Archives of American Art

Oral history interview with Mildred Baker

Summary

(Electronic Resource)

Oral history interview with Mildred Baker, 1963 September 21, Transcript
Collection ID:
AAA.baker63
Creators:
Baker, Mildred, 1905-
Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-1979
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project
Dates:
1963 September 21
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
56 Pages
Transcript
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
An interview of Mildred Baker conducted 1963 September 21, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art.
Scope and Contents
This interview was conducted as part of New Deal and the Arts Project for the Archives of American Art. Baker speaks of her involvement with the Federal Art Project in its beginning, as assistant to Holger Cahill; getting the Project started nationwide; early goals of the Project; early political problems; camaraderie among the participants; the art centers that developed in the regions, and some of the people involved with them; the development of the Index of American Design in the regions; the issue of government control when government subsidizes the arts; the effect of the coming of World War II on the Project; the ending of the Project. She recalls Forbes Watson.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Mildred Baker (1905-1998) was an art administrator in New York, New York. Baker was assistant to the director, Holger Cahill, on the Federal Art Project. Prior to that appointment, she worked for College Art Association and a gallery on 57th Street. Baker's early role in FAP was to scout directors for regional programs in Ohio, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa. She later was involved in exhibitions and Community Art Centers.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Digital Content

(Electronic Resource)

Oral history interview with Mildred Baker, 1963 September 21, Transcript

(Sound Recording)

Oral history interview with Mildred Baker, 1963 September 21, Digital Sound Recording (Excerpt)

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

More Information

General

General
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 44 min.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art and state Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Federal aid to the arts Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women arts administrators Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Watson, Forbes, 1880-1960 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Federal Art Project Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Index of American Design Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archives of American Art
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Washington, D.C. 20001
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-7950
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