Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Robert M. Cronbach Papers, 1914-2004, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.cronrobe
Creators:
Cronbach, Robt. (Robert M.), 1908-
Dates:
1914-2004
Languages:
Collection is in English
Physical Description:
3.9 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of sculptor and educator Robert M. Cronbach date from 1914-2004 and measure 3.9 linear feet. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, writings, project and commission files, exhibition files, printed material, and photographic material relating to the life and career of Cronbach. The bulk of material is comprised of project and commission files pertaining to sculptures, fountains, and other proposals for public and private spaces.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of sculptor and educator Robert M. Cronbach date from 1914-2004 and measure 3.9 linear feet. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, writings, project and commission files, exhibition files, printed material, and photographic material relating to the life and career of Cronbach. The bulk of material is comprised of project and commission files pertaining to sculptures, fountains, and other proposals for public and private spaces.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as seven series
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, 1925-1996 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1934-2004 (0.7 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 3: Writings, 1929-1970 (4 folders; Box 1)
  • Series 4: Project and Commission Files, 1932-1990 (1.6 linear feet; Box 1-2, 4, OV 5-10)
  • Series 5: Exhibition Files, circa 1960-2000 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)
  • Series 6: Printed Material, 1914-2001 (1.1 linear feet; Box 2-3)
  • Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1930-1995 (2 folders; Box 3)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Robert M. Cronbach (1908-2001) was a sculptor and teacher in New York, New York. Born in St. Louis, Cronbach studied sculpture at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts before heading east to continue his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. His sculpture and fountain commissions for many public and private spaces include Temples, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the United Nations. He also created work as part of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project program. Cronbach taught at Adelphi College in Garden City, New York from 1947-1961 and was an instructor at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, where he also served as chairman of the school's board of governors from 1975-1982.

Administration

Author
Hilary Price
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of this collection are available on 35 mm microfilm reels D260-D261 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to the Archives of American Art by Robert M. Cronbach in 1992 and in 2016 by Cronbach's daughter, Paula Maria Espinosa. Portions of the collection were lent for microfilming in 1966 by Cronbach and subsequently donated.
Processing Information
The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2017.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing 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
Robert M. Cronbach papers, 1914-2004. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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