Anne J. van Biema Papers

Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence to colleagues, friends, and family; research files; genealogical records of both Anne J. van Biema and her husband's families; and records pertaining to the Ukiyo-e Society of America. It includes photographs of the pieces in her collection, three framed pieces of artwork from her household, and images of her and her mother. This collection also contains material related to Helen Haiman Joseph, van Biema's mother and the "Grandmother of Puppetry" in the United States. The collection also contains information about van Biema's donations to various art institutions and charities, as well as collection documentation and exhibit records.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into four series:

• Series 1: Biographical Materials

• Series 2: Collection Records

• Series 3: Correspondence

Biographical / Historical

Anne Joseph van Biema was born in Cleveland, Ohio on February 18, 1915 to Helen Haiman Joseph and Ernest A. Joseph. At a young age she became interested in Japanese prints and artwork, in part due to a modern reproduction which was framed and hung in their home (This piece can be found in Box 11 of the collection). She married Hendrick Hans van Biema, a Jewish-German lawyer. She was an avid collector and researcher of Japanese woodblock prints, specifically in the ukiyo-e style. This led her to do much research in the field, as well as amass a significant collection. Some of her collection is now in the permanent collection of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, previously displayed as a loan in the Sackler's "Masterful Illusions" exhibition in 2002. For much of her life Anne was a founder and active member of the Ukiyo-e Society of America (now the Japanese Art Society of America), at one time acting as a governing officer. Anne died in her home in New York City on January 14th, 2004.