Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Arcangelo Cascieri papers, circa 1902-1989, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.cascarca
Creators:
Cascieri, Arcangelo, 1902-1997
Dates:
circa 1902-1989
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
4 Linear feet
Repository:
The Arcangelo Cascieri papers measure 4 linear feet and date from circa 1902-1989. They illustrate his career through correspondence, writings, project files, personal business records, printed and photographic material, and artwork.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Arcangelo Cascieri papers measure 4 linear feet and date from circa 1902-1989. Correspondence is with family, friends, and colleagues. Also included is a folder of letters about several of Cascieri's sculpture projects including various churches, cathedrals, and schools. Writings consists of multiple speeches by Cascieri for lectures and events and writings by others which include a term paper by Richard Doyle.
Project files contain correspondence, printed material, and designs for Cascieri's many commissions for church sculptures and other projects. Personal business records consist of materials related to the Boston Architectural Center, Cascieri's resume, and other professional organizations such as the Architectural League of New York.
Printed material contains various pamphlets and publications featuring architecture and projects of Cascieri's. Also included are news clippings and prints of drawings. Photographic material contains personal photographs of Cascieri and his family and friends. Also included are photographs of artwork and architecture. Artwork contains oversize folders of drawings from Cascieri's time as a student, preparatory sketches for his projects, and miscellaneous drawings.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection contains seven series.
  • Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1935-1982 (.2 Linear feet: Box 1)
  • Series 2: Writings, circa, circa 1960-1988 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1)
  • Series 3: Project Files, circa 1931-1981 (2 Linear feet: Boxes 1-2, Rolled Documents 12 and 13)
  • Series 4: Personal Business Records, circa 1902-1979 (.5 Linear feet: Box 2, OV 11)
  • Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1930-1989 (.2 Linear feet: Box 2)
  • Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1920-1950 (.1 Linear feet: Box 2)
  • Series 7: Artwork, circa 1902-1981 (.9 Linear feet: OVs 4-10)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Arcangelo Cascieri (1902-1997) was a sculptor who worked primarily in Boston.
Cascieri was born in Pescara province, Italy. In 1905 his father moved to Boston's North End and the rest of the family joined him in 1907. Eventually the family moved to East Boston where Cascieri began attending school and learning English. In his early teens he was taken out of school and began work in the shipping room of a shoe factory. During this time, he learned woodworking and carving. As his talent increased, he was offered an apprenticeship to Johannes Kirchmayer the chief sculptor at the W.F. Ross Studio in Cambridge. Kirchmayer also introduced Cascieri to the Boston Architectural Club in which he would be involved for the rest of his life.
In 1922, Cascieri began studying at the Boston Architectural Center (BAC) and finished the program in four years. After graduating he studied Fine Arts at Boston University until 1936. He was named head of the BAC in 1937 and was appointed Dean in 1943. Because faculty of the BAC worked on a volunteer basis, Cascieri supported himself, opening a studio with his brother-in-law Adio diBiccari. In 1952 they worked on projects such as the World War One Memorial at Belleau Wood in France and the World War Two Memorial at Margarten in the Netherlands. The most famous of their works in Boston is the Parkman Plaza fountain in Boston Common.
Cascieri died at the age of 94 on January 17, 1997.

Administration

Author
Allessandra Liberati
Sponsor
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Papers were donated 1980-1982 by Arcangelo Cascieri.
Processing Information
This collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared, by Allessandra Liberati in 2023.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing 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.
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.
Preferred Citation
Arcangelo Cascieri papers, circa 1902-1989, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
The Archives also hold an oral history conducted 1972, November 21 to 1974, January 24 by Robert F. Brown.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Church decoration and ornament Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artists' preparatory studies Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architecture Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculptors -- Massachusetts -- Boston Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art teachers -- Massachusetts -- Boston Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Boston Architectural Center Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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