Abram Lerner papers
name: label: Creator
content: Lerner, Abram
label: Names
content: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
label: Names
content: Hirshhorn, Joseph H.
topic: label: Occupation
content: Museum curators -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Occupation
content: Museum directors -- Washington (D.C.)
label: Occupation
content: Painters -- Washington (D.C.)
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated 2018 by Aline Libassi, Abram Lerner's daughter.
creator: label: Creator
content: Lerner, Abram
setName: label: See more items in
content: Abram Lerner papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of art historian, curator and painter, Abram Lerner measure 2.3 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 2006. The collection is comprised primarily of documents related to Lerner's tenure at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, including the years leading up to the museum's opening in 1974. Also included are professional files and correspondence following Abram Lerner's departure from the museum in 1984, as well as exhibition files, photographic materials and watercolor and sketchbooks reflecting his career as an artist.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Abram Lerner (1913-2007) was an art historian, curator, and painter in Washington, DC. Born to Russian immigrants in New York City, Lerner received a bachelor's degree in art history from New York University in 1934. Lerner worked as an apprentice muralist in the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and after pursued a career as an exhibiting artist through the 1950s. In 1955 while working as a director at an art gallery he met Joseph Hirshhorn, who he came to work for on his art collection. Eventually this relationship led to Lerner becoming the founding director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Park, Smithsonian Institution, in 1974. After ten years as director Lerner retired to his seasonal home in Southampton, NY in 1984. He lived there with his wife Pauline, who he was married to from 1943, until she passed away in 2003. Lerner passed away from heart failure in his home in Canaan, CT in 2007.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.3 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1930-2006
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.lernabra
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sketchbooks
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Radio programs
label: Type
content: Lectures
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged as six series:

Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1935-2004 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Writings, circa 1930-1984 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Professional Files, circa 1958-2006 (0.5 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 4: Printed Material , circa 1933-1999 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 5: Photographic Material, circa 1950-1999 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 2, 3)

Series 6: Artwork, circa 1940-1959 (0.2 linear feet; Boxes 2, 3)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Ryan Evans in 2020.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sketchbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Radio programs
label: Genre/Form
content: Lectures
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of art historian, curator and painter, Abram Lerner measure 2.3 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 2006. The collection is comprised primarily of documents related to Lerner's tenure at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, including the years leading up to the museum's opening in 1974. Also included are professional files and correspondence following Abram Lerner's departure from the museum in 1984, as well as exhibition files, photographic materials and watercolor and sketchbooks reflecting his career as an artist. 

Correspondence is primarily professional in nature and includes correspondents James T. Demetrion and Joseph and Olga Hirshhorn, as well as artists Philip Evergood, Walter Rosenblum and Raphael Soyer. Also included are notebooks with outgoing hand-written drafts from after his tenure with the museum, from 1991 to 2003. Writings include primarily lectures and tours related to the Hirshhorn collection and modern sculpture and painting, in addition to some early student and creative work, an interview with Lerner, and writings by others including an artist statement for Lerner written by Milton W. Brown. Some lectures are represented by audio recordings on sound cassette. 

The professional files series includes an 1958 exhibition file related to Lerner's painting career, files related to the Hirshhorn bequest exhibition and a Henry Moore exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum, records regarding an unpublished manuscript tentatively titled 50 Sculptors, as well as advisory roles and other professional materials including a planner from 1983. Printed material includes materials reserved for a scrapbook, especially regarding the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, various memorabilia and published audio recordings including an Acoustiguide and a Channel 13 program regarding David Smith. Photographic material includes photographs of Abram Lerner, Joseph Hirshhorn and the Hirshhorn Museum building, staff, artwork, and events during his tenure. Also included are numerous photographs of Raphael Soyer portrait paintings. Artwork includes two watercolor and sketchbooks from circa 1940 and 1954.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Also found at the Archives of American art is an oral history interview with Abram Lerner, 1975 Dec. 9-1976 Jan. 27, conducted by Paul Cummings. The Smithsonian Institution Archives maintains the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Papers, circa 1926-1982, and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection Archive is maintained by the curatorial department of the museum.