When E. P. Richardson and Lawrence Fleischman first conceived the idea of a central repository for the primary records of art in America, they could not have foreseen the impact of their vision on American art history. This exhibition of treasures, from an overflowing trove, pays tribute to their initiative and salutes the thousands of donors who have given their papers to the Archives of American Art since its founding in 1954.
This sampling of letters, diaries, photographs, and rare printed material has been drawn from more than eighty collections. Curator Emeritus Garnett McCoy brought many of these treasures to light in Archives’ publications over the years. This exhibition mixes familiar nuggets with new gems.