Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Robert Lee MacCameron Papers, 1896-1913, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.maccrobe
Creators:
MacCameron, Robert Lee, 1866-1912
Dates:
1896-1913
Languages:
Materials are in English and French
Physical Description:
0.4 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of painter Robert Lee MacCameron measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1896 to 1913. The papers document MacCameron's career as a painter through correspondence and writings.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of painter Robert Lee MacCameron measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1896 to 1913. The papers document MacCameron's career as a painter through correspondence and writings.
Correspondence consists primarily of letters with clients concerning portrait commissions and letters from museum directors and curators. Also included are three letters from artist Charles Dana Gibson, letters from MacCameron to his wife Louise, and drafts of other letters.
MacCameron's writings include two journals, writings by MacCameron on religion and photography, and typescripts of writings on Rodin and other subjects.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series.
  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1897-1913 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Writings, 1896-1912 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Chicago-born, New York City based painter Robert Lee MacCameron (1866-1912) was a sought after portrait artist who received commissions from Presidents McKinley and Taft, Auguste Rodin, and many others.
MacCameron began his artistic career as an illustrator in Chicago. Encouraged to pursue art he moved to New York City and then studied in Paris with Jean-Leon Gerome and James Abbott McNeill Whistler at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. By 1912 he had returned to New York City and focused primarily on society portraits of the upper class.

Administration

Author
Ricky Gomez
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated 2004 by Robert MacCameron, the grandson of Robert Lee MacCameron.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2023.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Preferred Citation
Robert Lee MacCameron papers, 1896-1913. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rodin, Auguste, 1840-1917 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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