Emily A. Francis papers
name: label: Creator
content: Francis, Emily A., 1879-1966
label: Names
content: Collectors of American Art (Firm)
label: Names
content: Contemporary Arts (Gallery)
label: Names
content: Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988
label: Names
content: Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979
label: Names
content: Logasa, Charles, 1883-1936
label: Names
content: Mayer, Grace M.
label: Names
content: Middleton, Samuel M., 1927-
label: Names
content: Wilson, Ellis, 1899-1977
topic: label: Occupation
content: Gallery directors -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Women art dealers
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated in 1965 by Emily A. Francis and in 2023 by Peter Van Doren, a client of Francis.
creator: label: Creator
content: Francis, Emily A., 1879-1966
setName: label: See more items in
content: Emily A. Francis papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Emily A. Francis papers, circa 1910s-1969, measure 10 linear feet and include organizational records of Contemporary Arts and affiliated member organization, Collectors of American Art, Inc., founded and directed by Emily A. Francis in 1929 and 1937, respectively. The collection consists of biographical material, foundation and board materials, correspondence, artist files, gallery files, exhibition files, membership materials, business and financial material, printed material, scrapbooks, artwork, and photographs.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Emily A. Francis (1879-1966) (also known as Emily Jacobs) was the director of the Contemporary Arts gallery (also known as Contemporary Arts, Inc.) in New York, which she founded in 1929 and incorporated into a membership organization in 1931. 

Inspired by the American Art-Union (1839-1851), she organized the Collectors of American Art, Inc. in 1937, which was associated with the gallery and initially called the Painting of the Month Club. Contemporary Arts held group shows and selected original artist prints and paintings to distribute annually to Collectors of American Art, Inc. paying members, which began at $5.00 per year. The stated mission of Collectors of American Art, Inc. was "to encourage production and distribution of Fine Art in America." Contemporary Arts sponsored painters and sculptors and exhibited their works in annual traveling exhibitions to universities and art centers across the country, as well as internationally; held regular Monday evening open house receptions for artists to exhibit their paintings and sculptures and chat with the public; and held monthly "Meet the Artist" parties for high schoolers to talk with the artists. Francis was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and first visited the United States in 1913, emigrating in 1916. She remained director of Contemporary Arts and Collectors of American Art, Inc. until her death in New York City in 1966, at the age of 87.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 10 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1910s-1969
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.franemil
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 12 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1921-1966 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Foundation and Board Materials, 1928-1969 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1924-1964 (1.9 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 4: Artist Files, 1933-1964 (0.3 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 5: Contemporary Arts Gallery Files, 1930-1966, undated (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 6: Exhibition Files, 1931-1965 (0.8 linear feet; Box 5)

Series 7: Membership Materials, 1935-1966, undated (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 5-6)

Series 8: Business and Financial Material, 1928-1966 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 6-7)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1931-1966, undated (Boxes 7-8)

Series 10: Scrapbooks, 1931-1962 (1.2 linear feet; Box 8-9, 13-14)

Series 11: Artwork, 1940-1962, undated (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 10-12)

Series 12: Photographs, circa 1910s - circa 1960s (0.1 linear feet; Boxes 10, 12)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Anna Rimel in 
2023.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels D224-D226 & D232-D233 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the
finding aid does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Emily A. Francis papers, circa 1910s-1969, measure 10 linear feet and include organizational records of Contemporary Arts and affiliated member organization, Collectors of American Art, Inc., founded and directed by Emily A. Francis in 1929 and 1937, respectively. The collection consists of biographical material, foundation and board materials, correspondence, artist files, gallery files, exhibition files, membership materials, business and financial material, printed material, scrapbooks, artwork, and photographs.

Biographical materials include personal financial material and documents relating to Francis' emigration from New Zealand in 1916. Foundation and board materials document the founding and continuing business of Contemporary Arts and Collectors of American Art, Inc. through board books, meetings minutes, by-laws, and articles of incorporation. Correspondence is with New York and international artists, as well as members, institutions, galleries, and board members; and artist files consist of correspondence, scattered photographs, exhibition materials, and consignment and loan agreements. Among the artists featured extensively in correspondence and artist files are Edward Betts, Virginia Cuthbert, Charles Logasa, and Sam Middleton.

Contemporary Arts gallery files document gallery activities through consignment and loan files to institutions and galleries, inventory records, sign-in registers, and event files. Exhibition files include loan agreements, exhibition price lists, and exhibition catalog mock-ups, as well as scattered correspondence. The files also include membership registers, member bulletin mock-ups, and other membership files, as well as financial ledgers with sales and artist accounts, leases and legal documents, receipts and invoices, and other business and financial material. Exhibition announcements and catalogs, member bulletins and annual reports, "The Bulletin of the Collectors of American Art, Inc.," and other printed material, are also included. Fifteen scrapbooks contain clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs relating to Contemporary Arts and Collectors of American Art, Inc. Extensive artwork consists of a charcoal sketch, paintings and paint sketches, and original prints, including woodcuts and serigraphs. Photographs are of Emily A. Francis and others, gallery installation views, events, and artwork.