Henri Gallery records
name: label: Creator
content: Henri Gallery (Washington, D.C.)
label: Names
content: Abraham, Darryl
label: Names
content: Anderson, Harry
label: Names
content: Antin, Eleanor
label: Names
content: Bickley-Green, Cynthia
label: Names
content: Clements, Robert
label: Names
content: Edelson, Mary Beth
label: Names
content: Ehrsam, Henrietta, 1908-1996
label: Names
content: Exton, Leslie
label: Names
content: Greenly, Colin, 1928-
label: Names
content: Herbert, Mimi
label: Names
content: Ishida, Traute
label: Names
content: Kogelnik, Kiki
label: Names
content: Kohlmeyer, Ida, 1912-1997
label: Names
content: McGowin, Ed, 1938-
label: Names
content: Nakashima, Tom, 1941-
label: Names
content: Outerbridge, Graeme, 1950-
label: Names
content: Puryear, Martin, 1941-
label: Names
content: Scanga, Italo, 1932-2001
label: Names
content: Stackhouse, Robert
label: Names
content: Van Brunt, Philip
label: Names
content: Wilson, May, 1905-1986
topic: label: Topic
content: Color-field painting
label: Topic
content: Women art dealers
label: Topic
content: Washington Color School (Group of artists)
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Henri donated the Henri Gallery records in three accessions between 1980 - 1981.  Henri's daughter, Helen Schnoebelen donated additional records in 1996.
creator: label: Creator
content: Henri Gallery (Washington, D.C.)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Henri Gallery records
abstract: label: Summary
content: The records of Henri Gallery, a Washington, D.C. gallery that showed painters from the Washington Color School and emerging artists, measure 55.4 linear feet and date from circa early 1900s, 1940 to 1996, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1957 to 1995. The gallery's relationship with artists and clients, exhibitions, sales, and other business is documented in alphabetical files containing a wide variety of materials, including correspondence, sales records, printed materials, photographs, slides, and motion picture film. Additional correspondence, newspaper clippings, 114 exhibition posters, scattered drawings, illustrated cards, and photographic materials are also found in the collection.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Henrietta Springer Ehrsam (1908-1996), known as "Henri," was an art dealer who worked mainly in Alexandria, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Originally from Somerville, Massachusetts, Henri moved to the D.C. area in 1932. When her husband passed away in 1947, Henri began to support herself and her two young daughters. Henri and her partner Florie King opened a consignment shop called "Not New" on South Royal Street in Alexandria, where they sold clothing, antiques, accessories and decorative arts alongside works of art. In 1957, Henri opened her eponymous Henri Gallery in the same location.  

In the 1960s, Henri showed painters Gene Davis, Thomas Downing, and Howard Mehring of the Washington Color School. In the summer of 1967, Henri Gallery moved to 1500 21st Street NW, closer to the Dupont Circle art galleries in Washington, D.C. Henri showed many young and emerging artists, including Cynthia Bickley-Green, William Christenberry, Mary Beth Edelson, Ed McGowin, and Robert Stackhouse. In 1970, Henri opened a second location, Henri 2, at 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW to exhibit large scale works. In 1972, Henri 2 held Martin Puryear's first solo exhibition in the United States. Henri passed away in 1996 and both gallery locations closed shortly thereafter.
function: label: Function
content: Art galleries, Commercial -- Washington (D.C.)
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 55.4 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa early 1900s
label: Date
content: 1940-1996
label: Date
content: bulk 1957-1995
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.henrgall
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Illustrated letters
label: Type
content: Greeting cards
label: Type
content: Sketches
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 5 series.

Series 1: General Correspondence, 1949-1996 (2.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-3, 55-56)

Series 2: Alphabetical Files, 1947-1996 (50.3 linear feet; Boxes 3-52, 55-57, OV58, FC 62-63)

Series 3: Printed Materials, circa early 1900s, 1940-1995 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 52-53, 57, OVs 59-61)

Series 4: Artwork, 1952-circa 1996 (5 folders; Boxes 53, 57)

Series 5: Photographic Materials, 1940s-1981 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 53-54, 57)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Haug in 2012, with funding provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care Preservation Fund.


The Archives of American Art has implemented minimal processing tactics when possible in order to increase access to more of our collections. Minimal processing included arrangement to the series and folder levels. Generally, items within folders were simply verified with folder titles and dates, but not arranged further. Folder titles were transcribed from original folder headings or, to a much lesser extent, supplied by the processing archivist. The collection was rehoused in archival containers and folders. Staples and other fasteners were not removed, but correspondence was removed from envelopes and filed behind the envelope. Materials were removed from binders or damaged binding when necessary.


Materials with Social Security numbers were redacted with copies left in the collection. The original documents are maintained separately.

Motion picture film reels were inspected and re-housed in 2016 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund. 

Additional finding aid description of the film recordings was completed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2024.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Illustrated letters
label: Genre/Form
content: Greeting cards
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketches
label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The records of Henri Gallery, a Washington, D.C. gallery which showed painters from the Washington Color School and emerging artists, measure 55.4 linear feet and date from circa early 1900s, 1940 to 1996, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1957 to 1995. The gallery's relationship with artists and clients, exhibitions, sales, and other business is documented in alphabetical files containing a wide variety of materials, including correspondence, sales records, printed materials, photographs, slides, and motion picture film. Additional correspondence, newspaper clippings, 114 exhibition posters, scattered drawings, illustrated cards, and photographic materials are also found in the collection.


General Correspondence includes incoming business correspondence with artists, clients, galleries, and museums, regarding artwork, exhibitions, and other business issues. Also found here are holiday cards, handmade cards, and illustrated correspondence. 


The bulk of the records consist of Alphabetical Files contains materials regarding artists, clients, exhibitions, galleries, museums, and various subjects of interest, originally arranged alphabetically by folder title. Folders range in quantity and variety of materials, including correspondence, printed materials, photographs, sales and consignment records, resumes, price lists, and exhibition records. There are especially rich or extensive files for Darryl Abraham, Harry Anderson, Cynthia Bickley-Green, Robert Clements, Mary Beth Edelson, Leslie Exton, Colin Greenly, Mimi Herbert, Traute Ishida, Kiki Kogelnik, Ida Kohlmeyer, Ed McGowin, Tom Nakashima, Graeme Outerbridge, Martin Puryear, Italo Scanga, Robert Stackhouse, Philip Van Brunt, and May Wilson.  Of interest is the complete series of Eleanor Antin's 100 Boots postcards.


The bulk of Printed Materials are newspaper clippings regarding artists, exhibitions, and Henri Gallery. There are also 114 posters dating from 1959-1979 from Henri Gallery exhibitions and other galleries' exhibitions of artists in which the Henri Gallery represented. 


Artwork is comprised of loose drawings and sketches, many of Henri. Photographic Materials contains black and white photographs, scattered color photographs, snapshots, and slides of artwork, exhibitions, Henri, the galleries spaces, and the Not New shop. Most photographs are undated.