Valentine Gallery records
name: label: Creator
content: Valentine Gallery (New York, N.Y.)
label: Names
content: F. Valentine Dudensing (Firm)
label: Names
content: Brook, Alexander, 1898-1980
label: Names
content: Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964
label: Names
content: De Chirico, Giorgio, 1888-
label: Names
content: Dudensing, F. Valentine, 1892-1967
label: Names
content: Eilshemius, Louis M. (Louis Michel), 1864-1941
label: Names
content: Kane, John, 1860-1934
label: Names
content: Matisse, Henri, 1869-1954
label: Names
content: Mérida, Carlos, 1891-1984
label: Names
content: Price, C. S. (Clayton S.), 1874-1950
label: Names
content: Stella, Joseph, 1877-1946
label: Names
content: Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964
topic: label: Topic
content: Painting, Modern -- 20th century
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Valentine Gallery records were donated by gallery founder, Valentine Dudensing in 1958.  Dudensing also lent the Archives of American Art gallery index cards for microfilming in 1959. Roy R. Neuberger donated materials regarding Louis Eilshemius in 1959 who received the material from Valentine Dudensing.
creator: label: Creator
content: Valentine Gallery (New York, N.Y.)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Valentine Gallery records
abstract: label: Summary
content: The records of the New York City based Valentine Gallery measure 1.8 linear feet and date from circa 1890 to 1960.  The bulk of the material documents the gallery's dealings with artists Louis Eilshemius, John Kane, Henri Matisse, and C.S. Price.  Additionally, there is one scrapbook which contains printed materials regarding Valentine Gallery exhibitions from 1925-1936.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The Valentine Gallery was founded by F. Valentine Dudensing in 1926 and operated in New York City until 1947. The gallery hosted many exhibitions of Modern European art and specialized in School of Paris paintings.  

F. Valentine Dudensing was born in 1892 in New York City. His father, Richard Dudensing was a well known art publisher and gallerist who owned Dudensing Galleries.  Valentine served in World War I in the United States Aviation Corps and in 1920, married Margaret van der Gros.  During a trip to Europe in the early 1920s, Dudensing became acquainted with the son of artist Henri Matisse, Pierre.  Together, they conceived a gallery managed by Dudensing in New York while Matisse organized and curated art from Europe. 

Dudensing opened his gallery in 1926 at 43 East 57th Street as the F. Valentine Dudensing Gallery. At this time, his father's gallery, the Dudensing Galleries, was located at 45 West 44th Street. Valentine Dudensing changed his gallery's name in 1927 to the Valentine Gallery to distinguish it from his father's gallery. The gallery was one of the first to bring Modern European works to New York City and hosted exhibitions of Giorgio de Chirico, Jean Lurçat, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and André Dunoyer de Segonzac. Additionally, Valentine Gallery represented American artists including Louis Eilshemius, John Kane, and C.S. Price.  Pierre Matisse left the partnership with Valentine Dudensing to open his own gallery in 1931.  

In 1947, Valentine Dudensing closed his gallery and moved to France with his wife.  He died in 1967.
function: label: Function
content: Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1.8 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1890-circa 1960
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.valegall
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged as 2 series.

Series 1:  Artists  Files, circa 1890-1960 (Box 1, 3; 1.3 linear feet)

Series 2: Scrapbook, 1925-1936 (Box 2, 4; 0.5 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The Valentine Gallery records were microfilmed shortly after receipt on reels  D22, D193, NY59-5, 911, 3829-3830 and 4781.  All accretions were integrated and fully processed and described by Jayna Josefson in 2013 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Portions of the collection and material lent for microfilming are available on 35mm microfilm reels D22, D193, NY59-5, 911, 3829-3830 and 4781 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the collection as described in this finding aid does not reflect the order of the collection on microfilm.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The records of the New York City based Valentine Gallery measure 1.8 linear feet and date from circa 1890 to 1960.  The bulk of the material documents the gallery's dealings with artists Louis Eilshemius, John Kane, Henri Matisse, and C.S. Price.  Additionally, there is one scrapbook which contains printed materials regarding Valentine Gallery exhibitions from 1925-1936.  

The artist's file for Eilshemius contains biographical information; correspondence between Valentine Dudensing and the artist, as well scattered letters from Carl Van Vecten, Alfred H. Barr, and museums and institutions; writings and notes;  price lists and other financial and legal documents; printed material from Eilshemius's varied career and from his affiliation with the Valentine Gallery; photographs including portraits of the artist, and photos of installations and of works of art; and a scrapbook containing clippings and scattered other printed materials covering Eilshemius's shows at the Valentine Gallery.  

Artists' files for John Kane, Henri Matisse, and C.S. Price contain scattered documentation. The file for John Kane includes correspondence between Valentine Dudensing and Kane's estate managers as well as museums and institutions, price lists, legal records, and printed materials.  There are two letters from Henri Matisse to Valentine Dudensing regarding travel plans and a thank you message.  The C.S. Price file consists of letters from Price regarding specific works of art, and scattered financial records.  

A scrapbook dates from 1925-1936 and includes newspaper and magazine clippings about exhibitions and artists represented by the Valentine Gallery.  Artists and exhibitions mentioned in the clippings include Alexander Brook, Giorgio de Chirico, Stuart Davis, Jean Lucrat, Carlos Merida, and Joseph Stella.  Also, there is a poster created by Valentine Dudensing to fundraise for ambulances for France.
separatedmaterial: label: Separated Materials
content: The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel NY59-5) including gallery index cards. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.