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  2. Mildred Baker papers, 1882, 1923-1997
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Mildred Baker papers, 1882, 1923-1997

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Select containers from the following list if you want to request them for reading room use or reproduction

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1882, 1934-1990
7 Folders
Box 1

Biographical materials include birth and award certificates, curriculum vitae, divorce documents, a voting card, and an oral history transcript of Baker's interview with Harlan Phillips in 1963 discussing her work with the Federal Art Project. There is also genealogical research and information on Baker's family, including her three brothers and sister. Information on her brother, the composer and bassoonist Adolph Weiss, includes his travel diary from tours to Asia and Europe during the 1960s.
Materials are arranged by document type.
Description Container Select
Birth Certificate and Voting Card, 1967, 1976
1
1
Certificates, 1975
1
2
Curriculum Vitae, 1953-1975
1
3
Divorce Papers, 1934
1
4
Family Genealogy, circa 1975-1990
1
5
Family, Siblings, 1882-1984
1
6
Interview Transcript with Harlan B. Phillips, 1963
1
7
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Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1937-1997
0.4 Linear feet
Box 1

Correspondence is primarily with Baker's friends, business associates, researchers, art institutions, and admirers of her residency at the Chelsea Hotel.
The series includes Baker's responses to researcher requests regarding FAP exhibitions, programs, artists, and recollections of her fellow administrators. Correspondence with Rutgers University, Francis O'Connor, Wendy Jeffers, and James Wechsler includes reports from their projects on the Federal Art Project, Holger Cahill, and Arthur Murphy and the WPA respectively. Correspondence with Robert Reiss includes an essay and research information on Sarah Freedman McPherson. There is also a letter from the writer Max Eastman describing the last days of his wife, Eliena Krylenko.
Correspondence with the Archives of American Art, the Montclair Art Museum, Newark Museum, Roberson Center, Memorial Art Gallery, and the University of Wyoming record gifts and loans to these institutions from Baker's private collection.
All correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
Description Container Select
A Miscellaneous, circa 1970-1990
1
8
Archives of American Art, 1962-1993
1
9
B-C Miscellaneous, circa 1968-1990
1
10
Chelsea Hotel, 1996
1
11
Cowell, Sydney Robertson, 1970-1990
1
12
Craft, Douglas, circa 1980
1
13
D-J Miscellaneous, circa 1954-1990
1
14
Jeffers, Wendy, 1987-1996
1
15
K-M Miscellaneous, circa 1949-1990
1
16
Mavigliano, George J., 1982-1984
1
17
Memorial Art Gallery, University of Rochester, 1990-1993
1
18
Montclair Art Museum, 1973-1992
1
19
Museum of Early American Folk Art, 1966-1982
1
20
Museum of Modern Art, 1962-1966
1
21
N Miscellaneous, circa 1966-1990
1
22
National Collection of Fine Arts, 1970-1978
1
23
National Council on the Arts, 1971
1
24
Newark Museum, 1954-1997
1
25
Newark State College, 1972
1
26
O Miscellaneous, 1987
1
27
O'Connor, Francis, 1966-1996
1
28-29
P-Q Miscellaneous, circa 1967-1990
1
30
Petteys, Chris, 1982
1
31
R Miscellaneous, circa 1937-1990
1
32
Reiss, Robert, 1979-1980
1
33
Roberson Center for the Arts and Sciences, 1990
1
34
S Miscellaneous, circa 1966-1990
1
35
Sherwood, Leland H., 1971
1
36
T-U Miscellaneous, circa 1968-1990
1
37
Udell, Susan, 1978
1
38
University of Wyoming, 1975-1992
1
39
W Miscellaneous, circa 1960-1990
1
40
Wechsler, James, 1993
1
41
White, John Franklin, 1985-1988
1
42
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Series 3: Writings, circa 1940-1985
17 Folders
Box 1

Writings by Baker consist of reminiscences, 8 travel diaries to Europe and the Middle East, 3 essays on the Federal Art Project and museum administration, an exhibition catalog introduction, 4 lectures on government patronage of the arts, and miscellaneous notes. Writings by others consist of 4 essays on contemporary art and art administration.
Materials are arranged by document type.
Description Container Select
By Mildred Baker
Diary, General, circa 1960-1985
1
43
Diary, Travel, 1972-1984
1
44-46
Essay, "Consumer Demand for Today's Art", 1955
1
47
Essay, "Exhibition Section of the Federal Art Project", circa 1940-1980
1
48
Essay, "On Using Your Museum", circa 1950-1960
1
49
Exhibition Catalog, On the Federal Art Project, 1967
1
50
Lecture, At Artist's Club, circa 1950-1975
1
51
Lecture, At University of Maryland, 1966
1
52
Lecture, "Public and Private Art Patronage", 1973
1
53
Lecture Introduction, At Artist's Club, 1970
1
54
Notes, circa 1960s
1
55
By Others
Goodrich, Lloyd, "Economics of Contemporary Art", 1958
1
56
Kent, Henry W., "What I'm Pleased to Call My Education", circa 1950-1980
1
57
Ripley, S. Dillon, "Museums in Today's Changing World", 1965
1
58
Sinnick, A., "Modern Principles of Museum Administration", circa 1950-1970
1
59
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Series 4: Federal Art project, WPA, circa 1934-1953
0.8 Linear feet
Box 1-2

Federal Art Project files include correspondence to Mildred Holzhauer, Dorothy Miller, and Jacob Baker; artist and exhibition lists; department memoranda and general information; 8 reports; speeches; information and photographs related to regional art centers and black artists in 33 states; and clippings and news releases. The series also includes note cards and printed material related to the Index of American Design; a catalog and report produced by the Southern California Art Project; and general information, furniture blueprints, and circular publications produced by the Technical Services Laboratory.
Description Container Select
Artist Biographies, circa 1934-1939
1
60
Artist Lists, circa 1934-1939
1
61
Correspondence, Mildred Holzhauer, Dorothy Miller, and Jacob Baker, 1936-1953
1
62
Exhibition Allocations Lists, circa 1942
1
63
Memorandum, Exhibition Unit, circa 1936-1941
1
64
Memorandum, Exhibition and Allocations Unit, circa 1941-1943
1
65
Report, "Art Project", 1943
1
66
Report, "Brief Summary of the United States Government Art Projects", 1943
1
67
Report, Conference on the Music, Writers' and Art Program, WPA, 1941
1
68
Report, On the Federal Art Project, circa 1936-1943
1
69
Report, "Relationship of the Federal Work Program to Unemployment", 1936
1
70
Report, Sun Yat Sen, 1937
1
71
Report, WPA Art Program, 1940
1
72
Report, WPA Federal Art Project, circa 1943
1
73
Speeches, 1936
2
1
Art Centers, Memorandum and General Information, 1936-1939
2
2
Art Centers (AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, IL, IA, KS, MA, MD, MS, MT), 1937-1942
2
3
Art Centers (NY, RI, OR, UT, VT, WA, WI), 1937-1942
2
4
Art Centers, Photographs (AZ), 1937-1942
2
5
Art Centers, Photographs (CA), 1937-1942
2
6
Art Centers, Photographs (DC, FL, IA, IL, MI), 1937-1942
2
7
Art Centers, Photographs (MN, MS, MT, NJ, NM), 1937-1942
2
8
Art Centers, Photographs (NC, NY, OK, OR, SC), 1937-1942
2
9
Art Centers, Photographs (UT, VA, WA, WI), 1937-1942
2
10
Art Centers, Photographs, Scrapbook Pages, 1937-1942
2
11
Art Centers, Photographs, Unidentified, 1937-1942
2
12
Art Centers, Black Artists, Memorandum and Notes, circa 1937-1942
2
13
Art Centers, Black Artists (AL, FL, IL, MI, NC, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA), circa 1937-1942
2
14
Art Centers, Black Artists, Printed Materials, circa 1937-1942
2
15
Art Centers, Black Artists, Photographs (DC, FL), circa 1937-1942
2
16
Art Centers, Black Artists, Photographs (IL, MS, NC, VA), circa 1937-1942
2
17
Index of American Design, Note Cards, circa 1937-1942
2
18
Index of American Design, Press Releases, circa 1936-1942
2
19
Index of American Design, Printed Material, 1937-1942
2
20
Southern California Art Project, Catalog, 1939
2
21
Southern California Art Project, Report, Southern California Creates, circa 1937-1942
2
22
Technical Services Laboratory, General Information, circa 1937-1942
2
23
Technical Services Laboratory, Blueprint Furniture Design, circa 1937-1942
2
24
Technical Services Laboratory, Circulars (#3-5), 1939-1940
2
25
Printed Material, Brochure, 1935
2
26
Printed Material, Clippings, circa 1936-1949
2
27
Printed Material, Press Releases, 1936-1939
2
28
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Series 5: Project Files, 1934-1996
0.4 Linear feet
Box 2

General project files include information for 4 exhibitions, including a sales register for the First Municipal Art Exhibition and a photograph and catalog of the Salon of America Exhibitions; reports and speeches for the Newark Museum; and member information from the Woman Pays Club. The series also includes general information and three public hearing transcripts regarding the commissioning of the New Jersey Council on the Arts.
Materials are arranged by subject and document type.
Description Container Select
Exhibition, "Abstract Art, 1915 to Today" (1956), General Information, 1956
2
29
Exhibition, "First Municipal Art," Sales Register, 1934
2
30
Exhibition, "Salons of America," Catalog, 1934
2
31
Exhibition, "Salons of America," Photograph of Artists and Staff, 1934
2
32
Exhibition, "United States Building Exhibition," General Information, 1955
2
33
Newark Museum, Reports, 1948-1956
2
34
Newark Museum, Speeches, circa 1950, 1991
2
35
New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Correspondence, 1966-1975
2
36
New Jersey State Council on the Arts, General Information, 1963-1967
2
37
New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Speeches, 1966-1967
2
38
New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Public Hearing Transcript, 1965 September 14
2
39
New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Public Hearing Transcript, 1965 September 21
2
40
New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Public Hearing Transcript, 1965 September 29
2
41
Woman Pays Club, Directories, 1974-1992
2
42
Woman Pays Club, Member Information, 1984-1996
2
43
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Series 6: General Printed Material, 1923-1996
11 Folders
Box 2-4

Printed material includes general clippings, clippings featuring Mildred Baker, newsletters, press releases, and a commercial recording of Alice Tully Hall on sound disc (vinyl). There are also general exhibition announcements and catalogs, as well as catalogs and information on artists whose work Baker collected.
Materials are arranged by document type.
Description Container Select
Clippings, 1923-1995
2
44
Clippings on Mildred Baker, 1931-1996
2
45
Exhibition Announcements and Catalogs, 1934-1978
2
46
Exhibition Announcements, Catalogs, and Clippings, A-C, circa 1970-1985
Artists whose work was purchased by Mildred Baker.
2
47
Exhibition Announcements, Catalogs, and Clippings, D-Z, circa 1970-1985
Artists whose work was purchased by Mildred Baker.
3
1-3
Newsletters, 1950-1996
3
4
Press Releases, 1975
3
5
Miscellaneous Printed Material, circa 1950-1990
3
6
Recording, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, 1977
1 Sound discs (vinyl)
4
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Series 7: Photographs, circa 1934-1992
2 Folders
Box 3

Photographs are of Mildred Baker, including photos during her tenure at the Federal Art Project and Newark Museum. There is also a photograph of fellow FAP administrator Audrey McMahon.
Materials are arranged by subject and chronological date.
Description Container Select
Photographs of Mildred Baker, circa 1934-1992
3
8
Photograph of Audrey McMahon, circa 1937-1942
3
9
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Series 8: Jacob Baker, 1930-1975
0.3 Linear feet
Box 3-4

Materials related to Jacob Baker include personal correspondence with friends and business associates; writings and speeches on economics, management, and labor relations; finances, meeting minutes, member lists, and correspondence related to Baker's work for the United Federal Workers of America; clippings; and photographs of Baker. There is also an oral history transcript of Baker's 1963 interview with Harlan Phillips, and an interview recording with Tex Goldschmidt dating from the 1960s discussing his administrative work with the Federal Art Project on 4 sound discs (lacquer).
Materials are arranged by document type.
The Interview recording by Tex Goldschmidt has been digitized for research access.
Description Container Select
Biographical Material, Interview Transcript with Harlan A. Phillips, 1963
3
10
Biographical Material, Interview Recording with Tex Goldschmidt, circa 1960s
4 Sound discs (lacquer)
Oversized material housed in Box 4.
3
11
Correspondence, A-Z, 1930-1975
3
12
Correspondence, Condolences, 1963, 1967-1968
3
13
Writings and Speeches, circa 1950s
3
14
Project Files, United Federal Workers of America, 1937-1941
3
15
Printed Material, Clippings, 1967
3
16
Printed Material, Miscellaneous, 1950-1951
3
17
Photographs of Jacob Baker, circa 1940-1967
3
18
Oversized Interview Recording with Tex Goldschmidt, circa 1960s
Oversized material from Box 3, F11.
4

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.