Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Peter A. Bradley Papers, 1966-1976, 2003, 2014, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.bradpete
Creators:
Bradley, Peter, 1940-
Dates:
1966-1976
2003
2014
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.3 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of African American painter and former art dealer Peter A. Bradley measure 0.3 linear feet and date from 1966 to 1976 with additional material dating from 2003 and 2014. The papers include correspondence from Klaus Perls, Anthony Caro, Robert Gelfman and attorney Karl S. Lowenthal. Included with correspondence is a recommendation for Bradley written by Klaus Perls. The papers include photographs of Alexander Calder and his family, as well as a photograph of Bradley with Calder's work at Perls Galleries, Bradley with Kenneth Noland and Bradley with Steven Cannon. Printed material consists of a 1971 Picasso exhibition catalog and a 2014 issue of Gulf Coast. Also included are architectural plans and notes for Bradley's studio designed by John Johansen as well as personal financial information.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of African American painter and former art dealer Peter A. Bradley measure 0.3 linear feet and date from 1966 to 1976 with additional material dating from 2003 and 2014. The papers include correspondence from Klaus Perls, Anthony Caro, Robert Gelfman and attorney Karl S. Lowenthal. Included with correspondence is a recommendation for Bradley written by Klaus Perls. The papers include photographs of Alexander Calder and his family, as well as a photograph of Bradley with Calder's work at Perls Galleries, Bradley with Kenneth Noland and Bradley with Steven Cannon. Printed material consists of a 1971 Picasso exhibition catalog and a 2014 issue of Gulf Coast. Also included are architectural plans and notes for Bradley's studio designed by John Johansen as well as personal financial information.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Peter A. Bradley (1940–) is an African American painter and former art dealer in New York. He served as the associate director of the Perls Galleries in New York from 1968 to 1975.
Bradley was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania and grew up alongside celebrated jazz musicians such as Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, whose music influenced the colorful abstract work he is known for. He is credited with influencing the "New New Painters" movement in the late 1970s and curated The Deluxe Show in 1971, which is viewed as one of the earliest racially integrated modernist art exhibitions. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, among others. He is a recipient of an Andy Warhol Foundation Exhibition Grant and a two-time recipient of the Pollock Krasner Award.

Administration

Author
Candice Yates
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Peter A. Bradley in 2009 and 2018.
Processing Information
This collection was minimally processed and a finding aid prepared in 2019 by intern Candice Yates, supervised by Rayna Andrews, with funding from the Henry Luce Foundation.

Using the Collection

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.
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
Peter A. Bradley papers, 1966-1976, 2003, 2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Perls Galleries Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Noland, Kenneth, 1924-2010 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gelfman, Robert Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lowenthal, Karl S. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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