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Archives of American Art
A Finding Aid to the Grace Borgenicht Gallery Records, circa 1953-1996, in the Archives of American Art
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.gracborg
- Creators:
-
Grace Borgenicht Gallery
- Dates:
-
circa 1953-1996
- Languages:
-
The collection is in English.
- Physical Description:
-
18.2 Linear feet
- Repository:
The records of New York City Grace Borgenicht Gallery date from circa 1953 to 1996 and measure 18.2 linear feet. The records include administrative files, correspondence, financial and legal records, exhibition files, printed material, two scrapbooks, and photographic negatives of artwork. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files.
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
The records of New York City Grace Borgenicht Gallery date from circa 1953 to 1996 and measure 18.2 linear feet. The records include administrative files, correspondence, financial and legal records, exhibition files, printed material, two scrapbooks, and photographic negatives of artwork. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files.
Administrative files focus on advertising, events, gallery renovation, artists' insurance, and writings about the gallery. Correspondence concerns galleries, artists, works of art, and gallery prints and includes correspondence with the Library of Congress, Hokin Gallery, and Raab Gallery in Berlin. Exhibition files are found for exhibitions of Milton Avery, Paul Burlin, Stuart Davis, and Wolf Kahn, and several artists from Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Canada, as well as for international art fairs. Artists' files mainly contain correspondence with galleries and patrons regarding the artists and their work, and with artists. Files are found for Milton Avery, Charles Biederman, Ilya Bolotowsky, Martin Chirino, Stuart Davis, Jose De Rivera, Roy Gussow, Philip Grausman, and Wolf Kahn, among many others. Financial and legal records include sales and operations ledgers, artists' contracts, and documents concerning arts organizations. Printed materials consist of exhibition announcements and catalogs. Two scrapbooks include clippings and other printed materials. Also found are photographic negatives of artwork.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 8 series.
- Series 1: Administrative Records, 1970-1995 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
- Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1950s-1995 (2 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)
- Series 3: Exhibition Files, circa 1970-1996 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)
- Series 4: Artists Files, circa 1950s-1995 (11.2 linear feet; Boxes 4-13, 16-22)
- Series 5: Financial and Legal Records, 1953-1995 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 13-15)
- Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1950s-1995 (0.8 linear feet; Box 15)
- Series 7: Scrapbooks, circa 1950s-circa 1980s (0.3 linear feet; Box 23)
- Series 8: Photographic Materials, circa 1950s-circa 1980s (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 24-25)
Missing Title
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
In May 1951 Grace Borgenicht Brandt (1915-2001) opened the Grace Borgenicht Gallery on 57th Street in New York City with an exhibition of Jimmy Ernst. At that time, the gallery was one of a handful that represented contemporary American artists. Jimmy Ernst, Milton Avery, Ilya Bolotowsky, Edward Corbett, Jose de Rivera, Roy Gussow, Wolf Kahn, and Gabor Peterdi were among the artists represented by the gallery.
The gallery held multiple exhibitions for individual artists such as Milton Avery, Wolf Kahn, Paul Burlin, and Stuart Davis. Although Borgenicht's main focus was American contemporary artists, the gallery also held several exhibitions featuring artists from Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, and Mexico.
The Grace Borgenicht Gallery closed in 1995.
Administration
Author
Sarah Mundy
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Owner Grace Borgenicht Brandt originally lent material for microfilming in 1963. She donated additional papers in 1996.
Processing Information
The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2015, with funding provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund. The Archives of American Art has implemented minimal processing tactics when possible to increase information about and access to more of our collections.
Minimal processing included arrangement to the series, subseries, and folder levels. Generally, items within folders were simply verified with folder titles, but not arranged further. Folders within boxes may not be numbered. The collections was rehoused in archival containers and folders, but not all staples and clips were removed.
Separated Materials
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reel D112) including 72 letters from artists Leonard Baskin, Edward Corbett, Sidney Gordin, Wolf Kahn and Elbert Weinberg. They are addressed to gallery director Grace Borgenicht (Grace Borgenicht Brandt), and regard the artists' their work, travels, exhibition plans, and other activities. Also included is a photograph of Brandt and a resume. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Separated Materials
Material lent for microfilming is available on 35mm microfilm reel D112 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Using the Collection
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
Grace Borgenicht Gallery records, circa 1953-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Related Materials
Related Materials
Also found at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Grace Borgenicht Brandt conducted by Dorothy Seckler on January 10, 1963.
Keywords
Repository Contact
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions
