Ben Cunningham papers
name: label: Creator
content: Cunningham, Ben, 1904-1975
label: Names
content: Hiler, Hilaire, 1898-1966
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- United States
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated 1972-1989 by the estate of Patsy and Ben Cunningham.
creator: label: Creator
content: Cunningham, Ben, 1904-1975
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ben Cunningham papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of artist and educator Ben Cunningham measure 2.3 linear feet and date from 1904 to 1989 with the bulk of the material dating from 1930 to 1975. The collection documents his career through professional and personal papers, writings, printed materials, artwork, and photographic materials.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Ben Cunningham (1904-1975) was an artist and educator who worked in San Francisco and New York. He was from Nevada and initially attended the University of Nevada to study architecture. After a year, he moved to California to attend the San Francisco Art Institute. His first one-man show was at the Beaux Arts Gallery in San Francisco in 1931, and for the next decade exhibited in solo and group shows. While in San Francisco, Cunningham also worked as a muralist and was a supervisor of mural paintings under the Federal Art Project. Cunningham moved to New York City in 1944 where he continued his work as an artist, and began teaching at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, Cooper Union, Pratt Institute, and the Art Students' League of New York. He conducted the summer workshop in advanced painting at the University of Minnesota at Duluth. His artwork can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Forth Worth Art Museum, the Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata, India, and private collections.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3.2 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1904-1984
label: Date
content: bulk 1930-1975
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.cunnben
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The Ben Cunningham papers are arranged as five series:

Series 1: Personal and Professional Papers, 1941-1984 (1.2 linear feet; Box 1-2, 5)

Series 2: Writing Files, 1950s-1989 (9 folders; Box 2, 5)

Series 3: Printed Materials, 1940-1981 (.8 linear feet; Box 2, 5)

Series 4: Artwork, 1930-1970s (7 folders; Box 3, 5, OV 6)

Series 5: Photographic Materials, 1904-1972 (.6 linear feet; Box 3-5)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Christopher DeMairo in 2023
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reel 663 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of artist and educator Ben Cunningham measure 2.3 linear feet and date from 1904 to 1989 with the bulk of the material dating from 1930 to 1975. The collection documents his career through professional and personal papers, writings, printed materials, artwork, and photographic materials.

Personal and professional papers include resumes, biographical summaries, audiovisual recordings of two interviews with Cunningham, papers related to the damage of Autumn Nonscape, and handmade cards by Cunningham, his wife, and others. One file concerning artist and psychologist Hilaire Hiler includes several letters by Hiler, correspondence with Hiler's daughter and son after his death, and one print made by Hiler. The series is comprised mostly of professional correspondence between Patsy and Ben Cunningham and collectors, museums, galleries, and others concerning the exhibition and sale of Cunningham's artwork. Personal correspondence includes postcards, letters about friends and current events, christmas cards, and some business topics are discussed as well. Writings include an illustated lecture on color given by Cunningham at the Art Students' League, mixed writings and notes by Cunningham, notes by Patsy on Ben's life, things he once said, his artwork, and bibliographic information. Writings by others about Cunningham, one pamphlet draft from the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts that incorporated Cunningham's ideas and philosophies, and a copy of "The Revision of Vision" by S. I. Hayakawa are also present. Printed materials consist of clippings about Cunningham's career, the death of Jean Varda, exhibition catalogs, announcements, posters, and invitiations, reproductions of Cunningham's artwork, two scrapbooks, and more. Artwork includes glass slides that Cunningham used to create designs, two sketches, one drawing, and a woodcut by Cunningham. Studies include those for Callipycia, Gordon Knot, Topological Conjecture, Escape Velocity, poster work for the John Lindsay's New York mayoral campaign, and more. Photographic materials depict the artist, exhibitions and events, and several snapshots of his studio. The series also includes photographs, slides, and transparencies of Cunningham's artwork; and one file of artwork made by his students at Cooper Union.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Syracuse University Libraries also holds papers of Ben Cunningham.