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Frank L. Hohmann Collection on Harriet Whitney Frishmuth

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Hohmann, Frank L.
Title: Frank L. Hohmann Collection on Harriet Whitney Frishmuth
Inclusive Dates: 1937-2006
Bulk Dates: 2001-2006
Quantity: 2.5 linear ft.
Abstract: photography of the works of Harriet Whitney Frishmuth and additional documentation assembled for the publication of Captured Motion, the catalogue raissoné of her sculpture; includes a 1937 exhibit brochure from Brookgreen Gardens
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Harriet W. Frishmuth (1880-1980) was an American sculptor. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 1880, she studied art in Paris under Rodin and Injalbert, in Berlin under Euchteitz and at the Art Students' League under Borglum and McNeil, where she was awarded the St. Gaudens first prize. Her work has been exhibited at the National Academy of Design, the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, the Salon in Paris, the San Francisco Exposition (1939-1940) and the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors.

Frishmuth received several awards from the National Academy of Design, a prize from the Grand Central Art Galleries, an honorable mention from the San Francisco Exposition and the Joan of Arc Silver Medal from the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors.

Frank Hohmann III is a leading collector of Frishmuth's sculpture and the author of Captured Motion, a comprehensive examination of Frishmuth's life and work. The book contains details on all 155 of her sculpture pieces, photographs, essays about her life and work, a catalogue of works and a chronology.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Frank L. Hohmann Collection on Harriet Whitney Frishmuth consists of subject files, photographs and writings assembled for the publication of Hohmann's Captured Motion, the catalogue raisonné of the sculpture of Harriet Whitney Frishmuth.

Subejct files includes correspondence (most with various galleries and collectors, about requests for photographs of Frishmuth works in their holdings), exhibit material (including "Small Bronzes" full catalog and a 1937 brochure from a Frishmuth exhibit at Brookgreen Gardens), some paperwork for Sotheby's cataloguing previews, and a small amoung of miscellaneous research and reference material such as chronologies and photocopies of articles.

Photographs are almost all color transparencies. Almost all are labeled; they remain sorted in their original groupings, which seems to be by how they were used (for example, "used by Katy in preliminary design"). Included here are also several binders, one of which appears to be the layout or working copy for the catalog section of Captured Motion, with color printouts of transparencies and many post-it and handwritten annotations.

Writings contains the typescript for two essays that appeared in the book, one by Thayer Tolles and the other with no author given..

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Arrangement of the Collection

Alphabetical by subject.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Published editions of Captured Motion have been transferred to Rare Books for cataloging.

See also the Harriet Whitney Frishmuth Papers.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Frishmuth, Harriet Whitney, 1880-1980.
Hohmann, Frank L.
Tolles, Thayer.

Corporate Bodies

Brookgreen Gardens.

Subjects

Art, American -- 20th century.
Art, American.
Photography of art.
Photography of sculpture.
Sculptors -- United States.
Sculpture, American -- 20th century.
Sculpture, American.
Women artists -- United States.
Women sculptors -- United States.

Genres and Forms

Catalogues raisonnés.
Color transparencies.
Correspondence.
Exhibition catalogs.
Manuscripts for publication.
Photographs.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Frank L. Hohmann Collection on Harriet Whitney Frishmuth,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Frank Hohmann, 2012.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MRC
Date: 21 May 2012
Revision history:

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Inventory

Subject files
Box 1 Correspondence 1977, 2001-2006 - includes corespondence with other galleries regarding requests for photographs of her work, some with actual photographs or transparencies
Box 1 Exhibit material 1937, 1989, 2001-2002
brochure from Brookgreen Gardens exhibit, 1937; flier from Chicago International Antiques show, 1989; small flier and full catalog from "Small Bronzes" exhibit at the Kennedy Museum of Art, 2002-2002
Box 1 "Sotheby's cataloguing preview" data sheets and photographs 2004?
Box 1 Miscellaneous - chronology, list of models, printouts of articles, printouts of color photographs
Photographs
Box 1 "4x5 use in production of book" - transparencies
Box 1 "8x10 and 2¼ x 2¼ used in book" - transparencies
Box 1 "used by Katy in preliminary design" - transparencies
Oversize 1 Binder, dark red, "Works by Harriet Frishmuth in the collection of Frank Hohmann / one complete set of reference transparencies assembled 2/02 for use by Thayer Tolles / Photographs by Jerry L. Thompson 2001-2" - transparencies
Oversize 1 Binder, black, "Frishmuth images catalogue section" - a few actual photographs but most are color printouts; heavily annotated with post-it and other notes; includes CD-ROM labeled "Christie's images"
Oversize 1 Binders, white, untitled - transparencies (3 binders)
Oversize 2 Box, "Frishmuth to deliver 2/24/01 / pictures made 2/12 through 2/16 / plus EXTRAS from 3rd session delivered 1/22/02 / complete reference set removed for Thayer Tolles 2/3/02 J.T." - transparencies
Oversize 2 Box, "Frishmuth extras / second session 4/01 / Larger pieces incl. Bubble Dancer / complete reference set removed for Thayer Tolles 2/4/02 J.T." - transparencies
Box 1 Miscellaneous - loose pages of transparencies, individually labeled but not labeled as a whole as to what they were used for
Writings
Box 1 Art as the True Expression of Life, by Thayer Tolles
Box 1 Harriet Whitney Frishmuth and her Foundries

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