A Finding Aid to the Leah Lipton Research Material on Chester Harding

Scope and Contents

These papers are the research materials of Leah Lipton on the subject of American portrait painter Chester Harding. The research material was compiled by Lipton for a biography and checklist of the work of Chester Harding, and for "A Truthful Likeness: Chester Harding and His Portraits," a catalogue and 1985 exhibition of his paintings for the National Portrait Gallery. The papers contain correspondence, biographical information on Harding, notes, writings, printed material, and photographs of artwork.

Correspondence includes letters to and from Leah Lipton with European and American museums, galleries, libraries, other cultural institutions, scholars, private collectors, and descendants of Chester Harding. The printed material in the collection includes brochures, publications, copies of correspondence and other documents relating to Harding, and scattered articles and essays on Harding. Comprising the majority of the collection are portrait files, which contain research material such as notes, correspondence, printed material and photographs related to Chester Harding's portraits. The collection also contains files containing information on biographical aspects of Harding's life, subjects related to Chester Harding, and collections with materials relating to Harding.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged as six series:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1980-1986, 2002, 2007, bulk 1981-1982

Series 2: Biographical Information about Chester Harding, 1981-1984, 1987, undated

Series 3: Subject Files, 1981-1984, 1986, undated

Series 4: Places, 1981-1984, 1992, undated

Series 5: Portrait Files, 1980-1987, 1991-1992, 1996-1997, 2001, undated

Series 6: Exhibition Materials, 1981-1982, undated

Biographical / Historical

Leah Lipton is an art historian (1928-2015), who conducted significant research into the life and works of Chester Harding (1 Sept. 1792-10 Apr. 1866), American portrait painter.