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Rhode Island Archival and Manuscript Collections Online

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Rudolf Berliner and D. Graeme Keith records (23.3.4.1)

Rhode Island School of Design Archives

Fleet Library at RISD
2 College Street
Providence, RI 02903
Tel: 401-709-5922
Fax: 401-709-5932
email: risdarchives@risd.edu

Inventory

Series I. Correspondence
The Correspondence series, 1913-1960, documents loans, exhibitions, research, purchases, potential gifts and acquisitions, rough drafts of reports and talks, and the Museum Committee. Correspondents include donors, institutions, Museum employees, professional colleagues, and family members. Photographs, illustrations, receipts, inventories, letters, and reports document Berliner's trips to Europe and his health issues, the Edith Wetmore Room, the Lucy T. Aldrich Collection of Staffordshire Pottery, Cooper Union, and Berliner and Keith's interaction with Museum employees, trustees, donors, galleries, and other institutions. There is correspondence from Berliner's son Michael Bever, Directors Gordon Washburn, Roberta Alford, and John Maxon, and curator Eleanor Fayerweather (1958-1960) and Acting Curator Elizabeth T. Casey (1958). Berliner's correspondence is indexed. See Series V.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1 A - Miscellaneous
1946-1951
Box 1, Folder 2 A - Miscellaneous
1953-1959
Box 1, Folder 3 Abegg, Werner and Margaret
1946-1951
Box 1, Folder 4 Aldrich, Lucy T. and Winthrop
1947-1950
Box 1, Folder 5 Art Institute of Chicago
1951-1953
Box 1, Folder 6 B - Miscellaneous
1946-1952
Box 1, Folder 7 B - Miscellaneous
1953-1960
Box 1, Folder 8 Benisovich, Michel
1947-1951
Box 1, Folder 9 Berliner, Rudolf
1946-1949
Box 1, Folder 10 Berliner, Rudolf
1951-1955
Box 1, Folder 11 Boston, Museum of Fine Arts
1947-1954
Box 1, Folder 12 Brooklyn Museum
1946-1958
Box 1, Folder 13 Burg, Mrs. Margaret
1950-1952
Box 1, Folder 14 C - Miscellaneous
1947-1953
Box 1, Folder 15 C - Miscellaneous
1953-1959
Box 1, Folder 16 Cooper Union Museum
1947-1957
Box 1, Folder 17 D - Miscellaneous
1946-1952
Box 1, Folder 18 D - Miscellaneous
1953-1960
Box 1, Folder 19 Delmar, Emil
1946
Box 1, Folder 20 E - Miscellaneous
1941-1949
Box 1, Folder 21 E - Miscellaneous
1957-1960
Box 1, Folder 22 F - Miscellaneous
1946-1951
Box 2, Folder 1 F - Miscellaneous
1954-1960
Box 2, Folder 2 Fogg Museum of Art - Harvard
1950-1952
Box 2, Folder 3 de Frey, A. C.
1950-1951
Box 2, Folder 4 G - Miscellaneous
1946-1951
Box 2, Folder 5 G - Miscellaneous
1952-1959
Box 2, Folder 6 Garbaty, Eugene L.
1951-1952
Box 2, Folder 7 Greenleaf, Richard
1951-1953
Box 2, Folder 8 H - Miscellaneous
1946-1952
Box 2, Folder 9 H - Miscellaneous
1952-1959
Box 2, Folder 10 Hyde, James H.
1951-1952
Box 2, Folder 11 I - Miscellaneous
1946-1951
Box 2, Folder 12 I - Miscellaneous
1957-1959
Box 2, Folder 13 Ikle, Fred C.
1949-1952
Box 2, Folder 14 J - Miscellaneous
1948-1951
Box 2, Folder 15 J - Miscellaneous
1952-1959
Box 2, Folder 16 K - Miscellaneous
1946-1954
Box 2, Folder 17 K - Miscellaneous
1953-1960
Box 2, Folder 18 L - Miscellaneous
1946-1952
Box 2, Folder 19 L - Miscellaneous
1953-1959
Box 2, Folder 20 Lewandowsky, George
1947-1952
Box 2, Folder 21 Los Angeles County Museum
1954-1955
Box 2, Folder 22 M - Miscellaneous
1946-1952
Box 2, Folder 23 Metropolitan Museum of Art
1947-1954
Box 2, Folder 24 de Micheaux, Robert
1954
Box 2, Folder 25 Mooney, Kit
1947-1948
Box 2, Folder 26 N - Miscellaneous
1947-1949
Box 2, Folder 27 O - Miscellaneous
1948-1950
Box 2, Folder 28 O - Miscellaneous
1954-1958
Box 2, Folder 29 P - Miscellaneous
1947-1952
Box 3, Folder 1 R - Miscellaneous
1947-1951
Box 3, Folder 2 Rough Drafts
circa 1950-1952
Box 3, Folder 3 S - Miscellaneous
1947-1952
Box 3, Folder 4 Sharpe, Mrs. and Mrs. Henry D., Ellen
1913, 1947-1952
Box 3, Folder 5 Syz, Dr. Hans
1949
Box 3, Folder 6 T - Miscellaneous
1947-1948
Box 3, Folder 7 T - Miscellaneous
1956-1958
Box 3, Folder 8 Textile Museum, Washington D.C.
1951
Box 3, Folder 9 U - Miscellaneous
1948-1953
Box 3, Folder 10 U - Miscellaneous
1952-1953
Box 3, Folder 11 V - Miscellaneous
1947-1949
Box 3, Folder 12 W - Miscellaneous
1946-1952
Box 3, Folder 13 W - Miscellaneous
1953-1958
Box 3, Folder 14 Walters Art Gallery
1947-1952
Box 3, Folder 15 Weibel, Mrs. Adele
1950-1951
Box 3, Folder 16 Weinberger, Dr. Martin
1947-1952
Box 3, Folder 17 Westerfield, Mrs. Jason
1947-1950
Box 3, Folder 18 Wetmore, Miss. Edith
1935-1949
Box 3, Folder 19 Wetmore, Miss. Edith
1935-1939, 1949-1951
Box 3, Folder 20 Worcester Art Museum (Stout)
1952
Box 3, Folder 21 Y - Miscellaneous
1947-1951
Box 3, Folder 22 Y - Miscellaneous
1954-1958
Box 3, Folder 23 Z - Miscellaneous
1957

Series II. Dealer correspondence
The Dealer correspondence, 1946-1960, contains letters, receipts and invoices for works of art, deaccession records, and shipping records. Letters may document loans, purchases, proposed acquisitions, research, costs of works of art, and deaccessions. The Gimbels - Deaccessions, 1947-1948, folder documents the work of the Committee on Disposal and contains lists of objects to be sold through Gimbel Brothers (NYC). Organized by department, the lists include the accession number, object description, acquisition (donor or purchase), and the expected price. The correspondence is indexed. See Series V.

Container Description Date
Box 3, Folder 24 A - Miscellaneous
1951
Box 3, Folder 25 Ars Antiqua
1951
Box 3, Folder 26 Avigdor, Moustapha
1950
Box 3, Folder 27 B - Miscellaneous
1949-1955
Box 3, Folder 28 Berges, S.
1950-1952
Box 3, Folder 29 Berry-Hill
1947-1952
Box 3, Folder 30 Blumpka, Leopold
1946-1953
Box 4, Folder 1 C - Miscellaneous
1949-1954
Box 4, Folder 2 Carlebach Gallery
1950-1953
Box 4, Folder 3 Connoisseur
1947
Box 4, Folder 4 D - Miscellaneous
1951-1953
Box 4, Folder 5 Drey, F. A.
1951
Box 4, Folder 6 G - Miscellaneous
1951-1953
Box 4, Folder 7 Gans, Edward
1952-1953
Box 4, Folder 8 Gimbels - Deaccessions
1947-1948
Box 4, Folder 9 Haus, C. A.
1946-1952
Box 4, Folder 10 J - Miscellaneous
1952
Box 4, Folder 11 K - Miscellaneous
1951-1954
Box 4, Folder 12 Kelekian, Dikran G.
1950-1952
Box 4, Folder 13 L - Miscellaneous
1951-1956
Box 4, Folder 14 Loewi, Adolph
1953
Box 4, Folder 15 M- Miscellaneous
1946
Box 4, Folder 16 Morley, Charles L.
1947-1956
Box 4, Folder 17 R - Miscellaneous
1947-1951
Box 4, Folder 18 S - Miscellaneous
1947-1952
Box 4, Folder 19 Sack, Israel
1951-1953
Box 4, Folder 20 Schaeffer Galleries
1947
Box 4, Folder 21 Schatzki, Walter
1948
Box 4, Folder 22 Schulman, Hans
1947
Box 4, Folder 23 Silberman Galleries
1947-1952
Box 4, Folder 24 Stora, R.
1946-1952
Box 4, Folder 25 T - Miscellaneous
1951-1954
Box 4, Folder 26 V - Miscellaneous
1951-1952
Box 4, Folder 27 W - Miscellaneous
1951

Series III. Subject files
The Subject files include Museum Committee meeting records (1946-1960), inter-office memos (1946-1952), department reports (1946-1956), and sculpture photographs. The meeting records are primarily lists of gifts and rejected works with the curator's recommendation as well as a 1947 December 1 report of the future of the department written by Berliner. A separate file contains his 1948 February 26 report on the progress of the department. The exhibition records include correspondence, press releases, clippings, and ideas for future exhibitions. The inter-office memos from the Director and other staff document purchases, loans, budgets, travel, and staffing.

Container Description Date
Box 4, Folder 28 Committee Meetings
1946-1947
Box 4, Folder 29 Committee Meetings
1948
Box 4, Folder 30 Committee Meetings
1954
Box 4, Folder 31 Committee Meetings
1955-1960
Box 4, Folder 32 Exhibitions - General
1945-1958
Box 4, Folder 33 Exhibitions - Stieglitz (Worcester Show)
1949
Box 5, Folder 1 Exhibitions - Students
1947-1949, 1955
Box 5, Folder 2 Exhibitions - Textiles
1947
Box 5, Folder 3 Inter-Office
1946-1947
Box 5, Folder 4 Inter-Office
1948
Box 5, Folder 5 Inter-Office
1949
Box 5, Folder 6 Inter-Office
1950
Box 5, Folder 7 Inter-Office
1951
Box 5, Folder 8 Inter-Office
1952
Box 5, Folder 9 Miscellaneous Notes on Museum Objects
undated
Box 5, Folder 10 Pending Disposal
1948-1949
Box 5, Folder 11 Progress Report
1948 Feb 26
Box 5, Folder 12 Reports - Quarterly - Dec. Arts
1946-1948
Box 5, Folder 13 Reports - Semi-annual - Dec. Arts
1948-1956
Box 5, Folder 14 Sculpture - Photographs
circa 1952
Box 5, Folder 15 Textile Firms
1947

Series IV. Department files
The Department files is an artificial series comprised of records not found on the list of file cabinet contents (box 6, folder 23). The series includes correspondence, lists, photographs, and reports for the Rhode Island Treasures/Hobby Show (1939-1940), World of 1930s (1956) and Modern Interior Design (1957-1958) exhibitions, Rudolf Berliner's expenses for his 1952 trip to Europe, and the Wetmore Room donated to the Museum of Art by Edith Wetmore. Elizabeth T. Casey's correspondence (1930-1955) includes letters to Lucy T. Aldrich and accounts of Aldrich's loans to the Museum. Other records document routine administrative matters and gifts or metalwork (circa 1924-1939) and oriental art works (undated).

Container Description Date
Box 5, Folder 16 Basketry
undated
Box 5, Folder 17 Casey, Elizabeth T. - Letters
1930-1955
Box 5, Folder 18 Equipment
1949-1954
Box 5, Folder 19 European Trip Expenses (Berliner)
1952
Box 5, Folder 20 Ledgers (partial)
1950-1956
Box 5, Folder 21 Library Books
undated
Box 5, Folder 22 Manuscripts
1953
Box 5, Folder 23 Material for Card File
undated
Box 5, Folder 24 Material Used for Textile Design Class
undated
Box 5, Folder 25 Metalwork
circa 1924-1939
Box 5, Folder 26 Miscellaneous
1946-195-?
Box 5, Folder 27 Modern Interior Design Exhibition
1957-1958
Box 5, Folder 28 Mounting Materials
1950-1954
Box 6, Folder 1 Museum Notes - Subscriptions
1954-1956
Box 6, Folder 2 Museum Registrar - Receipts for Potential Gifts
1954
Box 6, Folder 3 New England Craft Exhibition
1954-1955
Box 6, Folder 4 New York Trip
1948 Oct 25
Box 6, Folder 5 Oriental Objects
undated
Box 6, Folder 6 Rhode Island Treasures / Hobby Show
1939-1940
Box 6, Folder 7 Textiles - Photographs
1934-1935, 195-
Box 6, Folder 8 Vittoria Bust
1955
Box 6, Folder 9 Wetmore Room
1947-1949, 1964
Box 6, Folder 10 World of 1930s Exhibition
1956

Series V. Indices
The Indices, 1947-1952, document incoming and outgoing correspondence chronologically. Each incoming letter has a number (for example, 47-112) and the responding outgoing letter has the same number. The indices list the number, date, correspondent, subject, and file location. The series includes an alphabetical index, 1947-1950, listing the correspondent and all corresponding letter numbers and separate alphabetical indices for 1951 and 1952. The is an accessions index, 1947-1949, listing by Museum Committee meeting date all accessions with number, description, price, dealer, gallery, or donor, and source of funds.

Container Description Date
Box 6, Folder 11 Indices
1947-1948 Jan
Box 6, Folder 12 Indices
1948 Jan-1949 Jan
Box 6, Folder 13 Indices
1949
Box 6, Folder 14 Indices
1950
Box 6, Folder 15 Indices - Alphabetical
1947-1950
Box 6, Folder 16 Indices
1951
Box 6, Folder 17 Indices
1952
Box 6, Folder 18 Visitors
1947-1949
Box 6, Folder 19 Museum Committee - Accessions
1947-1949
Box 6, Folder 20 Preliminary Accession Sheets
1947
Box 6, Folder 21 Theses Students
1947-1948
Box 6, Folder 22 Registrar Cards
1946-1947
Box 6, Folder 23 File Cabinet
undated