Oral history interview with Reuben Nakian
odd: label: General
content: Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hrs., 15 min.
name: label: Interviewee
content: Nakian, Reuben, 1897-1986
label: Interviewer
content: Berman, Avis
label: Names
content: Brancusi, Constantin, 1876-1957
label: Names
content: Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968
label: Names
content: Dudensing, F. Valentine, 1892-1967
label: Names
content: French, Daniel Chester, 1850-1931
label: Names
content: Hague, Raoul, 1905-1993
label: Names
content: Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970
label: Names
content: Lachaise, Gaston, 1882-1935
label: Names
content: Manship, Paul, 1885-1966
label: Names
content: Neumann, J. B. (Jsrael Ber)
label: Names
content: Zorach, William, 1887-1966
topic: label: Topic
content: Art, American
label: Topic
content: Sculpture -- Technique
label: Topic
content: Sculptors -- Connecticut -- Stamford -- Interviews
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: These interviews are 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 with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
creator: label: Interviewee
content: Nakian, Reuben, 1897-1986
label: Interviewer
content: Berman, Avis
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Reuben Nakian (1897-1986) was a sculptor from Stamford, Conn.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 105 Pages (Transcript)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1981 June 9-17
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.nakian81
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 available online.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: An interview of Reuben Nakian conducted 1981 June 9-17, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art.
label: Scope and Contents
content: Nakian speaks of his childhood, growing up in New York City; his early interest in art; early ventures in sculpture; working for Paul Manship; meeting Daniel Chester French; teaching; early influences; his European travels; techniques and materials; the relationship of artists and suffering; his portrait busts of other artists; dealers he has been affiliated with, including Edith Halpert and Valentine Dudensing; animal sculptures; his Babe Ruth sculpture; critical and public reaction to his work. He recalls Constantin Brancusi, Marcel Duchamp, Raoul Hague, William Zorach, Gaston Lachaise, and J. B. Neumann. The third voice heard on the tape is that of Nakian's assistant, Don Ross, who helps prompt Nakian to recall certain incidents.