Mildred Constantine Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Constantine, Mildred
label: Names
content: Cleveland Museum of Art
label: Names
content: Getty Conservation Institute
label: Names
content: Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) -- Employees
label: Names
content: Museum of New Mexico
label: Names
content: Philadelphia Museum of Art
label: Names
content: Rhode Island School of Design
label: Names
content: The Ohio State University
label: Names
content: Abakanowicz, Magdalena
label: Names
content: Albers, Anni
label: Names
content: Barr, Alfred Hamilton, 1902-
label: Names
content: Barragán, Luis, 1902-
label: Names
content: Block, Lou, 1895-1969
label: Names
content: Bourgeois, Louise, 1911-2010
label: Names
content: Buic, Jagoda, 1930-
label: Names
content: Burle Marx, Roberto, 1909-1994
label: Names
content: Cohen, Elaine Lustig, 1927-
label: Names
content: Coiner, Charles T., 1897-
label: Names
content: Corzo, Miguel Angel
label: Names
content: D'Harnoncourt, Anne, 1943-2008
label: Names
content: Danto, Arthur Coleman, 1924-
label: Names
content: Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994
label: Names
content: Fitch, James Marston
label: Names
content: Goeritz, Mathias, 1915-
label: Names
content: Hart, Allen M., 1925-
label: Names
content: Hicks, Sheila, 1934-
label: Names
content: Koch, Richard H., d. 2009
label: Names
content: Larsen, Jack Lenor
label: Names
content: Lionni, Leo, 1910-
label: Names
content: Reeves, Ruth, 1892-1966
label: Names
content: Reuter, Laurel
label: Names
content: Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
label: Names
content: Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969 -- Photographs
label: Names
content: Smith, David, 1906-1965
label: Names
content: Ten Haeff, Ingeborg, 1915-
label: Names
content: Vignelli, Massimo
label: Names
content: Weisman, Donald M.
label: Names
content: Wilder, Elizabeth, 1908-
label: Names
content: Wilke, Ulfert, 1907-1987
label: Names
content: Zeisler, Claire, 1903-1991
topic: label: Occupation
content: Curators -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Art consultants -- New York -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Authors -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Textile fabrics in art
label: Topic
content: Film posters, Russian
label: Topic
content: Women museum curators
label: Topic
content: Women authors
label: Topic
content: Women art historians
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The papers were donated to the Archives in 2009 by Mildred Constantine's daughters, Judith Bettelheim and Vicki McDaniel.
creator: label: Creator
content: Constantine, Mildred
setName: label: See more items in
content: Mildred Constantine Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of Mildred Constantine measure 5.3 linear feet and are dated 1945-2009. Subject files, writings, photographs, and a scrapbook provide an overview of her curatorial work in the Architecture and Design department of the Museum of Modern Art, and subsequent activities as an independent curator, and art consultant. Especially well documented is Whole Cloth, a book written with Laurel Reuter that presents an historical overview of how artists have used cloth in their work.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Curator and writer Mildred Constantine (1913-2008) was associated with the Museum of Modern Art's Department of Architecture and Design from 1943 to 1971. She then became an art consultant and independent curator, and wrote on fiber and textiles, decorative arts, photography, caricature and cartoons.

Mildred Constantine (known as "Connie") began her career at College Art Association. Hired as a stenographer in 1930, she soon was promoted to editorial assistant for Parnassus, the forerunner of Art Journal.

Constantine left the College Art Association in 1937 to study at New York University and earned BA and MA degrees. She then continued her education at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. In 1940, Constantine worked in the Office of Inter-American Affairs at the Library of Congress; it was there that she met René d'Harnoncourt.

Influenced by her 1936 travels in Mexico, Constantine's first curatorial effort was an exhibition of Latin American posters. Drawn from the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, the exhibition was held at the Library of Congress.

At the urging of René d'Harnoncourt, The Museum of Modern Art's Architecture and Design Department hired Constantine in 1943. The majority of her 28 year tenure at the museum was spent working with the department's founder, architect Philip Johnson. As a curator during the 1950s and 1960s, Constantine's innovative exhibitions brought lesser known portions of the museum's collection to public attention. Among her exhibtions were: "Words and Images," that focused on graphic design and posters; "Polio Posters," the first Museum of Modern Art show dedicated to social issues; "Olivetti: Design in Industry;" "Signs in the Street;" and "Lettering by Hand." She also published books on Art Nouveau, contemporary package design, and other subjects.

In 1971, Constantine left the Museum of Modern Art to become an independent curator and art consultant. Exhibitions included "Frontiers in Fiber: The Americans," and "Small Works in Fiber" with Jack Lenor Larsen. Tina Modotti: A Fragile Life, Constantine's book on the photographer, actress, model, and political activist, appeared in 1974. That same year, she and Alan Fern produced Revolutionary Soviet Film Posters that focused on works from the 1920s. Her last published work, Whole Cloth, was written with Laurel Reuter and published in 1997. Constantine continued to research and write, and at the time of her death was working on a large, international survey of the study of thread.

Mildred Constantine and Ralph W. Bettelheim (1909-1993) were married for 50 years. They had two daughters, Judith and Vicki.

Mildred Constantine died from heart failure on December 10, 2008, at home in Nyack, New York.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 5.3 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1945-2008
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.consmild
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Illustrated letters
label: Type
content: Transcripts
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The Mildred Constantine papers are organized into 8 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1947-1997 (Boxes 1, 6; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1964-2008 (Boxes 1, 6; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 3: Subject Files, 1964-2008 (Boxes 2-5; 3.3 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings, 1991-2008 (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1961-2006 (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, 1993 (Box 5; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork, 1945 (Box 5; 1 folder)

Series 8: Scrapbook, circa 1940s (Box 6; 0.1 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The papers were processed and a finding aid prepared by Justin Brancato in December of 2009.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Illustrated letters
label: Genre/Form
content: Transcripts
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Content Note
content: The papers of Mildred Constantine measure 5.3 linear feet and are dated 1945-2008. Subject files, writings, photographs, and a scrapbook provide an overview of her curatorial work in the Architecture and Design department of the Museum of Modern Art, and subsequent activities as an independent curator, and art consultant. Especially well documented is the book Whole Cloth that she wrote with Laurel Reuter.

Correspondence, though mostly business related, often touches on personal matters since many of the artists and art world figures with whom she corresponded were also friends. Correspondents include Miguel Angel Corzo, Arthur C. Danto, Dorothy Dehner, Allen Hart (who sent more than 40 illustrated letters), Elizabeth Wilder and Donald L. Weisman. She also corresponded with many art institutions and organizations, among them the Cleveland Museum of Art, Independent International Design Conference, El Museo del Barrio, Museum of New Mexico, Ohio State University, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Estate of David Smith.

Subject files reflect Constantine's activities and interests. A large portion of this series concerns Whole Cloth, a book written with Laurel Reuter that presents an historical look at how artists have used cloth in their work. Correspondence between the two authors, with artists, institutions, and others concerns researching and writing the volume. Also documented are the successes and failures of Constantine's decade long pursuit to publish the book. Other substantive files relate to the Cleveland Museum of Art, Getty Conservation Institute, Sheila Hicks, Jack Lenor Larsen, Rhode Island School of Design, and Soviet Film Posters. Files concerning the University of the Arts' 2003 Commencement include a videocassette.

Writings by Constantine are lecture material and notes. Also found are transcripts of interviews with Constantine and writings by others. Printed material includes newspaper and magazine articles about Constantine and her career. A scrapbook of printed material and photographs documents an exhibition of Latin American posters at the Library of Congress organized by Constantine.

Photographs of people include Mildred Constantine with family, friends, artists and others at public and private events around the world. Notable photographs include: Magdalena Abakanowicz, Anni Albers, Alfred Barr, Luis Barragan, Lou Block, Louise Bourgeois, Jagoda Buic, Elaine Lustig Cohen, Charles Coiner, James Marston Fitch, Mathias Goeritz, Ingeborg Ten Haeff, Ann d'Harnoncourt, Sheila Hicks, Richard Koch, Nancy Koenigsberg, Jack Lenor Larsen, Leo Lionni, Roberto Burle Marx, Ruth Reeves, Laurel Reuter, Eleanor Roosevelt, Ben Shahn, Massimo Vignelli, Ulfert Wilke, and Claire Zeisler. Also, there are photographs of artwork by a wide range of artists.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Material
content: Oral history interviews with Mildred Constantine were conducted for the Archives of American Art by Harlan Phillips, 1965 October 15, and by Paul Cummings, 1976 May 3-1976 August 26.