Smithsonian American Art / National Portrait Gallery's Artist Files: Highlighting African American Artists

This post features the results from an on-going and extensive project that I was  involved with, on an infrequent basis for the past 3 years, at the Smithsonian American Art/National Portrait Gallery Library (AA/PG). The project focused on identifying African American artists who are included in AA/PG Library's Artist Files which are a part of its vertical files collection. The vertical files are a rich special collection resource consisting of over "500 file cabinet drawers of ephemeral materials on art, artists, art institutions, collectors, and special subjects."

What are the Artist Files?

In AA/PG's vertical files, approximately 254 file cabinet drawers are devoted to artists. Artists names from the vertical files have been identified and compiled into an online catalog, Artist Files, which includes at least 48,817 artists with new artists added frequently. The Artist Files contain ephemera such as small exhibition brochures; announcements of or invitations to gallery and museum exhibitions; press releases; clippings from newspapers, magazines, or auction catalogs; correspondence; and reproductions of works. These files are a valuable resource for art historical research done on emerging regional and local artists, and often are the only obtainable sources of information on those artists. Although, online art ephemera is increasing, paper art ephemera, such as that in these files, is still heavily used for its dynamic historical and current content. The richness of these files will become even greater as art librarians, artists, galleries, collectors, and art institutions collaborate and cooperate in getting even more ephemera material to the AA/PG Library.

African American Artists Included in Artist Files

I have spent time inspecting the contents of the folders in the vertical files to identify African American artists in this rich online resource.  As a personal project and being narrow in my focus, I emphasized those who were African American or those of the Black Diaspora with a strong U.S.A. connection via residence, schooling, or employment. 

If you see your name on this list of African American artists, you are encouraged to update the material that is included in your folder(s). However, if your name does not appear on this list, check the master Artist Files list, to see if your name appears there and was not capture for the specialized African American file. If your name appears on the master Artist Files, bring to my attention, so corrections and updates may be made to the African American artist files. 

This post simply introduces the Artist Files and brings the reader up to date on this African American artists' project. For artists who are not yet included in the Artist Files, a future post will highlight criteria for inclusion. For the time being, direct any questions to blackartproject@gmail.com.

NEW PAGE: Select Art Exhibitions in 2013

Black Art Project (BAP) Blog features a new page entitled Select Art Exhibitions in 2013 which will highlight African American exhibitions across the country. Notice the added tab heading at the top of the Blog. This page replaces the sidebar that once featured Select Art Exhibitions in 2013. There were increasing technical difficulties with the sidebar that brought about this change in format and presentation. This page, Select Art Exhibitions in 2013, will be updated regularly by either adding newly discovered exhibitions or removing those that are approaching their expiration date. Its intent is to provide comprehensive coverage of current exhibitions. Although the format has changed, the content and accessibility remains the same.  

BAP welcomes any information or leads that you might have relating to Black art exhibitions, particularly regional exhibitions that are not traditionally marketed on a national scale. BAP will verify the accuracy of any information submitted. Thank you for any assistance that you provide.

Collecting Art Catalogues, Brochures, and Ephemera: Swann's Printed and Manuscript African-Americana Sale

Lot 182 in the recent Swann Auction Galleries' Printed and Manuscript African-Americana Sale 2308 (March 21, 2013) featured a small set of five exhibition catalogues, dating from 1937-1961. Four of the items had a Howard University connection, and one had ties to the Phillips Collections; both institutions are located in Washington, DC. This lot was particularly appealing to me from the standpoint that I believe very strongly in collecting and preserving African American print materials, including ephemera. These materials serve as key items in identifying and documenting African American artists and in demonstrating the aesthetic and historical role they have played within a larger art perspective, particularly American art.                                          

The study of American art has historically and consistently been enriched by museum and gallery exhibition catalogues. Lot 182 and catalogues of similar and comparable content enriches and fill a substantial gap in the history of 20th-century American art. Careful study of these catalogues, as a genre, many written by scholars in the field, position the Black artist firmly in his time. This is accomplished through the use of primary source materials that place these artists in a social and historical context. These richly informative catalogues provide extensive biographical information; chronologies of works, often relevant to historical settings; and images and informative statements of the art work included. Oftentimes, they may be the only print materials on a given artist.

I was particularly interested in Lot 182, simply because it included a title, Oil Paintings, Watercolors and Prints by Negro Artists (Howard University, 1939) that has been on my "want list" for years. Also, I was curious about Survey  Number One by James Porter, not being familiar with its content. Because I owned 2 of the remaining titles, Art of the American Negro (Howard University Gallery, 1937) and Three Negro Artists: Horace Pippin, Jacob Lawrence, Richmond Barthe (1947), I decided to forgo bidding on the lot for two key reasons. First, I did not want to add another duplicate to the collection; particularly, as I develop plans to deaccession current duplicates on hand. Second, Lot 182 fell outside of my price point. It had a high estimate of $400.00 which is not out of line with the secondary market; however, in the final analysis, it sold for $1,440 with buyer's premium. So, I will continue to wait and follow my pattern of building a collection, one item at a time. In due time, my "want list" will be completed, either through locating missing items or editing items off the list. The fun still comes from the search, the discovery, the learning, and the sharing. 

Until Swann Auction Galleries has its next Printed and Manuscript African-Americana Sale, I will continue to search the secondary market for these small gems of African American art history.

Results of Swann's Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2308

Swann Auction Galleries' Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2308 was held on March 21, 2013 in which 72% of the 561 lots were sold. This was the 18th annual Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale, and it included the largest number of lots over the past decade which is an encouraging sign that the market for African Americana items are still on the rise.

Seven lots in Sale 2308 were sold above $20,000 and of that number, four of the lots fell in the "Slavery and Abolition" category. 


Lot 44 (Slavery and Abolition)
This lot, which had a high estimate of $40,000, was the highest selling lot and sold for $66,000 with buyer's premium. It was a collection of ninety-one letters from the daughter of Horace Cowles, a noted Farmington Connecticut Underground Railroad conductor, discussing her family's dealings with the famed Amistad captives. The bulk of the letters were written by Charlotte Cowles to her brother Samuel, with three letters from Samuel to Charlotte.


Lot 194 (Black Panthers) 

This second highest selling lot consisted of an original Black Panther cloth banner from Lowndes County, Alabama along with a group of of three contemporary periodicals and a pamphlet dealing with the nascent Black Panther movement in Alabama. Its high estimate was $3,500; however, it far surpassed that estimate and sold for $43,200 with buyer's premium.


Lot 407 (Military-Civil War)
This lot was a letter from Morgan W. Carter, 28th U.S.C.T. Black soldier to a friend, consisting of four pages, written on three sides, with the original envelop. It exceeded its $8,000 high estimate and sold for $38,400 with buyer's premium. 



Lot 81 (Slavery and Abolition)

This book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, is of greatest rarity as it is one of only five known copies. Published at the North Star Office, 1848, and lacks the "frontispiece portrait of Douglass, as do all other copies examined." It had a high estimate of $22,000 and sold for $31,200 with buyer's premium. This was the fourth highest selling lot.





Lot 57 (Slavery and Abolition)

This lot, Provisional Constitution and Ordinances for People of the United States, has been classified as "of the utmost rarity". As described in the auction catalogue, "16 pages, self-wrappers, sewn; a fine, wide, untrimmed copy. [St Catherine, Ontario, 1858]" It had a high estimate of $15,000 and sold for $22,800 with buyer's premium.
 





Lot 352 (Labor Unions)

This magnificent collection of material relative to the Pullman Car Porter and his work included: "a white dining car jacket and matching towel, a heavy metal tray with four stainless steel Thermos bottles for hot and cold water, a Porter's summer cap with the original brass Pullman badge; a Pullman whiskey glass, deck of cards, ashtray, brush, two pencils, a "swizzle" stick, and a box of wooden matches... [and more]". Its high estimate was $15,000 and it sold for $22,800 with buyer's premium.


Lot 110 (Slavery and Abolition)

Rounding out the top seven lots that sold above $20,000 is a "true copy" of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution as ratified by the state of Rhode Island. It is marked "a true copy," and signed by the Secretary of State, John R. Bartlett. Its description is as follows: "Single 4to leaf 10 x 7-3/4 inches, removed from a scrapbook, edges trimmed (?), some traces of paper backing; blind-stamp state seal...." Lot 110 surpassed its high estimate of $2,500 and sold for $21,600 with buyer's premium. 


NOTE: All images: Swann Auction Galleries

Swann Galleries: Printed and Manuscript African Americana, Sale 2308

Lot: 274  Charter to the members of the Reading, PA Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), signed by Mary White Ovington and John Shilady, 1919. Estimate: $2,000 - 3,000. Image: Swann Auction Galleries 

Swann Auction Galleries will feature its 18th Annual Printed and Manuscript African Americana Sale 2308 on March 21, 2013. The scope of Sale 2308 "covers 300 years of history from slavery and abolition through the Civil War, Reconstruction and into the twentieth century." As in the past, this year's sale of African Americana will offer a wide range of materials grouped into broad subject areas that include, but are not limited to the following categories: slavery and abolition, civil rights, Black Panthers, business, education, labor unions, literature and poetry, art, music and much more. Every item is described in a print and online catalogue. A print catalogue may be purchased directly from Swann Auction Galleries and the online catalogue may be viewed at its website.

Items will be on exhibit in Swann Auction Galleries on March 16, 18-20, 2013. This is an opportunity for all prospective buyers, collectors, scholars, dealers, students, and  anyone with an interest to preview the exhibition and see items and their condition first-hand. However, if unable to attend the exhibition, the
experts at Swann's are available to discuss any aspect of the sale, including condition.

The following are selections from the 555 lots included in Sale 2308:

Lot 44
Collection of ninety-one letters from the daughter of Horace Cowles, a noted Farmington Connecticut Underground Railroad conductor, discussing her family's dealings with the famed Amistad captives. The bulk of the letters were written by Charlotte Cowles to her brother Samuel, with three letters from Samuel to Charlotte. Connecticut, 1833-46. Estimate: $30,000 - 40,000.

Lot 275
Minutes of the Charleston, West Virginia branch of the NAACP, consisting of approximately 200 pages, typed; bound in 1/4 leather ring binder; 1922-35. 

Estimate: $2,000 - 3,000. 

The Junior Branch of the NAACP, June 8, 1924. Image: 
Swann Auction Galleries

Letter from Walter S. White, Assistant Secretary, NAACP, 1922. 
 Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 352

Collection of materials relating to Pullman Car Porters and their work, circa 1910-1950's. Estimate: $10,000- 15,000.

Pullman Car Porters. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

Lot 317
Film Poster (one sheet poster, 41 x 27 inches). Bill Pickett, World's Greatest Colored Champion, Norman Films, 1921. Estimate: $6,000 - 8,000.

Bill Pickett Film Poster, 1921. Image: Swann Auction Galleries

 
Lot 382
Fire!!  A Quarterly Devoted to Younger Negro Artists, 48 pages, New York, 1926. Artwork throughout is done by Aaron Douglas and Richard Bruce Nugent. This rare first and only issue (volume1, number 1) of this literary landmark is signed by the editor, Wallace Thurman, as well as Richard Bruce Nugent, Zora Neale Hurston, Aaron Douglas, Arna Bontemps, Helene Johnson, and Gwendolyn Bennett. Estimate: $5,000 - 7,500

Fire!! A Quarterly Devoted to Younger Negro Artists.  
Image: Swann Auction Galleries

As a reminder regarding bidding information, you do not have to be present at the auction to bid. Bids may be placed in advance via telephone, fax, mail, or email, and Swann's staff will bid on your behalf if you can not attend the sale in-person. Also, you may make advance arrangements to bid live by telephone during the auction. To make bidding arrangements, contact Swann Galleries at 212-254-4710.   

Black Art Project (BAP) Booklist 5

This is the fifth in a continuing series, highlighting either recently published books or those that are forthcoming, that have an African American art focus. When building a personal library that has some focus on African American visual art, it is advisable to make your book purchases shortly after the book or catalogue has been published. Making an early purchase more readily assures you that the titles you are interested in have not gone out of print. When a title does go out of print, the secondary market becomes a viable option; however, you must then weigh cost and condition differences among the few dealers that may have a copy for sale. I can not over emphasize that fine art books are published in smaller print runs than books in other subject disciplines.

The following post and the addendum of recent publications are simply a few new titles that have been released since the last Booklist: 

Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery which is co-authored by Deborah Willis and Barbara Krauthamer is a Temple University Press publication. According to Willis, “We wanted a range of images that showed the scope of the thinking about what freedom looked like. ...We consciously looked for black photographers; we consciously looked for images of women, whose stories have often not been included.”

"Published to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 2013, the book brings together more than 150 images — half never seen by the public — that depict the many ways slavery, Emancipation and freedom were represented by photography during the Civil War era and beyond." (New York Times, 12/21/12: Books) 


Henry Taylor is a forthcoming title published on the occasion of Taylor's 2012 exhibition (January 29 - April 9. 2012) at MoMA PS1. Henry Taylor, a Los Angeles-based artist, applies his brush both to canvas and to unconventional materials, including suitcases, crates, cereal boxes, cigarette packs, etc. His source material includes everyone and everything around him.

Before Taylor studied art formally, he "worked for ten years as a psychiatric nurse at a state hospital. This experience sharpened his interest in, and appreciation for, individuals from all economic and social backgrounds, and encouraged a passion to create an intensely empathetic style of portraiture." 

The expected release date for this publication, which is illustrated throughout, is April 2013. Text is by Laura Hoptman, Naima Keith, and there is an interview by Peter Eleey. 

       

Kara Walker: Dust Jackets for the Niggerati, another forthcoming publication, has an expected United States release date of April 30, 2013. This publication documents Dust Jackets for the Niggerati--and Supporting Dissertations, Drawings Submitted Ruefully by Dr. Kara E. Walker, "a major series of graphite drawings and hand-printed texts on paper that grew out of Walker’s attempts to understand how interpersonal and geopolitical powers are asserted through the lives of individuals. In scenes that range from the grotesque to the humorous to the tragic, these works vividly and powerfully explore the themes of transition and migration that run through the African-American experience." 

The book, published by Gregory R. Miller and Co., is fully illustrated with reproductions of the entire series. It includes text by Hilton Als, James Hannaham, Christopher Stackhouse, and Kevin Young.

Theaster Gates: My Labor Is My Protest was a fall 2012 show (September 7- November 11) at London's White Cube in which Gates created a multi-faceted installation that  "investigated themes of race and history through sculpture, installation, performance and two-dimensional works exhibited both inside and outside the gallery. ...Also included in the show and accompanying catalogue is documentation of The Johnson Library, a library on black American culture installed at the gallery.

This catalogue is edited by Honey Luard with text by Bill Brown, Fred Moten, and Jacqueline Terrassa. 

To view other recent titles, see BAP Booklist on WorldCat.

Results of Swann's African-American Fine Art Sale 2303

Swann Auction Galleries' African-American Fine Art Sale 2303 on February 14, 2013 brought in $1,628,165 with buyer’s premium, exceeding its pre-sale low estimate of $1,548,000. Of the 147 lots that were offered at auction, 124 sold (84% sell-through rate by lot). According to Nigel Freeman, Director of African-American Fine Art at Swann Galleries, “We are very pleased with the results of yesterday’s sale, which saw strong prices across all genres and eras, with active bidding for 19th century paintings, 20th century modern art and post-war contemporary works.”

Thirty (30) lots, many of which were in the lower to mid-range, sold above their pre-sale high estimates. However, a few lots in the 5 figure range exceeded their high estimates and are worth noting. Examples of those lots follow: Lot 8 (Albert Alexander Smith, Spinning a Yarn) had a high estimate of $12,000 and sold for $24,000 with buyer’s premium; Lot 12 (Richmond Barthé, Feral Benga) with a high estimate of $30,000 sold for $43,200; Lot 90 (Sam Gilliam, Butterfly, Feeling) sold for $72,000, doubling its high estimate of $35,000; and Lot 140 (Elizabeth Catlett, Sharecropper) had a high  estimate of $25,000 and sold for $43,200. Albert Alexander Smith (Spinning a Yarn) and Sam Gilliam (Butterfly, Feeling) received artist records, and Catlett's Sharecropper was a record price of her work in this medium. All prices are with buyer's premium.  

The top selling lots in Sale 2303, emphasizing those that sold above $100,000,  follow:

Lot 85: Barkley L. Hendricks, The Hawk, Blah, Blah, Blah (oil and DayGlo on canvas, 1970) sold to a collector for $132,000. This was the highest selling piece in the auction.  

Barkley L. Hendricks, The Hawk, Blah, Blah, Blah

Lot 63: Hughie Lee-Smith, Poet #4 (oil on Masonite, 1954) sold for $120,000 to an institution. This piece was exhibited at Howard University Gallery of Art, Howard University, Washington, DC, 1955.

Hughie Lee-Smith, Poet #4

Lot 91: William T. Williams, Up Balls (acrylic on canvas, 1971) sold for $120,000 and goes to an institution. The artist tied his auction record with this sale.

William T. Williams, Up Balls

Lot 141: Elizabeth Catlett, Sister (green marble sculpture, 1971) sold for $114,000 to a collector.

Elizabeth Catlett, Sister

Charles White hit a record for his etchings in this auction, selling Lot 100 (Missouri C) for $26,400 to a collector; however, I was surprised that his Lot 62 (Trumpet Player) did not sell. It was one of my personal favorites.