Lee Adler papers
name: label: Creator
content: Adler, Lee, 1926-2003
topic: label: Occupation
content: Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Precisionism
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated 1977 by Lee Adler and in 1991 by his son Derek J.T. Adler.
creator: label: Creator
content: Adler, Lee, 1926-2003
setName: label: See more items in
content: Lee Adler papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of painter and printmaker Lee Adler measure 2.1 linear feet, and date from circa 1960 to 1990. The collection documents Adler's career through biographical writings, personal and professional correspondence, and printed materials pertaining to juried shows, event programs, and many pertinent newspaper and journal clippings. Also found are source materials for his collages, and photographic material of his artwork.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Lee Adler (1926-2003) was a painter and printmaker who worked primarily in New York City.

Born in 1926 in New York City, Adler had a circuitous route to making art. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Adler graduated with a BA in English from Syracuse University. He then hitchhiked west and lived in an artist community near Monterey, CA in the late 1940s after which he briefly studied literature at the Sorbonne in Paris. Ultimately, he came back to New York City and settled in Brooklyn Heights. He worked in marketing research for advertising giants such as Interpublic Group and McCann. An early innovator in the field, he published and edited widely in journals such as the Harvard Business Review, 
Journal of Marketing, and Business Horizons.

In the 1960s, Adler began to think seriously about a career in the arts and studied at the Pratt Graphics Center, Brooklyn Museum Art School, and the Art Students League while maintaining his career in advertising. His early works visualize the rooftops along the Brooklyn waterfront and are reminiscent of Charles Demuth's precisionist industrial landscapes. As his work evolved, Adler shifted from oil painting to printmaking, primarily screen printing. With this change in medium came a renewed focus on industrial society, specifically mechanical geometries. Throughout his artistic career, Adler showed at multiple galleries, primarily in the United States.

In 1983, Adler stopped making art and moved from Brooklyn Heights to Lime Kiln Farm in Climax, NY. His work can be found in numerous collections such as the Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Seattle Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.1 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1960-1990
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.adlelee
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Drawings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as eight series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1970s (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1960s-1990 (0.4 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1960s-1970s (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 4: Exhibition and Gallery Files, circa 1965-1983 (0.7 Linear feet: Box 1-2)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, circa 1960s-1985 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 2)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1960s-1970s (0.3 Linear feet: Box 2)

Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1960s-1970s (0.1 Linear feet: Box 2)

Series 8: Artwork, circa 1970s (0.2 Linear feet: Box 2, OV 3)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Sam Neat in 2025.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of painter and printmaker Lee Adler measure 2.1 linear feet, and date from circa 1960 to 1990. 
The biographical materials include biographies, résumés, and notes on artistic process. Correspondence is professional in nature and is primarily with galleries. The Writing series includes articles written about Lee Adler's work by others, notes pertaining to Adler's personal approach to making art, and an essay by Adler titled The Machine and I. Gallery files contain letters, notes, various legal proceedings, lists of artworks on consignment, shipping/received notices, and artist agreements. The Exhibition files include printed announcements, letters concerning the planning and organizing of the shows, press releases, notes, and some installation layouts. Personal business records include artwork price lists, mailing address lists, invoices, and lists of artworks on consignment. Printed material contains mostly newspaper and journal clippings, magazines, and newsletters announcing various gallery shows that Adler participated in as well as catalogs from gallery shows. Photographic material includes images of completed artworks and images of Adler with his work. Artwork files include sketches by Adler, an exhibition poster, and source material for his collages.