Arthur B. Davies papers

Arthur B. Davies manuscript collection

A Finding Aid to the Arthur B. Davies manuscript collection
Helen Farr Sloan Library, Delaware Art Museum

Wilmington, Delaware
July 1999, August 2008

Accessioned: Gift of Bennard B. Perlman
Extent: 19 cubic ft.
Access: Some restrictions apply
Contact Information:

Helen Farr Sloan Library
Delaware Art Museum
2301 Kentmere Parkway
Wilmington, DE 19806

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Biography of Arthur B. Davies
Scope and Contents Note
Organization of the Collection
Description of the Collection

BIOGRAPHY OF ARTHUR B. DAVIES

1862-1928
Painter. Born Utica, NY. In 1880, went to Mexico for two years as a draftsman for a civil engineering firm after which he decided to devote all his time to art. First entered Chicago Academy of Design, then studied at Art Institute of Chicago, and in New York at the Arts Students League and Gotham Art Students’ League. Early work in magazine illustration and painting brought him to the attention of William Macbeth and Benjamin Altman who sponsored his first trip to Italy in 1893. Worked in California for a short time and in 1912 traveled through Europe organizing the Armory Show of 1913. After 1924, spent half of each year abroad painting and overseeing weaving of Gobelin tapestries after his own designs.

Source:
The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Exhibition of Independent Artists in 1910, Wilmington: Delaware Art Center, 1960: 15.

SCOPE AND CONTENTS NOTE

The Arthur B. Davies Papers at the Delaware Art Museum were donated by Bennard B. Perlman, the author of The Lives, Loves and Art of Arthur B. Davies. These papers represent a significant portion of Mr. Perlman’s research material. Brooks Wright, another Davies author, gave a portion of his research materials to Mr. Perlman. These materials are also included in the collection. There are no restrictions to this collection for research use, excepting the box of materials from private ABD Collectors.

The collection is highly diverse containing some primary materials, i.e. correspondence of the Davies family, and a broad range of secondary materials including newspaper and magazine articles, exhibition catalogs, correspondence with collectors, and photographs. The following is a general container listing of the materials in the collection in the current box & folder arrangement. In the future a more descriptive collection guide will be produced for the researcher to review prior to utilizing the collection.

ORGANIZATION OF THE PAPERS

Series I. Biographical & Genealogical
Series II. Magazines Articles & Newspaper Articles
Series III. Newspaper Articles
Series IV. Correspondence
Series V. Exhibition Catalogues
Series VI. Perlman Research Material - Microfilm Copies
Series VII. Perlman Research Material
Series VIII. Perlman Biography & Brooks Wright Biography
Series IX. Wright Biography
Series X. Private Art Collection - Restricted Access
Series XI. Arthur B. Davies Artwork Photographs
Series XII. Oversize Materials

DESCRIPTION OF THE PAPERS

Series I. Biographical & Genealogical

Box 1
Folder 1: Biography - ND
Folder 2: Obituaries - 1928
Folder 3: Davies Family and Relatives’ Obituaries – various dates
Folder 4: Davies Family Genealogy Documentation – ND
Folder 5: The Cubies’ - 1913: From Davies to John Bothwell Morbray-Clarke
1965: Morbray-Clarke to Niles Meriwhether Davies III
Folder 6: Art and Philosophy of A. B. Davies – ND
Folder 7: Inventories, Insurance, Receipt of his work – various dates
Folder 8: Tapestries Correspondence – ND
Folder 9: “Century” – September 1890
Folder 10: “Century” – December 1890
Folder 11: “Elite” – April 1895
Folder 12: Magazine Illustration Harpers Magazine – June 1928
Folder 13: “The Arts” – February 1929

Folder 14: “The Literary Digest” – March 29, 1930

Series II. Magazines Articles & Newspaper Articles

Box 2
Folder 1: “Magazine of Art” – 1952
Folder 2: “Harpers Magazine,” p. 14, 62 – June 1954
Folder 3: Magazine Illustration, “Arts” – February 1958
Folder 4: “Time” – 1962
Folder 5: “Art News” – October 1962
Folder 6: “New York” – September 1969
Folder 7: Magazine Articles – various dates
Folder 8: Magazine Article, Unnamed magazine, p. 61 – ND
Folder 9: Newspaper Articles – ND
Folder 10: Newspaper Articles – ND
Folder 11: Newspaper Articles – ND
Folder 12: Newspaper Articles – The Eight Exhibitions – 1908/1938/1958

Series III. Newspaper Articles

Box 3
Folder 1: Newspaper Articles – 1893-1919
Folder 2: Newspaper Articles – 1920-1927
Folder 3: Newspaper Articles – 1928
Folder 4: Newspaper Articles – January-March 1929
Folder 5: Newspaper Articles – April- December 1929
Folder 6: Newspaper Articles – 1930
Folder 7: Newspaper Articles – 1931
Folder 8: Newspaper Articles – 1932-1959
Folder 9: Newspaper Articles – 1960-1963
Folder 10: Newspaper Articles – 1964-1974
Folder 11: Newspaper Articles – 1975-now

Series IV. Correspondence

Box 4
Folder 1: Letters to the Davies Family and Relatives – ND
Folder 2: Letters from Davies Family and Relatives – ND
Folder 3: Letters to Davies – ND
Folder 4: Letters written by Davies – ND
Folder 5: Correspondence from ABD to Docky – 1890-1891
Folder 6: Non-Davies Correspondence- various dates

Series V. Exhibition Catalogues

Box 6
Folder 1: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1896-1899
Folder 2: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1900-1919
Folder 3: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1920-1929
Folder 4: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1930-1932
Folder 5: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1933
Folder 6: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1935-1939
Folder 7: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1940-1949
Folder 8: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1950-1959

Box 6a
Folder 9: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1960-1969
Folder 10: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1970-1979
Folder 11: Exhibition Catalogues (originals) – 1980-Present

Box 6b
Folder 12: Exhibition Catalogues (photocopies) – 1918
Folder 13: Exhibition Catalogues (photocopies) – 1924
Folder 14: Exhibition Catalogues (photocopies) – 1930
Folder 15: Exhibition Catalogues (photocopies) – 1935
Folder 16: Exhibition Catalogues (photocopies) – 1935
Folder 17: Exhibition Catalogues (photocopies) – 1945
Folder 18: Exhibition Catalogues (photocopies) – 1967
Folder 19: Exhibition Catalogues (photocopies) – 1987

Box 7
Folder 1: Miscellaneous - Exhibition Catalogues – various dates
Folder 2: Miscellaneous - Exhibition Catalogues – various dates
Folder 3 Miscellaneous - Exhibition Catalogues – various dates
Folder 4 Miscellaneous - Exhibition Catalogues – various dates

Box 8
Folder 1: Miscellaneous - Exhibition Catalogues – various dates
Folder 2: Reproductions of Davies Artwork – various dates

Series VI. Perlman Research Material - Microfilm Copies

Box 9
Folder 1: Davies’ Material from Margault Marder – Perlman Research
Folder 2: Davies Correspondence from the Corcoran Gallery – PR
Folder 3: Correspondence with Mr. Macbeth – PR
Folder 4: Ferargil Galleries, New York – PR
Folder 5: Correspondence with Walt Kuhn – PR
Folder 6: Articles and Correspondence – PR
Folder 7: Articles and Maurier Dawson’s Journal – PR
Folder 8: Davies Correspondence – PR
Folder 9: Ferargil Galleries: scrapbook – PR
Folder 10: Research material from Archives of American Art – PR
Folder 11: Printed works and research – PR
Folder 12: Published Works – PR
Folder 13: Special Collections – Research sources (Perlman M.)
Folder 14: Newlin Price

Box 10
Folder 1: AB Davies Correspondence with Phillips Collection – Perlman Material
Folder 2: California Research Centers – PM
Folder 3: AB Davies Correspondence – PM
Folder 4: AB Davies Correspondence – PM
Folder 5: AB Davies Correspondence – PM
Folder 6: Perlman Research for “The Lives, Loves and Art of...”
Folder 7: Illustrations for B. Perlman Biography

Series VII. Perlman Biography Research Material

Box 11
Folder 1: Images of Davies’ work with letters concerning them
Folder 2: Images of Davies’ work from National Museum of American Art (photocopies)
Folder 3: Images of Davies’ work from National Museum of American Art (photocopies)
Folder 4: Transparencies from Payson Galleries and “American Art Search”
Folder 5: Black and white photographs of Davies’ work and people
Folder 6: Black and white photographs of Davies’ work and people
Folder 7: Letters photocopied from Yale Manuscript Collection: Correspondence of ABD
Folder 8: Correspondence of Perlman and articles on ABD
Folder 9: Photographs of Davies, Wreath, Ronnie, Lizzie Bliss, Alice Kellogg
Folder 10: Photographs of Davies, Wreath, Ronnie, Lizzie Bliss, Alice Kellogg
Folder 11: Photos of sketchbook (photocopies and transparencies)

Box 11a
Folder 1: Color illustrations for ABD book (final selection)
Folder 2: NYC addresses; ABD clipping; exhibition list from Art Institute of Chicago; information on Davies’ wife
Folder 3: Perlman correspondence regarding ABD book and Adele Watson

Box 12
Folder 1: The Known Paintings of Arthur B. Davies catalogue (photocopy)
Folder 2: Arthur B. Davies: Essays on the Man and His Art (photocopy)
Folder 3: List of Davies’ works in museums
Folder 4: Davies paintings owned by Frederic Newlin Price
Folder 5: Davies sold by MacBeth, Ferargil, and Montross Galleries
Folder 6: Paper—“Arthur B. Davies’ Polyphemus and Galatea and the Question of Symbolism”
Folder 7: Article—“On Target: Symbolist Roots of American Abstraction” by Robert Pincus-Witten (photocopy)
Folder 8: The Notable Private Collection on Modern Pictures Belonging to the Widely Known Antiquarian Dikran Khan Kelekian auction catalogue, Jan. 1922 (photocopy)
Folder 9: Works by Arthur B. Davies from the Ferargil Galleries Registry (photocopy)
Folder 10: Court documents regarding sales of Davies’ works (photocopies)
Folder 11: Court documents regarding last will and testament of Lizzie Bliss (photocopies)
Folder 12: The Index of Twentieth Century Artists: Arthur Bowen Davies, Painter and Graver, February 1937 (photocopy)
Folder 13: Inventory of American Paintings: Arthur B. Davies (Smithsonian Institution, February 1985)
Folder 14: Inventory of American Paintings: Arthur B. Davies (Smithsonian Institution, May 1989)
Folder 15: The Arthur B. Davies Art Collection, auction catalogue, American Art Association, 1929 (photocopy)
Folder 16: Arthur B. Davies’ Illustrations (photocopies)
Folder 17: “Inventory and Appraisal of the Art and Literary Property Belonging to the Estate of the Late Arthur B. Davies”

Box 12a
Folder 1: Reproductions of Davies’ art
Folder 2: Arthur B. Davies: Essays on His Art, 1974 (photocopy)
Folder 3: Miscellaneous ephemera
Folder 4: Documents pertaining to Davies’ estate
Folder 5: Paper—“Arthur B. Davies” by Paul D. Schweizer

Box 13
Folder 1: Manuscript 1- “The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 1-5 (p. 1-60) – 1997
Folder 2: Manuscript 1- “The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 6-11 (p. 61-144) – 1997
Folder 3: Manuscript 1- “The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 12-15 (p. 145-215) – 1997
Folder 4: Manuscript 1- “The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 16-18 (p. 216-290) – 1997
Folder 5: Manuscript 1- “The Lives, Loves..”- Ch. 19- Epilogue (291-345) – 1997
Folder 6: Manuscript 1- “The Lives, Loves..”- Appendices I- III (346-364) – 1997
Folder 7: Manuscript 1- “The Lives, Loves..”- Notes (p. 365-387) – 1997
Folder 8: Manuscript 1- “The Lives, Loves..”- Bibliography (p. 388-399) – 1997
Folder 9: Manuscript 2- “The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 1-4 (1-48) – 1997
Folder 10: Manuscript 2- “The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 5-8 (p. 49-120) – 1997
Folder 11: Manuscript 2- “The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 9-13 (p. 121-198) – 1997
Folder 12: Manuscript 2- “The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 14-16 (p. 199-256) – 1997
Folder 13: Manuscript 2- “The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 17-18 (p. 257-326) – 1997
Folder 14: Manuscript 2- “The Lives, Loves..”- Ch. 19- Epilogue(327-380) –1997
Folder 15: Manuscript 2- “The Lives, Loves..”- Appendices I-III (381-406)– 1997
Folder 16: Manuscript 2- “The Lives, Loves..”- Notes (p. 407-436) – 1997

Series VIII. Perlman Biography & Brooks Wright Biography Manuscripts

Box 14
Folder 1: Manuscript 2-“The Lives, Loves..”- Bibliography (p. 437-52)- 1997
Folder 2: Manuscript 2-“The Lives, Loves..”- Illustration notes (p. 1-17)- 1997
Folder 3: Manuscript 3-“The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 1-4 (p. 1-48) – 1998
Folder 4: Manuscript 3-“The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 5-8 (p. 49-120) – 1998
Folder 5: Manuscript 3-“The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 9-12 (p. 121-180) – 1998
Folder 6: Manuscript 3-“The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 13-16 (p. 181-256) – 1998
Folder 7: Manuscript 3-“The Lives, Loves..”- Chap. 17-18 (p. 257-326) – 1998
Folder 8: Manuscript 3-“The Lives, Loves..”- Chap.19-Epilogue(p. 327-80)- 1998
Folder 9: Manuscript 3-“The Lives, Loves..”- Appendices I-III (p. 381-406)- 1998
Folder 10: Manuscript 3-“The Lives, Loves..”- Notes (p. 407-436) – 1998
Folder 11: Manuscript 3-“The Lives, Loves..”- Bibliography (p. 437-52) – 1998
Folder 12: Manuscript 1- “The Life of ABD”- Inventory of Primary Sources- ND
Folder 13: Manuscript 1- “The Life of ABD”- Copies of letters – ND
Folder 14: Manuscript 1- “The Life of ABD”- ‘Thoughts on Art’ – ND
Folder 15: Manuscript 1- “The Life of ABD”- Chap. 1-5 – ND
Folder 16: Manuscript 1- “The Life of ABD”- Chap. 6-10 – ND

Series IX. Wright Biography Manuscript

Box 15
Folder 1: Manuscript 1: “The Life of ABD”- Appendices – ND
Folder 2: Manuscript 2: “The Life of ABD”- Chap. 1-6 (p. 1-167) – ND
Folder 3: Manuscript 2: “The Life of ABD”- Chap. 7-8 (p. 168-239) – ND
Folder 4: Manuscript 2: “The Life of ABD”- Chap. 9 (p. 240-290) – ND
Folder 5: Manuscript 2: “The Life of ABD”- Notes for Ch. 1-9 (p. 295-361) – ND
Folder 6: Manuscript 2: “The Life of ABD”- Inv. of Primary Sources (p. 362-418)
Folder 7: Manuscript 3: “The Life of ABD”- Foreword, Ch. 1, Ch. 1 Notes – ND
Folder 8: Manuscript 3: “The Life of ABD”- Chap. 2-3, Chap. 2-3 Notes – ND
Folder 9: Manuscript 3: “The Life of ABD”- Chap. 4-5, Chap. 4-5 Notes – ND
Folder 10: Manuscript 3: “The Life of ABD”- Chap. 6-7, Chap. 6-7 Notes – ND
Folder 11: Manuscript 3: “The Life of ABD”- Chap. 8, Chap. 8 Notes by Perlman
Folder 12: Manuscript 3: “The Life of ABD”- Miscellaneous – ND

Series X. Private Art Collection - Restricted Access

Box 16
Folder 1: Art work in Private Collection – Perlman Research
Folder 2: Art work in Private Collection – Perlman Research
Folder 3: Private Collections

Series XI. Arthur B. Davies Artwork Photographs

Box 17
Arthur B. Davies Artwork Photographs - ND

Box 18
Arthur B. Davies Artwork Photographs - Family Album - ND

Box 19
Arthur B. Davies Artwork Photographs - Family Album - ND

Series XII. Oversize Materials

Box 20
Six Plaster of Paris molds of faces for studying the light and shadows for painting

Box 21
Photograph of Arthur B. Davies’ farm house and farm buildings, Congers, NY, c. 1917
Negatives of Davies’ drawings of Indian model (from Alan Davies)
Exhibition catalogue—Important Examples of Modern Art: The Entire Collection of Mrs. Cornelius J. Sullivan, December 6 and 7, 1939, Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc.