Richard McLanathan papers
name: label: Creator
content: McLanathan, Richard B. K.
label: Names
content: American Association of Museums
label: Names
content: Harvard University
label: Names
content: Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute
label: Names
content: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
label: Names
content: Bulfinch, Charles, 1763-1844
topic: label: Occupation
content: Art consultants -- New York (State)
label: Occupation
content: Art historians -- New York (State)
label: Occupation
content: Arts administrators -- Massachusetts -- Boston
label: Occupation
content: Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- Utica
label: Occupation
content: Authors -- New York (State)
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This collection was donated in two installments by Richard McLanathan, 1994-1995, and by Jane McLanathan, 2005-2007, via her estate's executor.
creator: label: Creator
content: McLanathan, Richard B. K.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Richard McLanathan papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of art historian, arts administrator, consultant, and author Richard McLanathan, measure 29.8 linear feet and date from 1901 to 1995, with the bulk of the records dating from the 1940s to 1990s. The collection documents McLanathan's career through correspondence, education records, writings, and lecture files; papers related to his career at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and his directorship at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute; and project files from his consulting work in arts, education, historic preservation, administrative reorganization, funding, and publicity. The collection is primarily composed of correspondence, writings, reports, printed matter, as well as some photographs and audiovisual material.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Richard McLanathan (1916-1998) was an art historian, curator, museum administrator, consultant, and author in New York and Boston. McLanathan began his career at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, followed by the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Utica, New York before moving on to consulting work for the remainder of his career. He published numerous books and articles, was a key member of several professional and cultural organizations, and consulted on multiple projects for corporations, municipalities, museums, and educational institutions.

McLanathan graduated from high school from The Choate School in 1934, followed by his bachelor's degree and doctorate from Harvard University. While writing his dissertation on the early-American architect Charles Bulfinch, McLanathan was hired as assistant curator of paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). Other titles he held there include Secretary of the Museum (1949-1956), Editor of Museum Publications (1952-1957), and Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts (1954-1957). Additionally, McLanathan was a member of the art and executive committees for the Boys' Club of Boston (circa 1950-1956).

McLanathan moved to Utica, New York, in 1957, for the position of director at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, Museum of Art (MWP) where he organized exhibitions, was responsible for the institute's community arts program, oversaw the planning and completion of a new museum building designed by Philip Johnson, and worked on the restoration of Fountain Elms, a nearby 1850s Tuscan villa. McLanathan was then assigned as curator of the art exhibition at the American National Exhibition, Moscow, USSR, in 1959. This led to additional roles as an American specialist for the State Department in West Germany (1959), Poland (1959), Denmark (1959), and Yugoslavia (1961). Around this time, McLanathan also served on the Commissioner's Committee for the Arts and Museum Resources under the New York State Council of the Arts (1960-1964).

After resigning from MWP in 1961, McLanathan worked primarily as a freelance writer, lecturer, and consultant. His consulting projects included program planning, future development, curriculum development, administrative reorganization, exhibitions, historic preservation, budgeting and funding, and policy development. His clients included the Atlanta Art Association, IBM, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Time-Life, State University of New Mexico, and U. S. Plywood. In the late 1960s, McLanathan began working as a project consultant for the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. While there, his projects included Art & Man (1969-1973), A Guide to Civilisation: The Kenneth Clark Films on the Cultural Life of Western Man (1970), East Building, National Gallery: A Profile (1978), and various other writings and films . 

As a writer, McLanathan contributed to the Encyclopedia of World Art and Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, and published articles on artists, architecture, art history in general, and museums in the Atlantic Monthly, New York Times, Art News, and Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. The books he wrote include Images of the Universe: Leonardo da Vinci, The Artist as Scientist (1966), The Pageant of Medieval Art and Life (1966), The American Tradition in the Arts (1968), Art in America, A Brief History  (1973), The Art of Marguerite Stix (1977), and World Art in American Museums, A Personal Guide (1983).
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 29.8 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1901-1995
label: Date
content: bulk 1940s-1990s
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.mclarich
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Moving images
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged as 9 series

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1942-1994 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 1, 30-31, FC 32)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1901-1995, bulk 1940s-1990s (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, 1934-1995 (9.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-10, 31)

Series 4: Association and Membership Records, 1950-1987 (3.5 linear feet; Boxes 11-14, FC 33)

Series 5: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, circa 1946-1976 (2.0 linear feet; Box 14-16)

Series 6: Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, 1958-1963 (1.0 linear feet; Box 16-17)

Series 7: Consulting Projects, 1950s-1991 (10.8 linear feet; Box 17-28, 31)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1930s-1990s (1.0 linear feet; Box 28-29)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1940s-1990s (0.5 linear feet; Box 29)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid was written by Christopher DeMairo in 2019. Additional finding aid description of the sound recordings was completed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2024.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Some of the sound recordings in the collection were digitized for research access and are available at Archives of American Art offices.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Moving images
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of art historian, arts administrator, consultant, and author Richard McLanathan, measure 29.8 linear feet and date from 1901 to 1995, with the bulk of the records dating from the 1940s to 1990s. The collection documents McLanathan's career through correspondence with artists, museum professionals, and collectors; records from his education at Harvard, including papers related to the American architect Charles Bulfinch; papers pertaining to various lectures, essay, and book projects; material documenting his career at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and his directorship at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute; and project files from his consulting work in arts, education, historic preservation, and administrative reorganization, funding, and publicity.  Also included is a significant amount of material related to McLanathan's post as art curator at the American National Exhibition, Moscow, USSR, in 1959; and his work as writer, researcher, and editor at the National Gallery of art form the late-1960s to late-1970s.