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Ryan Evans
Scope and Contents
The Robert B. and Beatrice C. Mayer Family Collection records and papers measure 18.5 linear feet and 6.8 Gigabytes, dating from circa 1940 -2020, with the bulk from 1960-2005. The collection is documented with correspondence, artist files, object files, gifts, appraisals, and sales records, collection administration and history files, and photographic material.
Correspondence is primarily with art dealers and museums, as well as borrowing institutions of the lending collection, and conservators.
Artist files include documentation about the acquisition and care of collection artworks and artists, including loan and conservation paperwork as well as invoices and checks, and visual material. Some files are specific to individual works or more detailed categories like loans and conservation of particular works. Some visual material is in digital formats.
Collection files include documentation about the acquisition and care of collection artworks, including loan and conservation paperwork as well as invoices and checks and visual material. They include Decorative Arts (Antiques, A), African and Oceanic Art (Primitive Art, PR), Asian Art (Oriental Art, O), Manuscripts and Ephemera (Autographs, AU), Rare Books (RB), and Mexican Art (M).
The gifts, appraisal and sales records series documents the distribution of artworks as gifts over the years, as well as appraisals of fair market value of collection artworks from Christie's and Sotheby's which often resulted in sales and deaccessions. Select annotated auction catalogs are also included.
The collection administration and history series includes records from the Nathan Cummings Estate and Sara Lee Corporation Collection (Consolidated Foods Corporation) as well as records related to the operation of the Mayer Family Collection including the art chattel mortgage, some reproduction and conservation related documents, collection history and press, information about colelction tours, oral histories including an interview with collection manager Frank Marshall, and guest books from various events and collection viewings.
Photographic materials include collection installation images at the Edgcliff, Ritz Carlton, and Harbour's Edge residences, as well as exhibiton installation images, family photographs on slide and in snapshots, and slides of collection works and artists by genre and control number. Some apartment photographs are in digital formats.
Language
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated in 2022 by Ruth Mayer, Robert B and Beatrice C. Mayer's daughter.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Ryan Evans in 2024. Born-digital materials also processed by Ryan Evans in 2024.
