Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Merrell Gage Papers, 1911-1982, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.gagemerr
Creators:
Gage, Merrell, 1892-1981
Dates:
1911-1982
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.7 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of sculptor and educator Merrell Gage measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1911 to 1982. The papers document his career in Kansas and California through biographical material, correspondence, writings, printed material, artwork, and photographs, as well as a scrapbook and a photograph album.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of sculptor and educator Merrell Gage measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1911 to 1982. The papers document his career in Kansas and California through biographical material, correspondence, writings, printed material, artwork, and photographs, as well as a scrapbook and a photograph album.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Sculptor Robert Merrell Gage (1892-1981), known as Merrell Gage, was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1892. He studied at the Art Students League in 1911 and at the Robert Henri School of Art and also served as an apprentice to Gutzon Borglum from 1914 to 1916 and again from 1921 to 1923. Borglum was a tremendous influence on Gage. His wife Marian was a painter.
Gage taught at Washburn College in Kansas, ca. 1915-1916; the Kansas City Art Institute, 1915-1916 and 1919-1921; and the University of Southern California at Los Angeles, ca. 1925-1958. In 1955, Gage's film, "The Face of Lincoln," won an Academy Award in the two-reel short subject category. Merrell Gage died in 1981.

Administration

Author
Rihoko Ueno
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Merrell Gage papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 1995 by Jean Gage, daughter of Merrell Gage.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Rihoko Ueno in 2020.

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.
Preferred Citation
Merrell Gage papers, 1911 to 1982. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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 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
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Merrell Gage conducted by Betty Hoag on May 27, 1964.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Sculpture, American Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculptors -- California Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculptors -- Kansas Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- California -- Los Angeles Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- Kansas Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Borglum, Gutzon, 1867-1941 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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