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Archives of American Art
Oral history interview with Ben Cunningham
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.cunnin64
- Creators:
-
Cunningham, Ben, 1904-1975Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-1979New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project
- Dates:
-
1964 October 24
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
58 PagesTranscript
- Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
An interview of Ben Cunningham conducted 1964 October 24, by Harlan Phillips for the Archives of American Art.
Scope and Contents
Cunningham speaks of his early career in San Francisco during the Depression; the art market there; working as a muralist in the Federal Art Project; political and media problems encountered by the project, including strikes by workers; the work of the Index of American Design in California; working on naval architecture during Work War II; and his philosophies about painting. He recalls Joseph Danysh, William Gaskin, and Hilaire Hiler.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Ben Cunningham (1904-1975) was a painter, educator, and mural painter in New York, New York.
Administration
Existence and Location of Copies
Transcript: 35mm microfilm reel 3418 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
More Information
General
General
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 8 min.
General
Sound quality is poor.
Keywords
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-7950
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions