Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Calvin Douglass Papers, 1954-1995, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.dougcalv
Creators:
Douglass, Calvin, b. 1931
Dates:
1954-1995
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.2 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of African American painter and teacher, Calvin Douglass, measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1954 to 1995. The small collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, photographs, printed material, professional files regarding Douglass's teaching career, and sketches.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of African American painter and teacher, Calvin Douglass, measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1954 to 1995. The small collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, photographs, printed material, professional files regarding Douglass's teaching career, and sketches.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Calvin Douglass (1931-2021) was an African American painter and teacher in Staten Island, N.Y. Douglass was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1931 and was first introduced to art at eleven when he apprenticed at a sign making shop. Later, he attended Howard University and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and the Brooklyn Museum of Art. He was a member of Spiral, the collective of African American artists formed by Romare Bearden. Douglass exhibited his works around New York City.
Douglass was a lecturer and educator at the Brooklyn Museum Art School, Vassar College and the Urban Center for Black Studies, and Smith College. Calvin Douglass died in 2021 in Edgewater, Florida.

Administration

Author
Jayna M. Josefson
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reel 99 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Papers were donated in 1971 by Calvin Douglass. Additional material was donated after 1994, provenance unknown.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2021.

Using the Collection

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.
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.
Preferred Citation
Calvin Douglass papers, 1954-1995. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
African American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American educators Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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