Elise Asher papers
name: label: Creator
content: Asher, Elise, 1914-
label: Names
content: Bultman, Fritz, 1919-1985
label: Names
content: De Groot, Nanno, 1913-1964
label: Names
content: Frankenthaler, Helen, 1928-2011
label: Names
content: Guston, Philip, 1913-1980
label: Names
content: Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966
label: Names
content: Kunitz, Stanley, 1905-2006
label: Names
content: Mailer, Norman
label: Names
content: Motherwell, Robert
label: Names
content: Nevelson, Louise (1899-1988)
label: Names
content: Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970
label: Names
content: Stamos, Theodoros, 1922-1997
label: Names
content: Tworkov, Jack
label: Names
content: Vonnegut, Kurt
label: Names
content: Williams, William Carlos, 1883-1963
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Poets -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women painters
label: Topic
content: Women sculptors
label: Topic
content: Works of art
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Elise Asher papers were donated in 1975, 1976, 1989, 1990 and 1995 by the artist.
creator: label: Creator
content: Asher, Elise, 1914-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Elise Asher papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Elise Asher papers measure 1.6 linear feet and date from 1923 to 1994. The collection includes biographical material, letters, writings, works of art, business records, printed material, and photographs reflecting Asher's career as a poet, painter, and sculptor, and her friendships with many prominent artists of the mid-twentieth century.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1914, Elise Asher studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, Bradford Junior College, Boston College, and at Simmons College.

She began her career as a poet, culminating in a volume of her poetry entitled The Meandering Absolute. Upon her 1947 arrival in New York City, her attention turned to painting and sculpture. The Tanager Gallery mounted her first solo exhibition in 1953.

Asher was married to painter Nanno de Groot from 1949 to 1957. A year later she married poet Stanley Kunitz, whose work she often illustrated.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1.6 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1923-1994
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.asheelis
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Christmas cards
label: Type
content: Illustrated letters
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Slides (photographs)
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into seven series according to material type. The contents of each folder have been arranged chronologically.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1923-1976 (box 1, 1 folder)

Series 2: Letters, 1941-1988, undated (box 1, 2 folders)

Series 3: Business Records, 1955-1988, undated (box 1, 43 folders)

Series 4: Writings, 1973-1979, undated (box 1, 4 folders)

Series 5: Artwork, undated (box 1, 2 folders)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1929-1994, undated (boxes 1-3, 30 folders)

Series 7: Photographs, 1951-1973, undated (box 2, 5 folders)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The bulk of the collection was processed by Jean Fitzgerald in 1994. The 1995 donation (in box 3) was integrated into the collection during conversion to in 2002. Partial microfilming of the Elise Asher papers was completed with funds provided by the Helena Rubinstein Foundation.
altformavail: label: Alternative Forms Available
content: Portions of this collection are available on 35 mm microfilm reels 4938-4939 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Christmas cards
label: Genre/Form
content: Illustrated letters
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Slides (photographs)
scopecontent: label: Scope and Content Note
content: The Elise Asher papers, 1923-1994, measure 1.6 linear feet and reflect Asher's career as a poet, painter, and sculptor, and her friendships with many of the more prominent artists of the mid-twentieth century. The collection contains biographical material, letters, writings, works of art, business records, printed material, and photographs.

Notable correspondents found in the collection include Fritz Bultman, Helen Frankenthaler, Philip Guston, Hans Hofmann, Norman Mailer, Robert Motherwell, Louise Nevelson, Mark Rothko, Theodoros Stamos, Jack Tworkov, and Kurt Vonnegut.