Oral history interview with Mansfield Bascom and Ruth Esherick Bascom about Wharton Esherick
odd: label: General
content: Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 15 min.
name: label: Interviewee
content: Bascom, Mansfield
label: Interviewer
content: Polsky, Richard
label: Interviewee
content: Bascom, Ruth Esherick
label: Names
content: Esherick, Wharton
topic: label: Occupation
content: Cabinetmakers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews
label: Occupation
content: Wood-carvers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews
label: Topic
content: Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
label: Topic
content: Painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews
label: Topic
content: Printmakers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews
label: Topic
content: Sculptors -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews of artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
creator: label: Interviewee
content: Bascom, Mansfield
label: Interviewer
content: Polsky, Richard
label: Interviewee
content: Bascom, Ruth Esherick
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Mansfield Bascom married Ruth Esherick and is the son-in-law of Wharton Esherick (1887-1970), who was a sculptor, painter, printmaker, wood-carver and furniture maker from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 78 Pages (Transcript)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1990 July 13
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.bascom90
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Pages
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Transcript: 35mm microfilm reel 4777 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: An interview of Ruth and Mansfield Bascom concerning artist Wharton Esherick, conducted 1990 July 13, by Richard Polsky, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project.
label: Scope and Contents
content: Wharton Esherick was the father of Ruth Bascom. The Bascoms discuss Esherick's childhood sketching; studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; professional life including painting, printmaking, frame carving, sculpture and furniture making; stylistic development, working methods, clients, materials, and exhibitions; his stays in Fairhope, Alabama; his "organic" life style; and the establishment of the Wharton Esherick Museum.