Ethel Schwabacher papers
name: label: Creator
content: Schwabacher, Ethel, 1903-1984
label: Names
content: Ford, John Charles, 1929-
label: Names
content: Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Women art historians
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women painters
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Ethel Schwabacher lent her papers for microfilming in 1966 and subsequently donated all but a few items in 1974-1975. Additional material was donated in 1984 by Syracuse University, which had received it from Schwabacher.
creator: label: Creator
content: Schwabacher, Ethel, 1903-1984
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ethel Schwabacher papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of art historian and painter Ethel Schwabacher date from 1939 to 1975 and measure 2.3 linear feet. Found are biographical materials, including motion picture films, correspondence, research and writing files including sound recordings, printed material, and photographs. The papers document Schwabacher's research and writings on her former teacher Arshile Gorky and her colleague John Ford, and her own painting career.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Ethel Schwabacher (1903-1984) was a painter and art historian from New York, New York.

Schwabacher studied at the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League, and in Europe before studying with Arshile Gorky in New York from 1934-1936. Schwabacher wrote Arshile Gorky (1957), with a preface by Lloyd Goodrich and introduction by Meyer Schapiro, and a biography, John Ford, Conquistador, about her painting colleague and friend.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.3 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1939-1975
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.schwethe
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Motion pictures
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 5 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1963-1967 (Box 1, FCs 3-5; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1956-1975 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 3: Research and Writing Files, 1939-1974 (Boxes 1-2; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1947-1974 (Box 2; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 5: Photographs, circa 1950-circa 1970 (Box 2; 0.1 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection received a preliminary level of arrangement after donation and was microfilmed onto reels N69-64-N69-65, 3975, and 4986-4987. The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Janya Josefson in 2020. Additional finding aid description of the film recordings was completed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2024.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels N69-64-N69-65, 3975, and 4986-4987 available at 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: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Motion pictures
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of art historian and painter Ethel Schwabacher date from 1939 to 1975 and measure 2.3 linear feet. Found are biographical materials, including motion picture films, correspondence, research and writing files including sound recordings, printed material, and photographs. The papers document Schwabacher's research and writings on her former teacher Arshile Gorky and her colleague John Ford, and her own painting career.

Biographical materials include two interview transcripts from the 1960s and three home movies. Largely professional in nature, Schwabacher's correspondence is with artists, art historians, and instititions including Giorgio Cavallon, Clement Greenberg, Barnett Newman, Richard Pousette-Dart, and Oscar Williams. Research and writing files form the bulk of the collection and consist of materials compiled and written by Schwabacher on various artists and general art subjects, including John Ford and Arshile Gorky, and an unpublished manuscript titled "1948." Material on John Ford also includes sound recordings.
separatedmaterial: label: Separated Materials
content: After microfilming onto reels N69-64-N69-65, the papers were returned to Ethel Schwabacher. The majority of the material was later donated in 1974-1975.