Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Buehr Family Papers, 1880-1984, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.buehfami
Creators:
Buehr family
Dates:
1880-1984
Languages:
The collection is in English.
Physical Description:
0.7 Linear feet
Repository:
The Buehr family papers date from 1880-1984 and measure 0.7 linear feet. The collection documents the lives and careers of a prominent Chicago family of artists, which included Karl Albert Buehr, his wife Mary Hess Buehr, their children Kathleen Buehr Granger and George F. Buehr, and Karl Buehr's brother-in-law, Will Hess. Found among the papers are biographical accounts, family histories, Karl Buehr's personal and professional correspondence, love letters between Karl and Mary Hess, writing by various family members, printed materials, artwork in the form of drawings by Kathleen Buehr Granger, and family and travel photographs, including two photo albums.

Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content Note
The Buehr family papers date from 1880-1984 and measure 0.7 linear feet. The collection documents the lives and careers of a prominent Chicago family of artists, which included Karl Albert Buehr, his wife Mary Hess Buehr, their children Kathleen Buehr Granger and George F. Buehr, and Karl Buehr's brother-in-law, Will Hess. Found among the papers are biographical accounts, family histories, Karl Buehr's personal and professional correspondence, love letters between Karl and Mary Hess, writing by various family members, printed materials, artwork in the form of drawings by Kathleen Buehr Granger, and family and travel photographs, including two photo albums.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as six series.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, 1880-1976 (5 folders; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1898-1980 (8 folders; Box 1)
  • Series 3: Writings, circa 1915-1970 (4 folders; Box 1)
  • Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1899-1984 (12 folders; Box 1-2, OV 3)
  • Series 5: Artwork, circa 1940-circa 1975 (6 folders; Box 2)
  • Series 6: Photographs, circa 1886-1947 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
The Buehr family was a prominent Chicago family of artists, which included Karl Albert Buehr, his wife Mary Hess Buehr, their children Kathleen Buehr Granger and George F. Buehr, and Karl Buehr's brother-in-law, Will Hess.
Born in 1866 in Germany, Karl Albert Buehr was a painter of genre scenes, portraits, and Impressionist landscapes. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Julian Academy in France and the London School of Art. From 1899 to 1902 he lived in Holland, and then spent the first decade of the twentieth century at Giverny, France. A member of the Giverny artists, Buehr exhibited widely in Europe. Buehr became a U.S. citizen and served in the U.S. Cavalry during the Spanish-American War. In Chicago he became a highly respected teacher at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and one of the city's most popular painters. Buehr died in Chicago in 1952.
Karl's wife, Mary Hess Buehr, was born in Chicago in 1871. She was a painter who studied in Holland and France, and held three exhibitions at the Paris Salon. Mary specialized in miniatures and decorative paintings. She was also a lithographer, lecturer, and teacher active in Chicago. She died in Orwell, Vermont, in 1962.
Their children, Kathleen and George F. Buehr, were both artists as well. George, known for his watercolors and collages, was director of museum education and a lecturer at the Art Institute of Chicago. He died in Chicago in 1983 at age 78. Kathleen was born in Chicago in 1902. A graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, Kathleen was painter and author. Several of her articles are found in the papers, including "My Most Unforgettable Character," published in 1969 in The Reader's Digest.

Administration

Author
Jetta Samulski
Sponsor
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Provenance
George Buehr's wife, Margo Hoff, donated the family papers in April, 1986, as part of the Archives' Chicago survey project. George Granger, son of Kathleen Buehr Granger, donated the remaining material in June, 1986.
Existence and Location of Copies
The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2016 and is available on the Archives of American Art's website. Materials which have not been scanned include duplicates of printed material, photographs, and writings; blank pages and versoes of printed materials. In some cases, printed materials have had relevant pages scanned.
Processing Information
The papers were processed in 1989 by Jean Fitzgerald and a finding aid prepared in July 2004 by Jetta Samulski. The collection was prepared for digitization by Megan Bean and digitized in 2016 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference 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.
Preferred Citation
Buehr family papers, 1880-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Expatriate painters -- France -- Giverny Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Impressionism (Art) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art, American -- French influences Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Illinois -- Chicago Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Miniature painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Landscape painters Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Watercolorists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art teachers Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Portrait painters Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Buehr, George Frederick, 1905-1983 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Buehr, Mary Guion Hess, 1871-1962 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Buehr, Karl Albert, 1866-1952 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Granger, Kathleen Buehr Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hess, William, 1838-1964 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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