Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the William Cushing Loring Papers, 1899-1961, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.loriwill
Creators:
Loring, William Cushing, 1879-
Dates:
1899-1961
Languages:
Collection is in English.
Physical Description:
0.7 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of American portrait painter William Cushing Loring (1897-1959) measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1899-1961. The majority of the collection consists of correspondence, including letters which document Loring's artistic education in Paris and London 1900-1904. Also found within the collection are letters from other Loring family members, printed materials which document Loring's artistic career, and photographs of the artist and his work.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The William Cushing Loring papers measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1899-1961. The collection documents Loring's artistic education in Paris and London and his career as an artist and instructor through correspondence, printed materials, and photographs.
Correspondence consists primarily of letters from William Cushing Loring to other Loring family members, including Stanton D. Loring, his father; Mrs. Stanton D. Loring, his mother; Robert Loring, his brother; and Elizabeth and Helen Loring, his sisters. Letters document Loring's life as an artist living abroad in Paris and London. He writes of visits to the studios of John Singer Sargent, Francis David Millet, and Lawrence Alma-Tadema; trips to museums and galleries; excursions to copy paintings in the Louvre and the London National Gallery; evening entertainment; and accounts of daily expenses. Some letters addressed to his parents include illustrations, sketches in ink and graphite, as well as miniature paintings. Letters from Helen Loring and Robert Loring to their parents, as well as unidentified letters, are also present. Envelopes are for the most part matched to letters, but fragment envelopes and letters are integrated within collection.
Printed materials include exhibition catalogs, newspaper obituary clippings for William Cushing Loring, bulletins for Rhode Island School of Design alumni, a holiday card for Loring's studio, and business cards.
Photographic material includes photographs of works of art by William Cushing Loring and photographs of the artist. Photographs of the artist include portraits and photographs of Loring with his family. Included among photographs of works of art are photos by Elmer Chickering.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as three series.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1899-1904 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1-2)
  • Series 2: Printed Material, circa 1905-1961(4 folders; Box 2)
  • Series 3: Photographic Material, circa 1905 (4 folders; Box 2, OV 3)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
William Cushing Loring (1897-1959) was an American painter and teacher born in Newton Center, MA. He studied at Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Chase's Art School in New York, Academie Colarossi and Academie Delecluse in Paris, and for two years in Holland and London. Loring was best known for his portraiture. He was appointed head of the painting and drawing department at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1905, and taught at La Salle Junior College in Auburn, Massachusetts from 1921 to 1939.

Administration

Author
Megan Bean
Sponsor
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Existence and Location of Copies
The collection was digitized in its entirety 2016 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated by William Loring Cushing, Jr., son of the artist, in 1985.
Processing Information
Materials received a preliminary level of processing at some point after donation and were microfiled to reel 3589. The entire collection was fully processed, arranged, and described by Megan Bean and digitized in 2016.

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
William Cushing Loring papers, 1899-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Sketches Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Paintings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Illustrated letters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Expatriate painters -- France -- Paris Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Study and teaching -- France -- Paris Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Expatriate artists -- England -- London Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Study and teaching -- England -- London Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Massachusetts Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artists' studios -- France Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Loring, Robert Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Loring, Stanton D. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Loring, Helen Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Loring, Elizabeth Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Alma-Tadema, Lawrence, Sir, 1836-1912 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Gallery (Great Britain) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Musée du Louvre Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chickering, Elmer Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rhode Island School of Design Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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