A Finding Aid to the H. Bella Schaeffer papers, circa 1930-1974, in the Archives of American Art

Scope and Contents

The papers of post-impressionist painter Henri Bella Schaeffer measure 2.8 linear feet and date circa 1930 to 1974. Her papers document her career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, printed material, artwork, and photographic material. A large portion of the collection documents her time working for the Artists Equity Association as the N.Y. Chapter and National Secretary, in the forms of correspondence, minutes, notes, mailing lists, reports and printed material.

The biographical material series includes her CVs, professional memberships, honors and awards, and documentation of her fellow artist Helen West Heller. Also included is documentation related to the career of her husband, Themis De Vitis. The correspondence series contains both personal and professional letters with recipients including, Helen West Heller, Carl Sprinchorn (a close friend and fellow artist), and the Dorothy Yepez Galleries. The writings series contains Schaeffer's notes, longer prose, and manuscripts of writing prepared for publication. The printed material series contains clippings, exhibition advertising, and art journals. The artwork series contains drawings by Themis De Vitis, Carl Sprinchorn, and an unatributed artist. The photographic material series contains photographs of artwork by Lilly Stein as well as portraits of Schaeffer, De Vitis and friends. The Artists Equity Association records include documents from the national and regional chapters as well as the Welfare Committee, featuring by-laws, correspondence, and minutes of executive board meetings.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged as 7 series:

Biographical / Historical

Henri Bella Schaeffer (1908-unknown) was a post-impressionist painter who worked primarily in New York City. She was born in France and studied art at both the Academie L'Hote at Grand Chaumier in Paris and the Alliance Francaise in the 1930s. After marrying Italian painter Themis De Vitis, the couple moved to New York City in the late 1930s, where she studied with muralist William A. Mackay and went to Columbia University for her bachelor's degree. Schaeffer exhibited her rhythmic and bright impressionist paintings across the United States and France from the 1940s well into the 1960s, including at the Artists Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Butler Institute of American Art, and the Salon des Tuileries in Paris.

Schaeffer joined the Artists Equity Association in the 1950s. The AEA aimed to support artists' economic interests across the nation. Its regional chapters connected artists with work, supported them financially, and lobbied for protective legislation. From 1952 to 1957, Schaeffer served as Chairman of the Artists Equity Association New York Chapter Welfare Committee, providing struggling artists with food, bill aid, insurance, and rehousing. She continued advancing in the AEA, eventually holding a position on the National Board in 1954 and serving as the Director-at-Large in 1956.