Archives of American Art

A Preliminary Finding Aid to the Associated American Artists Records, circa 1934-1983, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.assoamea
Creators:
Associated American Artists
Dates:
circa 1934-1983
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
55 Linear feet
Repository:
The records of the Associated American Artists measure 55 linear feet and date from circa 1934 through 1983. The organization was founded in 1934 to stimulate interest in prints throughout the United States by promoting the sale of prints through department stores and other venues. Later, other genres of works of art were added and the department store abandoned in favor of a New York headquarters. The records contain voluminous files on artists; dealers, galleries, and museums; and clients. Also found is business correspondence, financial records, sales and exhibition catalogs, thirteen dismantled scrapbooks, and posters.

Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content Note
The records of the Associated American Artists measure 55 linear feet and date from circa 1934 through 1983. They document the organization's work producing and selling limited-edition prints by American artists. The records contain voluminous files on artists; dealers, galleries, and museums; and clients. Also found is business correspondence, financial records, sales and exhibition catalogs, thirteen dismantled scrapbooks, and posters.
The dates of the records include the portion that was loaned to the Archives in 1965-1966 and microfilmed on reels D254-D256.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 9 series:
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Artist Files,1951-1983 (Box 1-19; 18.5 linear feet)
  • Series 2: Dealers, Galleries and Museums, circa 1958-1980 (Box 19-29; 10.5 linear feet)
  • Series 3: Client Files, circa 1958-1980 (Box 29-48; 19 linear feet)
  • Series 4: Business Correspondence, 1959-1980 (Box 48-49; 2 linear feet)
  • Series 5: Financial Records, 1960-1981 (Box 50-51; 1 linear feet)
  • Series 6: Sales Catalogs, 1955-1979 (Box 51-53; 2 linear feet)
  • Series 7: Exhibition Catalogs, 1950-1978 (Box 54; 1 linear foot)
  • Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1958-1980 (Box 55-57; 0.9 linear feet)
  • Series 9: Posters, circa 1960s-1970s

Historical Note

Historical Note
The Associated American Artists was created in 1934 with the mission of bridging the gap between artists and their audiences by making fine art affordable, accessible, and attractive for the general American public. The A.A.A. offered new editions of prints to collectors at very reasonable prices. This was accomplished by publishing limited-edition prints of etchings and lithographs by American artists that sold for as little as five dollars each. The organization commissioned original graphic art from many notable American artists, whose art often reflected or commented on the social ideas of the era. All lithographs and etchings were produced in editions ranging from 125 to 250 impressions. Between 1934 and 1945, the organization published more than 600 limited-edition prints. An early collaboration allowed the prints to be displayed and sold in fifty department stores nationwide. Later, the department stores were abandoned in favor of a headquarters in a gallery in New York City. By the 1950s, the organization began to design fabrics as well.
The organization was also notable for its innovative use of modern merchandising and advertising techniques to sell and introduce high-quality artwork to a broad audience. New products were introduced in newspaper articles and magazines that targeted both the public and professional trade audiences. Prints were also advertised on the back of periodicals, which introduced the art to an even wider audience across the country.

Administration

Author
Barbara D. Aikens, Christina Lehman, and Emma Lincoln
Provenance
Sylvan Cole and Adolf Dehn loaned the Archives of American Art related Associated American Artists' records for microfilming on reels D254-D256 in 1965-1966. Mrs. Allan Kine gave photocopies of correspondence on reel 3176 to the Archives in 1974. The Associated American Artists donated all other material begining in the late 1970s through 1988.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by volunteers between 2003-2005.
Existence and Location of Copies
Materials lent for microfilming are available on 35mm microfilm reels D254-D256 and 3176 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Separated Materials
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reels D254-D256 and 3176. Reels D254-D256 include material related to the Associated American Artists' records that were returned to the lender. Reel 3176 contains photocopies of correspondence between Grant Wood, Reeves Lewnthal, and Maurice Liederman and that were discarded after microfilming. This material is not described in the collection container inventory.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C., facility.
Terms of Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Preferred Citation
Associated American Artists records, circa 1934-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Scrapbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artists -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Marketing Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art, American Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arts organizations -- New York (State) Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wood, Grant, 1891-1942 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Liederman, Maurice J. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lewenthal, Reeves, 1909-1987 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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