Notebooks
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Marsh, Reginald, 1898-1954
setName: label: See more items in
content: Reginald Marsh papers
physdesc: label: Extent
content: (box 4; 0.8 linear feet)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1919-1954
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.marsregi, Series 4
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: Series consists of Marsh's notebooks, including one in which he gathered notes from a Yale course on pictorial art; ones in which he took notes on his art work and on painting techniques and media; ones which he used primarily as address books, but also to record some notes on his travels and art work; and ones in which he recorded financial information. Notebooks document Marsh's study and application of new media and techniques in his art, his work on particular art works and projects, the disposition or publication of certain works, his expenses and earnings from art, and his earnings from stocks and other sources.

Of particular interest are Marsh's art notebooks dating from circa 1920 to 1954. Two notebooks relate to particular mural projects, a fresco project in 1935 (most likely the murals he did for the Post Office Department) and his mural project for the New York Customs House. Others consist of notes on media and painting techniques, including some notes on casein, tempera, and fresco from lectures given by Abels at the Art Students League in 1935; and notes on art work (similar to the art work diaries in Series 3), detailing time worked, what was done at different stages, and what prints were made for certain works dating from 1935 to 1944. Art notebooks also consist of lists of works (etchings, paintings, and lithographs), which typically include information about the date, dimensions, price, and/or consignment of work; notes on art expenses and contact information for models that he used; and clippings of illustrations by Marsh that were published in various magazines and newspapers during the period from circa 1920 to 1922.

More general notebooks date from 1925 to circa 1935. These were primarily used by Marsh as address books, recording the names and numbers of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances; he also used them to record some notes on his travels, illustrations and art work, observations, and expenses. Notebooks document in particular his trip to Europe in 1925-1926, some of his ideas for New Yorker cartoons and illustrations, and his work on certain art works during the period from 1928 to 1929.

Financial notebooks date from 1929 to 1954, and consist of Marsh's detailed notes on stock transactions, including purchases, sales, gains, and losses, and art earnings, including income from sales, royalties, teaching, and prizes. Included, to lesser extent, are notes on art expenses; interest paid on debts to Marsh by his brother, James R. Marsh; sales of art work to William Benton; bank account balances; contributions and gifts; and money borrowed. Financial notebooks document in general how Marsh made a living and supported himself as a working artist.

Notebooks were assigned numbers at some point, though it is not clear what particular order the numbers follow nor who assigned them. The numbers appear in brackets in the respective file title. The one designated "Notebooks #9" can be found amongst the business and financial papers. Notebooks are arranged chronologically according to type. For preservation purposes, notebook pages have been removed from the leather binders in which they resided.