Lily Shuff papers
name: label: Creator
content: Shuff, Lily, 1906-
label: Names
content: National Society of Painters in Casein
label: Names
content: New York Society of Women Artists
label: Names
content: Capp, Al, 1909-1979
label: Names
content: Fabri, Ralph, 1894-1975
topic: label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- History -- New York (State)New York
label: Topic
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Women painters
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Lily Shuff donated her papers in 1975.
creator: label: Creator
content: Shuff, Lily, 1906-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Lily Shuff papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Lily Shuff papers date from 1941-1975 and measure 2.5 linear feet. Lily Shuff's work as a painter, participation in exhibitions, and contributions to professional arts organizations are documented in scrapbooks, printed material, biographical materials, correspondence, and photographs.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Painter Lily Shuff (1906-) lived and worked in New York City. She was educated at Hunter College and Columbia University, and studied at the Art Students League. She exhibited her work internationally and throughout the United States, but was especially active in New York City. Lily Shuff worked primarily in casein, watercolor, and oil, and painted abstract figurative and non-representational work. She had her first solo show at Argent Galleries in New York City in 1947.

Lily Shuff exhibited with and took on leadership roles in many professional associations. She was an active member of the New York Society of Women Artists, the National Society of Painters in Casein (which later became the National Society of Painters in Casein & Acrylic), and the National Association for Women. Lily Shuff also exhibited with the Brooklyn Arts Society and the Audubon Artists.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.5 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1941-1975
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.shuflily
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 5 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1945-1973 (Box 1; 3 folders)

Series 2: Letters, 1957-1974 (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 3: Printed materials, 1947-1974 (Box 1; 7 folders)

Series 4: Photographs, 1948-circa 1960 (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1941-1975 (Box 2-8; 2.1 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and finding aid prepared by Megan Bean in 2016.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Lily Shuff papers date from 1941-1975 and measure 2.5 linear feet. Lily Shuff's work as a painter, participation in exhibitions, and contributions to professional arts organizations are documented in scrapbooks, biographical materials, correspondence, and photographs. 

Biographical materials include Lily Shuff's awards from the Brooklyn Society of Artists, the American Society of Contemporary Artists, and the National Society of Painters in Casein; as well as biographical statements and resumes.

Letters include those written by Lily Shuff as Publicity Chair of the New York Society of Women Artists and associated mailing lists. Miscellaneous letters to Lily Shuff are found from friends and colleagues. Printed materials include clippings and exhibition files, and more materials of this nature are found within the scrapbooks.  The photographs series primarily contains black and white photographs of Lily Shuff's casein and oil paintings.

Lily Shuff's scrapbooks make up the bulk of the collection. The scrapbooks chronologically document her travelling exhibitions and artistic career from 1941 to 1975. In her scrapbooks, she assembled exhibition announcements and catalogs, exhibition indexes, newspaper and magazine clippings, printed material pertaining to professional affiliations, photographs, and letters. Letters within the scrapbooks include letters and telegrams from family and friends in support of her exhibitions and awards, including correspondence with Ralph Fabri, founder and president of the National Society of Painters in Casein; letters from institutions to which she donated or sold her work; and letters from those who admired her work, including comic artist Al Capp. Letters related to her participation in, role on the jury of, or awards for exhibitions are also present. Newspaper and magazine clippings which review her work or exhibitions are predominant. Many exhibitions documented in the scrapbooks were organized by the National Association of Women in the Arts, but Lily Shuff's numerous one man shows and participation with other associations are also included. Photographs within the scrapbooks depict the artist, her work, and exhibitions.