Oral history interview with Don Freeman
odd: label: General
content: An unrelated interview of Ben Messick conducted by B. Hoag McGlynn is also on this tape.
name: label: Interviewee
content: Freeman, Don, 1908-1978
label: Interviewer
content: McGlynn, Betty Hoag
label: Creator
content: New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project
label: Names
content: Art Students League (New York, N.Y.) -- Students
label: Names
content: New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project
label: Names
content: United States. Works Progress Administration
label: Names
content: Henri, Robert, 1865-1929
label: Names
content: Marsh, Reginald, 1898-1954
label: Names
content: Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956
label: Names
content: Sloan, John, 1871-1951
label: Names
content: Tolegian, Manuel J. (Manuel Jerair), 1911-1983
label: Names
content: Wickey, Harry
topic: label: Topic
content: Illustrators -- California -- Interviews
label: Topic
content: Federal aid to the arts
label: Topic
content: Artists' materials
label: Topic
content: Illustration of books
label: Topic
content: Prints -- Technique
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
creator: label: Interviewee
content: Freeman, Don, 1908-1978
label: Interviewer
content: McGlynn, Betty Hoag
label: Creator
content: New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Don Freeman (1908-1978) was an Illustrator from New York, N.Y. Went to New York City at the age of 21. Studied with John Sloan and Harry Wickey at the Art Students League.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Sound tape reel (Sound recording, 5 in.)
label: Extent
content: 19 Pages (Transcript)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1965 June 4
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.freema65
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sound tape reels
label: Type
content: Pages
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Interview of Don Freeman conducted 1965 June 4, by Betty Hoag McGlynn, for the Archives of American Art, in his home, in Santa Barbara, Calif. Freeman speaks of his childhood in San Diego with his guardian; his high school years spent in St. Louis at a public school Prineipia (and his teacher Kathryn Cherry); the knowledge of his artistic destiny as a child; his move to New York City in 1929; his time spent working as an unbooked trumpet player for jazz orchestras on Broadway; his formative years at the Art Students League under the guidance of John Sloan;
label: Scope and Contents
content: the influence of Robert Henri and "Art Spirit;" his decision to do illustrations for the theater section of the Herald Tribune of ongoing performances; his time spent studying with Harry Wickey (etcher and sculptor); his relationship and marriage to wife Lydia as well as description of life in downtown Manhattan immediately following the stock market crash ; time at Art Students League studying along side with Jackson Pollock, Manuel Tolegian, Whitney Darrel; his decision to work for the WPA in
label: Scope and Contents
content: the graphics department completing lithographs (1933-1934); "Freedom of the Press," a painting completed around the same time and the possible influence of Reginald Marsh; his interest in a project called "Paint for the People" (a public works project for the New York Subway system); time spent illustrating for the WPA theater magazine "The Living Magazine;" his opinions concerning acetate and stone as well as the use of mezzotint; his personal magazine which he published for four years (name unknown); a general summary of his feelings towards the WPA as an artistic force; his separation from the Union Uprisings due to his success within the program;
label: Scope and Contents
content: his work on "Our Flying Navy" a series of illustrations (now compiled as a book) used for advertisement for the Navy; his participation in the Association of American Artists before his term spent in the Army during WWII; his budding career as a children's books writer and illustrator (Barton Press); his illustrations for William Soroyan"s The Human Comedy; his move back west and his son Roy; and his current occupation of giving "Chalk Talks" around the country, speaking with students about art, music, theater.