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Author: Alexandra Reigle

The ABCs of the Corcoran Artist Files: the Ls

In the series called “The ABCs of the Corcoran Artist Files” the American Art and Portrait Gallery (AA/PG) Library will explore artists through the materials from the recent Corcoran Vertical File Collection donation by featuring artists whose surnames begin with that letter. This time we are looking at the artists whose last names start with L. This exhibition and blog post were curated and written by Emily Moore, the Instruction and Outreach Archivist at the University of Oregon, who was a 2019 summer intern at the AAPG Library. After a pandemic pause, materials are once again on display in the library.

A Christmas Carol Imagined by Arion Press and Ida Applebroog

Image of a book with an illustration of dancers and slipcase
The book, with an illustration by Ida Applebroog, and the slipcase. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Artwork by Ida Applebroog. San Francisco: Arion Press, 1993. Gift of Ronnyjane Goldsmith.

It is nearly impossible to go through a holiday season and not view some rendition of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, whether it be in writing, on the stage, or on your television. There have been countless interpretations, each with their own altercations. However, the core message of generosity, empathy, and repentance often remains the same, no matter the method A Christmas Carol is produced.

Reimaging a Classic: the Arion Press Edition of “The World Is Round”

Photo of the full box set of the 1986 Arion Press edition of "The World Is Round" including the box, the book, a companion book "The World Is Not Flat," and a balloon.
Full box set of the 1986 Arion Press edition of The World Is Round including the box, the book, a companion book The World Is Not Flat, and a balloon.

Recently, the American Art and Portrait Gallery Library received a generous donation of Arion Press books from the collection of Dr. Ronnyjane Goldsmith. The Arion Press, founded in 1963, blends literature and art in creative and unexpected ways.

An Internship in the Time of Coronavirus

This post was contributed by Natalia Addison, 2020 spring intern with the American Art and Portrait Gallery (AA/PG) Library and a recent Master of Science in Information and Library Science graduate from Clarion University.

Working at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution has always been a dream that I’ve held. Thus, obtaining an internship at the American Art and Portrait Gallery Library (AAPG Library) in the spring of 2020 was a manifestation of that dream. Here, I learned how to process and select materials for the Art and Artists File Collection. I learned how to do intensive art research on artists, and learned when, why, and how to add new items to those artist files. I learned preservation practices, analysis techniques, and was able to expand my knowledge about the artists. I was able to use the knowledge I gained through my courses at Clarion University to serve patrons through an unfamiliar integrated library system. It is through this opportunity that I found what I suspected all along to be true: that I want to continue to pursue my dream of becoming an art librarian.

Abiding Attachments: Artist Emma Stebbins and Actor Charlotte Cushman

Few who walk past the Bethesda Fountain in New York City’s Central Park know the history behind the angel statue, standing high atop the fountain with wings outstretched. This sculpture, called Angel of the Waters, has been the backdrop for many movies and TV shows. The sculpture was made by a wealthy New York sculptor named Emma Stebbins, an artist featured in an album of cartes-de-visites (small, collectible photo cards) of notable 19th century American artists, located in the American Art and Portrait Gallery Library collection. Little is known about Stebbins, even though Angel of the Waters, as noted recently in the New York Times, was “the first public art commission ever awarded to a woman in New York City.”[i] However, what is known about Stebbins has been gleaned from the letters and press coverage of her relationship with famous American actress Charlotte Cushman.

Stereoscope photography of large fountain topped with angel figure.
“Bethesda Fountain, Central Park.” Courtesy of New York Public Library.

The ABC’S of the Corcoran Artist Files: the K’s

In the series called “The ABCs of the Corcoran Artist Files” the American Art and Portrait Gallery (AA/PG) Library will explore artists through the materials from the recent Corcoran Vertical File Collection donation by featuring artists whose surnames begin with that letter. This time we are looking at the artists whose last names start with K. This exhibition and blog post were curated and written by Allison Kilberg, a graduate student in the Library and Information Science program at the University of Illinois and a summer intern at the AAPG Library.

The ABC’S of the Corcoran Artist Files: the J’s

In the series called “The ABCs of the Corcoran Artist Files” the American Art and Portrait Gallery (AA/PG) Library will explore artists through the materials from the recent Corcoran Vertical File Collection donation by featuring artists whose surnames begin with that letter. This time we are looking at the artists whose last names that start with J.

We are back with another entry of the ABCs of the Corcoran! This month we have some great files with rich materials on artists with strong ties to the Washington, D.C. area.