Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

James Cahill Papers

Summary
Collection ID:
FSA.A2001.11
Creators:
Cahill, James, 1926-2014
Dates:
1945-1996
Languages:
Multiple languages
.
Physical Description:
12 Linear feet
Repository:
Papers created by Asian art historian, curator, and collector Dr. James Francis Cahill. Includes personal and professional correspondence and project files documenting his many publications, lectures and activities in the Asian art field. Documents span his early career at the Freer Gallery of Art, where he served as curator of Chinese art from 1957-1965, and his tenure 1965-1994 as Professor of the History of Art at the University of California, Berkeley.
Scope and Content Note
Scope and Content Note
The James Cahill Papers span the years 1945 to 1996 and measures 15 linear feet. The collection includes: personal and administrative correspondence with other art historians, art dealers and collectors; lecture manuscripts and administrative material and correspondence with art museums, universities and other organizations in the Asian art community. There are also several personal letters and postcards with family friends of James and Dorothy Cahill. The folder descriptions were retained from Cahill's own folder titles and organized alphabetically within each series.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 2 series:
    Series 1
    Project Files, 1945-1996
    Series 2
    Correspondence with Individuals, 1945-1996
Biographical Note
Biographical Note
1926
Born, Fort Bragg, CA
1950
Receives BA degree in Oriental Languages from University of California, Berkeley
1952
Receives MA degree in Art History from University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor
Circa 1953
Holds a museum training fellowship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
1954-1955
Studies with Shujiro Shimada at Kyoto University in Japan on a Fulbright Scholarship
1956
Works with Osvald Sirén in Stockholm on his seven-volume series "Chinese Painting: Leading Masters and Principles"
Joins staff of Freer and Sackler Gallery as Curator of Chinese Art
1958
Receives PhD in Art History from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, working principally with Max Loehr
1960
Publishes first and highly influential book: "Chinese Painting." In: Treasures of Asia series, Editions d'Art Albert Skira, Geneva, Switzerland 1960. Published also in French and German editions
1965
Leaves the Freer and Sackler Gallery to accept position as Professor of History of Art at the University of California, Berkeley
1973
Goes to China as member of the Chinese Archaeological Delegation, first group of art historians to visit China from the US
1976
Publishes first of projected five-volume series on later Chinese paintings: "Hills Beyond a River: Chinese Painting of the Yuan Dynasty"
1977
Visits China as chairman of Chinese Old Painting Delegation
1978
Publishes second of projected five-volume series on later Chinese painting: "Parting At the Shore: Chinese Painting of the Early and Middle Ming Dynasty"
1978-1979
Accepts appointment as Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard; delivers series of lectures titled, "The Compelling Image: Nature and Style in 17th Century Chinese Painting"
1982
Publishes "Barnhart-Cahill-Rogers Correspondence, 1981" (collection of correspondence published for colleagues)
The Harvard lecture series: "The Compelling Image: Nature and Style in 17th Century Chinese Painting" published as a book, receives College of Art Association's Morey Prize for Best Art History book
1998-1999
Spends a year at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton with his wife, the art historian and artist Hsingyuan Tsao
2007
Former students organize 80th birthday party/symposium at Berkeley, titled: "Returning to the Shore"
2010
Became the 12th Recipient of the Charles Lang Freer Medal
Present
Living in Vancouver, Canada
Administration
Author
Evelyn Khoo and Lara Amrod
Provenance
James Cahill donated his papers to the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives on December 12th, 2001.
Gift
Gift of James Cahill.
Location of Originals
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Processing Information
Processed by intern Evelyn Khoo, with the assistance of archivists Rachael Cristine Woody and David Hogge. Encoded by Rebecca Morgan, Summer 2012.
Using the Collection
Use Note
Permission to reproduce and publish an item from the Archives is coordinated through the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's Rights and Reproductions department. Please contact the Archives in order to initiate this process.
Restrictions on Access
Collection is closed for processing. Please contact the Archives for more information.
Preferred Citation
James Cahill papers, 1945-1996. FSA.A2001.11. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of James Cahill, December 12th, 2001.
Related Material
The James Cahill website, http://www.jamescahill.info/ which contains digitized versions of selected unpublished papers, correspondence and personal reminisces.
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Art, Japanese Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Postcards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Manuscripts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art, Chinese Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Washington (D.C.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Japan Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Berkeley (Calif.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art historians Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
China Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lawton, Thomas, 1931- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Guo li gu gong bo wu yuan Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lee, Sherman E. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ledderose, Lothar date Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fong, Wen Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
College Art Association of America Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fu, Shen, 1937- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Freer Gallery of Art Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Vinograd, Richard Ellis date Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Soper, Alexander Coburn, 1904- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wu, Nelson Ikon, 1919- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wang, Chi-ch'ien Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Li, Chu-tsing, 1920- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sickman, L. C. S. (Laurence C. S.) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pope, John Alexander, 1906-1982 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cahill, James, 1926-2014 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Barnhart, Richard M., 1934- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Repository Contact
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
National Museum of Asian Art Archives
Washington, D.C. 20013
AVRreference@si.edu