Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Albert Duveen Collection of Artists' Letters and Ephemera, 1807-1946, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.duvealbe
Creators:
Duveen, Albert
Dates:
1807-1946
Languages:
The collection is in English.
Physical Description:
1.1 Linear feet
Repository:
The Albert Duveen collection of artists' letters and ephemera measures 1.1 linear feet and dates from 1807 to 1946. Unrelated letters written by over 170 mostly 19th and early 20th century American artists are found in this compiled collection of art critic, dealer, and collector Albert Duveen. Additional ephemera includes printed material and photographs of artwork.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Albert Duveen collection of artists' letters and ephemera measures 1.1 linear feet and dates from 1807 to 1946. Unrelated letters written by over 170 mostly 19th and early 20th century American artists are found in this compiled collection of art critic, dealer, and collector Albert Duveen. Additional ephemera includes printed material and photographs of artwork.
Found are letters from artists Albert Bierstadt, Frederic E. Church, Frederick S. Church, Henry Inman, Constant Mayer, Jervis McEntee, Henry Mosler, Frederick Law Olmstead, Rembrandt Peale, Albert Rosenthal, and many others. Printed materials include catalog inventories of public and private art collections. There are also brochure booklets on New England historical houses and towns. Photographs are duplicate copies of early American artwork from Duveen's personal reference files.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 3 series.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Letters, 1808-1910 (0.8 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Printed material, circa 1909-1946 (4 folders; Box 1, OV 2)
  • Series 3: Photographs, circa 1808-1910 (3 folders; Box 1)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Art critic, collector, and dealer Albert Duveen (1892-1965) lived and worked in New York City, New York. He is known for his expertise in early American art and was a cousin to Joseph Duveen, president of Duveen Brothers art dealers.

Administration

Author
Judy Ng
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Albert Duveen collection of artists' letters and ephemera was purchased from Duveen by the Archives of American Art in February 1956.
Existence and Location of Copies
The collection is available on 35 mm microfilm reels DDU1, D9, D10, and NDU-1-5 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.
Processing Information
The letters were microfilmed shortly after receipt onto reels DDU1, D9-D10, and NDU-1-5. A finding aid was prepared by Judy Ng in 2013 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Albert Duveen collection of artists' letters and ephemera, 1807-1946. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
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.

Related Materials
The Archives holds a microfilm copy of the Albert Duveen art reference files and a lecture, "An Art Dealer is Intrigued by American Folk Art," delivered by Albert Duveen, March 4, 1961.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Collectors and collecting Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artists -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Peale, Rembrandt, 1778-1860 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rosenthal, Albert, 1863-1939 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Olmsted, Frederick Law, 1822-1903 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mosler, Henry, 1841-1920 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
McEntee, Jervis, 1828-1891 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mayer, Constant, 1829-1911 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Church, Frederick S. (Frederick Stuart), 1842-1924 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Church, Frederic Edwin, 1826-1900 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Inman, Henry, 1801-1846 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bierstadt, Albert, 1830-1902 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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