Archives of American Art

George Benjamin Luks papers

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.luksgeor
Creators:
Luks, George Benjamin, 1867-1933
Dates:
1902-1961
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
2 Reels
ca. 700 items (on 2 microfilm reels)
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Scrapbooks; correspondence; exhibition catalogs; photographs; and some biographical material.
Scope and Contents
Reel NLU-1: a scrapbook, 1902-1948, of clippings mostly relating Luks, and to contemporary artists with whom Luks was associated.
Scope and Contents
Reel 95: clippings; correspondence, including two letters from James Huneker; exhibition catalogs, including one from an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, Nov. 1943-Jan. 1944; photographs; and 3 scrapbooks.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Illustrator, painter, cartoonist, lecturer, teacher; born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Recent scholarship shows 1866 as his birth date rather than 1867, as has been previously accepted. Studied at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, in Dusseldorf, Berlin, Munich, London, and Paris. Worked on the staff of the Philadelphia Press, the Philadelphia Bulletin, and the New York World newspapers. Created the comic strips Hogan's Alley, and The Yellow Kid. Was an outspoken member of "The Eight" who exhibited at Macbeth Gallery, NYC, 1908. Taught at Art Students League, was influential not for his methods, but for his strong personality. Known as a hard drinker, his works were imbued with gusto as he captured slum life in NYC.

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies
35mm microfilm reels NLU-1 & 95 available at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Existence and Location of Originals
Reel NLU-1: Originals returned to lender, Barnhardt Crystal, after microfilming.
Existence and Location of Originals
Reel 95: Originals returned to lender, Chapellier Galleries, after microfilming.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The scrapbook, 1902-1948, was lent for microfilming via Barnhardt Crystal of the Washington Irving Gallery, 1958, on behalf of Mrs. Carolyn Luks, sister-in-law of George Luks. Papers on reel 95 were lent for microfilming by the Chapellier Galleries.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painting, Modern -- New York (State) -- New York Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Caricatures and cartoons Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Caricaturists Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cartoonists Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Illustrators Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Huneker, James, 1857-1921 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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