mss0556.xml Finding aid for Mary Bartlett Cowdrey papers1834–1963(bulk dates 1930–1954) University of Delaware Library, Special Collections University of Delaware Library
Newark, Delaware 19717-5267 Phone: 302-831-2229 Fax: 302-831-6003 URL: http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/
Date encoded (2009 January 21) Finding aid encoded 2009 January 21 English Mary Bartlett Cowdrey papers 1834–1963(bulk dates 1930–1954) Special Collections, University of Delaware Library
Newark, Delaware 19717-5267 Phone: 302-831-2229 Fax: 302-831-6003 URL: http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/
 Cowdrey, Mary Bartlett, 1910-1974. Mary Bartlett Cowdrey papers 1834–1963 1930–1954 MSS 556 9 linear feet (9 boxes) The papers of American art historian Mary Bartlett Cowdrey comprise nine linear feet of notes; correspondence; manuscripts of published and unpublished books and articles; engravings and lithographs from published sources; photographs of paintings and engravings; postcards; clippings from books, exhibition catalogs, magazines, and newspapers, for approximately 1,600 American artists active during the eighteenth through early twentieth centuries. The collection is arranged in five series that roughly correspond to Cowdrey's publishing and research projects. Materials entirely in English. University of Delaware Library - Special Collections Source

Transfer from University of Delaware Art History Department, 1999.

 Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

 Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library, http://www.lib.udel.edu/cgi-bin/askspec.cgi

 Citation

MSS 556, Mary Bartlett Cowdrey papers, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.

 Shelving Summary Boxes 1-9: Shelved in SPEC MSS record center cartons Processing

Processed by Marina Dobronovskaya, March 2007; revised and encoded by Teresa K. Nevins, January 2009.

 Biographical Note

Mary Bartlett Cowdrey (1910–1974) had a long career as an art historian, archivist, and curator. She graduated from the New Jersey College for Women (later Douglass College) at Rutgers University in 1933, and spent the next two years studying at the University of London in Great Britain, where she conducted research in philosophy and aesthetics.

Cowdrey held a variety of positions in prominent cultural institutions, starting as an assistant in the exhibits department at the Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey, in 1935. She worked as registrar at the Brooklyn Museum (1940–1942); curator of prints at the New York Historical Society (1943); curator of paintings at the Old Print Shop/Harry Shaw Newman Gallery in New York (1943–1949); curator, assistant director, and acting director of the Smith College Museum of Art (1949–1955); New York area archivist for the Archives of American Art of the Detroit Institute of Art (1955–1961); and curator of prints for the New Jersey Historical Society in Newark (1961-1962). She also belonged to the American Museum Association, Long Island Historical Society, Bibliographical Society of America, and the College Art Association.

Cowdrey wrote numerous articles and reviews in the field of nineteenth century art. She contributed to American Collector, Antiques ,Dictionary of American Biography, Art in America, Panorama, The Old Print Shop portfolio, and several other publications. She is responsible for compiling the National Academy of Design Exhibition Record, 1820-1860 (New York: Printed for the New York Historical Society, 1943) and the American Academy of Fine Arts and American Art-Union Exhibition Record, 1816-1852 (New York: New York Historical Society, 1953). These two-volume sets are considered important references sources for information on paintings and engravings in America. In 1963 Cowdrey completed A History of American Painting and Sculpture, 1700-1713 for the National Park Service. She also served as author and co-author of several books and exhibition catalogs on artists, including George H. Durrie, William Sidney Mount, Fanny Palmer, and Winslow Homer.

Who's Who in American Art. New York & London: R.R. Bowker Company, 1966. p. 90.Who's Who of American Women. Chicago: Marquis-Who’s Who, 1965. p. 221.Rutgers University Special Collections and University Archives. "COWDREY, Mary Bartlett, 1910-1974." http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/libs/scua/womens_fa/wfa_c_d.shtml (accessed March 29, 2007). Additional biographical information derived from the collection.

 Scope and Content Note

The papers of American art historian Mary Bartlett Cowdrey comprise nine linear feet of notes; correspondence; manuscripts of published and unpublished books and articles; engravings and lithographs from published sources; photographs of paintings and engravings; postcards; clippings from books, exhibition catalogs, magazines, and newspapers, for approximately 1,600 American artists active during the eighteenth through early twentieth centuries. The collection is arranged in five series that roughly correspond to Cowdrey's publishing and research projects.

Series I. National Academy of Design; American Academy of Fine Arts; American Art-Union Exhibition Record is the largest segment of the collection. The series is divided into three subseries which correspond to the chronological periods before 1820s, 1800s–1890, and late 1800s–1930. Within each period, general alphabetical files (A - F, etc.) are followed by individual files alphabetized by the artist's last name. The files include information on more than 1,200 American artists and 12,000 works of art, which Cowdrey collected to write her books National Academy of Design Exhibition Record, 1820-1860 and American Academy of Fine Arts and American Art-Union Exhibition Record, 1816-1852. For these projects, she selected artists who displayed their work at the three major annual art exhibitions held during the nineteenth century in New York City at the National Academy of Design, the American Academy of Fine Arts, and the American Art-Union. Cowdrey continued to use the files for other projects, such as preparing exhibition catalogs for individual artists like George H. Durrie, William Sidney Mount, Fanny Palmer, and Winslow Homer. Materials in this series include Cowdrey’s notes and correspondence; photographs of paintings and engravings; postcards; and clippings from books, exhibition catalogs, magazines, and newspapers. Other visual materials include engravings and lithographs published in the periodicals The New Mirror, Harper’s Bazaar, The Christian Diadem and Family Keepsake, and The Columbian Magazine, as well as a number of nineteenth-century books. The bulk of this series dates from 1940 to 1954, and items from this era include exhibition catalog records, articles, information about owners, and pricelists. Cowdrey corresponded with museums, libraries, private galleries, art historians, and private owners to attribute and identify works of art.

Series II. comprises Cowdrey’s unpublished manuscript National Academy of Design Exhibition Record, 1861-1890, which she completed in 1965. Intended to be a continuation of her earlier work, National Academy of Design Exhibition Record, 1820-1860, the manuscript includes 3,700 artists and 27,000 entries, making it a more comprehensive survey than the similar volume published by M. Naylor in 1973.

Series III. is a draft of the manuscript A History of American Painting and Sculpture, 1700-1913. The National Park Service commissioned this work as a part of a project for the National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings. The purpose of the project was to assemble a list of sites connected to celebrated American artists. Only two copies were issued, and the National Park Service possesses both.

Series IV. Writing and Publicity combines two groups of materials. The first group comprises clippings from publications and articles in manuscript form that Mary Cowdrey wrote between 1936–1965 for a variety of publications, including exhibit catalogs, art magazines, bulletins, and books. The second group is composed of press publicity devoted to Cowdrey.

Series V. English Art is composed mainly of engravings from published sources and photographs of British paintings and engravings, with some notes and articles interspersed among the visual materials. Cowdrey began collecting this material while studying at the University of London in 1934–1935, and continued her efforts after her return to the United States.

The Mary Bartlett Cowdrey papers offer valuable insight into the research methods of a prominent American art historian and curator, as well as providing a wealth of information gathered over many years concerning the exhibition history of American artists in the nineteenth-century.

Arrangement

I. National Academy of Design; American Academy of Fine Arts; American Art-Union Exhibition RecordI.A. American Artists, active before 1820sI.B. American Artists, active 1800s–1890s I.C. American Artists, active late 1800s–1930II. National Academy of Design Exhibition Record, 1861-1890III. History of American Painting and Sculpture, 1700-1913IV. Writing and publicity (by years) V. English Art

 Selected Search Terms Personal Names Cowdrey, Mary Bartlett, 1910-1974.Durrie, George Henry, 1820-1863.Homer, Winslow, 1836-1910.Mount, William Sidney, 1807-1868.Palmer, F. (Fanny), 1812-1876. Corporate Names American Academy of the Fine Arts. American Art-Union.National Academy of Design (U.S.) Topical Terms Art, American--Exhibitions--History. Art, American--19th century--Indexes.Art, Modern--19th century--Indexes. Painting, American--Exhibitions--History. Form/Genre Terms Black-and-white photographs. Clippings (information artifacts) Correspondence. Engravings (prints)Exhibition catalogs.Lithographic engravings (prints)Picture postcards. Detailed Contents List Series I.National Academy of Design; American Academy of Fine Arts; American Art-Union Exhibition Recordcirca 1790–19541940–1954

This series is divided into three subseries corresponding to the chronological periods before 1820s, 1800s-1890, and late 1800s-1930. Within each period, general alphabetical files (A - F, etc.) are followed by individual files alphabetized by the artist's last name. These files include information on more than 1,200 American artists and 12,000 works of art, which Cowdrey collected to write her books National Academy of Design Exhibition Record, 1820-1860 and American Academy of Fine Arts and American Art-Union Exhibition Record, 1816-1852.

 Subseries I.A.American Artists, active before 1820s

This subseries includes artists selected by Cowdrey who were active before the 1820s and displayed their work at the three major annual art exhibitions held during the nineteenth century in New York City at the National Academy of Design, the American Academy of Fine Arts, and the American Art-Union.

1F1A – F 1F2G – P 1F3R – W 1F4Badger, Joseph 1F5Blackburn, Joseph 1F6Cooper, J (J. F.) 1F7Copley, John Singleton, 1738-1815 1F8Earl, Ralph, 1751-1801 1F9Feke, Robert, ca. 1705-1750 1F10Hesselius, Gustavus, 1682-1755 1F11Houdon, Jean Antoine, 1741-1828 1F12Malbone, Edward Greene, 1777-1807 1F13Pratt, Matthew, 1734-1805 1F14Sharples, James, 1752-1811 1F15Smibert, John, 1688-1751 1F16Theus, Jeremiah, ca. 1719-1774 1F17Wollaston, John, 1710-1775? 1F18Wright, Joseph, 1756-1793 Subseries I.B.American Artists, active 1800s–1890

This subseries includes artists selected by Cowdrey who were active during the period 1800s-1890, and displayed their work at the three major annual art exhibitions held during the nineteenth century in New York City at the National Academy of Design, the American Academy of Fine Arts, and the American Art-Union.

1F19A 1F20B – Bl 1F21Bo – Bu 1F22C – Ch 1F23Cl – Cus 1F24D – De 1F25Di – Du 1F26E 2F27F 2F28G 2F29H – He 2F30Hi – Ho 2F31Hu – J 2F32K 2F33L 2F34M – Me 2F35Mi – Mu 2F36N – O 2F37P – Pee 2F38Pel – Pr 2F39Q – Ri 2F40Rob – Sa 2F41Sc – Spe 3F42Sta – Swo 3F431T – U 3F44V – Wa 3F45Web – Wim 3F46Win – Y 3F47Allston, Washington, 1779-1843 3F48Ames, Ezra, 1768-1836 3F49Audubon, John James, 1785-1851 3F50Bartlett, W. H. (William Henry), 1809-1854 3F51Beard Family 3F52Benett, William James, 1787-1844 3F53Bierstadt, Albert, 1830-1902 3F54Bingham, George Caleb, 1811-1879 3F55Birch, Thomas, 1779-1851 3F56Blythe, David Gilmour, 1815-1865 3F57Bodmer, Karl, 1809-1893 3F58Bonaparte, Charlotte, princess, 1802-1839 3F59Brady, Mathew B., 1823 (ca.)-1896 3F60Browere, Albertis D. O., 1814-1887 3F61Bullard, O. A. (Otis Allen), 1816-1853 3F62Buttersworth, James Edward, 1817-1894 3F63Buttre, John Chester, 1821-1893 3F64Carpenter, F. B. (Francis Bicknell), 1830-1900 3F65Catherwood, Frederick, 1799-1854 3F66Catlin, George, 1796-1872 3F67Chambers, Thomas, 1808?-ca. 1866 3F68Chapman, Conrad Wise, 1842-1910 3F69Chapman, J. G. (John Gadsby), 1808-1889 3F70Church, Frederic Edwin, 1826-1900 3F71Cole, Thomas, 1801-1848 3F72Cooke, G. (George), 1793-1849 4F73Cropsey, Jasper Francis, 1823-1900 4F74Currier & Ives 4F75Darley, Felix Octavius Carr, 1822-1888 4F76Doughty, Thomas, 1793-1856 4F77Dunlap, William, 1766-1839 4F78Durand, Asher Brown, 1796-1886 4F79Durrie, George Henry, 1820-1863 4F80Eakins, Thomas, 1844-1916 4F81Eastman, Seth, 1808-1875 4F82Ehninger, John Whetton, 1827-1889 4F83Eichholtz, Jacob, 1776-1842 4F84Elliott, Charles Loring, 1812-1868 4F85Fairman, Gideon, 1774-1827 4F86Fisher, Alanson 4F87Fraser, Charles, 1782-1860 4F88Gifford, Sanford Robinson, 1823-1880 4F89Guy, Francis, 1760-1820 4F90Hamilton, James, 1819-1878 4F91Harding, Chester, 1792-1866 4F92Harnett, William Michael, 1848-1892 4F93Harvey, George, ca. 1800-1878 4F94Heade, Martin Johnson, 1819-1904 4F95Healy, G. P. A. (George Peter Alexander), 1813-1894 4F96Henry, Edward Lamson, 1841-1919 4F97Hicks, Edward, 1780-1849 4F98Homer, Winslow, 1836-1910 [1 of 2] 4F99Homer, Winslow, 1836-1910 [2 of 2] 4F100Huntington, Daniel, 1788-1858 4F101Inman, Henry, 1801-1846 4F102Inness, George, 1854-1926 4F103Jarvis, John Wesley, 1780-1840 4F104Jennys Family 4F105Jocelyn, Nathaniel, 1796-1881 4F106Jonhson, Eastman, 1824-1906 4F107Kensett, John Frederick, 1816-1872 4F108La Farge, John, 1835-1910 4F109Lane, Fitz Hugh, 1804-1865 4F110Leutze, Emanuel, 1816-1868 4F111Lewis, Henry, 1819-1904 5F112Morse, Samuel Finley Breese, 1791-1872 5F113Mount, William Sidney, 1807-1868 [1 of 2] 5F114Mount, William Sidney, 1807-1868 [2 of 2] 5F115Nast, Thomas, 1840-1902 5F116Neagle, John, 1796-1865 5F117Palmer, F. (Fanny), 1812-1876 [1 of 5] 5F118Palmer, F. (Fanny), 1812-1876 [2 of 5] 5F119Palmer, F. (Fanny), 1812-1876 [3 of 5] 5F120Palmer, F. (Fanny), 1812-1876 Catalog [4 of 5] 5F121Palmer, F. (Fanny), 1812-1876 Catalog [5 of 5] 5F122Peale Family 5F123Perry, Enoch Wood, 1831-1915 5F124Peto, John Frederick, 1854-1907 5F125Powers, Hiram, 1805-1873 5F126Quidor, John, 1801-1881 5F127Ranney, William Tylee, 1813-1857 5F128Read, Thomas Buchanan, 1822-1872 5F129Remington, Frederic, 1861-1909 5F130Richards, William Trost, 1833-1905 5F131Rimmer, William, 1816-1879 5F132Ritchie, Alexander Hay, 1822-1895 5F133Robertson, Archibald, 1765-1835 5F134Rogers, John, 1829-1904 5F135Rossiter, Thomas Prichard, 1818-1871 5F136Rothermel, Peter Frederick, 1812-1895 5F137Rush, William, 1756-1833 5F138Ryder, Albert Pinkham, 1847-1917 5F139Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907 5F140Saint-Mémin, Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de, 1770-1852 5F141Salmon, Robert, 1775- ca. 1848 5F142Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925 5F143Savage, Edward, 1761-1817 5F144Schussele, Christian, 1826?-1879 5F145Spenser, Lilly Martin, 1824-1902 6F146Stearns, Junius Brutus, 1810-1885 6F147Stuart, Gilbert, 1755-1828 6F148Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872 6F149Tait, Arthur Fitzwilliam, 1819-1905 6F150Thompson, Cephas Giovanni, 1809-1888 6F151Thorpe, Thomas Bangs, 1815-1878 6F152Trumbull, John, 1756-1843 6F153Vanderlyn, John, 1775-1852 6F154Waldo, Samuel Lovett, 1783-1861 & Jewett, William S. (Smith), 1812-1873 6F155Weir, Robert Walter, 1803-1889 6F156Wellstood, John Geikie, 1813-1893 6F157West, Benjamin, 1738-1820 6F158Whitefield, Edwin, 1816-1892 6F159Whittredge, Worthington, 1820-1910 6F160Woodville, Richard Caton, 1825-1855 Subseries I.C.American Artists, active late 1800s–1930

This subseries includes artists selected by Cowdrey who were active during the late 1800s-1930 and displayed their work at the three major annual art exhibitions held during the nineteenth century in New York City at the National Academy of Design, the American Academy of Fine Arts, and the American Art-Union.

6F161A 6F162B 6F163C 6F164D 6F165E 6F166F 6F167G 6F168H – J 6F169L 6F170M 6F171N – Q 6F172R 6F173S 6F174T 6F175V 6F176W – Z 6F177Beale, Joseph Boggs, 1841-1926 6F178Blakelock, Ralph Albert, 1847-1919 6F179Blum, Robert Frederick, 1857-1903 6F180Brush, George de Forest, 1855-1941 6F181Carlsen, Emil, 1853-1932 6F182Cassatt, Mary, 1844-1926 7F183Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916 7F184Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928 7F185Dewing, Thomas Wilmer, 1851-1938 7F186Duveneck, Frank, 1848-1919 7F187Frost, A. B. (Arthur Burdett), 1851-1928 7F188Moran Family 7F189Murphy, John Francis, 1853-1921 7F190Thayer, Abbott Handerson, 1849-1921 7F191Whistler, James McNeill, 1834-1903 7F192Wyant, A. H. (Alexander Helwig), 1836-1892 Series II.National Academy of Design Exhibition Record, 1861-1890

This series comprises Cowdrey’s unpublished manuscript National Academy of Design Exhibition Record, 1861-1890, which she completed in 1965. Intended to be a continuation of her earlier work, National Academy of Design Exhibition Record, 1820-1860, the manuscript includes 3,700 artists and 27,000 entries.

7F193A 7F194B – Bea 7F195Bec – Bix 7F196Bl – Bre 7F197Bri – By 7F198C – Ca 7F199Ce – Cl 7F200Col – Coz 7F201Cr – Cu 7F202D – De 7F203Di – Dz 7F204E 7F205F – Fi 7F206Fl – Fu 7F207G – Go 7F208Gr – Gu 8F209Ha 8F210He – Hl 8F211Ho – Hy 8F212I – J 8F213K 8F214L – Le 8F215Li – Ly 8F216M – Mar 8F217Mas – Moo 8F218Mor – My 8F219N 8F220O 8F221P – Pf 8F222Ph – Q 8F223R – Ri 8F224Ro – Ry 8F225S – Se 8F226Sh – Sm 8F227Sn – Sy 8F228T – Th 9F229Ti – Ty 9F230U – V 9F231W – Web 9F232Weh – Wh 9F233Wi 9F234Wo – U Series III.A History of American Painting and Sculpture, 1700-1913

This series is a draft of the manuscript A History of American Painting and Sculpture, 1700-1913, which was commissioned by the National Park Service as part of a project for the National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings.

9F235Outline and name list 9F236Introduction 9F237Chapter 1. Early Professional Portrait Painters, 1700-1760 9F238Chapter 2. Art as Document: Portrait and History painting, 1760-1800 9F239Chapter 3. Art and Artists of the US. The Age of Romanticism, 1800-1840 9F240Chapter 4. The American School, Mid-19th Century, 1840-1876 9F241Chapter 5. Art vs. Photography, the Fulfillment of Realism, 1876-1913 9F242Chapter 6. American Sculpture, 1800 to 1913 9F243Correspondence with NPS, 1962-1963 Series IV.Writing and publicity (by years)

This series combines two groups of materials. The first group comprises clippings from publications and articles in manuscript form that Mary Cowdrey wrote between 1936-1965 for a variety of publications, including exhibit catalogs, art magazines, bulletins, and books. The second group is composed of press publicity devoted to Cowdrey.

9F2441936–1942 9F2451942–1945 9F2461943–1949 Old Print Shop 9F2471949–1953 9F2481953–1964 Series V.English Art

This series is composed mainly of engravings from published sources and photographs of British paintings and engravings, with some notes and articles interspersed among the visual materials. Cowdrey began collecting this material while studying at the University of London in 1934-1935, and continued her efforts after her return to the United States.

9F249Painting [1 of 2] 9F250Painting [2 of 2] 9F251Engravings 9F252Shakespeare