Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Ruth Vollmer Papers, circa 1940-1980, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.vollruth
Creators:
Vollmer, Ruth, 1903-1982
Dates:
circa 1940-1980
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
2.5 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of sculptor Ruth Vollmer measure 2.5 linear feet and date from circa 1940 to 1980. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, personal business records, printed material, photographic material including photos of Vollmer and her artwork, and a sketch for a sculpture.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of sculptor Ruth Vollmer measure 2.5 linear feet and date from circa 1940 to 1980. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, personal business records, printed material, photographic material including photos of Vollmer and her artwork, and a sketch for a sculpture.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Ruth Vollmer (1903-1982) was a German born sculptor based in New York City, New York. She was known for working with metal wire and mesh to create minimalist sculptures.
Ruth Vollmer was born Ruth Landshoff in Berlin, Germany, in 1903, to Jewish parents who were musicians and encouraged her artistic talents. Vollmer moved to New York City in 1935 with her husband, Hermann Vollmer, who was a pediatrician.
Vollmer began decorating windows for department stores and shops such as Bonwit Teller and Tiffany and Co., integrating small metal pieces into her designs. Later in her career, Vollmer took large commissions and taught classes at the Fieldston School's Children's Art Center.
Vollmer was acquainted with many important figures in the Abstract Expressionist movement and was an avid collector of art. She died in 1982.

Administration

Author
Jayna M Josefson
Sponsor
Processing of this collection received federal support from the Collections Care Initiative Fund, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and the National Collections Program
Existence and Location of Copies
Material lent for microfilming is available on 35mm microfilm reels 55-56 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Separated Materials
Reels 55-56 contain correspondence, catalogs, clippings, exhibition announcements, and photographs of works of art. All material except photographs were returned to the lender, Ruth Vollmer, after microfilming in 1971. This material is not described in the collection container inventory.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Ruth Vollmer lent the majority of items on reels 55-56 for microfilming in 1971 and donated the photographs of works of art. Unmicrofilmed material was donated by the Vollmer Estate in 1981, through Thomas N. McCarter, executor.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2021.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
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 Vollmer papers, circa 1940-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Women sculptors Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jewish artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
German American artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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