Karl Zerbe papers
name: label: Creator
content: Zerbe, Karl, 1903-1972
label: Names
content: Kolowrat, Ernest
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- Massachusetts -- Boston
label: Occupation
content: Educators -- Massachusetts -- Boston
label: Occupation
content: Painters -- Florida -- Tallahassee
label: Occupation
content: Educators -- Florida -- Tallahassee
label: Topic
content: Expressionism (Art)
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This collection was donated by Karl Zerbe's daughter, Maria Zerbe Norton, in 2010.
creator: label: Creator
content: Zerbe, Karl, 1903-1972
setName: label: See more items in
content: Karl Zerbe papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of German American painter and educator Karl Zerbe measure 5.1 linear feet and date from 1928 to 1996. The papers document Zerbe's career through biographical material, writings and journals, art gallery records, financial records, printed material, photographs, documentary film materials, and home movies.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Karl Zerbe (1903-1972) was a German American expressionist painter and art educator in Boston, Massachusetts and Tallahassee, Florida. 

Born in Berlin, Zerbe split his childhood between France and Germany until 1920 when he began working in an architect's office. At that time, Zerbe began studying at the Debschitz Art School in Munich, and then at the Munich Academy of Art. In 1922, Zerbe had his first one-man show at the Gurlitt Gallery in Berlin. With assistance from the city of Munich, he then studied in Italy for three years. During this time, he consistently displayed his work in group and solo exhibitions throughout Europe. His art was first shown in the United States at the Golz Gallery in New York in 1933, and Zerbe moved to Boston not long after. He worked for seventeen years in Boston including time as head of the Department of Painting in the Boston Museum School. After Boston, Zerbe, along with his wife, Marion, and daughter, Maria, moved to Florida where he took the position of head of the Department of Painting at Florida State University at Tallahassee.

Zerbe received honors for his life-long dedication and contribution to art by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Carnegie Institute, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Tallahassee Area Chamber of Commerce, and the state of Florida.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 6.5 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1928-1996
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.zerbkarl
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Moving images
label: Type
content: Video recordings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged as 8 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1944-1991 (0.8 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1940-1994 (7 folders; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, 1938-1974 (9 folders; Box 1-2)

Series 4: Gallery Files, 1939-1996 (0.8 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 5: Financial Records, 1942-1979 (7 folders; Box 2-3)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1941-1986 (0.8 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 7: Photographs, 1928-1972 (1 linear foot; Box 3-4, OV 6)

Series 8: Moving Images, 1954-2002 (2.4 linear feet; Box 4-5, FC 7-20)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid was written by Christopher DeMairo in 2019.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Moving images
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of German American painter and educator Karl Zerbe measure 5.1 linear feet and date from 1928 to 1996. The papers document Zerbe's career through biographical material, writings and journals, art gallery records, financial records, printed material, photographs, documentary film materials, and home movies. 

The collection consists of papers related to Zerbe's estate, exhibitions, and associations, along with ephemera such as address books and awards; daily journals used by both Zerbe and his wife, Marion; biographical essays written about Zerbe, and some painting descriptions. Also included are papers related to the various galleries Zerbe dealt with such as the Downtown Gallery, Foster Harmon Gallery, Nordness Gallery, and Robert C. Vose Gallery. Financial records include cash books, receipts, invoices, and papers related to loans of art work. Printed material consists of mostly exhibition-related documentation, but also includes articles and clippings that cover a variety of art topics, a leaflet on modern art distributed by the Institute of Contemporary Art in 1948, artist cards, and auction lists. Images depict Zerbe's personal life, studio, artwork, and encaustic painting technique.

This collection also contains 2.4 linear feet of moving image material. Included are home movies and travel films, as well as videocassettes containing raw footage, rough cuts, and the final version of "Expressions of Life," a one hour documentary for television on the life and work of Karl Zerbe. Documentation on this project also includes interview transcripts with Zerbe and others, a production script, and production notes. The documentary was written by Ernest Kolowrat, 1986, Peter J. Barton Productions.