Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Hilla Rebay Papers, 1921-1963, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.rebahill
Creators:
Rebay, Hilla, 1890-1967
Dates:
1921-1963
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.2 Linear feet
Repository:
The scattered papers of abstract artist, collector, and museum director Hilla Rebay measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1921 to 1963. Found are photographs, printed materials concerning Rebay and the Guggenheim Foundation Museum of Non-Objective Painting, and a transcript from a court case involving taxes.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The scattered papers of abstract artist, collector, and museum director Hilla Rebay measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1921 to 1963. Found are photographs, printed materials concerning Rebay and the Guggenheim Foundation Museum of Non-Objective Painting, and a transcript from a court case involving taxes.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Abstract painter, art collector, and museum director Hilla Rebay (1890-1967) was active in New York City, New York, and served as the first director of the Guggenheim Museum.
Born Baroness Hildegard Anna Augusta Elisabeth Rebay von Ehrenwiesen in France, she studied art in Germany, Switzerland, and France. Rebay worked with Solomon Guggenheim to form a collection of Non-Objective paintings which became the foundation of the art collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Administration

Author
Jayna M. Josefson
Sponsor
Processing of this collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Records documenting the legal case were donated by the Art Dealers Association of America in 1963, which participated in the case by designating expert witness for the government to testify as to the market value of paintings. Provenance of the rest of the collection is unknown.
Existence and Location of Copies
The collection is available on 35mm microfilm reels 74 and 3481 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Processing Information
The collection was microfilmed onto reels 74 and 3481 upon receipt. The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2022 with support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.

Using the Collection

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.
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
Hilla Rebay papers, 1921-1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art -- Collectors and collecting Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum directors -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women arts administrators Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art Dealers Association of America Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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