Philip Stein papers regarding David Alfaro Siqueiros
name: label: Creator
content: Stein, Philip, 1919-2009
label: Names
content: Siqueiros, David Alfaro, 1896-1974
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- Mexico
label: Topic
content: Muralists -- Mexico
label: Topic
content: Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Philip Stein papers regarding David Alfaro Siqueiros were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2015 by Anne Stein, daughter of Philip Stein.
creator: label: Creator
content: Stein, Philip, 1919-2009
setName: label: See more items in
content: Philip Stein papers regarding David Alfaro Siqueiros
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of muralist, writer, and activist Philip Stein regarding the Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros measure 3.8 linear feet and 3.88 GB and date from 1933 to 2012. The papers reflect Stein's relationship with Siqueiros as an art assistant and their shared commitment to leftist politics. Much of the material relates to Stein's book Siqueiros, His Life and Work (1994) and his first book The Mexican Murals (1984). Found are research materials, correspondence, interviews, printed and digital material, photographic materials, video and film recordings, writings about and by David Alfaro Siqueiros, and materials concerning Stein as a painter.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Artist, author and political activist, Philip Stein (1919-2009), also called "Estano," lived and worked in New York City, Mexico, and Spain. Stein worked as an assistant to muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros. Both men were committed to the Mexican Mural School of new-realism, painting exterior murals rather than easel paintings so art could be public and directed to the masses.

Stein was born in Newark, New Jersey and was a mostly self-taught artist, occasionally studying at local art schools. He served in the armed forces during World War II as a meteorologist, seeing action throughout Europe. After the war, he moved to California to paint movie sets. In 1948, Stein and his wife Gertrude moved to Mexico where he studied art on the GI Bill at The School of Fine Arts of San Miguel de Allende. There he met Siqueiros, an ardent communist, who had attempted to assasinate Leon Trotsky. Stein worked with Siqueiros on several murals in Mexico until Siqueiros' death in 1974.

Between 1953 and 1993 Stein occasionally exhibited in Mexico, New York City and Spain. One of Stein's best known murals is at the Village Vanguard club in New York City. His biography of Siqueiros, Siqueiros, His Life and Work was published in 1994. Stein died at home in Manhattan in 2009 at age 90.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3.8 Linear Feet
label: Extent
content: 3.88 Gigabytes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1933-2012
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.steiphil
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Gigabytes
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Video recordings
label: Type
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged in 7 series:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1934-2010 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Interviews, 1977-1994 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, 1937-2006 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 0.021 GB; ER01)

Series 4: Subject Files and Research Files, 1933-2009 (0.6 linear feet;Boxes 2-3)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1949-2009 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 2-3,5)

Series 6: Photographic Materials, 1933-2005 ( 0.5 linear Feet; Boxes 3-4, 0.011 GB; ER02)

Series 7: Sound, Video and Film Recorings, circa 1967-2012 (1.3 linear feet; Box 3, 4, FC 6-9, 3.85 GB; ER03-ER04)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection was processed and a finding aid prepared in 2015 by Harriet E. Shapiro. Motion picture film reels were inspected and re-housed in 2016 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund. Born-digital materials were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2019 with funding from Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Video recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of muralist, writer, and activist Philip Stein regarding the Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros measure 3.8 linear feet and 3.88 GB and date from 1933 to 2012. The papers reflect Stein's relationship with Siqueiros as an art assistant and their shared commitment to leftist politics. Much of the material relates to Stein's book Siqueiros, His Life and Work (1994) and his first book The Mexican Murals (1984). Found are research materials, correspondence, interviews, printed and digital material, photographic materials, video and film recordings, writings about and by David Alfaro Siqueiros, and materials concerning Stein as a painter.