Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Buffie Johnson Papers, circa 1920-2010, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.johnbuff
Creators:
Johnson, Buffie
Dates:
circa 1920-2010
Languages:
Collection is in English
Physical Description:
3.4 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of New York-based painter Buffie Johnson measure 3.4 linear feet and date from circa 1920-2010. While the collection is primarily composed of printed materials that document her career and exhibition history, a small amount of biographical material, correspondence, writings, exhibition and project files, and photographic material provide more in depth documentation of her personal and professional life.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of New York-based painter Buffie Johnson measure 3.4 linear feet and date from circa 1920-2010. While the collection is primarily composed of printed materials that document her career and exhibition history, a small amount of biographical material, correspondence, writings, exhibition and project files, and photographic material provide more in depth documentation of her personal and professional life.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as six series
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1940-2007 (3 folders; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1950-2009 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 3: Writings, circa 1960-1995 (3 folders; Box 1)
  • Series 4: Exhibition and Project Files, circa 1959-1995 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1920-2010 (2.5 linear feet; Box 1-4, OV 5)
  • Series 6: Photographic Material, 1920-2006 (0.5 linear feet; Box 3-4)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Buffie Johnson (1912-2006) was a painter in New York. Born in New York City, Johnson studied art at the University of California, Los Angeles, and then traveled to Europe to study painting with Francis Picabia and Stanley William Hayter. Her first exhibition was in Paris in 1938, after which she showed extensively for more than sixty years in the United States and Europe. In 1959, Johnson was commissioned to paint an abstract mural for the Astor Theatre in New York. She was also known for imaginative restorations of her two Upper East Side homes, and for her friendships with prominent American writers and artists.

Administration

Author
Hilary Price
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated to Archives of American Art in 1972 and 1980 by Buffie Johnson and in 2016 by Johnson's daughter, Jenny Johnson Sykes.
Processing Information
The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2017.

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.
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
Buffie Johnson papers, circa 1920-2010. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
Also found in the Archives of American Art are two oral history interviews with Buffie Johnson conducted by Paul Cummings in 1977 and Barbara Shikler in 1982.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women muralists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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