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Andrew Dasburg Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: KMM
Date: Oct 1987

Biographical History

Andrew Michael Dasburg (1887-1979) was an American modernist painter and teacher. Born in Paris, he attended the Art Students League of New York and became a leading early cubist.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Andrew Dasburg Papers contain subject files, correspondence, writings, and memorabilia.

Subject files contains a detailed speech about Dasburg's early life, documenting his place of birth, his childhood and education, and the development of his talents. An interview with Dasburg in 1964 includes his thoughts about his work and that of other contemporary painters, and a discussion about Mabel Dodge Luhan. Also in this section is a list of painting prices handwritten by Dasburg, in which various types of paintings are listed with their selling price. Also included are photographs of some of Dasburg's work, both titled and untitled.

Correspondence covers the years from 1908 to 1971, and includes letters from family members and relatives (Alfred Dasburg, Daphne Dasburg, Andrew Kerr, Deborah Park, Diana Schwalbe, Owen Wister). There are many letters from patrons and art collectors, foremost among them Edwin Gamble and Mabel Dodge Luhan. Museums and art galleries that have shown his work and have corresponded with Dasburg include the Denver Art Museum, Frank K. M. Rehn, Inc., Kennedy Galleries, Inc., Leone Kahl Gallery, and the Museum of New Mexico.

Dasburg corresponded with many contemporary artists of his time including Kenneth Adams, Ernest Blumenschein, Alexander Brook, Paul Burlin, Lez Haas, Marsden Hartley, Arthur Lee, Ward Lockwood, Henry Lee McFee, John Marin, Judson Smith, and Robert Walker. Other prominent individuals connected to the art world with whom he corresponded include William C. Agee, Louise Bryant, Jerry Bywaters, F. Van Deren Coke, Lyon Hayes, and Georgia O'Keeffe.

Writings contains Dasburg's lecture notes about painting and his lectures as transcribed by an unidentified student. These notes reveal how Dasburg thought about painting, what he considered important in art, and his thoughts about how a painter relates to what he sees and what he puts on canvas. There are several articles written by Dasburg between 1932 and 1951; the topics include Cubism, and his position on exhibition rental policy.

Also in this collection are catalogs from Exhibitions of Dasburg's one-man shows as well as shows in which he had only one or two works. Dating from the 1930s to the 1970s, these catalogs feature Dasburg together with many of the artists with whom he corresponded.

Printed material about Dasburg contains articles and clippings dated from 1949 to 1981. They concern his exhibitions, his honors and awards, and his death in 1979.

Memorabilia contains printed material consisting of articles and clippings about Dasburg's correspondents. There are also articles about the pai nter Dasburg discovered, John Kane. Also under Memorabilia are the published works of Milton Brown, The Story of the Armory Show; Ward Lockwood, The Marin I knew: A Personal Reminiscence; and Gertrude Stein, Portrait of Mabel Dodge at Villa Curonia. Also included are individual issues of The Arts, Hue and Cry, and Laughing Horse.

Miscellany contains a personal note written an the back of an envelope, an address, and an unused tax form.

Arrangement of the Collection

Each series is arranged alphabetically.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Agee, William C.
Bradley, John Hodgdon, 1898-
Brook, Alexander, 1898-1980.
Bryant, Louise, 1885-1936.
Bynner, Witter, 1881-1968.
Bywaters, Jerry.
Church, Peggy Pond, 1903-1986.
Cook, Howard Norton, 1901-1980.
Dasburg, Andrew, 1887-1979.
Dedrick, Philip.
Ficke, Arthur Davison, 1883-1945.
Gamble, Edwin.
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943.
Hollander, Richard.
Howard, Lila.
Lawrence, D. H. (David Herbert), 1885-1930.
Lockwood, Ward.
Loran, Erle, 1905-1999.
Luhan, Mabel Dodge, 1879-1962.
Marin, John, 1870-1953.
McFee, Henry Lee, 1886-1953.
O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1997-1986.
Ribak, Louis, 1902-1979.
Russell, Morgan, 1886-1953.
Simpson, Lesley Byrd, 1891-1984.
Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964.
White, Victor, 1902-1960.
Wister, Owen, 1860-1938.

Subjects

Art, American -- 20th century.
Art, American.
Artist colonies -- New Mexico -- Taos.
Cubism -- United States.
Painters -- United States.
Painting, American -- 20th century.
Painting, American -- Southwestern States.

Genres and Forms

Correspondence.
Exhibition catalogs.
Photographs.

Occupations

Artists.
Painters.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Andrew Dasburg Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Table of Contents

Subject files

Correspondence

Writings

Exhibitions

Printed material about

Memorabilia

Miscellaneous

Inventory