Archives of American Art

Charles Nagel papers

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.nagechar
Creators:
Nagel, Charles, 1899-1992
Dates:
ca. 1927-1992
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
3.9 Linear feet
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The bulk of the papers consist of Nagel's files on his various positions and projects (ca. 3.3 ft), containing a variety of materials, including correspondence, writings, notes, art works, clippings, photographs and printed material. Also included are files pertaining to Nagel's father, lawyer and statesman Charles Nagel, and to his mother, Anne; and papers of and relating to Nagel's friend and associate, architect Victor Proetz (0.6 ft).
Scope and Contents
Nagel's files on positions and projects are arranged chronologically, and relate to: design projects while a student at Yale University, ca. 1926-1928; his struggle with career choices (mostly typescripts of letters to his father), ca. 1927-1931; his appointment to the Yale University Gallery of Fine Arts; commissions during his partnership in Nagel & Dunn (includes photographs of Fred Dunn, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and other designs); organizing the exhibit "Italy at Work: Her Renaissance in Design Today, 1950-1951," his publication American Furniture, 1650-1850, and other activities while director of the Brooklyn Museum, 1946-1955; his position as juror and secretary for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Competition and working with other jurors Fiske Kimball and William Wurster, and design winner, Eero Saarinen; the Independence National Historical Park Project, Philadelphia, Pa.; positions at the City Art Museum, St. Louis, Mo.; establishment of the National Portrait Gallery (includes photographs of staff, the building, exhibitions, and opening celebrations, 1964-1969, notably Chief Justice Earl Warren, Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, and artist Peter Hurd); his emigration to Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mex.; and alterations and additions to St. Michael and All Angels Church in Cuernavaca, 1983. Included in several files are photographs of Nagel, his residences, and colleagues, and architectural drawings.
Scope and Contents
Files on his father contain honorary degrees and awards, photographs and printed material relating to the naming of a post office in his honor, St. Louis, Mo., and other events honoring him.
Scope and Contents
The papers of Victor Proetz, ca. 1928-1966 (ca. 0.6 ft), include obituaries; correspondence; a Last Will and Testament; a list of Proetz's commissions, 1934-1943; writings by Proetz and others; Proetz's "The Astonishment of Words," 1971, posthumously published; a scrapbook; exhibition announcements and catalogs; printed material; and photographs of Proetz and his designs for interiors and furniture.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Museum director; architect. Nagel was born in St. Louis, Mo. He attended Yale University, earning a B.A. in 1923, a B.A. in architecture in 1926 and M.F.A. in architecture in 1928. Upon graduation, he was employed at the firms of Jamieson & Spearl, and Hall & Proetz, St. Louis, and with Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch, Abbott in Boston.
Biographical / Historical
He taught art history at Yale, and served as curator of Decorative Arts at Yale's Gallery of Fine Arts, 1930-1936, returning to architecture with the firm Nagel & Dunn, St. Louis, from 1936-1942. His positions as museum director include the City Art Museum in St. Louis, 1942-1946 (acting) and 1955-1964; the Brooklyn Museum, 1946-1955; and the National Portrait Gallery, 1964-1969.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated 1992 and 1994 by Lucie O. Nagel, widow of Charles Nagel. According to Mrs. Nagel, the material relating to Victor Proetz was given to Nagel by Proetz, who was a close friend and associate, and by the Proetz estate following his death in 1966.

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.

More Information

Other Finding Aids

Other Finding Aids
Chronology and Series Listing available at all Archives of American Art offices.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Gateway Arch (Saint Louis, Mo.) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Church architecture Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum directors -- Missouri -- St. Louis Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum directors -- New York (State) -- Brooklyn Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum directors -- Washington (D.C.) Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum curators -- Connecticut -- New Haven Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architects -- Connecticut Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architects -- Massachusetts -- Boston Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architects -- Missouri -- St. Louis Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architects -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interior decorators -- Missouri -- St.Louis Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interior decorators -- Washington (D.C.) Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interior decorators -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art museums -- United States Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architectural firms -- United States Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hurd, Peter, 1904-1984 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Proetz, Victor, 1897-1966 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ripley, S. Dillon (Sidney Dillon), 1913-2001 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Warren, Earl, 1891-1974 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kimball, Fiske, 1888-1955 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nagel, Anne, 1866-1951 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nagel, Charles, 1849-1940 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nagel, Charles, 1899-1992 -- American Furniture, 1650-1850 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Proetz, Victor, 1897-1966 -- Papers, ca. 1928-1966 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Saarinen, Eero, 1910-1961 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wurster, William Wilson Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
City Art Museum of St. Louis Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Yale University. Gallery of Fine Arts Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Brooklyn Museum Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nagel & Dunn (Firm : St. Louis, Mo.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
St. Mark's Episcopal Church (St. Louis, Mo.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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