Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Hayden Herrera Papers, 1926-2006, bulk 1984-1997, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.herrhayd
Creators:
Herrera, Hayden
Dates:
1926-2006
bulk 1984-1997
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
5 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of art historian and author Hayden Herrera measure 5.0 linear feet and date from 1926-2006. Included are notes, interview transcripts, photographs, and sound recordings related to Herrera's writing projects, including her biography on abstract expressionist, Arshile Gorky.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of art historian and author Hayden Herrera measure 5.0 linear feet and date from 1926-2006. Included are notes, interview transcripts, photographs, and sound recordings related to Herrera's writing projects, including her biography on abstract expressionist, Arshile Gorky.
Materials include detailed, handwritten notes and typed transcripts from interviews she conducted between 1970 and 2004, and sound recordings of notable figures in the art world and friends and family of Arshile Gorky that Herrera interviewed between 1977 and 2006. Among the sound recordings are interviews with Lucio Amelio, Mary Bauermeister, Wolfgang Becker, Bruno Bischofberger, Margaret Cogswell, Mary Frank, Christian Geelhaar, Olle Granath, Nigel Greenwood, Wolfgang Hahn, Werner Hofmann, Fred Jahn, Paul Jenkins, Jacob Kainen, R. B. Kitaj, Donald Judd, Peter Nestler, Lars Nittve, Peter Ludwig, Hans Mayer, Jorn Merkert, Franz Meyer, Dorothy Miller, Bryan Robertson, Werner Schmalenbach, Joan Snyder, Ileanna Sonnabend, David Sylvester, Evelyn Weiss, and Rudolph Zwirner. Research files related to Arshile Gorky consist of photocopies of archival materials from various repositories including correspondence, interview transcripts, and photographic material; Herrera's interview transcripts and notes; correspondence; clippings; and photographs of Gorky, his friends and family, and his work. The bulk of the collection dates from 1984 to 1997.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Materials are arranged as two series:
  • Series 1: Interviews, 1970-2006 (5.10 linear feet; Box 1-9)
  • Series 1: Subseries 1: Sound Recordings, 1972-2006 (3.10 linear feet; Box 3-9)
  • Series 1: Subseries 2: Transcripts, 1970-2004 (2.00 linear feet, Box 1-2)
  • Series 2: Research Files Related to Arshile Gorky, 1926-2005 (0.70 linear feet, Box 3)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Hayden Herrera is an art historian and author in New York, N.Y. Herrera attended Barnard College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1965. While working on her PhD at the City University of New York (CUNY) she travelled to Mexico City where she was first exposed to Frida Kahlo's work. This trip inspired Herrera's thesis topic, which she published as her first book, "Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo." The book was adapted into a studio film, "Frida," starring Salma Hayek. Two years later Herrera published her biography of Arshile Gorky and was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.

Administration

Author
Jennifer E. Neal
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated in 2020 by Hayden Herrera.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jennifer E. Neal and Lewis Tio in 2021. Additional finding aid description of the sound recordings was completed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2023.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.
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 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
Hayden Herrera papers, 1926-2006. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Abstract expressionism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Frank, Mary, 1933- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Snyder, Joan, 1940- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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