Archives of American Art

Oral history interview with Victor D. Spark

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.spark75
Creators:
Spark, Victor D. (Victor David), 1898-1991
Cummings, Paul
Dates:
1975 August 5
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
3 Items
Sound recording: 3 sound files (1 hr., 59 min.)
digital, wav
55 Pages
Transcript
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Interview of Victor D. Spark, conducted August 5, 1975, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, at Spark's New York City apartment.
Scope and Contents
Spark speaks of his early schooling at Townsend Harris Hall and NYU; his experience in the Marine Corps during World War II; working in his father's hotel business; the economic difficulties for art dealers during the Great Depression; apprenticing in galleries and working as a small art dealer; changes in the mid-century American art market; the differences between the art market for modern and contemporary art and that of older art. Spark also recalls Maxim Karolik, Edith Halpert, the gallerists Duveen, Knoedler, Wildenstein, and others.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Victor D. Spark (1898-1991) was an art dealer from New York, New York.

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies
Transcript is available on the Archives of American Art's website.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Digital Content


More Information

General

General
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 59 min.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art, American Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Economic aspects Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Depressions -- 1929 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
World War, 1939-1945 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Duveen, Albert Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Duveen, Joseph Duveen, Baron, 1869-1939 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Karolik, Maxim Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Knoedler, Roland F., 1856-1932 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wildenstein, Felix, 1883-1952 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Duveen-Graham (Gallery) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
M. Knoedler & Co. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
New York University -- Students Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Marine Corps Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wildenstein Galleries Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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