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Archives of American Art
Oral history interviews with Sam Green
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.greesam
- Creators:
-
Green, Samuel AdamsTippett, Jane Marguerite
- Dates:
-
2007-2009, undated
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
0.2 Linear feet17 ItemsSound recordings: 17 mini cassettesanalog
- Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
Two interviews of Sam Green conducted by Jane Tippett and an unknown male, possibly Hugo Vickers.
Scope and Contents
Green speaks of his childhood in Mass., his family's early New England and New York antecedents, and his education at the Rhode Island School of Design. He reminisces about his early employment at the Green Gallery, which led to his introduction to Burton and Emily Tremaine and his first encounter with Andy Warhol. He further discusses being appointed director of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia in 1965, where he staged Warhol's first retrospective, and his later appointment as a cultural advisor to New York City by Mayor John V. Lindsay. Green discusses organizing "Sculpture and Environment" exhibition, sponsored by the city, specifically the display of Barnet Newman's, "Broken Obelisk," (1963). Green discusses the installation of a large Eastern Island Moai Head, which he displayed in hopes of raising awareness to the planned conversion of Easter Island into a jet-refueling station. He discusses his real estate investments, specifically his home in Cartagena, Columbia, and an Upper East Side apartment. The remainder of the interview details Green's notable social relations with celebrity figures including Peter Allen and Liza Minnelli, Barbara Baekeland, Brigid Berlin, Cecil Beaton, Candy Darling, Cyrinda Foxe, Greta Garbo, and the Lennon-Ono family. He elaborates specifically on his relationship with Garbo, and his first encounter with Garbo at Cecile de Rothschild's home in the south of France. He also summarizes his work establishing the Landmarks Foundations, designed to preserve "sacred sites" on a global scale.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Sam Green (1940-2011) was an art dealer who was an early champion of Pop art. Jane Tippett is a biographer writing a book on Green.
Administration
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated 2010 by Jane Tippett.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Keywords
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions