Oral history interview with John Coplans

Summary

Collection ID:: AAA.coplan75
Creators:: Coplans, John
Cummings, Paul
Dates:: 1975 April 4-1977 August 4
Languages:: English
.
Physical Description:: 133 Pages
Transcript
Repository:: Archives of American Art

Scope and Contents

An interview of John Coplans conducted 1975 April. 4-1977 August 4, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art, in New York City.

Scope and Contents

Coplans speaks of his educational background; the founding and development of ARTFORUM magazine; ARTFORUM staff writers including Lawrence Alloway, Michael Fried, Philip Leider, and Barbara E. Rose; and the influence of Irving Blum and Walter Hopps on California artists and collectors. Coplans also discusses the art market in New York and in California, and talks about his career as a teacher, editor, gallery director, critic, and museum curator.

Biographical / Historical

John Coplans (1920- 2003) was an art administrator, editor, photograph, and educator of New York, New York. Born in London, England; died in Manhattan, New York.

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies

Transcript available on line.

Author

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.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

These interviews are part of the Archives' 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.

General

Originally recorded on 4 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 8 hr., 6 min.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms	Keyword Types
Art publishing -- New York (State) -- New York	Topic	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews	Topic	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Editors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews	Occupation	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews	Topic	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Museum curators -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews	Topic	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Gallery directors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews	Topic	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings	Type	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews	Type	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Alloway, Lawrence, 1926-1990	Personal Name	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Blum, Irving, 1930-	Personal Name	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Fried, Michael	Personal Name	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Hopps, Walter	Personal Name	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Leider, Philip, 1929-	Personal Name	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Rose, Barbara	Personal Name	Search Smithsonian Collections	Search ArchiveGrid
Artforum	Corporate 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/