Archives of American Art
Harriet Blackstone papers
Blackstone, Harriet, 1864-1939
AAA.blacharr
Archival Resource Key
5.4 Linear feet
1870-1984
Collection is in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Terms of Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of this collection are available on 35 mm microfilm reels 1617, 1621-1622 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Biographical / Historical
Harriet Blackstone (1864-1939) was a painter in New York, New York. Blackstone was born on November 13th, 1864 in New Hartford, New York. In 1883, she moved to Illinois where she became a high school elocution teacher. She did not start her studies to be an artist until 1903 when she enrolled at the Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, New York. While there her art teacher was William Merritt Chase. Later, Blackstone went to the Academie Julian in Paris, France to gain more experience with Jean Paul Laurens as her instructor. Blackstone started to gain attention as a renowned artist in 1907 when her painting, Soldat de Crimée, was exhibited in The Salon, Paris.
She moved back to Glencoe, Illinois and focused more on her artwork by painting commissions and joining different art organizations, such as the Chicago Society of Artists and the Arts Club. Blackstone travelled to different locations, including Taos, New Mexico and Bruges, Belgium, to help inspire her creativity. In 1920, Blackstone moved back to New York City where she would spend the remainder of her life; she never married or had children. She died on March 16, 1939 and was survived by her brother and friends.
During her art career, Blackstone often painted portraits of well-known people and over time she developed her own style of work. Her artwork was displayed in several prominent cities in the United States: Washington, D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and New York City. Some of Blackstone's artwork became part of permanent collections, such as Soldat de Crimée, which was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in 1921, now known as the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Scope and Contents
The papers of painter Harriet Blackstone date from 1870-1984 and measure 5.4 linear feet. The collection provides documentation of Harriet Blackstone's career through scattered biographical material; personal and professional correspondence, including letters from Maria Oakey Dewing, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, Alice Tisdale Hobart, Joseph Cummings Chase, Stell Anderson, Mary Landis, Esther Morgan McCullough, and Booker T. Washington; writings by Blackstone, Esther Morgan McCullough, Richard P. Wunder, and Florence Holbrook; personal business records; clippings, exhbition material, and other printed material; one scrapbook; photographs of Blackstone, family, friends, and notable artists William Merrit Chase, Jean Paul Laurens, and John Singer Sargent; artwork; and four sketchbooks. Also found are a few artifacts found on Blackstone's easel.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 9 series.
Missing Title
- Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1930-1973 (Box 1, 6; 7 folders)
- Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1883-1984 (Box 1; 0.4 Linear Feet)
- Series 3: Writings, 1861-1979 (Boxes 1-2; 1.0 Linear Feet)
- Series 4: Personal Business Records, circa 1906-late 1930s (Box 2; 0.2 Linear Feet)
- Series 5: Printed Material, 1901-1984 (Boxes 2-3, 6; 0.8 Linear Feet)
- Series 6: Scrapbook, circa early 1900s (Boxes 3, 6; 0.2 Linear Feet)
- Series 7: Photographs, 1870-early 1900s (Boxes 3-4, 6, BV 7, 8-9; 1.7 Linear Feet)
- Series 8: Artwork, 1870-1929 (Boxes 4-5; 0.2 Linear Feet)
- Series 9: Artifacts, circa early 1900s-1939 (Box 5, Artifact; 0.4 Linear Feet)
Related Materials
Also at the Archives of American Art is the Richard Wunder research material on Harriet Blackstone.
Processing Information
Collection processed in 2015 by intern, Christen P. Brown.
Preferred Citation
Harriet Blackstone papers, 1870-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Microfilmed material transferred in 1978 from the National Collection of Fine Arts, who had acquired it in 1967 along with Harriet Blackstone's paintings from Stell Anderson, Blackstone's friend and a collector of her work. Anderson had received the papers from Blackstone's brother, Edward, in 1939. Upon Anderson's death, additional material was turned over to her niece Pat Rauchenstein, who donated them in 1989. Prior to the donation, the papers were in possession of Esther McCullough, who annotated some items and added research material in preparation for her unpublished manuscript "Harriet Blackstone, 1864-1939."
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
Women artists
Women painters
Photographs
Sketchbooks
Scrapbooks
Dewing, Thomas Wilmer, 1851-1938
McCullough, Esther Morgan
Dewing, M. O. (Maria Oakey), 1855-1927
Anderson, Stell
Wunder, Richard P.
Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916
Chase, Joseph Cummings, 1878-1965
Hobart, Alice Tisdale, 1882-1967
Holbrook, Florence
Landis, Mary
Laurens, Jean-Paul, 1838-1921
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915
Biographical Material
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
7 Folders
Box 1, 6
circa 1930-1973
Scope and Contents
Most of the documents found here include personal information on Blackstone such as biographical writings for Who's Who and information about Blackstone's artwork, estate documents, and her passport. Biographical notes are written by Blackstone.
Bibliography
Archival Resource Key
circa 1938
1
1
Biographical Notes
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930
1
2
Biographical Summaries
Archival Resource Key
circa 1937-1973
1
3
Estate Document
Archival Resource Key
1939
1
4
Exhibitions Harriet Blackstone was Represented
Archival Resource Key
1906-1941
1
5
Passport
Archival Resource Key
1930
1
6
Oversize List of Guests
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
6
1
Correspondence
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
0.4 Linear feet
Box 1
circa 1883-1984
Arrangement
Folders are arranged alphabetically by surname of the correspondents. Four or more letters signed by the same correspondent are housed in their own folder; three or less letters signed by the same person are housed in the alphabetical folder according to their surname.
Scope and Contents
This series contains Blackstone's personal and professional correspondence. Letters from family and friends tend to be about praising Harriet Blackstone's work, encouraging visits, or experiences of daily life. Notable correspondence is with Maria Oakey Dewing, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, Alice Tisdale Hobart, Joseph Cummings Chase, Stell Anderson, Mary Landis, Esther Morgan McCullough, Booker T. Washington, among others. Professional correspondence is primarily about her artwork: coordinating with curators and museums to buy or show her work, Blackstone receiving confirmation about her artwork in competitions, and legal information.
A
Archival Resource Key
circa 1920-1937
1
7
Anderson, Stell
Archival Resource Key
circa 1939-1984
1
8
B
Archival Resource Key
circa 1883-1939
1
9
Blackstone, Harriet to others
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930s
1
10
C
Archival Resource Key
circa 1902-1937
1
11
Campbell, John A.
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930-1938
1
12
Chase, Joseph Cummings
Archival Resource Key
1929-1932
1
13
D
Archival Resource Key
circa 1922-1939
1
14
Dewing, Maria Oakey
Archival Resource Key
1921-1924
1
15
Dudensing, Leroy
Archival Resource Key
circa 1932-1935
1
16
E
Archival Resource Key
circa 1917-1938
1
17
F
Archival Resource Key
circa 1908-1931
1
18
Furness, Clifton
Archival Resource Key
circa 1928-1932
1
19
G
Archival Resource Key
circa 1922-1938
1
20
Gay, William F.
Archival Resource Key
1929
1
21
H
Archival Resource Key
circa 1919-1938
1
22
Heyman, Katherine Ruth
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930s
1
23
Humiston, Grace
Archival Resource Key
circa 1934-1937
1
24
J
Archival Resource Key
1935
1
25
Jones, C. Lansing
Archival Resource Key
circa 1904-1906
1
26
Jules-Bois, H.A.
Archival Resource Key
circa 1938-1939
1
27
K
Archival Resource Key
1929
1
28
L
Archival Resource Key
circa 1929-1938
1
29
Landis, Mary
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930s
1
30
M
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930-1937
1
31
McCullough, Esther Morgan
Archival Resource Key
circa 1940-1943
1
32
Mechlin, Leila
Archival Resource Key
1919-1920
1
33
N
Archival Resource Key
1937-1943
1
34
O
Archival Resource Key
circa 1933-1935
1
35
P
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930s
1
36
Partridge, Charlotte Russell
Archival Resource Key
1930-1931
1
37
R
Archival Resource Key
circa 1906-1936
1
38
S
Archival Resource Key
circa 1909-1936
1
39
S
T
Archival Resource Key
circa 1917-1930
1
40
Thorne, Louie
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1930s
1
41
U
Archival Resource Key
circa 1911
1
42
V
Archival Resource Key
1922-1924
1
43
Vayana, Nunzio
Archival Resource Key
circa 1935-1938
1
44
W
Archival Resource Key
circa 1931-1984
1
45
Washington, Booker T.
Archival Resource Key
1915
1
46
Y
Archival Resource Key
1937-1983
1
47
Zetterberg, A.P.
Archival Resource Key
1938-1939
1
48
Unidentified Correspondents
Archival Resource Key
circa 1905-1940
1
49
Writings
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
1 Linear foot
Boxes 1-2
1861-1979
Arrangement
Folders are arranged to represent the personal writings of Harriet Blackstone first and then writings about her. Unless otherwise noted, the writings are written by Harriet Blackstone.
Scope and Contents
Writings include Harriet Blackstone's personal notes, hand written and typed, and two lectures on "Modern Art through the Ages" and "Modern Spanish Painters." This series also contains writings about Blackstone written by other authors. Esther Morgan McCullough wrote a biography about Blackstone and the first four drafts and complete typescript are included. McCullough's biography notes and chronology notes concerning Blackstone are also available in this series. A few years after Blackstone's death, Richard P. Wunder created a detailed catalog of Blackstone's work, a draft of which is also found here. Additionally, there are handwritten publicity extracts and "The Painter's Bruges" by traveling companion, Florence Holbrook, which describes a class taught by William Merrit Chase in Bruges, Belgium in 1912. The memoir is ilustrated with photographs taken by Blackstone of Chase, John Singer Sargent, and others.
Notes
Archival Resource Key
circa 1910-1930s
1
50-55
"Modern Spanish Painters" lecture and notes
Archival Resource Key
1913
1
56
"Modern Art through the Ages" lecture and notes
Archival Resource Key
1936
1
57
Writings about Harriet Blackstone
Archival Resource Key
1909-1942
1
58-59
"Harriet Blackstone: American Artist" by Esther Morgan McCullough Typescript
Archival Resource Key
circa 1940s
1
60
"Harriet Blackstone: American Artist" by Esther Morgan McCullough Draft 1
Archival Resource Key
circa 1941
1
61-63
"Harriet Blackstone: American Artist" by Esther Morgan McCullough Draft 2
Archival Resource Key
1977-1979
2
1-3
"Harriet Blackstone: American Artist" by Esther Morgan McCullough Draft 3
Archival Resource Key
1977-1979
2
4-6
"Harriet Blackstone: American Artist" by Esther Morgan McCullough Draft 4
Archival Resource Key
1977-1979
2
7
Biography Notes by Esther Morgan McCullough
Archival Resource Key
circa late 1930s
2
8
Harriet Blackstone's Chronology by Esther Morgan McCullough
Archival Resource Key
circa late 1930s
2
9
"Catalogue of Works by Harriet Blackstone" by Richard P. Wunder
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s
2
10-12
"The Painter's Bruges" by Florence Holbrook
Archival Resource Key
1912
2
13
"The Painter's Bruges" by Florence Holbrook
Publicity Extracts
Archival Resource Key
circa 1922
2
14
Publicity Extracts
Archival Resource Key
circa 1919-1936
2
15
Publicity Extracts
Archival Resource Key
circa 1935-1937
2
16
Personal Business Records
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
0.2 Linear feet
Box 2
circa 1906-late 1930s
Scope and Contents
Personal business records include financial information about Harriet Blackstone's artwork and professional activities. Also included are European copyright documents, gallery invitations, lists of Blackstone's paintings in permanent collections, and Blackstone's own inventory of her artwork.
Alphabetical List of Portraits by Harriet Blackstone
Archival Resource Key
circa late 1930s
2
17
Consignment Receipts
Archival Resource Key
circa late 1930s
2
18
Gallery Invitations and Memberships
Archival Resource Key
1907-1911
2
19
Harriet Blackstone's Inventory
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
2
20
Harriet Blackstone's Painting's Alphabetically Indexed
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930s
2
21
Harriet Blackstone's Personal Record of Paintings
Archival Resource Key
1906-1921
2
22
Insurance Documents
Archival Resource Key
1929-1940
2
23
List of Harriet Blackstone Paintings
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930s
2
24
List of Paintings and Price Lists
Archival Resource Key
1936-1937
2
25
List of Paintings with Notes by Harriet Blackstone
Archival Resource Key
1930
2
26
Lists of Paintings in Permanent Collections
Archival Resource Key
circa late 1930s
2
27
Permission to Copy in European Galleries
Archival Resource Key
1906-1912
2
28
Stock Documents
Archival Resource Key
1925-1947
2
29
Printed Material
Series 5
Archival Resource Key
0.8 Linear feet
Boxes 2-3, 6
1901-1984
Scope and Contents
Found here are various publication documenting Blackstone's career including exhibition announcements, catalogs, and visiting cards as well as two published books Blackstone compiled. Additionally there are journals, magazines, newspaper clippings, and a museum catalog (most are written in English and a couple in French) that depict the artwork of Blackstone.
Exhibition Announcements
Archival Resource Key
1919-1984
2
30
Exhibition Catalogs
Archival Resource Key
1910-1941
2
31-32
Visiting Cards
Archival Resource Key
1909-1934
2
33
Book, New Pieces that Will Take Prizes in Speaking Contests compiled by Harriet Blackstone
Archival Resource Key
1901
2
34
Book, The Best American Orations of Today compiled by Harriet Blackstone
Archival Resource Key
1903
3
1
The International Studio
Archival Resource Key
1916
3
2
The Artists Guild
Archival Resource Key
1917
3
3
Fine Arts Journal
Archival Resource Key
1917
3
4
The American Magazine of Art
Archival Resource Key
1918-1922
3
5
The National Arts Club
Archival Resource Key
1933-1939
3
6
Le Nouvelle Revue
Archival Resource Key
1937
3
7
Le Messager de New York Revue Franco: Americaine
Archival Resource Key
1937
3
8
The Columns
Archival Resource Key
1938
3
9
The Weekly Magazine of New York Life
Archival Resource Key
1941
3
10
The Art Digest
Archival Resource Key
1942
3
11
The Art News
Archival Resource Key
1934-1941
3
12
Scope and Contents
Oversized items housed in Box 6, Folder 2
Reproduction of Harriet Blackstone's Work
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
13
Bennington Museum Catalogue
Archival Resource Key
1984
3
14
Clippings
Archival Resource Key
1908-1984
3
15-20
Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
1922-circa 1930s
3
21-22
Scope and Contents
Oversized items housed in Box 6, Folder 3
Oversized The Art News from Box 3, Folder 12
Archival Resource Key
1934-1941
6
2
Oversize Miscellaneous from Box 3, Folders 21-22
Archival Resource Key
1938
6
3
Scrapbook
Series 6
Archival Resource Key
0.2 Linear feet
Boxes 3, 6
circa early 1900s
Scope and Contents
Found here is a large scrapbook that contains clippings, cards, announcements, notes, and photos of Harriet Blackstone. One folder contains a page of the scrapbook that was separated from the main document.
Scrapbook Pages
Archival Resource Key
Undated
3
23
Oversize Scrapbook
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
6
4
Photographs
Series 7
Archival Resource Key
1.7 Linear feet
Boxes 3-4, 6, BV 7, 8-9
1870-early 1900s
Scope and Contents
Photographs of Blackstone, her family, and friends can be found here as well as photos of other artists whom had an influence on her including William Merrit Chase, Jean Paul Laurens, and John Singer Sargent. There are travel photos of Blackstone's experiences in Belgium, New Mexico, New York, and Illinois as well as photos of the studios Blackstone worked in, a subject she worked with, and photos and negatives of her own artwork: paintings, sketches, and drawings. A photo album with separate descriptions can be found here.
Glass plate negatives are housed in separate containers and are closed to researchers.
Existence and Location of Copies
Glass plate negatives have been digitized.
Harriet Blackstone
Archival Resource Key
1877-circa early 1900s
3
24-25
Family
Archival Resource Key
1870-1883
3
26
Others
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
27-28
William Merritt Chase
Archival Resource Key
1910
3
29
John Singer Sargent
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
30
Places
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
31-32
New Hartford, New York
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
33
Taos, New Mexico
Archival Resource Key
1918
3
34
Bruges, Belgium
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
35
Studio in Glencoe, Ilinois
Archival Resource Key
1908-1920
3
36
Studio on 15 West 67th Street, New York City
Archival Resource Key
circa 1920
3
37
Brooklyn Museum Exhibit
Archival Resource Key
1929
3
38
National Arts Club Studio
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
39
Studio in Hotel Chelsea
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
40
Subject: A Soldier of the Crimea
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
41
Sketches of G.K. Chesterton
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
42
Self-Portraits, Drawings, and Sketches
Archival Resource Key
circa 1920
3
43
Artwork
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
3
44-47
Artwork
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
4
1-3
Scope and Contents
Oversized items housed in Box 6, Folder 5
Artwork, Mounted on Glass
Archival Resource Key
1881
4
4
Artwork, Mounted on Wood
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
4
5
Negatives
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
4
6-9
Harriet Blackstone's Photo Album Descriptions
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
4
10
Scope and Contents
Oversized items housed in Box 6, Folder 6
Oversize Artwork
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
6
5
Oversize Harriet Blackstone's Photo Album Descriptions from Box 4, Folder 10
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
6
6
Oversize Photograph Album
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
9
Glass Plate Negatives of Artwork
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
7
Glass Plate Negatives of Artwork
Glass Plate Negatives of Artwork
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
8
Glass Plate Negatives of Artwork
Artwork
Series 8
Archival Resource Key
0.2 Linear feet
Boxes 4-5
1870-1929
Scope and Contents
This series contains original artwork by Harriet Blackstone including framed paper dolls she made when she was five years old, loose sketches, and four of her own sketchbooks that contain pencil sketches of people. There is also a silhouette of Blackstone created by another artist and a framed pastel self-portrait.
Paper Dolls
Archival Resource Key
circa 1870
4
11
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
1907
4
12
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1909
4
13
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
4
14
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
1912
4
15
Sketches
Archival Resource Key
1929
4
16
Silhouette of Harriet Blackstone by Webster
Archival Resource Key
1917
4
17
Pastel Self-Portrait of Harriet Blackstone
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
5
4
Artifacts
Series 9
Archival Resource Key
0.4 Linear feet
Box 5, Artifact
circa early 1900s-1939
Scope and Contents
Found here are objects Harriet Blackstone used in her studio to create her artwork. Included are two palettes, a brush with fine hair, glasses, a calligraphy ink holding case, and various small art tools. Each item is placed in an envelope and foldered with similar objects. The original envelopes that contained the objects are included and remain close to the artifacts they originally held.
Artifacts found on Easel
Archival Resource Key
1939
5
1-3
Palettes
Archival Resource Key
circa early 1900s
10