Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Marilyn Pearl Gallery Records, 1925-2000, bulk 1976-1993, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.maripeag
Creators:
Marilyn Pearl Gallery
Dates:
1925-2000
bulk 1976-1993
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
7.4 Linear feet
Repository:
The records of the Marilyn Pearl Gallery are dated 1925-2000, with the bulk of the ematerial from the period 1976-1993. The collection measures 7.4 linear feet and consists of artists' files, exhibition files, and business records documenting affiliated artists and gallery activities.

Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content Note
The records of the Marilyn Pearl Gallery are dated 1925-2000, with the bulk of the ematerial from the period 1976-1993. The collection measures 7.4 linear feet and consists of artists' files, exhibition files, and business records documenting affiliated artists and gallery activities.
Artist files are found for: René Pierre Allain, Bernard Chaet, Stephen Greene, Clinton Hill, Pat Lasch, Michael Loew, Winifred Lutz, Jim McShea, Jeanne Miles, Henry Pearson, Pedro Perez, Stephen Robin, Charmion von Wiegand, and Ellen Weiner. They contain the following types of records in varying combinations: correspondence with the artist, collectors, galleries and museums; printed material including publicity, exhibition catalogs and announcements of Marilyn Pearl Gallery and other venues; photographs; financial records concerning sales and exhibition expenses. In general, items dated prior the gallery's existence and after its closing are printed material relating to the artist. A notable exception is the small number of the personal papers of Charmion von Wiegand that include letters from her husband, writer and editor Joseph Freeman.
Exhibition files are arranged chronologically by exhibition date, 1977, 1980-1992 and consist of correspondence, invoices, printed material, publicity, and photographs.
Business records document the routine affairs of the gallery. Included are client correspondence, inventory cards (work in stock, pieces returned to artists, and works sold), a nearly complete set of invoices for gallery sales for the period 1976-1986, consignment records, appraisals, mailing lists, guest books, and records regarding Basel Art Fairs of 1989-1993.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 3 series:
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Artists' Files, 1925-2000 (Boxes 1-4; 3.6 linear ft.)
  • Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1973-1992 (Boxes 4-5; 1.15 linear ft.)
  • Series 3: Business Records, 1976-2000 (Boxes 5-8; 2.65 linear ft.)

Historical Note

Historical Note
The Marilyn Pearl Gallery (est. 1976-circa 1993) was an art gallery in New York, N.Y. specializing American art from the 1920s-1950s.
Marilyn Pearl (Mrs. Alan Loesberg), the daughter and granddaughter of art collectors from Akron and Cleveland, Ohio, as a young child began developing an appreciation for and true love of art. After a stint as a history teacher, Ms. Pearl was determined to establish her own gallery. With help from family, her dream became a reality when the Marilyn Pearl Gallery opened at 29 West 57th Street, New York, in 1976. In 1982, the gallery relocated to 38 East 57th Street, and in 1987 moved to 420 West Broadway in SoHo. Although the gallery closed in the early 1990s, Ms. Pearl continued to operate as a private dealer and expanded her activities to international art fairs, among them the Basel Art Fair.
Among the artists represented by the gallery were: Bernard Chaet, Stephen Greene, Clinton Hill, Pat Lasch, Michael Loew, Winifred Lutz, Jim McShea, Jeanne Miles, Henry Pearson, Pedro Perez, Stephen Robin, Charmion von Wiegand, and Ellen Weiner.
Pearl's first sales were works by sculptor Winifred Lutz, known for site-specific installations. Ms. Lutz remained part of Marilyn Pearl Gallery's stable throughout its history. In addition to emerging artists, Marilyn Pearl also was interested in traditional art forms, and eventually specialized in exhibiting American art from the 1920s-1950s, with particular emphasis on geometric abstraction. In addition, Marilyn Pearl Gallery presented a number of exhibitions exploring WPA era murals, American Abstract Artists, and post-war figurative work. By the 1980s, the gallery's annual schedule usually featured summer shows of new talent; several artists first introduced in this manner developed long-term relationships with Marilyn Pearl Gallery.

Administration

Author
Catherine S. Gaines
Provenance
Marilyn Pearl donated the records of her gallery to the Archives of American Art in 2002.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Catherine S. Gaines in 2009.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Marilyn Pearl Gallery records, 1925-2000. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Restrictions on Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
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.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Visitors' books Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chaet, Bernard Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Freeman, Joseph Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Allain, René Pierre, 1951- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
McShea, Jim Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Miles, Jeanne Patterson, 1908-1999 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lutz, Winifred Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lasch, Pat Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Loew, Michael, 1907-1985 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Greene, Stephen, 1918-1999 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hill, Clinton, 1922-2003 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Weiner, Ellen Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Von Wiegand, Charmion Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Robin, Stephen, 1944- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Perez, Pedro Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pearson, Henry, 1914-2006 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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