Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Ruth White Gallery records, 1933-1974, bulk 1956-1970, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.ruthwhit
Creators:
Ruth White Gallery (New York, N.Y.)
Dates:
1933-1974
bulk 1956-1970
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
7.1 Linear feet
Repository:
The Ruth White Gallery records measure 7.1 linear feet and date from 1933 to 1974, with the bulk of the records dating from 1956 to 1970. Administrative records document the running of the gallery, and artist files shed light on the gallery's dealings with artists including Sylvia Bernstein, Jules Engel, Ida Kohlmeyer, Kurt Seligmann, Audrey Skaling, and many others.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Ruth White Gallery records measure 7.1 linear feet and date from 1933 to 1974, with the bulk of the records dating from 1956 to 1970. Administrative records document the running of the gallery, and artist files shed light on the gallery's dealings with artists including Sylvia Bernstein, Jules Engel, Ida Kohlmeyer, Kurt Seligmann, Audrey Skaling, and many others.
Administrative records include inventories, correspondence, provenance records, financial and shipping records, printed material, price lists, and photographs of artwork and exhibitions. Also found are gallery and museum files containing similar records, that document the gallery's relationship with other businesses and art institutions.
Artist files consist of biographical summaries and resumes, correspondence, some writings, price lists, invoices, exhibition ephemera, newspaper clippings, photographs of artwork, and scattered photos of artists.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged as two series.
  • Series 1: Administrative Records, 1940-1974, bulk 1956-1970 (Box 1-3; 2.1 linear feet)
  • Series 2: Artist Files, 1933-1974, bulk 1956-1970 (Box 3-7, OV 8; 5 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
The Ruth White Gallery was established in 1956 near Central Park in New York City, and specialized in contemporary art. The gallery was affiliated with artists such as Muriel Castanis, Mildred Crooks, Jan Gelb, Ida Kohlmeyer, Ce Roser, Kurt Seligman, and Audrey Skaling. Kohlmeyer and Castanis had their first solo exhibitions at the gallery in 1959 and 1968 respectively, and Skaling and Kohlmeyer were both personal friends of Ruth White.

Administration

Author
Christopher DeMairo
Sponsor
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels 34, N69-41, N69/55-N69/59, and N69/113 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Separated Materials
Material lent for microfilming on reel 34, Scrapbooks, 1956-1967, containing notices, clippings, and articles about artists represented by the gallery, was returned to the donor and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated by the Ruth White Gallery between 1969 and 1975.
Processing Information
The collection received a preliminary level of arrangement after donation and was microfilmed on reels 34, N69-41, N69/55-N69/59, and N69/113.
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Christopher DeMairo in 2021.

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.
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.
Preferred Citation
Ruth White Gallery records, 1933-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) -- New York Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Seligmann, Kurt, 1900-1962 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Skaling, Audrey Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kohlmeyer, Ida, 1912-1997 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Castanis, Muriel, 1926-2006 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gelb, Jan, 1906-1978 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-7950
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions