A Finding Aid to the Ellen Lanyon Papers, Circa 1880-2014, Bulk 1926-2013, in the Archives of American Art
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A Finding Aid to the Ellen Lanyon Papers, circa 1880-2014, bulk 1926-2013, in the Archives of American Art Hilary Price 2016 September 19 Archives of American Art 750 9th Street, NW Victor Building, Suite 2200 Washington, D.C. 20001 https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions https://www.aaa.si.edu/ Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 1 Arrangement..................................................................................................................... 4 Biographical / Historical.................................................................................................... 2 Scope and Contents........................................................................................................ 3 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 4 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 6 Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1880-2015 (bulk 1926-2015)......................... 6 Series 2: Correspondence, 1936-2015.................................................................. 10 Series 3: Interviews, circa 1975-2012.................................................................... 24 Series 4: Writings, Lectures, and Notebooks, circa 1947-2015............................. 26 Series 5: Journals, 1967-2013............................................................................... 32 Series 6: Project Files, 1952-2014......................................................................... 34 Series 7: Teaching Files, 1953-2010..................................................................... 41 Series 8: Exhibition Files, circa 1944-2013............................................................ 42 Series 9: Personal Business, Inventory, and Estate Records, circa 1950-2015..... 46 Series 10: Printed and Broadcast Material, and Published Video Recordings, 1937-2013............................................................................................................... 49 Series 11: Scrapbooks, 1946-2013........................................................................ 56 Series 12: Photographic Material, circa 1920-2015............................................... 57 Series 13: Artwork, circa 1938-1979...................................................................... 63 Series 14: Sketchbooks, circa 1940-2010.............................................................. 64 Series 15: Unidentified Sound and Video Recordings, and Electronic Records, circa 1974-2013............................................................................................................... 65 Ellen Lanyon papers AAA.lanyelle Collection Overview Repository: Archives of American Art Title: Ellen Lanyon papers Identifier: AAA.lanyelle Date: circa 1880-2015 (bulk 1926-2013) Creator: Lanyon, Ellen Extent: 62.6 Linear feet 84.47 Gigabytes Language: Collection is in English Summary: The papers of artist Ellen Lanyon measure 62.6 linear feet and 84.47 GB and date from circa 1880-2015, bulk 1926-2013. Biographical material; correspondence; interviews; writings; journals; project files; teaching files; exhibition files; personal business records; printed and broadcast material; scrapbooks; photographic material; artwork; sketchbooks; as well as sound and video recordings and digital material, provide a comprehensive view of Lanyon's career and of art circles in Chicago and New York. Correspondence with artists and friends make up a significant portion of the collection. Project and exhibition files reflect her professional and artistic career. Thousands of slides and photographs document her life and artwork over seven decades, and over seventy sketchbooks are filled with student sketches, portraits of friends and family, and preliminary drawings. Administrative Information Acquisition Information A majority of the collection was donated in 2015 by Andrew Ginszel, Ellen Lanyon's son and executor. Lanyon also donated material in 1990. Portions of the collection were lent for microfilming from 1977-1981 by Lanyon and subsequently donated. Related Materials Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Ellen Lanyon conducted by James Crawford in 1975. Alternate Forms Available A small portion of the papers are also available on 35mm microfilm reels 1234, 2237-2240 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm. Page 1 of 65 Ellen Lanyon papers AAA.lanyelle Processing Information The collection was processed to a minimal level and a finding aid prepared by Hilary Price in 2016. Born-digital materials were processed by Kirsi Ritosalmi-Kisner in 2020 with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund. Preferred Citation Ellen Lanyon papers, circa 1880-2015, bulk 1926-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Restrictions Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Terms of Use The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information. Biographical / Historical Ellen Lanyon (1926-2013) was an American painter and printmaker working in Chicago and New York. She was born in Chicago, Illinois to Howard and Ellen (Nellie) Lanyon. Lanyon received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1948 and married classmate and artist Roland Ginzel that same year. In 1950, she received her MFA from the University of Iowa. As part of her post graduate work, Lanyon studied at the Courtauld Institute, University of London on a Fulbright Fellowship. In the late 1940s, Lanyon began exhibiting her work and was featured in several Chicago and Vicinity Annual shows as well as the Momentum exhibitions. Influenced by surrealism, magic realism, and the work of the Chicago Imagists and the Hairy Who, Lanyon's subjects range from portraits of friends and family, to objects from her collection of curios, to flora and fauna. She produced paintings, drawings, print editions, artist's books, and some ceramics. In addition to her own artwork, Lanyon took on numerous commissions including the Riverwalk Gateway murals in Chicago, the Hiawatha Transit murals in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a variety of illustration work. Lanyon was active in many professional organizations and women's organizations including the College Art Association (CAA) and the Women's Caucus for Art. She organized panels at CAA, contributed writings and editing to journals, including Heresies, and served on a variety of panels and juries. Lanyon was also on the Board of the Ox-Bow Summer School of Painting, which she attended in her youth. Over the course of her career, she taught at many colleges and universities, including Cooper Union, where she was Associate Professor. Throughout her career, Lanyon participated in exhibitions around the country, including a retrospective of her work at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in 1999. She was also the recipient of many awards and grants including the Logan Price and a National Endowment for the Arts grant. Lanyon and Ginzel had two children, Andrew and Lisa Ginzel. Page 2 of 65 Ellen Lanyon papers AAA.lanyelle Scope and Contents The papers of artist Ellen Lanyon measure 62.6 linear feet and 84.47 GB and date from circa 1880-2015, bulk 1926-2013. Biographical material; correspondence; interviews; writings; journals; project files; teaching files; exhibition files; personal business records; printed and broadcast material; scrapbooks; photographic material; artwork; sketchbooks; as well as sound and video recordings and digital material, provide a comprehensive view of Lanyon's career and of art circles in Chicago and New York. Biographical material documents Lanyon's major life events and includes calendars; addresses and contacts; life documents; awards; diplomas and school records; resumes; horoscope readings and natal chart; residence documents; personal memorabilia; family papers and memorabilia; digital material; and items relating to Lanyon's memorial. Correspondence, both personal and professional, consists of letters, postcards, holiday and greeting cards exchanged with family, friends, artists, collectors, publishers, print shops, museums, galleries, and cultural and educational institutions. Some material is in digital format. Notable correspondents include Judy Chicago, Leon Golub, Red Grooms, Richard Hunt, Joyce Kozloff, Lucy Lippard, Gladys Nilsson, Irving