Holly Solomon Gallery records
name: label: Creator
content: Holly Solomon Gallery
label: Names
content: 98 Green St. Loft
label: Names
content: Anderson, Laurie, 1947-
label: Names
content: MacConnel, Kim
label: Names
content: Paik, Nam June, 1932-
label: Names
content: Patkin, Izhar
label: Names
content: Solomon, Holly, 1934-2002
label: Names
content: Wegman, William
label: Names
content: Zucker, Joe, 1941-
topic: label: Topic
content: Visitors' books
label: Topic
content: Photographs
label: Topic
content: Notebooks
label: Topic
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
label: Topic
content: Video art
label: Topic
content: Performance art
label: Topic
content: Women art dealers
label: Topic
content: Conceptual art
label: Topic
content: Pattern and decoration (Art movement)
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated in 2010 by Thomas and John Solomon, Holly Solomon's sons.
creator: label: Creator
content: Holly Solomon Gallery
setName: label: See more items in
content: Holly Solomon Gallery records
abstract: label: Summary
content: The records of Holly Solomon Gallery, a New York City gallery specializing in contemporary American art, measure 200.6 linear feet and 0.002 GB and date from circa 1948-2003. The gallery's activities are documented through dealer files, subject files, artists' files, inventories, sales and loan records, administrative and financial records, printed and digital materials, photographic materials of artwork and exhibitions, and sound, video, and film recordings. Also found are records of the alternative space, 98 Greene Street Loft, as well as Holly Solomon's personal papers.
bioghist: label: Historical Note
content: The Holly Solomon Gallery (est. 1975, closed 1999) was established by Holly Solomon and her husband, Horace Solomon, at 392 West Broadway in New York City's SoHo area. The gallery focused on contemporary art and represented artists such as William Wegman, Nam June Paik, Laurie Anderson, and Robert Kushner. In 1983, the gallery moved uptown to 724 Fifth Avenue, but returned to SoHo in the early 1990s with a new location at 172 Mercer Street. The gallery closed in 1999 due to disputes with the building's landlord, but Holly Solomon continued to deal art out of the Chelsea Hotel until her death.

Holly Solomon (1934-2002) was born Hollis Dworken in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She attended Vassar College and later transferred to Sarah Lawrence College, graduating in 1955. She married Horace Solomon in 1953. An aspiring stage actress, Holly Solomon was enrolled at Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio shortly after moving to Manhattan. Although her acting career did not take off in the way she hoped, Solomon discovered another avenue for success when she and her husband, both fans of the Pop Art movement, began collecting works of art. In 1969 the couple opened an alternative work and performance space for artists named 98 Greene Street Loft. The space provided a venue for poets, actors, and artists to work and perform. In collaboration with Bert Spielvogel, Solomon wrote and produced 98.5, a five-part documentary highlighting artists who performed at the space. 98.5 was shown at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 1972. 98 Greene Street Loft closed in 1973. Holly Solomon was a notable proponent of the Pattern and Decoration, or "P and D", art movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many of the artists featured in her gallery were involved in the P and D movement including Robert Kushner, Kim MacConnel, Ned Smyth, and Brad Davis.
function: label: Function
content: Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 192.3 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 0.002 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1948-2003
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.hollsolg
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Diaries
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Daybooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 14 series:

Series 1: Alphabetical Files, 1991-2001 (Boxes 1-9; 8.5 linear feet)

Series 2: Dealer Files, 1980-1990 (Box 9-10; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 3: Subject Files, circa 1975-2002 (Boxes 11-25; 15.0 linear feet)

Series 4: Artists' Files, circa 1975-2002 (Boxes 26-47; 22.0 linear feet)

Series 5: Inventory Records, 1975-2001 (Boxes 48-66, 157-162, 242; 16.7 linear feet)

Series 6: Administrative Records, circa 1980-2003 (Boxes 67-81, OV 202; 15.1 linear feet)

Series 7: Sales and Loan Records, circa 1975-2001 (Boxes 82-87; 6.0 linear feet)

Series 8: Financial and Legal Records, circa 1969-2001 (Boxes 88-114, 191, 192; 27.7 linear feet)

Series 9: Printed Material, circa 1968-2002 (Boxes 115-135, 193-194, OV 203-222, RD 223; 23.5 linear feet)

Series 10: Photographic Material, circa 1969-2000 (Boxes 136-156, 194-196, 201, OV 224; 22.2 linear feet)

Series 11: 98 Greene Street Loft, circa 1969-1973 (Boxes 166-169, 194, FC 197-200, FC 228-236, OV 225-227; 5.6 linear feet)

Series 12: Holly Solomon Personal Papers, circa 1948-2002 (Boxes 170-182, 194, FC 237-241; 13.6 linear feet)

Series 13: Sound and Video Recordings, circa 1966-2001 (Boxes 183-190; 7.6 linear feet)

Series 14: Born-Digital Records, (ER01-ER04; 0.002 GB)

The collection has been minimally arranged into series based on the found arrangement upon receipt, assumed to be the original arrangement of the gallery. Folders have been arranged within series and general folder contents verified, but in most cases, item level arrangement has not been completed.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was minimally processed and a finding aid prepared by Erin Kinhart, Caitlin Lampman, and Rachel Rosenfeld in 2011. Motion picture film reels were inspected and re-housed in 2016-2017 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund. Born-digital materials were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2020 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Daybooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Content Note
content: The records of Holly Solomon Gallery, a New York City gallery specializing in contemporary American art, measure 200.6 linear feet and 0.002 GB and date from circa 1948-2003. The gallery's activities are documented through alphabetical files, dealer files, subject files, artists' files, inventories, sales and loan records, administrative and financial records, printed and digital materials, photographic materials of artwork and exhibitions, and sound, video, and film recordings. Also found are records of the alternative space, 98 Greene Street Loft, as well as Holly Solomon's personal papers.

Alphabetical files span from 1991-2000 and contain correspondence with clients, galleries, and museums, as well as related documentation regarding loans, inquiries, sales, exhibitions, and travel plans. These general files were maintained separately from the gallery's subject and artists' files but may overlap in subject matter.

The dealer files contain gallery correspondence to and from art dealers regarding inquiries on works and artists. These files are sparse and particular to the early 1980s. Subject files are mainly comprised of correspondence but also include printed materials, slides, and other related documents. Subjects include dealers, organizations, museums, clients, art fairs, travel, and projects that the gallery or Holly Solomon worked with.

Artists' files consist of correspondence, printed material, slides, photographs, and scattered inventory records, regarding the sale of artwork, as well as shipping records and insurance claims. Also included is correspondence between the gallery and the artist. There is substantial documentation on artists Kim MacConnel, Nam June Paik, Izhar Patkin, William Wegman, and Joe Zucker. Inventory records include inventory lists created by Holly Solomon Gallery as well as an art inventory card file. Inventory cards note the title, date, and size of the work as well as the dates and movements of the work, and may include a photograph. Some documents are also found in digital format in series 14, Born-digital records.

Administrative records contain general office materials such as phone messages books, staff notebooks, exhibition guest books, and business diaries, exhibition documentation, notes, and mail from prospective artists. Records primarily cover the 1980s and 1990s. In addition to business diaries, Holly Solomon also created "Dear Diary" binders which contain a collection of contact information and notes on clients and events. Some of these diaries were maintained for specific events. Some documents are also found in digital format in series 14, Born-digital records.

Sales and loan records consist of in and out sheets, consignments, and sales invoices. Also in this series are sales and loan logs and files that track the same information but from different access points, including sales by artist. Financial records document the financial activities of the galleries, apart from sales, and include shipping records, tax and insurance information, and accounting statements and reports. Also in this series are sales and loan logs and files that track the same information but from different access points, including sales by artist. Some documents are also found in digital format in series 14, Born-digital records.

Printed material consists of artist clippings, gallery exhibition catalogs, press releases, posters, and miscellaneous books, magazines, and clippings regarding the gallery. Included are clippings pertaining to the Pattern and Design art movement. Photographic material includes photographs and slides documenting artists' work and gallery exhibitions. Sound, video, and film recordings include artworks created by gallery artists, performances recorded live at the gallery, and the publicity Holly Solomon, the gallery and its artists received. The work of video artist Nam June Paik is highly represented through some of his video artworks, as well as television interviews with him. Prominent artists William Wegman and Laurie Anderson are also represented through original artworks and publicity. Publicity videos include Holly Solomon herself, being interviewed for television and documentaries.

The records of 98 Greene Street Loft include a large quantity of sound, video, and film recordings of poetry readings, live music, art, and theatrical performances that took place from 1971-1973, as well as scattered paper records such as play scripts, photographs, a guest book from 1971, printed material, and posters.

Holly Solomon's personal papers consist of biographical documents, correspondence, memorabilia, printed material, motion picture film, and photographs collected by Holly Solomon throughout her life. Included are school records, letters, notes and cards from friends and artists she represented at her gallery, photographs, invitations, event fliers, and other mementos. Printed material, mostly magazines and newspapers document her accomplishments. 

Sound and video recordings include recordings collected by the Holly Solomon Gallery documenting the gallery itself and the artists it represented. Recordings include artworks created by gallery artists, performances recorded live at the gallery, and the publicity Holly Solomon, the gallery and its artists received. The recordings range from before the gallery's opening in 1975 until after its closure in 2002, with most recordings coming out of the 80s and 90s. The work of video artist Nam June Paik is highly represented within the series through some of his actual video artworks, as well as through numerous documentaries and television interviews with him. Prominent artists William Wegman and Laurie Anderson are both represented through original artworks and publicity.

Born-digital records consist of documents recovered from floppy discs included in the collection.