Meyer, Fred

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w61h2sjr (person)

Cadmus, Paul, 1904-1999

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mm730h (person)

Paul Cadmus was an "American artist who created paintings, drawings, and prints in a figurative, near-illustrational style during a career that spanned some 70 years. Cadmus decided upon a career in art when he was still a young boy and enrolled in art classes at New York City's National Academy of Design (now the National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts) when he was 15. He studied there until 1926 and at the Art Students League for the following two years and then went to work at an adve...

Reinhardt, Siegfried, 1925-1984

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63f5g4q (person)

Painter, designer; Kirkwood, Mo. From the description of Siegfried Gerhard Reinhardt papers, 1962-1976. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 86132915 Siegfried G. Reinhardt (1925-1984) was a painter and designer from St. Louis, Mo. From the description of Oral history interview with Siegfried G. Reinhardt, 1976 May 22-June 26 [sound recording]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 495596785 ...

Meyer, Fred W.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6b934mw (person)

Fred Meyer (1922- ) is a painter, sculptor, and educator of Scottsville, N.Y. Full name Frederick R. Meyer. From the description of Oral history interview with Fred Meyer, 1982 May. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 744428206 ...

Gruskin, Mary J.,

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6h44hxp (person)

Art dealers; New York. From the description of Mary J. Gruskin interview, 1992 October 27. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 220204239 Mary J. Gruskin and her husband Alan Gruskin were art dealers in New York, N.Y. From the description of Oral history interview with Mary J. Gruskin, 1992 October 27 [sound recording]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 422876214 ...

Rosenthal, Doris Patty, 1889-1971

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6th9qb1 (person)

Painter, lithographer, designer, teacher. From the description of Doris Rosenthal papers, 1932-1965. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80858858 ...

Varga, Margit, 1908-2005

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zg7k6q (person)

Art director and painter; New York, N.Y. Born in New York City of Hungarian parents, Varga studied at the National Academy of Design and received art training at the Art Students League with Boardman Johnson and Robert Laurent. In 1931, frustrated by the indifference of art dealers to works by younger artists, she opened a cooperative Painters and Sculptors' Gallery, which stayed in business for 3 years. Beginning in 1936, Varga worked for many years for LIFE magazine. I...

Midtown Galleries (New York, N.Y.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6v75hc1 (corporateBody)

Midtown Galleries (est. 1932. Closed 1995) was an art gallery in New York, N.Y. Founded by Alan D. Gruskin and Francis C. Healey, specializing in contemporary American art; sold to John Whitney Payson, 1985, and name changed to Midtown-Payson Galleries, 1990. From the description of Midtown Galleries records, 1904-1997. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 83293403 ...