Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Poindexter Gallery Records, 1931-1985, bulk 1955-1978, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.poingall
Creators:
Poindexter Gallery
Dates:
1931-1985
bulk 1955-1978
Languages:
The collection is in English
Physical Description:
7.1 Linear feet
Repository:
The records of the Poindexter Gallery measure 7.1 linear feet and date from 1931-1985 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1955-1978 when the gallery was active. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files documenting the gallery's relationships with its artists, including exhibitions, and containing a wide variety of materials, including photographs. Also found are the "desk files" kept by the gallery's founder, Elinor Poindexter; correspondence; and financial and legal records.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The records of the Poindexter Gallery measure 7.1 linear feet and date from 1931-1985 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1955-1978 when the gallery was active. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files documenting the gallery's relationships with its artists, including exhibitions, and containing a wide variety of materials, including photographs. Also found are the "desk files" kept by the gallery's founder, Elinor Poindexter; correspondence; and financial and legal records.
Elinor Poindexter's desk files consist of documents she kept as a reference for both her personal needs and gallery business. Correspondence is with artists, museums, colleges and universities, and art institutes. Notable correspondents include Worcester Art Museum, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon Guggenheim Museum, Denver Art Museum, Yale University, Oberlin College, University of Arizona, the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, Smithsonian Institution, and the Montana Historical Association. Additional correspondence is found throughout desk files and artists' files as well.
Artists' files are found for artists represented by the gallery, or in whom the gallery took an interest. Contents of the files vary, but may contain correspondence, photographs, sales records, exhibition files, and printed materials. There is extensive material relating to artists Richard Diebenkorn, Willem de Kooning, Giorgio Spaventa, Robert De Niro, Earl Kerkam, Franz Kline, Milton Resnick, Eleanor Dickinson, Paul Harris, Jules Olitski, among others.
The remainder of the collection consists of financial and legal files containing sales inventories and receipts, price lists, bills, loan agreements, and documents pertaining to the estate of Giorgio Spaventa, as well as photographic materials consisting of prints, negatives, slides and color transparencies of artwork.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged as 5 series.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Elinor Poindexter Desk Files, 1947-1969 (Box 1, 8 folders)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1955-1971 (Box 1-2, 1.8 linear feet)
  • Series 3: Artists' Files, 1931-1983, undated (Box 2-5, 2.4 linear feet)
  • Series 4: Financial and Legal Files, 1955-1985 (Box 5-6, 1.0 linear feet)
  • Series 5: Photographic Materials, 1933-1977 (Box 6-7, 1.4 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
The Poindexter Gallery was founded in 1955 in New York City by Elinor Poindexter. The gallery specialized in sculpture, abstract, and figurative art and featured the works of such artists as Richard Diebenkorn, Jules Olitski, Nell Blaine, Willem de Kooning, Giorgio Spaventa, Franz Kline, Earl Kerkam, Milton Resnick and Robert De Niro, among others. The Poindexter Gallery closed in 1978.

Administration

Author
Alexandra Krensky
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund.
Processing Information
The collection was minimally processed, arranged, and described by Alexandra Krensky in 2013 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund.
The goal for minimal-level processing at the Archives of American Art is to provide access to collections as quickly as possible while maintaining our high standards for arrangement, description and preservation. Generally, materials are minimally rearranged, existing folder titles are retained, and all materials are rehoused in acid-free folders and boxes. Staples and other fasteners are not removed, but materials are removed from binders or damaged binding when necessary.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Poindexter Gallery records were donated over a period from 1968-1978 by the Poindexter Gallery via owners Elinor Poindexter and art director Harold Fondren. A 2006 accession was donated by Christie Poindexter Dennis, daughter of Elinor.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Poindexter Gallery records, 1931-1985, bulk 1955-1978, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
Conditions Governing 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.

Related Materials
Among other resources relating to the Poindexter Gallery records in the Archives of American Art is an oral history with gallery owner, Elinor Poindexter, conducted by Paul Cummings on September 9, 1970.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art, Modern -- 20th century Topical 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
Yale University Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Worcester Art Museum Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Corcoran Gallery of Art Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Smithsonian Institution Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Montana Historical Society Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
De Niro, Robert, Sr., 1922-1993 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Harris, Paul, 1925- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Spaventa, George, 1918- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Diebenkorn, Richard, 1922-1993 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dickinson, Eleanor, 1931- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Denver Art Museum Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fogg Art Museum Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Resnick, Milton, 1917-2004 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
University of Arizona Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Olitski, Jules, 1922-2007 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kline, Franz, 1910-1962 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kerkam, Earl, 1891-1965 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oberlin College Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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