Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Heritage Gallery Records, 1944-2000, bulk 1960-1998, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.herigall
Creators:
Heritage Gallery
Dates:
1944-2000
bulk 1960-1998
Languages:
The collection is in English.
Physical Description:
13.8 Linear feet
Repository:
The records of Los Angeles Heritage Gallery measure 13.8 linear feet and date from 1944-2000 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1960-1998. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files containing a wide variety of materials documenting the gallery's representation of its contemporary artists and gallery exhibitions, including biographical information, correspondence, and printed materials. About half of the artists' files are related to artist Charles White. Gallery records also include business correspondence, business records and additional printed materials.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The records of Los Angeles Heritage Gallery measure 13.8 linear feet and date from 1944-2000 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1960-1998. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files containing a wide variety of materials documenting the gallery's representation of its contemporary artists and gallery exhibitions, including biographical information, correspondence, and printed materials. About half of the artists' files are related to artist Charles White. Gallery records also include business correspondence, business records and additional printed materials.
The bulk of the collection are artists' files which document the works and careers of Heritage Gallery artists through a wide variety of materials including biographical information, correspondence, scattered financial records, inventory lists and price lists, printed materials, and photographic materials. Especially rich are the folders of correspondence with Social Realist artist William Gropper, and materials related to artists José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiro, Moses Soyer and Raphael Soyer. Additionally, about half of the Artists' Files are related to African-American artist Charles White, for whom Horowitz was the sole representative of his artwork, but also a personal friend to White and his family.
Business correspondence and records contain incoming and outgoing correspondence with clients and galleries regarding artwork sales, consignments and exhibition loans; contracts, many with artists and lithographers; biographical information about Benjamin Horowitz; and other day-to-day business records.
Printed material documents exhibitions held at Heritage Gallery through exhibition announcement, catalogs, clippings, and posters, as well as a handful of printed materials for exhibitions held at other galleries and museums.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 3 series.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Artists' Files, 1944-2000, bulk 1960-1998 (11.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-12, 15-16, OV 17)
  • Series 2: Business Correspondence and Records, 1945-1997 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 12-13)
  • Series 3: Printed Material, 1960s-1990s (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 13-14, 16)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Founder Benjamin Horowitz (1912-2004) was born in New York City and moved to Hollywood shortly before the outbreak of World War II. He began a career as a writer of detective fiction but was interrupted by the draft. Horowitz opened Heritage Gallery in the early 1960s on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. His early dedication to African-American artists, chief among them Charles White to whom he gave more than 51 one-person exhibitions, distinguished the gallery.
Horowitz was the co-founder of the Art Dealers Association of California and also worked as an appraiser.

Administration

Author
Sarah Haug
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collection Care Preservation Fund.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Heritage Gallery records were donated by Benjamin Horowitz, founder of the gallery, in two accessions in 1998 and 2000.
Processing Information
Portions of the collection received a preliminary level of processing at some point after donation. The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Haug in 2013, with funding provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care Preservation Fund.
The Archives of American Art has implemented minimal processing tactics when possible in order to increase access to more of our collections. Minimal processing included arrangement to the series and folder levels. Generally, items within folders were simply verified with folder titles and dates, but not arranged further. Folder titles were transcribed from original folder headings. The collection was rehoused in archival containers and folders. Staples and other fasteners were not removed, but correspondence was removed from envelopes and filed behind the envelope. Materials were removed from binders or damaged binding when necessary.
Materials with Social Security numbers were redacted with copies left in the collection. The original documents are maintained separately.

Using the Collection

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.
Preferred Citation
Heritage Gallery records, 1944-2000, bulk 1960-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
The Archives of American Art holds several collections related to Heritage Gallery and Benjamin Horowitz, including the William Gropper papers and the Charles Wilbert White papers. Also found in the Archives is an oral history interview with Benjamin Horowitz conducted by Molly Saltman as a part of "Art and Artists" interviews, 1965-1966.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art galleries, Commercial -- California Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Orozco, José Clemente, 1883-1949 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Soyer, Moses, 1899-1974 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Siqueiros, David Alfaro, 1896-1974 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Horowitz, Benjamin, 1912- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
White, Charles (1918-1979) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gropper, William, 1897-1977 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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