Oral history interview with Armand Hammer
name: label: Interviewee
content: Hammer, Armand, 1898-1990
label: Interviewer
content: Bowman, Ruth, 1923-
topic: label: Topic
content: Art -- Collectors and collecting -- United States -- Interviews
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
creator: label: Interviewee
content: Hammer, Armand, 1898-1990
label: Interviewer
content: Bowman, Ruth, 1923-
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Armand Hammer (1898-1990) was an art collector from Los Angeles, Calif.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Sound cassette (Sound recording)
label: Extent
content: 16 Pages (Transcript)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1980 Aug. 26
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.hammer80
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sound cassettes
label: Type
content: Pages
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Transcript available on microfilm reel 3197 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Audio may be available upon request pending review and approval by the Archives.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: An interview of Armand Hammer conducted 1980 Aug. 26, by Ruth Bowman, for the Archives of American Art.
label: Scope and Contents
content: Hammer speaks of his childhood, Russian ancestry, 1921 trip to Russia, and conversations with Lenin. He discusses his early business triumphs, the importing business, the origins of his fortune, the Hearst sale, and the beginnings of his art collection. Hammer comments on his interests and approaches in collecting art, philanthropic activities and some of his experiences in collecting.