Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Charles Searles Papers, 1953-2010, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.searchar
Creators:
Searles, Charles Robert, 1937-2004
Dates:
1953-2010
Languages:
The collection is in English.
Physical Description:
3.9 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of African American sculptor and painter Charles Searles measure 3.9 linear feet and date from 1953 to 2010. The collection documents his career through scattered biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, printed material, artwork, photographs, and a scrapbook.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of sculptor and painter Charles Searles measure 3.9 linear feet and date from 1953 to 2010. The collection documents his career through scattered biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, printed material, artwork, photographs, and a scrapbook.
Scattered biographical material includes legal papers, address books, transcripts, and awards. Correspondence includes correspondence with galleries, museums, and organizations. Personal business records consist of Searles' files on commissions, exhibitions, workshops and programs, and employment contracts. Printed material includes exhibition announcements, exhibition catalogs, as well as printed material of interest to Searles, but not directly documenting his career. Artwork consists of sketches, designs, flyers, a portrait of Kathleen Spicer by Russell Gordon, and a portrait of Searles by K. Spicer. Photographs depict Searles, Searles' artwork, and artist Walt Edmonds. Scrapbooks consist of news clippings and loose material that was originally inserted in between the pages in no particular order.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged as 7 series.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, 1963-2004 (0.5 linear ft.; Boxes 1, 6)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1956-2004 (5 folders; Box 1)
  • Series 3: Personal Business Records, 1969-2007 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 1-2,6)
  • Series 4: Printed Material, 1953-2010 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 3-4, 6)
  • Series 5: Artwork, circa 1980s-2000 (9 folders; Box 5)
  • Series 6: Photographs, circa 1964-2000 (3 folders; Box 5)
  • Series 7: Scrapbooks, circa 1970s-2005 (0.3 linear ft.; Box 6)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Charles Robert Searles (1937-2004) was an African American sculptor, painter and muralist in Philadelphia, Pa. and New York, N.Y. Searles attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1972. He was influenced by African art after traveling to Nigeria on the Ware Memorial Traveling Scholarship during his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. During his career he participated in over 100 exhibitions in Denmark, Nigeria, and throughout the United States.
Searles taught art at several institutions including the Pratt Institute, the University of the Arts (Philadelphia College of Art), and the Philadephia Museum of Art. He also completed commission work for Newark Station, PATCO (Port Authority Transit Corporation), and MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority).
Searles moved to New York, NY in 1978 where he spent most of his career. He was married to artist Kathleen Spicer until his death on November 27, 2004.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated in 2012 by Kathleen Spicer Searles, Charles Searles' widow.
Processing Information
The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2014. The collection has been minimally rearranged and retains the existing/original folder titles when possible. All materials have been rehoused in archival folders and boxes for long-term stability, but often staples and other fasteners have not been removed. Materials within folders have not been rearranged.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Charles Searles papers, 1953-2010. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment.

Related Materials
Also at the Archives of American Art is an interview with Charles Searles conducted on June 13, 1991, by Cynthia Veloric, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Muralists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scrapbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transcripts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketches Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculptors -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American sculptors Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
African American art -- African influences Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Spicer, Kathleen Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gordon, Russell Talbert, 1936- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Edmonds, Walt Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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