Scope and Contents
The O'Brien Galleries records measure 3 microfilm reels and date from 1811-1970. The collection charts the gallery's history through biographical material about William V. O'Brien, Jr., personal and business correspondence, business records, notes and writings, printed material, photographs of artwork and the O'Brien family, and a scrapbook.
Correspondence is from artists, patrons, and others (1811-1952) and includes 8 letters from Winslow Homer (1898-1902).
Business records include financial and legal documents (1857-1941), name lists and lists of paintings sold, painting and print registers (1898-1954), and minutes from corporation meetings (1901-1941).
Writings are by Howard O'Brien and include poems (1909-1944), some illustrated with photographs a script "Cherchez La Femme," and a typescript "The Long Trail". Printed material includes advertisements, clippings (1900-1970), exhibition catalogs (1921-1924), a sale catalog, and a booklet (1927) on landscape painters of America.
Photographs include an album of portraits painted by Louis Betts, an artist promoted by the gallery. Other photographs (1885-1936) show O'Brien family members, Winslow Homer, and Irene Dunne (in one autographed publicity photograph).
Also found is a scrapbook containing exhibition announcements, clippings, and brochures from Chicago (1873-1941) and Arizona (1953-1958).
Language
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was loaned to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in 1986 by the current owners of the gallery, Stephanie Roberts and her husband, Bill Dickerson, and was returned after filming.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals returned to the lenders, Stephanie Roberts and Bill Dickerson, after microfilming.
Processing Information
The collection was microfilmed on Reels 4180-4181, and 4193. The microfilm was described in a finding aid by Stephanie Ashley in 2024 and was digitized in 2024.