Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Florence Weinstein Papers, 1929-1983, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.weinflor
Creators:
Weinstein, Florence, b. 1895
Dates:
1929-1983
Languages:
The bulk of the collection is in English. Some correspondence is in French.
Physical Description:
0.2 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of New York painter and ceramicist Florence Weinstein measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1929 to 1983. The collection provides scattered documentation of Weinstein's career through records including correspondence, biographical notes, printed materials, photographs of Weinstein and her work, and a drawing by Sylvie Weinstein.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of New York painter and ceramicist Florence Weinstein measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1929 to 1983. The collection provides scattered documentation of Weinstein's career and comprises correspondence from Robert Motherwell, William Littlefield, Paul Borduas, Andrée Golbin, and others; biographical notes by Weinstein; printed materials consisting of announcements and catalogs for Weinstein's exhibitions, press releases, and clippings; photographs of Weinstein, her home, and works of art; and artwork by Littlefield and Weinstein's sister, Sylvie.

Arrangement

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

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Florence Weinstein (1895-1989) was a painter and ceramicist in New York, New York.
Weinstein was born to Gregory and Eugenie, immigrants from Lithuania and Russia, who married in 1890 in New York City; her two sisters, Eleanore and Sylvie, were also accomplished artists. After graduating from Adelphi College with a bachelor's degree in English, Weinstein taught high school, held held various other jobs during World War I, and visited France to travel and study French. She attended the Alliance Française from 1922 to 1923 and the École des Arts de la Sorbonne from 1931 to 1932.
In college, Weinstein studied classical and Renaissance art, but was impressed by Georgia O'Keefe's "non-classical" approach after viewing O'Keefe's exhibition at the 231 Gallery. While she spent summers in Provincetown during the late 1930s and early 1940s where she was surrounded by artists, she only dabbled in painting and sculpture and lacked confidence in her artistic abilities.
After the death of her sister Sylvie in 1945, Weinstein took a leave of absence from teaching and spent time in New Mexico. Upon her return to New York she sought to capture the beauty of the New Mexico landscape in her painting. Her sister Eleanor suggested she take a free class led by Barnett Newman. In 1948, she took courses at the Subjects of the Artist School founded by Newman, William Baziotes, David Hare, Robert Motherwell, and Mark Rothko. The school was short-lived, but the experience helped propel Weinstein to retire from teaching in 1951 and focus solely on being an artist. She was initially a painter, but she began exploring ceramics and sculpture in 1969.
Weinstein died in 1989.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated in 1977 and 1983 by Florence Weinstein.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reel 3957 available for use at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Existence and Location of Originals
The collection contains a photocopy of an essay by Gregory Weinstein, father of Florence, titled "A Helpful Thrill." The original essay was retained by Florence Weinstein.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy in 2022.

Using the Collection

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.
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.
Preferred Citation
Florence Weinstein papers, 1929-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ceramicists -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) -- New City Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American studio craft movement Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Motherwell, Robert Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Weinstein, Sylvie L., 1906-1945 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Borduas, Paul-Emile, 1905-1960 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Golbin, Andrée, 1923-2006 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Littlefield, William Horace, 1902-1969 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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