George Benjamin Luks Papers (1920–1994)

George Luks (1867–1933) was an American realist painter known for gritty depictions of New York life. Born in Pennsylvania, he studied at the Pennsylvania Academy, traveled in Europe admiring Velázquez, Hals, and Manet, and worked as a newspaper illustrator in Philadelphia and New York. In 1907 he joined seven fellow artists in staging the groundbreaking 1908 Macbeth Gallery show, later known as “The Eight.” Renowned for both his art and his larger-than-life personality, Luks became a forceful advocate for American painting in the early twentieth century.

The George Benjamin Luks Papers (1920–1994), largely acquired through Samuel Ross Ballin, contain correspondence, legal and estate records, and research materials—including notes and recorded interviews—documenting both Luks’s life and Arthur H. Lewis’s study of him.

• Finding Aid for the George Benjamin Luks Papers (1920-1994)
• Browse all items in the collection

Browse the collection by series:

Series I: Samuel Ross Ballin Material

• Subseries A: Correspondence
• Subseries B: Legal Documents
• Subseries C: Material Pertaining to William Luks

Series II: Arthur H. Lewis Material

• Subseries A: Research Material
• Subseries B: Note Cards
• Subseries C: Audiocassette Interviews, 1979-1981

This project was made possible by The Sansom Foundation, Inc., established by Ira and Nancy Glackens.