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Archives of American Art
Oral history interview with Wendell Castle
Summary
(Electronic Resource)
Oral history interview with Wendell Castle, 1981 June 3-December 12, Transcript
- Collection ID:
- AAA.castle81
- Creators:
-
Castle, Wendell, 1932-2018Brown, Robert F.
- Dates:
-
1981 June 3-December 12
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
145 PagesTranscript1 Itemsound file (2 min. 21 sec.) Audio excerptdigital
- Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
An interview of Wendell Castle, conducted 1981 June 3-December 12, by Robert F. Brown, in Scotsville, New York, for the Archives of American Art.
Scope and Contents
Castle speaks of his early work, in Kansas, in industrial design and sculpture; the transition he made in the early 1960s from sculpture to furniture design; teaching furniture design at the School for American Craftsmen, Rochester, New York; Wharton Esherick; the importance of creative design and sound workmanship; exhibitions and commissions; current interest in French 18th Century and Art Deco furniture; the evolution of his work from laminated pieces to an elegant style; and efforts to gain fine art status for his furniture.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Wendell Castle (1932-2018) was a furniture designer, sculptor, and educator from Rochester, New York. He taught at the School for American Craftsmen and Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York.
Administration
Sponsor
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Existence and Location of Copies
Transcript available online.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Digital Content
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art's website.
More Information
General
General
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 27 min.
Keywords
| Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Decorative arts -- United States | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Industrial design | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Sound recordings | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Interviews | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Furniture designers -- New York (State) | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Educators -- New York (State) | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Sculptors -- New York (State) | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Esherick, Wharton | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| School for American Crafts | Corporate Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions
