Henry Botkin papers
name: label: Creator
content: Botkin, Henry, 1896-1983
label: Names
content: Artists Equity Association
label: Names
content: Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors
label: Names
content: Gallery 256 (Provincetown, Mass.)
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Occupation
content: Painters -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Papers were lent for microfilming from 1969 to 1982 by Henry Botkin, his son Glenn Botkin, and his assistant Rene Barilleaux.
creator: label: Creator
content: Botkin, Henry, 1896-1983
setName: label: See more items in
content: Henry Botkin papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of painter Henry Botkin measure 3 linear feet, date from circa 1927-1982, and illustrate his career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, personal business records, printed and photographic material, and artwork.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Henry Botkin (1896-1983) was a painter who worked primarily in New York. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and trained at both the Massachusetts School of Art and the Art Students League before moving to New York City. While in New York, Botkin worked as an illustrator for Harper's, The Saturday Evening Post, and Century magazine. In the early 1920s he moved to Paris to begin exploring Impressionism as a painting style. Botkin is known for painting the theater, still lifes, and landscapes. He is also known for his paintings of Black people in the South Carolina low country which have faced criticism about their lack of social realism. Botkin returned to New York in 1930, married his wife Rhoda Lehman, and in 1934 became an art agent to his cousin art collector George Gershwin and others. 

In the late 1930s, Botkin switched to the abstract painting style in oils, and took an active role in bringing the style to public attention. He became part of the Artist's Equity Association, The American Abstract Artists Group 256 in Provincetown, and the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors where he served as president from 1957-1961.

In 1955, Botkin put together the first exhibition of American abstract art at the Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, Japan and organized the sale of five hundred and forty paintings at the Whitney Museum in New York in 1959. Botkin participated in various public events and programs and taught privately in New York, California, and Provincetown, Massachusetts. In the early 1950s Botkin began working with collages which became his main art form until his death. Botkin died in 1983 at the age of eigthy-seven in New York City.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1927-1982
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.botkhenr
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Sound recordings
label: Type
content: Interviews
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection consists of seven series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1945-1972 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1928-1979 (.2 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1936-1977 (.3 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, circa 1927-1977 (.6 Linear feet: Boxes 1-2)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1927-1982 (.8 Linear feet: Box 2)

Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1928-1977 (.9 Linear feet: Boxes 3-5)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1965-1967 (.1 Linear feet: Box 5)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared, by Allessandra Liberati in 2023.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Portions of the collection and material lent for microfilming are available on 35mm microfilm reels D388, N69-67, N69-68, N69-91, N70-25, N70-68, 2895-2897, and 4314 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Sound recordings
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Henry Botkin papers measure 3 linear feet and date from circa 1927-1982. Biographical materials include multiple interviews with Botkin, one of which is for the Today Show, membership cards for the Audubon Artists and Artists Equity Association, and Botkin's resume. Correspondence is with George Gershwin, Syracuse University, and others. Writings include autobiographical writings, lectures and speeches by Botkin, artwork reviews of Botkin's art, and miscellaneous writings by others. Personal business records consist of materials regarding various professional organizations, materials on Judy Cimaglia, materials on Botkin's daughter Toinette (Botkin) Laurent, and other business records. Printed material includes exhibition announcements and catalogs, press releases, and picture postcards. Photographic material consists of photographs of Botkin, his wife Rhoda Lehman, friends and family, and various exhibitions. Artwork includes pieces by Botkin and others.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Henry Botkin papers also held at Syracuse University.
separatedmaterial: label: Separated Materials
content: The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels D388, N69-67, N69-68, N69-91, N70-25, N70-68, 2895-2897, and 4314) including biographical material, letters, notes, writings, business records, artworks, scrapbook pages, printed material, and photographs, from 1969-1982. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.