Series 7 | A Finding Aid to the Ben Shahn papers, 1879-1990, bulk 1933-1970 | Digitized Collection | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

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Series 7: Source Files, circa 1900s-1960s

1.81 Linear feet

Boxes 28-30, 35

Source files contain printed material, primarily newspaper clippings, and photographs relating to topics depicted by Shahn in his artwork, including children, dust, farming, houses, mines and miners, slums, war and workers. File titles are those used by Shahn.

Of particular note are the file for "Children" which includes one of the clippings Shahn used as a source for Girl Skipping Rope (1943); scattered photographic prints by FSA and OWI photographers including Shahn and Jack Delano, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee, Carl Mydans, Marion Post Wolcott, Arthur Rothstein, and John Vachon; files for "Steel Country," which include prints of photographs taken by Shahn on assignment to Ohio as a photographer for the Historical Section of the Resettlement Administration; and a group of photographs of Louis Armstrong's 1956 visit to the Gold Coast.

Files are arranged alphabetically by subject. The bulk of this series has been scanned with the exception of large groups of news clippings.

Description	Container	Select
Aluminum, circa 1930s-circa 1940s	28 55	Select: Aluminum, circa 1930s-circa 1940s
Armstrong, Louis, 1956	28 56	Select: Armstrong, Louis, 1956
Armstrong, Louis, 1956	28 57	Select: Armstrong, Louis, 1956
Armstrong, Louis, 1956	28 58	Select: Armstrong, Louis, 1956
Armstrong, Louis, 1956	28 59	Select: Armstrong, Louis, 1956
Armstrong, Louis, 1956	28 60	Select: Armstrong, Louis, 1956
Art, circa 1930s-circa 1940s	28 61	Select: Art, circa 1930s-circa 1940s
Art, circa 1930s-circa 1940s	28 62	Select: Art, circa 1930s-circa 1940s
Art, circa 1930s-circa 1940s	28 63	Select: Art, circa 1930s-circa 1940s
Art, circa 1930s-circa 1940s (includes original drawing by H. Cross and an unidentifed sketch)	28 64	Select: Art, circa 1930s-circa 1940s Scope and Contents (includes original drawing by H. Cross and an unidentifed sketch)
Beach and Carnival, 1938	29 1	Select: Beach and Carnival, 1938
Bonus Fight, 1932	29 2	Select: Bonus Fight, 1932
Book Burning, circa 1930s	29 3	Select: Book Burning, circa 1930s
Campaign 1944, 1936-1944	29 4	Select: Campaign 1944, 1936-1944
Campaign 1944, 1936-1944 oversized material housed in Box 35	29 5	Select: Campaign 1944, 1936-1944 Scope and Contents oversized material housed in Box 35
Campaign 1944, 1936-1944	29 6	Select: Campaign 1944, 1936-1944
Campaign 1944, 1936-1944	29 7	Select: Campaign 1944, 1936-1944
Campaign 1944, 1936-1944	29 8	Select: Campaign 1944, 1936-1944
Campaign 1944, 1936-1944	29 9	Select: Campaign 1944, 1936-1944
Campaign 1944, 1936-1944 (F10 includes photo of Shahn; includes CIO-PAC photos)	29 10	Select: Campaign 1944, 1936-1944 Scope and Contents (F10 includes photo of Shahn; includes CIO-PAC photos)
Campaign 1944, 1936-1944	29 11	Select: Campaign 1944, 1936-1944
Cattle, circa 1940s	29 12	Select: Cattle, circa 1940s
Children, 1934-1950 (includes one of the news clippings Shahn used as a source for Girl Skipping Rope, 1943)	29 13	Select: Children, 1934-1950 Scope and Contents note (includes one of the news clippings Shahn used as a source for Girl Skipping Rope, 1943)
Church, 1932-1939	29 14	Select: Church, 1932-1939
Congressman, 1937-1944	29 15	Select: Congressman, 1937-1944
Conventions, 1934-1948	29 16	Select: Conventions, 1934-1948
Dams, 1936-1944	29 17	Select: Dams, 1936-1944
Defeated Germans and Japanese, 1945	29 18	Select: Defeated Germans and Japanese, 1945
Dust, 1934-1938	29 19	Select: Dust, 1934-1938
Edison, Thomas A., 1920s	29 20	Select: Edison, Thomas A., 1920s
Execution, circa 1930s	29 21	Select: Execution, circa 1930s
Farm Labor, circa 1909-1942	29 22	Select: Farm Labor, circa 1909-1942
Farm Strike, circa 1933	29 23	Select: Farm Strike, circa 1933
Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s (includes many photographs used by Shahn for a pamphlet he designed for the Office of War Information, circa 1942)	29 24	Select: Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s Scope and Contents note (includes many photographs used by Shahn for a pamphlet he designed for the Office of War Information, circa 1942)
Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s	29 25	Select: Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s
Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s	29 26	Select: Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s
Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s	29 27	Select: Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s
Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s	29 28	Select: Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s
Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s	29 29	Select: Farming, 1930s-circa 1940s
Fascism, circa 1941	29 30	Select: Fascism, circa 1941
Fire, circa 1940s	29 31	Select: Fire, circa 1940s
Flood, 1930s-1940s	29 32	Select: Flood, 1930s-1940s
Folk Art, circa 1940	29 33	Select: Folk Art, circa 1940
Freud, Sigmund, circa 1930s-circa 1950s	29 34	Select: Freud, Sigmund, circa 1930s-circa 1950s
Ga-Ga, circa 1930s-circa 1940s	29 35	Select: Ga-Ga, circa 1930s-circa 1940s
Grief, circa 1930s	29 36	Select: Grief, circa 1930s
Hillman, Sidney, 1940-1944	29 37	Select: Hillman, Sidney, 1940-1944
Hitler, Adolf, circa 1938	29 38	Select: Hitler, Adolf, circa 1938
House Builders, circa 1930s	29 39	Select: House Builders, circa 1930s
Houses, 1930s-1940s	29 40	Select: Houses, 1930s-1940s
Industry, 1930s-1940s	29 41	Select: Industry, 1930s-1940s
Jews, 1930s-1950s	29 42	Select: Jews, 1930s-1950s
Kelly, Charles (Medal of Honor recipient), 1944	29 43	Select: Kelly, Charles (Medal of Honor recipient), 1944
Korean War, 1950-1952	29 44	Select: Korean War, 1950-1952
Labor, 1930s-1940s	29 45	Select: Labor, 1930s-1940s
Labor, 1930s-1940s	29 46	Select: Labor, 1930s-1940s
Labor, 1930s-1940s	29 47	Select: Labor, 1930s-1940s
Lynching of Thomas Thurmond and John Holmes, 1933	29 48	Select: Lynching of Thomas Thurmond and John Holmes, 1933
May Day, 1932-1934	29 49	Select: May Day, 1932-1934
McCarthy, Joseph, 1953-1954	29 50	Select: McCarthy, Joseph, 1953-1954
Mecca, 1940s	29 51	Select: Mecca, 1940s
Mines and Miners, 1930s-1940s	29 52	Select: Mines and Miners, 1930s-1940s
Mines and Miners, 1930s-1940s	29 53	Select: Mines and Miners, 1930s-1940s
Mines and Miners, 1930s-1940s	29 54	Select: Mines and Miners, 1930s-1940s
Mines and Miners, 1930s-1940s	29 55	Select: Mines and Miners, 1930s-1940s
Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932	29 56	Select: Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932
Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932	29 57	Select: Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932
Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932	29 58	Select: Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932
Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932	29 59	Select: Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932
Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932	29 60	Select: Mooney, Thomas J., 1919-1932
Movie Stars, 1940s	29 61	Select: Movie Stars, 1940s
Murder, 1930s-1940s	29 62	Select: Murder, 1930s-1940s
Music, circa 1940s	29 63	Select: Music, circa 1940s
"Negroes", 1930s-1960s	29 64	Select: "Negroes", 1930s-1960s
"Negroes", 1930s-1960s	29 65	Select: "Negroes", 1930s-1960s
Parks, 1930s	29 66	Select: Parks, 1930s
Parks, 1930s	29 67	Select: Parks, 1930s
People Alone, 1930s-1940s	29 68	Select: People Alone, 1930s-1940s
People Together, 1930s-1940s	29 69	Select: People Together, 1930s-1940s
Portraits, 1940s	29 70	Select: Portraits, 1940s
Post Office, circa 1900s-circa 1930s	29 71	Select: Post Office, circa 1900s-circa 1930s
Punishment, 1930s-1950s	29 72	Select: Punishment, 1930s-1950s
Refugees, 1930s-1940s	29 73	Select: Refugees, 1930s-1940s
Roadside Signs, circa 1940s	29 74	Select: Roadside Signs, circa 1940s
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1940-1945	29 75	Select: Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1940-1945
Ruin, 1940s	29 76	Select: Ruin, 1940s
Ruml, Beardsley, circa 1940s	29 77	Select: Ruml, Beardsley, circa 1940s
Sailors, circa 1940s	30 1	Select: Sailors, circa 1940s
Sailors, circa 1940s	30 2	Select: Sailors, circa 1940s
Science, 1930s-1950	30 3	Select: Science, 1930s-1950
Scottsboro, 1932-1933	30 4	Select: Scottsboro, 1932-1933
Scottsboro, 1932-1933	30 5	Select: Scottsboro, 1932-1933
Seasons, 1930s-1940s	30 6	Select: Seasons, 1930s-1940s
Shipbuilding, 1940s	30 7	Select: Shipbuilding, 1940s
Shipbuilding, 1940s	30 8	Select: Shipbuilding, 1940s
Shipbuilding, 1940s	30 9	Select: Shipbuilding, 1940s
Shipbuilding, 1940s	30 10	Select: Shipbuilding, 1940s
Shipbuilding, 1940s	30 11	Select: Shipbuilding, 1940s
Shipbuilding, 1940s	30 12	Select: Shipbuilding, 1940s
Sick, 1941-1950	30 13	Select: Sick, 1941-1950
Slavery, 1930s	30 14	Select: Slavery, 1930s
Slums, 1930s-1940s	30 15	Select: Slums, 1930s-1940s
Sports, 1930s-1950s	30 16	Select: Sports, 1930s-1950s
Steel Country, circa 1937	30 17	Select: Steel Country, circa 1937
Steel Country, circa 1937	30 18	Select: Steel Country, circa 1937
Steel Country, circa 1937	30 19	Select: Steel Country, circa 1937
Steel Country, circa 1937	30 20	Select: Steel Country, circa 1937
Strikes and Police, 1930s-1950s	30 21	Select: Strikes and Police, 1930s-1950s
Strikes and Police, 1930s-1950s	30 22	Select: Strikes and Police, 1930s-1950s
Strikes and Police, 1930s-1950s	30 23	Select: Strikes and Police, 1930s-1950s
Top Hat, 1920s-1940s	30 24	Select: Top Hat, 1920s-1940s
Truman, Harry S., circa 1945	30 25	Select: Truman, Harry S., circa 1945
Umbrellas, circa 1930s	30 26	Select: Umbrellas, circa 1930s
Unemployment, 1920s-1940s	30 27	Select: Unemployment, 1920s-1940s
Victory, 1945	30 28	Select: Victory, 1945
War, circa 1918-1940s oversized material housed in Box 35	30 29	Select: War, circa 1918-1940s Scope and Contents note oversized material housed in Box 35
War, circa 1918-1940s Some images in this folder include graphic content that may be offensive to viewers. It is presented as it exists in the original documents for the benefit of research. This material in no way reflects the views of the Archives of American Art or the Smithsonian Institution.	30 30	Select: War, circa 1918-1940s Scope and Contents Some images in this folder include graphic content that may be offensive to viewers. It is presented as it exists in the original documents for the benefit of research. This material in no way reflects the views of the Archives of American Art or the Smithsonian Institution.
War, circa 1918-1940s	30 31	Select: War, circa 1918-1940s
War, circa 1918-1940s	30 32	Select: War, circa 1918-1940s
War, circa 1918-1940s	30 33	Select: War, circa 1918-1940s
War, circa 1918-1940s	30 34	Select: War, circa 1918-1940s
War Materials, 1940s	30 35	Select: War Materials, 1940s
War Workers, 1940s-1950	30 36	Select: War Workers, 1940s-1950
Washington, D.C., circa 1940s	30 37	Select: Washington, D.C., circa 1940s
Weddings, circa 1930s	30 38	Select: Weddings, circa 1930s
Women, 1930s	30 39	Select: Women, 1930s
Women in Politics, circa 1940s	30 40	Select: Women in Politics, circa 1940s
Women in Politics, circa 1940s	30 41	Select: Women in Politics, circa 1940s
Work, 1930s-1940s	30 42	Select: Work, 1930s-1940s
Workers, 1930s-1940s	30 43	Select: Workers, 1930s-1940s
Workers, 1930s-1940s	30 44	Select: Workers, 1930s-1940s
Oversized Material from Campaign, 1944 oversized material scanned with Box 29, F5	35	Select: Oversized Material from Campaign, 1944 Scope and Contents note oversized material scanned with Box 29, F5
Oversized Material from War, circa 1918-1940s oversized material scanned with Box 30, F34	35	Select: Oversized Material from War, circa 1918-1940s Scope and Contents note oversized material scanned with Box 30, F34

Make a Request

To request an appointment to view materials, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reading Room" button. Please note, you will receive the full box.
To request reproductions, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reproduction" button.

Washington D.C. Headquarters and Research Center

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Ben Shahn papers, 1879-1990, bulk 1933-1970

Creator

Occupation

Make a Request

Series 7: Source Files, circa 1900s-1960s

1.81 Linear feet

Boxes 28-30, 35

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Washington D.C. Headquarters and Research Center

New York Office

Affiliated Research Centers

Ben Shahn papers, 1879-1990, bulk 1933-1970

Creator

Occupation

Make a Request

Series 7: Source Files, circa 1900s-1960s 1.81 Linear feet Boxes 28-30, 35

Make a Request

Series 7: Source Files, circa 1900s-1960s

1.81 Linear feet

Boxes 28-30, 35