Archives of American Art

Wallace Putnam papers

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.putnwall
Creators:
Putnam, Wallace, 1899-1989
Dates:
1914-1983
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear feet
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Correspondence is primarily between Putnam and his family and friends, including one letter from Clyfford Still. Photographs are of Putnam, his family and friends (mostly from his high school years), and of miscellaneous subjects.
Scope and Contents
Writings include 3 journals in which Putnam recorded his dreams and his interpretations of them; an autobiography formed from his letters and essays; an undated and unfinished autobiography; essays and poetry on art and other subjects (many of them incomplete); a manuscript for Putnam's book Manhattan Manners with a note by Alfred Stieglitz; and a transcript of an unpublished manuscript entitled "Three Heroes I Have Known" which include comments about Mark Rothko, Milton Avery, and Abe Birnbaum.
Scope and Contents
Also found are several drawings, in ink and in pencil, undated; exhibition catalogs and announcements; programs for Putnam's graduations and other school events; clippings, mostly regarding Putnam's high school athletic activities; miscellaneous printed materials; and Putnam's William H. Lincoln medal, Brookline High School, 1918.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Painter, writer, lithographer, and draftsman; Yorktown Heights, N.Y.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated 1983 by Wallace Putnam.

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.
Citation
Wallace Putnam papers, 1914-1983. Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Art.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Avery, Milton, 1885-1965 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Birnbaum, Abe, 1899-1966 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Still, Clyfford, 1904-1980 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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