Reuben Tam papers, 1931-2006

This series contains biographical summaries and resumes documenting Reuben Tam's career, as well as his school records, diplomas, and teaching records, including extensive records of his tenure at the Brooklyn Museum of Art School. Also found are records of artwork sales and loans, various lists of artwork, and the consignment and purchase records for the galleries which represented Tam. Also of note is a slide show and accompanying audio cassette recording of the "Reuben Tam Show" about his work as an artist on Monhegan Island, Maine.

Folders are arranged alphabetically.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for blank pages and duplicates. The sound recording of the "Reuben Tam Show" has been digitized for research access.

This series contains Tam's correspondence with his wife Geraldine, family, friends, colleagues, art associations, schools, museums, and galleries. Also found are copies of Tam's outgoing correspondence and letters sent to Geraldine Tam after Reuben's death. Researchers should note that additional letters of significance are located within the scrapbooks in Series 8.

Of note is correspondence with friends and fellow artists Alan Gussow, William Kienbusch, Frances Kornbluth, Carl Nesjar, Ben Norris, and Hyde Solomon, as well as art organizations, schools, and museums, such as Artists Equity Association, Brooklyn Museum of Art School, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Maine Coast Artists group, the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Museum of Modern Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Also found is correspondence with the three galleries which represented his work: Downtown Gallery, Alan Gallery, and Coe Kerr Gallery.

Family and outgoing correspondence is arranged chronologically followed by general correspondence which is arranged alphabetically.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for duplicates.

This series contains five bound diaries as well as diary entries written by Reuben Tam on loose sheets of paper. Most of the diaries document Tam's activities during the 1940s, including his early visits to Maine. Diaries also include a few sketches and notes.

Diaries are arranged in chronological order.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for blank pages.

This series contains drafts of poetry by Reuben Tam, one notebook containing notes on artwork and painting technique, and miscellaneous writings and notes by Tam, including thoughts on Montauk, New York, and Monhegan Island, Maine. Also found are an essay about Tam, "Reuben Tam, Metaphysical Painter" by Martin James, and an article for Kauai Magazine by Pat I. Griffin.

The material in this series has been arranged alphabetically by type of writing, such as essays, notes, and poems.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for blank pages and duplicates.

Printed material consists of a book of poetry by Reuben Tam titled The Wind-Honed Islands Rise, publications produced by the Brooklyn Museum Art School, exhibition catalogs and announcements for solo and group shows of Tam's work, brochures, flyers, and other miscellaneous publications. Included are several catalogs for exhibitions at the Downtown Gallery. Also found are magazines, bulletins, and news clippings of articles documenting Tam's career. Researchers should note that numerous clippings and exhibition announcements are also included within the scrapbooks found in Series 8.

The material in this series has been arranged by document type (exhibition announcements and catalogs, report, magazines, clippings, etc.), then arranged chronologically within those groupings.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for duplicates. Most of the exhibition catalogs and other publications have had their covers, title pages, and relevant pages scanned.

This series consists of photographs of Reuben Tam, Tam with friends and family, photographs and slides of his artwork, and four photograph albums. Included are photographs of Tam in his studio, sketching on Monhegan Island, and portraits taken by his nephew, William Ing. One photograph album contains photographs from Tam's visits to Maine from 1946 to 1948 and includes photographs of fellow artists Hyde Solomon, Carl Nesjar, Dorothy Andrews, and William Kienbusch.

The material in this series is loosely arranged by subject. Photographs of Reuben Tam are at the beginning of the series.

The bulk of this series has been scanned, except for duplicates and blank versos of photographs.

This series includes Reuben Tam's drawings, watercolors, prints, and two drawings by others, but the bulk of the materials consist of Tam's sketchbooks. Some of these works are from Tam's student days at the University of Hawaii. Seventeen large sketchbooks contain Tam's pencil, ink, and watercolor sketches of the rocky landscapes of Monhegan Island, Maine. Most of the New York sketchbooks contain abstract drawings, possibly preliminary sketches for paintings, rather than landscapes. Other locations depicted in the sketchbooks include Provincetown, Massachusetts; Maui and (possibly) Kauai, Hawaii; Mystic, Connecticut; Ontario, Canada; and places in Oregon and Alaska. Many of the sketchbooks also include scattered poems, notes, and journal entries. Drawings by others include one pastel portrait, possibly of Tam, is by an unidentified artist, and one sketch by Geraldine Tam is titled "Reuben Tam Typing."

The material in this series has been loosely grouped by medium and format (drawings, portraits, prints, sketchbooks, etc.). The sketchbooks have been arranged chronologically.

The bulk of this series has been digitized, except for blank pages.

This series contains eight scrapbooks, documenting 40 years of Reuben Tam's career as an artist in New York and Maine. Included in the scrapbooks are newspaper clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, event invitations, membership cards, and letters from Downtown Gallery, Museum of Modern Art, Carnegie Institute, Brooklyn Museum, and other galleries and art organizations. Three loose scrapbook pages appear to be from scrapbooks not found in this collection.

Scrapbook pages have been removed from fragile binders and placed into archival folders, maintaining the original page order. Scrapbooks were numbered by Reuben Tam and are in chronological order.

The bulk of the series has been digitized, except for a few pages of duplicates.