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Samuel Wagstaff papers, 1796-1987 (bulk 1952-1986)

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Title: Samuel Wagstaff papers
Dates: 1796-1987 (bulk 1952-1986)
Number: 2005.M.46
Creator/Collector: Wagstaff, Samuel J.
Extent: 96 Linear Feet (126 boxes, 5 rolls, 19 flatfiles)
Abstract: The papers document Sam Wagstaff's activities as curator and collector, with a focus on his collections and collecting processes. The papers are rich in correspondence and include letters from artists, photographers and cultural institutions. Original photographs and non-photographic original artworks are included, as well as slides, negatives, postcards, film reels, prints and drawings.
Request Materials: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy.
Language: Collection material is in English.
Repository: The Getty Research Institute
Special Collections
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
reference@getty.edu
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10020/askref
(310) 440-7390
Author: Laura Schroffel

Biographical / Historical Note

Curator and visionary photography collector Samuel Wagstaff Jr. was born 1921, in New York City. The son of a lawyer from an old New York family and fashion designer Olga Piorkowska, Wagstaff graduated from Yale University and served in the Navy during World War II. After the war and a short career in advertising he studied Renaissance art at New York University's Institute of Fine Arts under the mentorship of Richard Offner. In 1959 he received a David E. Finley art history fellowship at the National Gallery of Art. He assumed a curatorial position in contemporary art at the Wadsworth Atheneum from 1961 to 1968 and then at the Detroit Institute of Arts from 1968 to 1971. At both institutions Wagstaff pursued his interest in the avant garde and helped promote the careers of artists such as Michael Heizer, Tony Smith, Gordon Newton and Richard Tuttle.

In addition to his curatorial work, Wagstaff was a noted collector. He originally concentrated on avant-garde paintings. Following his return to New York in the 1970s, he turned his attention to photography, with an initial focus on nineteenth- and early twentieth-century French, British and American photography. Influenced by his long-term partner, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, Wagstaff's collecting later shifted toward more daring and contemporary photography. At a time when scholarship on the subject was limited, Wagstaff promoted the significance of photography in lectures, on panels, and famously on the Dick Cavett television show. Wagstaff loaned works from his photography collection for national and international exhibitions, often served as a freelance curator, and regularly responded to requests for curatorial advice. In 1977 his own press published A Book of Photographs from the Collection of Sam Wagstaff.

When Wagstaff's photography holdings numbered more than 2,500 masterworks, he sold the collection to the J. Paul Getty Museum and focused on building a collection of 19th-century American silver. The New York Historical Society exhibited more than 100 examples from his silver collection in 1987, the last show curated by Wagstaff. His silver collection was sold at auction following his death. Wagstaff died in 1987.

Scope and Content of Collection

The Samuel Wagstaff papers document his activities as curator and collector, with a focus on his collections and collecting processes. The papers are rich in correspondence and include letters from artists, photographers and staff from cultural institutions. Also included are original photographs, both contemporary and historic, as well as non-photographic original artworks. Among other materials are slides, negatives, postcards, film reels, prints and drawings.

Series I is a collection of snapshots by Wagstaff, including color photographs (sometimes housed in albums), color negatives, color slides, black-and-white contact prints and black-and-white negatives. The collection highlights cultural institutions, landmarks, urban and industrial landscapes, various exteriors and city inhabitants. New York City is featured heavily. London, Paris, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Detroit are also documented. This series is also rich in portraiture, including nudes, self-portraits, portraits of Robert Mapplethorpe, Patti Smith and others.

Series II traces the development of Wagstaff's various collections through correspondence, receipts and other documentation, and also includes original works of art by Dan Basen, Robert Morris and Gordon Newton. The focus of the series is Wagstaff's collections of photography, silver, postcards, and contemporary art, but items from his less-known collections of prints, flowers, currency and postage are also included. Correspondents represented in this series include artists Agnes Martin, Michael Heizer, Alan Saret, Tony Smith and H.C. Westermann. Letters received, receipts and papers in this series often provide substantial provenance information related to items in Wagstaff's collections. The papers include information on photographs and other materials now owned by the Getty Museum.

Series III contains family photographs, including pictures of Wagstaff at various ages, and members of his immediate and extended family. The series also contains assorted financial and personal documents, such as estate papers, tax records, property ownership documents, medical records, astrological papers and identification.

Series IV contains the letters that were not filed by Wagstaff in another series. The bulk of the correspondence in this series is from the 1970s and 1980s, after Wagstaff had stopped working as a professional curator and moved back to New York to focus on collecting.

Series V contains photographs and documents regarding exhibitions, publications and artist research by Wagstaff. This series includes documents regarding the founding of Wagstaff's publishing company, Gray Press, and its only publication, A Book of Photographs from the Collection of Sam Wagstaff. Also in this series is a collection of cat photographs assembled by Wagstaff in relation to an article he wrote for Artforum (1986).

The ephemera in Series VI consists of posters and exhibition announcements. Clippings include articles profiling Wagstaff and his collections.

Series VII contains a film reel labeled, "Potatoes on a Studio Floor," as well as seven unidentified film reels and four undeveloped reels. Films are unavailable until reformatting is complete.

Arrangement

Arranged in seven series:
Series I. Snapshots, 1969-1983, undated;
Series II. Collections, 1819-1987;
Series III. Personal papers, 1796-1986;
Series IV. Correspondence, 1909-1986;
Series V. Projects, 1914-1986;
Series VI. Ephemera and assorted papers, 1941-1986;
Series VII. Film reels, undated.

Restrictions

Access

Open for use by qualified researchers with the following exceptions. Film reels are unavailable until reformatting is complete. Documents pertaining to the J. Paul Getty Museum's acquisition of the Wagstaff photography collection (Box 83) is sealed until 2019.

Publication Rights

Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.

Indexing Terms

Subjects - Names

Heizer, Michael
Mapplethorpe, Robert
Martin, Agnes
Smith, Patti
Smith, Tony
Westermann, H. C. (Horace Clifford)

Subjects - Corporate Bodies

Detroit Institute of Arts
Wadsworth Atheneum

Subjects - Topics

Art -- Private collections -- United States
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Collectors and collecting -- United States
Artists -- Correspondence
Photographs -- Collectors and collecting -- United States
Photography -- Collectors and collecting
Photography -- Exhibitions
Silver -- United States -- Collectors and collecting

Genres and Forms of Material

Albumen prints
Art objects
Cartes-de-visite
Color negatives
Color photographs
Color slides
Contact prints
Cyanotypes
Gelatin silver prints
Photograph albums
Photographic prints
Photographs, Original
Postcards
Stereoscopic photographs

Contributors

Basen, Dan
Heizer, Michael
Martin, Agnes
Morris, Robert
Newton, Gordon
Smith, Tony
Wagstaff, Samuel J.
Westermann, H. C. (Horace Clifford)

Related Material

Sam Wagstaff postcard collection, ca. 1880-1980, Accession no. 96.R.13*.

Some books were transferred to the Getty Research Library general collection and may be found by searching the library catalog for the Samuel Wagstaff Source Collection.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Samuel Wagstaff papers, 1796-1987 (bulk 1952-1986), The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 2005.M.46

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2005m46

Acquisition Information

Acquired from the Mapplethorpe Foundation in 2005.

Processing History

The Samuel Wagstaff papers were initially processed and a preliminary inventory was made by Rheim Alkahdi in 2009. Laura Schroffel completed processing the collection and created a finding aid under the supervision of Andra Darlington in 2011.

Container List

Series I. Snapshots, 1969-1983, undated 11.3 Linear Feet (51 boxes)
This series contains snapshots by Wagstaff, including color photographs (sometimes housed in albums), color negatives, color slides, black-and-white contact prints and black-and-white negatives. The collection highlights cultural institutions, landmarks, urban and industrial landscapes, various exteriors and city inhabitants. New York City is featured extensively. London, Paris, Spain, Italy, Belgium and Detroit are also documented. This series is also rich in portraiture, including nudes, self-portraits, portraits of Robert Mapplethorpe, Patti Smith and others.
Other photographs taken by Wagstaff can be found in Series II.
There are some annotations on photo processing envelopes. Wagstaff handwriting is in pen. Most descriptions in pencil are curator's notes.
Arrangement
Chronological with undated materials at end.
box
49 1969 4 items
Contains color slides.
box
48 1970 7 items
Contains color slides
box
1, 45, 49 1971 458 items
Contains color photographs, negatives and slides.
box
1 1972 136 items
Contains color photographs and negatives.
box
2-22, 45-47 1973 8700 items
Contains color photographs and negatives.
box
2-6, 45 New York 2167 items
Includes photographs of the Metropolitan Museum, Pulitzer Fountain and Central Park. Also includes self-portraits, portraits of David Hayes and others.
box
6-11 London 2054 items
Includes photographs of British Museum, St. James Guard and Albert Memorial in Hyde Park. Portraits of Mapplethorpe and others.
box
11 Brussels 35 items
box
11-14 Paris 1326 items
Includes photographs of Eiffel Tower, Luxembourg gardens, Parc de Sceaux, Parc de la Terlure and Bastille Day festivities. Also includes portraits of Mapplethorpe and others.
box
14, 45 Ostend 473 items
box
15-21 Fire Island 2936 items
Includes photographs of the beach and landscapes. Also includes portraits of Mapplethorpe, Patti Smith, self-portraits and several unidentified nudes.
box
21 Detroit 18 items
Includes photographs of Detroit Institute of the Arts outdoor sculpture.
box
22, 46-47 Unidentified locations 833 items
Includes portraits of a woman with two boys before Warhol painting.
box
22-29, 47 1974 3169 items
Contains color photographs and negatives.
box
22-25 New York 1228 items
Includes portraits of Patti Smith, Dennis, Jim [Nelson?] and unidentified subjects.
box
25 London 131 items
Includes photographs of London Science Museum.
box
26-29 Spain 1495 items
Includes photographs of Formentera, Soller, Polensa, Las Salinas, San Fernando, Ibiza, Torrent de Parreis, Punta Berberia, Bellver, Illetas, Deya beaches, El Pujols beaches, Salinas beaches. Also includes nude portraits.
box
25, 47 Unidentified location 354 items
Includes photographs of wedding and Edmond I and II performance.
box
30-34 1975 1714 items
Contains color photographs and negatives.
Includes photographs of New York, Paris and London. Also includes portraits of Mapplethorpe, nude portraits, portrait series of a woman and portraits of an unidentified man.
box
34-37 1976 1385 items
Contains color photographs and negatives.
Includes photographs of Los Angeles, Key West, Miami, New York possibly Fire Island and unknown locations. Also includes self-portraits and various portraits.
box
37-39 1977 783 items
Contains color photographs and negatives.
Includes photographs of New York, Paris, London with images of Buckingham Palace and unknown locations.
box
39 1978 37 items
Contains color photographs and negatives. Includes portraits of Peter Berlin.
box
39-41, 49 1979 944 items
Contains color photographs, negatives and slides. Includes photographs of Venice.
box
49 1983 141 items
Contains color slides.
box
42-43, 47-51 Undated 803 items
Contains color photographs, slides, color negatives, black-and-white contact sheets and negatives.
Includes photographs of London: D'Offay, Sotheby's auction house, British Guard; New York; Italy; Spain and North Africa. Also includes self-portraits, portraits of Mapplethorpe and various nude portraits and studies.
Series II. Collections, 1819-1987 65.3 Linear Feet (46 boxes, 5 rolls, 15 flatfiles)
Series II is comprised of Wagstaff's various collections and papers related to his collections. While Wagstaff is most well known for his collection of historic photographs, he also was a serious collector of silver, postcards, and contemporary art. This series includes a small number of postcards from his postcard collection and documentation, receipts, correspondence and photographs from his silver collection, original art from his contemporary art collections and items from even less well known collections of prints, flowers, currency and postage. Of note in this series are correspondence and administrative documentation regarding works from his collection. These papers include correspondence with artists as well as correspondence between art institutions that relate to the provenance of various works. Conservation papers are also included in this series and reflect Wagstaff's interest in maintaining the quality of items in his collections.
Arrangement
Arranged by collection type. Correspondence, administrative and conservation papers covering all collection types at the end.
box
52-63, 100*-101*, 114-117 Wagstaff photograph collection, 1819-1986 2602 items
The bulk of the photographs are from Wagstaff's personal collection; some study photographs are also included.
box folder
52 1 Carte-de-visite, 1819 1 items
52 2-9 Cabinet cards, 1894-1920 48 items
Two cabinet cards are hand tinted. Includes photographs of Stockade at World's Fair Chicago, American landscape views, portraits, domestic interiors, Venice architectural exteriors, city and rural scenes.
box folder
53 1 Cyanotypes, undated 3 items
Silverspring.
53 2 Stereographs, 1870-1893 11 items
Includes contact print sheet. Some stereographs are fragments.
53 3-5 Albumen prints, undated 15 items
Includes albumen prints adhered to canvas or board.
box
53-57, 54a, 100*-101* Photographs, original assorted, 1895-1945 192 items
Includes various photographic processes.
box
53-57, 54a Photographs
box
100*-101* Oversize photographs
box
58-60, 101* Photographs, copies assorted, 1958-1982, undated 867 items
Includes photographs, contact print sheets and papers. Papers include indices and various notes. Some photographs are annotated on verso in pencil with author, title information and collection or negative number.
Includes copy prints of Von Gloeden photographs.
Some copy prints were made by Scott Hyde in 1982.
box
58-60 Photographs
box folder
60 8 Photocopies
box folder
101* 6 Oversize photocopies
box folder
60 9 Catalog listings, 1972-1983 55 items
box
60-63, 114-117 Invoices and receipts, 1973-1986 1707 items
box folder
60 10 Lightfoot Collection, 1976-1982 43 items
60 11 1973 95 items
60 12 1974 12 items
box folder
61 1-2 1975 194 items
61 3-4 1976 261 items
box folder
62 1-2 1977 130 items
62 3 1978 165 items
62 4 1979 119 items
62 5 1980 160 items
box folder
63 1 1981 128 items
63 2 1982 72 items
63 3 1983 171 items
63 4-5 1984 110 items
63 6 1985 29 items
63 7 1986 11 items
box
114 Other photographic formats 7 items
114 Negatives, undated 457 items
box
114-117 Slides and transparencies, 1975-1984, undated 1056 items
box
64-66, 102*, 118-119 Silver collection, 1981-1987 1335 items
In the late 1980s Wagstaff started collecting silver with a particular interest in 19th century works.
box
64, 102*, 118 Photographs, undated 310 items
box folder
64 1 Black-and-white photographs
box folder
118 1-3 Other photographic formats
Contains color slides, color and black-and-white negatives and two albums of color photographs.
box folder
102* 1 Oversize
box
64-66, 118-119 Correspondence and dealer papers, 1981-1986 0 items
Contains listings, invoices, photographic materials, correspondence and research from various dealers and auction houses.
box
64, 118 Applegate, Judith, 1986 15 items
box folder
64 2 Papers 12 items
box folder
118 4 Polaroids 3 items
Includes a letter that relates to color photographs.
box
64, 118 Argentum, 1985-1986 14 items
box folder
64 3 Papers 11 items
box folder
118 5 Color photographs 3 items
box folder
64 4 Butterfield's 1984-1986 4 items
64 5 Christie's, 1984-1986 25 items
64 6-10 Duffy, William Core, 1981-1986 358 items
box
65, 119 Fancy That, 1985 7 items
box folder
65 1 Papers 4 items
box folder
119 1 Color photograph and polaroids 3 items
box
65, 119 Hanks, David A., 1986 8 items
box folder
65 2 Papers 7 items
box folder
119 2 Color slides 1 items
box folder
65 3 Kurland, Catherine, 1985-1986 9 items
box
65, 119 Marsh-Ackerman, 1985-1986 50 items
box folder
65 4 Papers 39 items
box folder
119 3 Polaroids 11 items
box
65, 119 Mascolo, Susan D., 1986 77 items
box folder
65 5 Papers 6 items
box folder
119 4 Polaroids 71 items
Includes letters and annotated notes that relates to photographs.
box folder
65 6 North Hill Antiques, undated 14 items
65 7 Petzal, Henry, 1985-1986 3 items
65 8 Sotheby's, 1985 15 items
box
65, 119 Tiffany & Co., 1986 8 items
box folder
65 9 Papers 3 items
box folder
119 5 Color photographs 5 items
box
65, 119 Wilson, Edward G., 1986 47 items
box folder
65 10 Papers 30 items
box folder
119 6 Color photographs 17 items
Includes letters that relates to color photographs. Versos of photographs are annotated.
box folder
65 11 Assorted correspondence, 1984-1986 39 items
box
65-66 Assorted receipts and invoices, 1984-1986 262 items
Includes receipts for books, rare books and silver collection purchases.
box folder
66 5 New York Historical Society exhibition papers, 1986-1987 6 items
66 6-7 Silver book papers, 1986 25 items
Contains mostly photocopies of invoices for photography equipment and related items needed for photographing the silver collection. Also includes draft of introduction. Book is possibly related to New York Historical Society exhibition.
box
66, 102* Clippings and ephemera, 1984-1985 70 items
box folder
66 8-8a Papers
box folder
102* 2 Oversize
box folder
66 9 Assorted papers, 1985 46 items
66 10 Publications, 1983 2 items
Contains catalogs from the Michael Ward Gallery and the Frank S. Schwarz & Son collection.
box
67-68 Postcard collection, 1962-1977 446 items
The bulk of the postcards are comprised of travel images or cultural world sites and are adhered to album pages. Other postcards are mostly without correspondence and are novelty or touristically themed. Includes some greeting cards.
box
69-70, 103*-104*, 113*, 119 Contemporary photograph collection, 1941-1985 230 items
Includes photographs by Wagstaff and various artists that are not identified as part of Wagstaff's collection or as family photographs or as snapshots. Also includes photographs of some artists' works.
box folder
103* 1 Arnold, Bill, 1978-1979 9 items
box folder
69 1 Adam, Hans Christian, 1984 3 items
69 2 Barnhart, Raymond, 1977 1 items
box folder
103* 2 Baroni, Stefano, undated 12 items
box folder
69 3 Gaess, Jacquie, undated 4 items
box folder
103* 3 Radino, Francesco, 1968 1 item
box folder
113* 1 Ross, Charlie, 1970 1 items
box folder
69 4 Shannon, Tom, undated 2 items
box folder
113* 2 Story, Petra Davis, undated 8 items
box folder
69 5-7 Wagstaff, Samuel, undated 32 items
Some photographs are presumed to be by Wagstaff, but may actually be by another photographer. Includes photographs of Wagstaff's Fifth Avenue Apartment. See also Series III for papers related to Wagstaff's apartment.
box
69-70, 104* Assorted photographs, 1941-1985 141 items
Includes work by Barbara Alper, Rivas Anduro[?], Richard Baron, Bryn Cambell, Charles Fergus Colquhoun, Barbara Crane, Harris Fogel, Carole Gallagher, Stan Gilub[?], David Rasmus, M. Romer, Tony Smith, Elisabeth Sunday, Reinhart Wolf, Gary Woods, Richard [Wright?], Tom Zetterstein/Tom Zetterstrom, MOMA copy prints.
box
113*, 119 Assorted color photographs, undated 33 items
Includes work by Valerio Tazzetti, Giancarlo Tovo.
box
71-72, 105*-108*, 119 Original art collection, 1952-1985, undated
Also contained in roll 1-5 and flatfiles 1**-8**, 11**-17**.
Non-photographic works. Some of the works are represented in photographic formats.
box
71, 105*, 119 Basen, Dan, 1962-1963 11 items
box folder
71 1 Drawings
box folder
119 8 Color slide
Slide is possibly of an installation or exhibition opening.
box folder
105* 1 Oversize drawings
box folder
71 2 De Menocal, Richard, 1952, undated 33 items
71 3 Ettinger, David, 1985 5 items
71 4 Melcarth, Edward, undated 18 items
Includes clipping from Harper's Magazine.
flatfile
13**-16** Morris, Robert, 1969 12 items
Contains three copies of didactic poster and nine "artist proof" lithographs for Morris Earth Projects.
box folder
71 5 Nevelson, Mike, 1961 1 items
box
71, 105* Newton, Gordon, 1969-1971, undated 97 items
Also contained in roll 1-5 and flatfiles 2**-4**.
box folder
71 6-7 Drawings and sketchbooks
71 8 Photographs of drawings
box
105* Oversize drawings
Also contained in roll 1-5 and flatfiles 2**-4**
105* 2 Drawings notebook
roll
1-5 Drawings
flatfile
2**, 3**, 4** Drawings
box folder
105* 3 Ortman, George, undated 3 items
box
72, 119 Shannon, Tom, 1969 13 items
box
72 Art
box folder
119 8 Polaroids of artworks
box folder
105* 4 Shirley, Jay, 1970 2 items
box folder
71 9 Skelton, G.B., 1971-1979 9 items
71 10 Suvert, Phil, undated 9 items
box folder
105* 5 Tweady, Carol, 1968 1 items
flatfile
1** Wagstaff, Samuel, undated 1 item
box
71, 108* Clock design, undated
box folder
71 11 Drawings 5 items
box folder
108* 1 Oversize drawing 1 items
box
119 Postcard artist, 1970-1971 24 items
box folder
71 12 Postcards
box folder
119 8 Postcard with color slide
box
71, 105*-108*, 11**, 12** Unknown, undated 56 items
Includes oversize portrait of Robert Mapplethorpe by unknown artist.
box
73-74, 108*-110* Assorted collections, 1885-1986 304 items
box folder
73 1-3 Flowers, 1936-1986 129 items
Includes Reflections From the Third Day.
box
73, 108*-110* Prints, 1885-1957, undated 162 items
Includes engravings by Salvator Rosa.
box folder
73 4-13 Assorted prints
box
108*-110* Large prints
Includes images of Battle of Buena Vista; General William H. Harrison; Lord Byron; chromolithographs of mechanical trajectories; introduction; Polly's Lamentation; The British Sea; The Irish Sea; reproduction of E. Delacroix sketches; reproduction of Delacroix: "Jane Shore"; reproduction of Delacroix: "Un Naufrage"; map of Guinea, map of New York; Barnard genealogy; Mill's colossal equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson; farm yard, flowers. Also includes prints by Raphael Krichner, Berghem Pinxit and Dancker Danckerts.
flatfile
5**-8** Oversize prints
box folder
73 14 Postage, 1940-1975 18 items
73 15 Currency, 1944-1957 3 items
Contains a Canadian penny and two French Franc notes.
box
73-74 Various, 1972, undated 23 items
Contains: buttons and buckles, wine cork, picture hanging hardware, antique album cover, various paper items such as labels.
box
76-77, 120, 123 17** Correspondence and administrative documentation, 1962-1986, undated 46 items
Comprised of correspondence regarding loan agreements, papers regarding transactions of pieces of art from Wagstaff's personal collections, requests for reproduction rights for works from the collection and correspondence between Wagstaff and various artists. Agnes Martin, Michael Heizer, Alan Saret, Tony Smith and H.C. Westermann make up the bulk of the subject matter.
Arrangement
Correspondence was organized by Wagstaff chronologically, alphabetically by artist or institution, and by subject. There is redundancy between the arrangements.
box folder
75 1 Courbet, Gustave, 1969-1982 19 items
75 2 Detroit Institute of Arts, 1972-1984 20 items
box
75, 120, 123, 17** Heizer, Michael, 1969-1986 338 items
Michael Heizer film reels: undated

Contains correspondence with the artist. Includes black-and-white photographs, film reels, and some original art. Also includes two copies of Actual Size.
box folder
75 3-3a Papers and black-and-white photographs 37 items
box
120 Color photographs and slides 298 items
flatfile
17** Oversize poster 1 items
Artist proof inscribed to Sam.
box item
123 F1-F2 [Tracks across lake bed project], undated 2 items
2 film reels; 16mm
123 F3 Untitled film, undated 1 items
1 film reel; 16mm
box folder
75 4 Martin, Agnes, 1969-1977 91 items
Includes letters from Martin.
box
75, 120 Nadar, 1976-1984 42 items
Includes catalog of Städtische Kunsthalle, Düsseldorf exhibition.
box folder
75 4a Papers and black-and-white photographs 41 items
box
120 Polaroid 1 items
box folder
75 5 Quigley, Edward, 1976-1983 65 items
Includes letters from Quigley.
75 6 Saret, Alan, 1971-1978 31 items
Includes Materials & Methods: A New View, Katonah Gallery exhibition catalog.
box
120 Seeley, George, undated 1 items
Contains color slide.
box folder
75 6a Shannon, Tom, 1984 11 items
box
75, 120 Smith, Tony, 1968-1986 18 items
box folder
75 7 Papers 22 items
box
120 Black-and-white negative 1 items
box
75, 120 Vuillard, Edouard, 1970-1972 13 items
box folder
75 8 Papers and black-and-white photographs 9 items
box
120 Color transparencies 4 items
box
75, 120 Warhol, Andy, 1970-1986 33 items
box folder
75 9 Papers 28 items
box
120 Color transparencies. undated 4 items
box folder
75 10 Westermann, H. C., 1969-1981 35 items
Includes an issue of Waves.
75 11 Wadsworth Atheneum, 1970-1980
box
76, 120 1962-1969 39 items
box folder
76 1 Papers and black-and-white photographs
box
120 Papers and color photographs 4 items
box folder
76 2 1970-1975 33 items
76 3 1976-1979 55 items
76 4 1980-1981 28 items
76 5 1982 42 items
76 6 1983 46 items
76 7 1984 16 items
box
76, 120 1985 18 items
box folder
76 8 Papers 16 items
box
120 Polaroids 2 items
box folder
76 9 1986 4 items
box folder
77 1 African art, 1964-1982 116 items
77 2 Native American art, 1966-1983 68 items
77 3-4 Reproduction rights, 1978-1986 125 items
77 5-6 Sales receipts and checks, 1962-1986 142 items
77 7 Photographs, undated 35 items
box
77, 120 Assorted documentation, 1974-1982 21 items
Includes papers probably by Wagstaff for publication or lecture regarding his collection and collecting.
box folder
77 8 Papers 21 items
box
120 Color transparency 1 items
box folder
77 9-10 Conservation papers, 1974-1986 46 items
Contains receipts for collection care items as well as various papers, publications and catalogs regarding archival practice.
Series III. Personal papers, 1796-1986 4.7 Linear Feet (9 boxes)
This series contains family photographs including pictures of Sam Wagstaff at various ages, Judy Wagstaff (Sam's sister), Olga Piorkowska (Sam's mother), Samuel Wagstaff Sr. (Sam's father) and Donald Newhall (Sam's stepfather). Also included are photographs of other identified and unidentified family members. Series III contains financial documents including estate papers, tax papers and property ownership papers. Wagstaff's personal papers such as medical papers, astrological papers and identification documents are also included.
Arrangement
Organized by photographs and papers. Photographs are arranged by individual or family name with unidentified photographs at the end. Papers are arranged between correspondence and document types.
box
78-80, 121 Family photographs, 1881-1985 181 items
box
78, 111*, 121 Samuel Wagstaff, circa 1921-1981 70 items
Includes photographs of Sam Wagstaff possibly at Yale and possibly with naval command.
box folder
78 1-5 Black-and-white photographs
box folder
121 1 Other photographic formats
box folder
111* 1 Oversize
box folder
78 6 Judy Wagstaff, 1936, undated 4 items
78 7-9 Piorkowska family, 1933, undated 10 items
Includes photographs of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Emil Piorkowska and Olga Piorkowska.
78 10-18 Other Wagstaff family, 1881-1916, undated 56 items
Includes photographs of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Wagstaff, Samuel Wagstaff Sr., Mary Wagstaff and Henry Gribble.
box
79, 121 Donald Newhall family, 1917-1959 81 items
Newhall was an artist and Wagstaff's step father.
box folder
79 1-5 Black-and-white photographs
box folder
121 2 Other photographic formats
box folder
79 6-7 Unidentified and assorted photographs 1906-1985, undated 101 items
Includes photographs probably of unidentified family members.
box
79-84 Family papers, 1796-1986 381 items
Includes original art and sketchbook by Donald V. Newhall. Also includes family correspondence, genealogical records and estate papers.
box folder
79 8 Donald Newhall papers 1927-1958 11 items
79 9-10 Original art by Donald Newhall, undated 58 items
box folder
80 1 Olga Newhall correspondence, 1970-1972 11 items
80 2-2b Sam Wagstaff personal documents, 1954-1976 86 items
Includes social security card and copy of Wagstaff birth certificate, medical papers and astrological papers.
80 3-7 Family financial and estate documents, 1965-1979 337 items
box
81 Wagstaff property documents, 1973-1986 393 items
box
82-83 Wagstaff financial documents, 1952-1985 675 items
box
82 Tax documents and other financial papers 1952-1984 232 items
box
83 [SEALED] Papers related to Getty sale, 1973-1985 443 items
Documents related to the J. Paul Getty Museum's acquisition of the Wagstaff photography collection are SEALED until 2019.
Assorted family papers, 1796-1961, undated 54 items
box folder
84 1 1796-1834 7 items
84 2 1842-1897 15 items
84 3 1909-1961 14 items
84 4 Undated 18 items
Series IV. Correspondence, 1909-1986 2.9 Linear Feet (9 boxes)
Correspondence includes all letters that were not identified by Wagstaff as being part of another series. The bulk of series IV correspondence spans the time after Wagstaff stopped working as a professional curator and instead had moved back to New York to focus on collecting photography. Letters received are often from admirers, staff from cultural institutions, friends and artists.
Arrangement
Correspondence was organized by Wagstaff chronologically, alphabetically by artist or institution, and by subject. There is redundancy between the arrangements.
box
85-86, 111*, 121 Chronological, 1961-1986 797 items
box folder
85 1 1961-1976 60 items
85 2-3 1977 82 items
box
85, 121 1978 80 items
box folder
85 4-5 Papers and black-and-white photographs
box
121 Color photographs
box
85, 121 1979 50 items
box folder
85 6 Papers
box
121 Color photograph
box
85, 121 1980 70 items
box folder
85 7-8 Papers
box
121 Color photographs
box
85, 121 1981 65 items
box folder
85 9 Papers and black-and-white photographs
box
121 Color photograph
box folder
86 1 1982 67 items
86 2 1983 94 items
box
86, 121 1984 75 items
box folder
86 3 Papers
box
121 Color transparency
box folder
86 4 1985 64 items
86 5 1986 38 items
86 6-7 undated 52 items
box folder
87 1-5 Photography, 1971-1975 260 items
87 6 Lectures, 1974-1980 35 items
box
87, 121 Native American Art, 1969-1983 84 items
box folder
87 7 Papers and black-and-white photographs
box
121 Color photographs
box folder
88 1-3 Europe, 1974-1984 201 items
box
88, 121 Correspondence with assorted individuals, 1975-1985 92 items
box folder
88 4 Goldschmidt, Lucien, 1976-1984 4 items
box
88, 121 Hutchinson, 1964-1968 7 items
box folder
88 5 Papers and black-and-white photographs
box
121 Color slide
box folder
88 6 Incandela, Gerald, 1976-1977 21 items
88 7 Jammes, André, 1975-1985 60 items
box
88-89, 121 Correspondence with photographers, 1975-1984 360 items
box folder
88 8 Arnold, Bill, 1978-1980 9 items
88 9 Asbury, Dana, 1979 2 items
88 10 Avedon, Richard, 1978 1 items
88 11 Bankhead, Judy, 1979 3 items
88 12 Barron, Susan, 1979 2 items
88 13 Block, Helen, 1979-1980 2 items
88 14 Brooks, Ellen, 1976-1979 17 items
88 15 Buck, Ken, 1980 2 items
88 16 Buckland, David, 1979 4 items
88 17 Condron, Brian, 1979 1 items
88 18 Cooper, Ron, 1978 2 items
88 19 Cubillas, Raul, 1978 2 items
88 20 Dayton, Susan, 1979 13 items
88 21 Dingus, Rick, 1979-1982 19 items
88 22 Dotter, Earl, 1979 2 items
box folder
89 1 Edgerton, Harold, 1977 2 items
89 2 Enos, Chris, undated 1 items
89 3 Feiler, Jo Alison, 1979 6 items
box
89, 121 Frazer, Jim, 1979-1981 6 items
box folder
89 4 Papers
box
121 Color slide
box folder
89 5 Friedlander, Ira, 1976 3 items
89 6 Fulton, Hamish, 1979 2 items
89 7 Gates, Jeff, 1979-1980 3 items
89 8 Gomes, Alair, 1979-1980 60 items
89 9 Grooteclaes, Hubert, 1982 1 items
89 10 Gruen, John, 1983 1 items
89 11 Gurner, Fred, 1979 3 items
89 12 Josephson, Ken, 1978-1979 3 items
89 13 Lartigue, Jac, 1977-1978 3 items
89 14 Liebling, Jerome, 1979-1981 3 items
box
89, 121 McBride, Will, 1981-1984 40 items
box folder
89 15 Correspondence
box
121 Color photograph
box folder
89 16 Miller, John R., 1982 2 items
89 17 Moser, Lida, 1978 12 items
89 18 Munroe, Robert, 1980 1 items
89 19 Riboud, Marc, 1980 1 items
89 20 Schoenfeld, Diana, 1980 1 items
89 21 Seidner, David M., 1980 3 items
89 22 Shiraoka, Jun, 1977-1980 3 items
89 23 Sinsabaugh, Art, 1977-1979 35 items
89 24 Svendesn, Karina, 1980 6 items
89 25 Thompson, Bill, 1980 1 items
89 26 Vogt, Christian, 1978-1979 2 items
89 27 Yoder, Janica, 1977-1978 7 items
89 28 Young, Barbara, 1976-1977 5 items
89 29 Zetterstrom, Tom, 1978-1981 22 items
89 30 Zimmerman, Tom, 1981 1 items
89 31 Assorted, 1975-1980 40 items
box
90-91, 111*, 121 Institution files, 1962-1986 210 items
Contains correspondence, papers and ephemera from institutions where Wagstaff worked, served on a board or provided curatorial services. Also includes papers from institutions that Wagstaff culled out in the original organization of his documents. Often correspondence with these institutions can also be found in the chronological and subject based correspondence files.
box folder
90 1 Amon Carter Museum, 1981-1982 42 items
90 2-3 Detroit Institute of Arts, 1965-1981 10 items
Includes two copies of An Exhibition of Italian Panels & Manuscripts From the Thirteenth & Fourteenth Centuries in Honor of Richard Offner.
box
90, 121 Detroit Focus Gallery, 1985-1986 60 items
box folder
90 4 Papers
box
121 Color slides
box folder
90 5 G. Ray Hawkins Gallery, 1976-1978 14 items
90 6 Galerie Texbraun, 1978-1985 3 items
90 7 International Center for Photography, 1979-1986 18 items
box folder
91 1 Lunn Gallery, 1981 3 items
91 2 National Portrait Gallery, 1976-1983 4 items
91 3 New York University, Grey art Gallery, 1981-1986 20 items
91 4 University of New Mexico, Coke Collection, 1973-1977 4 items
Includes two copies of Photographs from the Coke Collection.
box
91, 111* Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 1962-1983 20 items
box folder
91 5 Papers
box folder
111* 2 Oversize photograph
Photograph contains text overlay for John Cage and Merce Cunningham performance promotional materials.
box folder
91 6 Witkin Gallery, 1977-1983 16 items
91 7 Address cards, undated 26 items
Contains index cards with contact information possibly comprising a rolodex. Referred to by Wagstaff as "show addresses."
box
91, 121 Assorted correspondence, 1909-1979 63 items
Includes items from folder titled by Wagstaff as "dead letters" as well as correspondence not addressed to Wagstaff.
box folder
91 8-9 Papers
box
121 Color photographs
Series V. Projects, 1914-1986 2.5 Linear Feet (8 boxes)
Contains photographs and documents regarding specific exhibitions Wagstaff participated in, publications that Wagstaff produced, and artist research. This series includes documentation regarding the founding of Wagstaff's publishing Company, Gray Press, and its only published product, A Book of Photographs.
Arrangement
The series is arranged by exhibitions, publications and artist research. Artist research is organized alphabetically by artist name.
box
92-94, 121 Exhibitions, 1914-1986 699 items
box folder
92 1-2 Venezia '79-La Fotografia, 1978-1980 97 items
Wagstaff's contribution to the exhibition was organized by the International Center of Photography. Includes one copy of Photo.
92 3-4 Colleció Sam Wagstaff, 1980-1983 53 items
Wagstaff exhibited his collections at the Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid and Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona.
92 5-6 Trésors de la collection Sam Wagstaff, 1982-1983 59 items
Exhibition was held at the Petit Palais as part of the Mois de la Photo organizing initiative.
box folder
93 1-5 Photographic Reproduction Processes, 1914-1983 106 items
Includes letters from 1914 describing photomechanical processes. Also includes copy of The Beginnings of Halftone. Exhibition was held at Grolier Club.
93 6 That's Sculpture? Photographs from the Collection of Samuel Wagstaff, Jr., 1981-1984 137 items
Exhibition was held at Brown University.
box
121 Hanging Out, 1984 8 items
Contains color slides. Exhibition was held at Bell Gallery.
box folder
94 1-2 Wagstaff II exhibition, 1980-1986 181 items
A traveling exhibition of Wagstaff collection photographs that was to be shown at International Center for Photography, Corcoran and other institutions.
94 3 Erotica exhibition, 1981-1984 35 items
Exhibition was to be held at NYU Grey Gallery and Texas Gallery, Houston. Also referred to by Wagstaff as "sex show." Includes Mancini Gallery exhibition catalog.
94 4-5 Indian exhibition, 1967-1980 23 items
Exhibition was probably never realized.
box
95-96, 111*, 121 Publications, 1977-1986 690 items
box
95 A Book of Photographs, 1977-1982 406 items
Contains release forms for publication. Also includes contracts, financial accounting papers and documents related to book production and ordering.
box
96, 111*, 121 Cat collection, 1978-1986 288 items
Research for and responses to 1986 Artforum article.
box folder
96 1-9 Papers and black-and-white photographs
box
121 Other photographic formats
box folder
111* 3 Oversize photographs
box
97, 121 Artist Research, 1982-1985, undated
97, 121 Ettinger, David, 1985 27 items
box folder
97 1 Papers
box
121 Color slides
box folder
97 2-3 Gallé, Emile, 1982-1983 90 items
Includes two copies of Sotheby auction catalog.
97 4 Gauguin, Paul, undated 94 items
Series VI. Ephemera and assorted papers, 1941-1986 7.4 Linear Feet (5 boxes, 4 flatfiles)
Series VI contains clippings, ephemera and assorted documents. Ephemera consists of posters and exhibition announcements. Clippings include articles on Wagstaff.
Arrangement
Arranged by clippings, ephemera, papers, photographs and publications.
box
98, 112* Clippings, 1946-1983, undated 67 items
box folder
98 1-6 Papers
box folder
112* 1 Oversize
box
98, 112*, 9** Ephemera, 1967-1986 46 items
box folder
98 7 Papers
box folder
112* 2-4 Oversize ephemera
Includes Yvonne Rainer poster and several copies of Robert Morris announcement.
flatfile
9** Oversize posters
Contains Robert Morris, Nadar and Donald Judd exhibition posters. Also includes poster for Derek Jarman's film Sebastian, signed by Guy Ford.
box folder
98 8-11 Assorted papers, 1975, undated 100 items
box
98, 122 Assorted photographic materials, 1968-1984, undated 71 items
box
99 Assorted publications, 1941-1986 90 items
Series VII. Film reels, undated 1.8 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Series VII contains developed and undeveloped films. See also Series I for three film reels included in Michael Heizer correspondence. Audio visual materials are unavailable until reformatting is complete.
Arrangement
Developed films are followed by undeveloped films.
box item
124 F4 [Potatoes on a Studio Floor], undated 1 items
1 film reel; 16 mm.
box item
124-125 F5-F11 Unidentified films, undated 7 items
7 film reels; 16 mm.
box item
125 F12-F15 Undeveloped film, undated 4 items
4 film reels; 16 mm.