Charles Henry Caffin papers
name: label: Creator
content: Caffin, Charles Henry, 1854-1918
label: Names
content: Corn, Wanda M.
label: Photographer
content: Genthe, Arnold, 1869-1942
label: Names
content: Greet, Ben, Sir, 1857-1936
label: Photographer
content: Johnston, Frances Benjamin, 1864-1952
label: Names
content: Kennedy, Charles Rann, 1871-
label: Photographer
content: Käsebier, Gertrude, 1852-1934
label: Names
content: Layton, Donna Caffin
label: Names
content: Steichen, Edward, 1879-1973
label: Names
content: Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946
topic: label: Occupation
content: Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Photography, Artistic
label: Topic
content: Art, Modern -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Photographers
label: Topic
content: Theater -- History -- 20th century
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donna Caffin Layton, daughter of Charles Caffin, donated most of the papers in 1974. Stephen D. Rockstroh, Caffin's son-in-law, donated additional material in 1985.
creator: label: Creator
content: Caffin, Charles Henry, 1854-1918
setName: label: See more items in
content: Charles Henry Caffin papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The scattered papers of art critic and writer Charles Henry Caffin measure 1.2 linear feet and date from circa 1883-1973, bulk circa 1883-1918. Found within the papers are an interview transcript, two letters, printed materials, one scrapbook, and family photographs dating from circa 1883 to circa 1911, many by noted photographers Arnold Genthe, Frances Benjamin Johnston, Gertrude Käsebier, Edward Steichen, and Alfred Stieglitz. The scrapbook contains Caffin's columns for the New York American, 1913-1915.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Charles Henry Caffin was born in 1854 in England. After graduating from Oxford University, Caffin served as stage manager for outdoor productions with Ben Greet and His Shakespearean Players. During this time, he met actress Caroline Scurfield, whom he later married and had two daughters, Freda and Donna. Caffin moved to United States in 1892 where he began to write about art, drama, and dance. He was an early supporter of the Photo-Secessionists and American modern art. 

Initially, Caffin worked for several years executing murals from designs prepared by other artists for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the new Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Shortly thereafter, however, he began writing for Alfred Stieglitz's Camera Notes and later Camera Work. He moved to the New York City area and worked as a critic for the New York Evening Post, New York Sun, and later for the New York American. Caffin wrote many books about art, drama, and dance, including Photography as Fine Art (1901), American Masters of Painting (1902), How to Study Pictures (1905), and Art for Life's Sake (1913).

Charles Caffin died in 1918.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1.2 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1883-1973
label: Date
content: bulk 1883-1918
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.caffchar
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into 5 series:

Series 1: Biographical Information, 1915, 1973 (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1920 (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 3: Printed Material, 1908, circa 1920, 1973 (Box 1; 3 folders)

Series 4: Photographs, circa 1883-circa 1910s (Box 1, 3-4; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1913-1915 (Box 2; 0.4 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed by Catherine S. Gaines in 2003, merging the two accessions. The collection was digitized in 2009, with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
altformavail: label: Alternative Forms Available
content: The papers of Charles Henry Caffin in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2009, and total 167 images.

Materials not scanned include duplicates, negatives, and some printed and published works that are not annotated.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
scopecontent: label: Scope and Content Note
content: The scattered papers of art critic and writer Charles Henry Caffin measure 1.2 linear feet and date from circa 1883-1973. Found within the papers are an interview transcript, two letters, printed materials, one scrapbook, and family photographs dating from circa 1883 to circa 1911, many by noted photographers Arnold Genthe, Frances Benjamin Johnston, Gertrude Käsebier, Edward Steichen, and Alfred Stieglitz. The scrapbook contains Caffin's columns for the New York American, 1913-1915.

Biographical information includes an autograph book, and a transcript and written summary of a 1973 interview with Caffin's daughter, Donna Layton, conducted by Wanda Corn and Deborah Loft concerning Charles Henry Caffin. The two letters found within the papers are written to Caroline Caffin. Printed material consists of play announcements, a play written by Charles Rann Kennedy, and excerpts from a 1974 published book on photography mentioning Caffin. 

Photographs are of the Caffin family, including Charles Henry, Caroline, Donna, Freda and Charles's mother Harlet. Also found are photographs of Ben Greet. Notable photographers include Arnold Genthe, Frances Benjamin Johnston, Gertrude Käsebier, Edward Steichen, and Alfred Stieglitz. There is one scrapbook containing Charles Henry Caffin's articles written for the New York American magazine from 1913-1915.