A Finding Aid to the Aaron Bohrod Papers, 1507-1994, bulk circa 1930-1994 in the Archives of American Art

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Summary
Collection ID:
AAA.bohraaro
Creators:
Bohrod, Aaron
Dates:
1507-1994
bulk circa 1930-1994
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
17.8 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of Wisconsin painter, ceramicist, and educator Aaron Bohrod measure 17.8 linear feet and date from 1507 to 1994 with the bulk of the collection dating from circa 1930 to 1994. The collection documents his career through biographical material, correspondence, gallery files, personal business records, writings, printed material, seven scrapbooks, photographs, and artwork.
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
The papers of Wisconsin painter, ceramicist, and educator Aaron Bohrod measure 17.8 linear feet and date from 1507 to 1994 with the bulk of the collection dating from circa 1930 to 1994. The collection documents his career through biographical material, correspondence, gallery files, personal business records, writings, printed material, seven scrapbooks, photographs, and artwork.
Biographical material includes film and audio recordings of interviews with Bohrod, War Art Unit employment records, awards, an exhibition guest book, architectural plans for Bohrod's studio, and other personal records. Personal and business correspondence is with David Breger, Adolf Dehn, the Hammer Galleries, the Milch Galleries, Thomas Hart Benton, Henri Cadiou, Noel Coward, and many others. Gallery files contain records of Bohrod's business dealings with over 20 galleries and personal business records consist of primarily financial and legal records, as well as project files for his pottery collaboration with F. Carlton Ball and Madison Public Schools. Writings by Bohrod include manuscripts, lectures, and drafts for the book A Decade of Still Life along with several writings by others about Bohrod. Printed materials relate to Bohrod, his artwork, and other art subjects. Photographic materials depict Bohrod, his studio, family and friends, travel, and works of art. Artworks include drawings, prints, and designs by Bohrod, and lithographs and etchings by others.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The collection is arranged as nine series.
  • Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa 1930-1987 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1, OV 24, FC 25)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1849-1994 (6.2 linear feet; Boxes 1-7, 19)
  • Series 3: Gallery Files, 1957-1993 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 7-8)
  • Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1939-1994 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 8-10)
  • Series 5: Writings, circa 1948-circa 1979 (0.2 linear feet; Box 10, OV 24)
  • Series 6: Printed Materials, 1831-1991 (3.0 linear feet; Boxes 10-13, 19, OV 24)
  • Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1929-1992 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 13, 18, BVs 20-23)
  • Series 8: Photographic Materials, circa 1930-1992 (3.8 linear feet; Boxes 13-16, 19, OV 24)
  • Series 9: Artwork, 1507-circa 1989 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 17, 19)
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Aaron Bohrod (1907-1992) was a painter, ceramicist, and educator in Madison, Wisconsin.
Bohrod was born in Chicago, Illinois to Fannie and George Bohrod, a Russian immigrant grocer and cigar maker. From 1926 to 1928, Bohrod studied at the School of the Chicago Art Institute under John Sloan, Boardman Robinson, and Kenneth Hayes Miller. He married Ruth Bush in 1929. His first New York solo exhibition took place in 1934, and during the next four years, he received two Guggenheim Fellowhsips, which financed his projects to depict Midwestern American towns in paintings. During World War II, Bohrod was an artist and correspondent for the U.S. Corps of Engineers in the Pacific and for Life magazine in Europe.
Bohrod followed John Stuart Curry as artist-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin in Madison from 1948 until his retirement in 1973. In 1950, he began work in pottery with F. Carlton Ball with whom he published A Pottery Sketch Book in 1959. In 1954, Bohrod began a meticulous style of still life painting and published A Decade of Still Life in 1966. These trompe l'oeil paintings also appeared in many magazines, including Life, Fortune, Holiday, and several covers of Time magazine.
Bohrod died in Madison, Wisconsin in 1992.
Administration
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2019.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels 1794-97 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Author
Sarah Mundy
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Aaron Bohrod papers were donated in 1974 by Aaron Bohrod and in 1996 by Neil Bohrod, Aaron Bohrod's son.
Using the Collection
Preferred Citation
Aaron Bohrod papers, 1507-1994, bulk circa 1930-1994. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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.
Related Materials
Also found at the Archives of American Art is an interview of Aaron Bohrod conducted by Ralph E. Sandler from 1973 to 1974. The Aaron Bohrod papers are also at Syracuse University.
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painters -- Wisconsin -- Madison Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ceramicists -- Wisconsin -- Madison Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- Wisconsin -- Madison Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketchbooks Type Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Type Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Type Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Type Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Decorative arts Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Motion pictures Type Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ball, F. Carlton, 1911-1992 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dehn, Adolf, 1895-1968 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Milch Galleries Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Coward, Noel, 1899-1973 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Repository Contact
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions
https://www.aaa.si.edu/