Archives of American Art

John F. Turner research material on Howard Finster, circa 1928-2015, bulk dates 1978-1990, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.turnjohn
Creators:
Turner, John F.
Dates:
circa 1928-2015
bulk 1978-1990
Languages:
Collection is in English.
Physical Description:
6.9 Linear feet
Repository:
The John F. Turner collection of research material on visionary self-taught artist Howard Finster measures 6.9 linear feet and dates from circa 1928 to 2015, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1978 to 1990. John Turner is a California-based curator who compiled this collection in preparation for his book Howard Finster: Man of Visions (1989). Found within the collection are correspondence; numerous interviews with Finster and Finster family members, curators and historians, collectors, and artists; draft manuscripts and research notes; compiled research files on other topics; printed materials and commercial broadcast video recordings; and photographic material, including polaroids annotated by Finster. There is also one series of Howard Finster's papers that include writings by Finster, sound and video recordings of Finster exhibitions and talks by Finster related to those exhibitions, recordings of other speaking engagements, sermons, and other events, a scattering of personal business records that includes a ledger and price list of artwork, and artwork.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The John F. Turner collection of research material on visionary self-taught artist Howard Finster measures 6.9 linear feet and dates from circa 1928 to 2015, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1978 to 1990. John Turner is a California-based curator who compiled this collection in preparation for his book Howard Finster: Man of Visions (1989). Found within the collection are correspondence; numerous interviews with Finster and Finster family members, curators and historians, collectors, and artists; draft manuscripts and research notes; compiled research files on other topics; printed materials and commercial broadcast video recordings; and photographic material, including polaroids annotated by Finster. There is also one series of Howard Finster's papers that include writings by Finster, sound and video recordings of Finster exhibitions and talks by Finster related to those exhibitions, recordings of other speaking engagements, sermons, and other events, a scattering of personal business records that includes a ledger and price list of artwork, and artwork.
Correspondence mostly consists of letters to John Turner from Howard Finster and Finster family members, folklorist Alan Jabbour, Clay Lancaster, Andy Nasisse, and others. There are also letters to Howard Finster from miscellaneous correspondents.
Numerous interviews with and about Howard Finster are found on 47 sound cassettes, and one partial transcript. In addition to interviews conducted by Turner, there are interviews with Finster conducted by Liza Kirwin and Willem Volkerz. Most of the interviews are with others about Finster, including family members, collectors, curators and art historians, and other artists. Interviewees include Jim and Beth Arient, Jeffrey Camp, Eleanor Dickinson, Rosa Esman, Beverly and Pauline Finster, Allen Ginsberg, Lynda Hartigan, Herbert Waide Hemphill, Alan Jabbour, Phyllis Kind, Jim Nutt, and others.
Writings consist of Turner's research notebooks and a typescript draft for his book Howard Finster: Man of Visions. There are some curator's statements and loose notes possibly written by others. Research files include printed material compiled by John Turner on various artists and subjects not directly related to Finster, except for bibliographies.
Papers and other materials created by Howard Finster are arranged into one separate series. These include writings; exhibition files, including video and sound recordings; personal business records; artwork, including album covers and posters; and sound recordings of Finster's public and private talks, sermons, and events. Many of the sound recordings were recorded by Finster himself.
Printed material consists of newspaper and magazine clippings about Howard Finster, exhibition catalogs, announcements, magazines, and art periodicals. There are also 2 videocassettes of commercially released television appearances and music videos.
Photographic material includes photographs, slides, negatives, and transparencies of Howard Finster and his artwork. There are images of Finster and his family, artwork, exhibitions, openings, and events. Some of the images are annotated by Finster.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 7 series.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1967-2005 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Interviews, 1977-circa 1989 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
  • Series 3: Writings, circa 1980-circa 1989 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)
  • Series 4: Research Files, circa 1971-2015 (0.5 linear feet; Box 3)
  • Series 5: Howard Finster Files and Sound and Video Recordings, circa 1970-2001 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 3-5, OV 9, 11)
  • Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1975-2010 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 5-6, OV 10)
  • Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1928-circa 2000 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 6-8)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
John F. Turner is a writer and curator who lives in California. Turner has written books on photography and folk art and is an adjunct curator at the San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum. He has also worked for NBC news and documented the lives of folk artists for many years.
Turner befriended visionary, self-taught artist and Baptist minister Howard Finster sometime in the late 1970s. The research material in this collection was compiled over a decade for Turner's book Howard Finster: Man of Vision (Alfred A. Knopf, 1989).

Administration

Author
Rihoko Ueno
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The John F. Turner research material on Howard Finster was donated by John F. Turner in 1987 and 2016.
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Rihoko Ueno in 2016.

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.
Use of archival visual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Conditions Governing Use
U-matic videocassette recording Howard Finster exhibition opening: Authorization to quote or reproduce for the purposes of publication requires written permission from John Turner. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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.
Preferred Citation
John F. Turner research material on Howard Finster, circa 1928-2015, bulk dates 1978-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
The Archives of American Art also has the Barbara Shissler Nosanow materials relating to Howard Finster, circa 1981; an oral history interview with Howard Finster conducted on June 11, 1984 by Liza Kirwin; and an interview with Howard Finster conducted by James Arient and Howard Finster's own sound recordings of himself from 1981-1982.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Interviews Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sound recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Authors -- California Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Transcriptions Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk artists -- California Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folk art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Self-taught artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Video recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Georgia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum curators -- California Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Finster, Pauline Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Camp, Jeffrey Thomas, 1944- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lancaster, Clay Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dickinson, Eleanor, 1931- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kind, Phyllis, 1933-2018 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Esman, Rosa Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-1997 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arient, James, 1946- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hartigan, Lynda Roscoe Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arient, Beth, 1946- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hemphill, Herbert Waide Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Finster, Howard, 1916-2001 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Finster, Beverly Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jabbour, Alan Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kirwin, Liza Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nutt, Jim, 1938- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nasisse, Andy S., 1946- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Volkersz, Willem Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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