Washington Gallery of Modern Art records
name: label: Creator
content: Washington Gallery of Modern Art (Washington, D.C.)
label: Names
content: Corcoran Gallery of Art
label: Names
content: Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986
label: Names
content: Eisenstein, Julian Calvert, 1921-
label: Names
content: Hopps, Walter
label: Names
content: Millard, Charles
label: Names
content: Nordland, Gerald
topic: label: Occupation
content: Arts administrators -- Washington (D.C.)
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated 1965 by the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, in 1996 and 2002 by the Washington Gallery of Modern Art via Dr. Julian Eisenstein, one of the founders of the Gallery and President of Board of Trustees (1961-1966), in 2004 via Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan, director of public affairs (1965-1967), and in 2015 by the Corcoran Gallery of Art via David S. Julyan representative for the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. One announcement for an exhibition by Mary Meyer was donated in 2009 by former director and curator (1966-1974) Charles Millard.
creator: label: Creator
content: Washington Gallery of Modern Art (Washington, D.C.)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Washington Gallery of Modern Art records
abstract: label: Summary
content: The records of the Washington Gallery of Modern Art measure 15.7 linear feet and 0.523 GB and date from 1959 to 1992. The records document the history of the gallery through Board of Directors meeting minutes, various committee meetings minutes and agendas, bylaws, and other trustee records; correspondence and other materials associated with each of the four gallery directors over the course of the gallery's existence; general correspondence; exhibition files, proposed exhibitions, collection files, and other curatorial and registrar records; financial records; development and membership records; tour guide information, gift shop finances and orders, and other museum services; and clippings, catalogs, and other printed and digital material.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The Washington Gallery of Modern Art (established 1961; closed 1968) was a gallery in Washington, D.C. The Washington Gallery of Modern Art was a non-profit institution organized for the purpose of presenting significant exhibitions of contemporary American painting and sculpture. In conjunction with exhibitions, the gallery also sponsored lectures, concerts, films, tours, and an art rental service designed to encourage the understanding and appreciation of contemporary art. It was located at 1503 21st Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Among its directors were Gerald Nordland, Charles Millard, Adelyn Breeskin and Walter Hopps. In 1968, the Washington Gallery of Modern Art sold its permanent collection to the Oklahoma Art Center and its programs were incorporated into the Corcoran Gallery of Art. At that time, the Washington Gallery of Modern Art turned over all assets to the Corcoran.
function: label: Function
content: Arts organizations -- Washington (D.C.)
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 15.7 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 0.523 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1959-1992
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.washgall
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into nine series. The arrangement is based on a pre-existing finding aid created by the Washington Gallery of Modern Art.

Series 1: Trustee Records, 1959-1968 (1.8 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 2: Director's Records, 1962-1968 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 2-4)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1961-1992 (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)

Series 4: Curatorial/Registrar Records, 1962-1969 (6.4 linear feet; Boxes 5-11, OV 18, 0.523 GB; ER01)

Series 5: Financial Records, 1962-1969 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 11-13)

Series 6: Development/Membership Records, 1962-1968 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 13-14)

Series 7: Museum Services, 1962-1968 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 14-15)

Series 8: Public Relations, 1963-1968 (0.1 linear feet; Box 15)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1961-1968 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 15-17, OV 18)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2020. Born-digital records were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2020 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The records of the Washington Gallery of Modern Art measure 15.7 linear feet and 0.523 GB and date from 1959 to 1992. The records document the history of the gallery through Board of Directors meeting minutes, various committee meetings minutes and agendas, bylaws, and other trustee records; correspondence and other materials associated with each of the four gallery directors over the course of the gallery's existence; general correspondence; exhibition files, proposed exhibitions, collection files, and other curatorial and registrar records; financial records; development and membership records; tour guide information, gift shop finances and orders, and other museum services; and clippings, catalogs, and other printed and digital material.

Trustee records includes general administrative documents such as the bylaws of the gallery, certificates of incorporation, permits, and a history of the organization. Also included are the agendas and minutes for quarterly board of trustee meetings between 1962 and 1968, correspondence and agendas for various committees, annual reports, and president's records belonging to Julian Eisenstein, Carleton B. Swift, Jr., and Helen "Leni" Stern.

Director's records are arranged according to the tenure of each director of the gallery: Adelyn Breeskin (June 1962-May 1964), Gerald Nordland (June 1964-July 1966), Charles Millard (July 1966-June 1967), and Walter Hopps (August 1967-October 1968). Documents include correspondence with notable individuals, reports made to the board of trustees, and documents regarding exhibitions during each director's tenure.

Correspondence is arranged by year and includes correspondence from 1987 and 1992 between various researchers and  Dr. Julian Eisenstein, chairman of the Board of Trustees for the gallery, concerning the history of the gallery.

Curatorial records include loan agreements and other documentation regarding exhibitions held at the gallery, information regarding proposed exhibitions for the gallery, and the collection files for objects in the permanent collection. Also included are transcripts and recordings of interviews from the "Popular Image" exhibition.

Financial documents include general ledgers, miscellaneous accounts arranged alphabetically, copyright information, stocks, and financial reports. Development records include attendance and sales information for each exhibition at the gallery, membership drive statistics and solicitation forms, information from foundations who contributed to the gallery, and membership lists.

Museum service documents include consignment records, rental agreements, museum shop sales and catalog orders, guided tour documents, docent training information, and volunteer lists. Public relation records are primarily on benefits, recitals, and other special events hosted by the gallery. Printed materials include brochures, newspaper clippings, press releases and exhibition catalogs.