Archives of American Art
Ralph Fabri papers
Fabri, Ralph, 1894-1975
AAA.fabrralp
Archival Resource Key
26 Linear feet
circa 1870s-1975
bulk 1918-1975
The Ralph Fabri papers measure 26.0 linear feet and are dated circa 1870s-1975, with the bulk of the material dated 1918-1975. Biographical information, correspondence, subject files, writings, art work, financial records, miscellaneous records, scrapbooks, printed material, a videotape of Fabri in his studio, and photographs document the professional career and personal life of the painter, printmaker, commercial artist, writer, and teacher.
The records are in English and Hungarian.
Provenance
The Ralph Fabri papers were donated by Ralph Fabri, 1971-1974. Additional papers were the gift of his estate, 1975-1976.
Related Material
Ralph Fabri donated his correspondence with Theodore and Helen Dreiser, 1929-1955, to the University of Pennsylvania, where it is now part of the Theodore Dreiser papers.
Processing Information
The collection was processed to an intermediate level by Catherine S. Gaines in 2005.
Preferred Citation
Ralph Fabri papers, circa 1870s-1975, bulk 1918-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Restrictions on Access
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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.
Biographical Note
Painter and printmaker, commercial artist, writer, and teacher Ralph Fabri was born Fabri Reszo in Hungary in 1894. He was educated in Budapest, first studying architecture at the Royal Institute of Technology from 1912 to 1914. He then enrolled in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, from which he graduated in 1918 with a Professor's Diploma (M.A.) "for teaching drawing, painting and geometry - including descriptive and projective geometry - in schools of higher education."
Fabri arrived in New York City in 1921 and soon adopted the anglicized version of his name, Ralph Fabri. He began doing commercial design work and during the academic year of 1923/24 was enrolled as an evening student at the National Academy of Design. After becoming an American citizen in 1927, he traveled extensively in Europe. Upon returning to New York that same year, Fabri decided his financial situation was stable enough to allow him to focus his attention on fine art.
During the Great Depression, Fabri's already inadequate portrait commissions and art sales further declined and he returned to commercial work. He established a workshop known as the Ralph Fabri Studios, that designed theatrical and movie sets, window displays, and retail interiors. But Fabri found the workshop dirty and distasteful, and eventually was able to concentrate on advertising work which could be done from home. The largest clients for his pen and ink drawings were The Stamp and Album Co. of America, Inc. (for which he designed covers for stamp albums and produced illustrations for envelopes housing sets of stamps sold to collectors), Geographica Map Co., and Joseph H. Cohen & Sons (for whom he designed and illustrated mail order catalogs). Another source of income during this period was the design and construction of an addition to "Iroki," Theodore Dreiser's estate in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., for which Fabri acted as architect and contractor.
Soon after arriving in the United States, Fabri began writing art reviews and articles on art and other topics for publication in Hungarian newspapers, and began submitting similar pieces to American newspapers and periodicals. Between 1949 and 1951 Pictures on Exhibit published a series of twenty articles by Fabri on materials and techniques, and from 1952 through 1961 he was a critic for that publication. Fabri contributed many articles on a variety of topics to Today's Art, starting in 1953, the year the magazine was established. In 1961, Fabri became associate editor of that monthly periodical and was named its editor in 1970, a position he held for the remainder of his life. During his tenure, every issue of Today's Art included signed and unsigned articles and editorials by Fabri, as well as some pieces written under pseudonyms. He also worked as a book reviewer for American Artist and art editor of Funk & Wagnall's New Encyclopedia.
Fabri may be best known for his books in the how-to-do-it vein, some of which were distributed through art supply stores. Among his many books are: Learn to Draw (1945), Oil Painting: How-to-Do-It! (1953), A Guide to Polymer Painting (1966), Sculpture in Paper (1966), Color: A Complete Guide for Artists (1967), Complete Guide to Flower Painting (1968), The First Hundred Years: History of the American Watercolor Society (1969), Painting Outdoors (1969), Painting Cityscapes (1970), and Artist's Guide to Composition (1971).
For nearly three decades, Fabri taught art in New York City. He was an instructor in the life and still life classes at the Parson's School of Design from 1947 through 1949. In 1951, Fabri was appointed associate professor at City College of New York, where he taught painting and art history until retiring in 1967. In addition, he was on the faculty of School of the National Academy of Design, teaching painting, drawing, and graphics from 1964 until his death.
Fabri was an active member of many artists' organizations. He was president of the National Society of Painters in Casein, Inc., an organization founded by Fabri in 1953 (it later became the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic, Inc.); he also served as president of the Audubon Artists and the Allied Artists of America, Inc. As historian of The American Watercolor Society, Fabri wrote a book length history of that organization published on the occasion of its centennial. He was the secretary and treasurer of the National Academy of Design, as well as serving on many of its committees.
Paintings and prints by Ralph Fabri have been exhibited widely in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Europe. A frequent lecturer, his painting demonstrations were quite popular. Fabri received numerous honors and awards, and his work is included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the National Academy of Design, the Norfolk Museum of Art and Science, Smithsonian Institution, the Museum of Fine Arts, the National Gallery in Budapest, and many other public and private collections.
Ralph Fabri died in New York City in February 1975.
Scope and Content Note
The Ralph Fabri papers measure 26.0 linear feet and are dated circa 1870s-1975, with the bulk of the material dated 1918-1975. Biographical information, correspondence, subject files, writings, art work, financial records, miscellaneous records, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs document the professional career and personal life of the painter, printmaker, commercial artist, writer, and teacher.
Biographical information includes awards and certificates, educational records, passports and travel documents.
Almost one-half of the collection consists of Fabri's correspondence. There is correspondence with friends and relatives, as well as professional correspondence. Much of the early correspondence with friends and family is written in Hungarian and also include small watercolors by Fabri that he used as postcards to send messages to family members. A number of later letters are illustrated with drawings by Fabri and other artists. Extensive correspondence - often daily missives - records romantic liaisons with Mabel Farrar, Mina Kocherthaler, Elly von Marczell, and Mavis Elizabeth Peat, as well as the travels and careers of Hungarian opera singer Maria Samson and composer and impresario Laszlo Schawrtz. In addition, there are large numbers of Christmas cards, many with original artwork, from artist friends and former students. Professional correspondence concerns teaching, writing and publishing, commercial work, exhibitions and sales.
Subject files relate mainly to organizations and institutions in which Fabri was active, and include his correspondence and some official records (minutes, reports, financial records), and printed material. Among the organizations and institutions are: Allied Artists of America, Inc., Artists for Victory, Inc., Audubon Artists of America, Inc., National Academy of Design, and Society of American Etchers. Other subject files concern the schools where Fabri taught and publications with which he was associated.
Among the writings by Fabri are drafts and completed manuscripts of articles, books (including two unpublished titles), music and lyrics, and a few poems. Diaries (75 vols.) covering the period 1918-1975, contain almost daily entries that record in varying degrees of detail his professional and personal activities, special and mundane events, and opinions. Prior to 1939, the diaries are in Hungarian or partially in Hungarian. Heavily illustrated notes from his studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts survive, along with other miscellaneous notes and 7 notebooks containing lists of concerts, operas, and plays attended by Fabri between 1912 and 1974.
Writings by other authors include the manuscript of Pastel Painting published by Stephen Csoka, said to have been written by Fabri.
Art work by Fabri includes student work, early commercial work, drawings and sketches, a few early watercolor paintings, and two sketchbooks. Work by other artists consists of a watercolor by his uncle Miklos Fabri, a pencil drawing by Laszlo Schwartz, a gouache painting by Paul Mommer, and an ink drawing by Marantz.
Financial records mainly concern banking transactions and taxes. In addition there are receipts for personal and business expenses and packages sent to family in Hungary.
Included among the miscellaneous records and artifacts are art sales and donations, six medals awarded to Fabri, and guest books. A videotape (SONY Helical Scan recording) of Fabri in his studio, made by Jerome Bona and Rick Brown that aired on NYC public access television station Channel C in 1973, is also included.
Scrapbooks (10 vols.) contain reproductions of Fabri's early commercial work, clippings, printed material, and a few photographs documenting his career.
Printed material by Fabri includes articles, books, commercial designs, reproductions, and works translated by Fabri for publication in Hungarian. Also included are issues of Today's Art containing signed and unsigned articles and editorials by Fabri, and some pieces he wrote using pseudonyms. Exhibition related items include catalogs, announcements, and invitations for Fabri's group and solo exhibitions and exhibitions of other artists. Also included are posters, and prospectuses.
Photographs are of art work, people, places, and miscellaneous subjects. People pictured are Ralph Fabri, his family (including a few ancestors), friends, and unidentified individuals and groups. Places documented include exterior views of Pension Villa-Fabri in Hungary (the family's restaurant and hotel), as well as photographs of foreign lands visited by Fabri or sent to him by friends. An item of note filed with miscellaneous subjects is a parade float titled "Give a Thought to Music," designed and constructed by Fabri. Included in ten photograph albums are views of paintings and commercial work by Fabri, various friends, his studio, the Dreiser estate in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., and group portraits of City College of New York faculty.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 10 series::
Missing Title
- Series 1: Biographical Information, 1919-1973, undated (Box 1, OV 31; 0.2 linear ft.)
- Series 2: Correspondence, 1904-1975, undated (Boxes 1-12; 11.0 linear ft.)
- Series 3: Subject Files, 1941-1975, undated (Boxes 12-14, 25; 2.1 linear ft.)
- Series 4: Writings, 1911-1975, undated (Boxes 14-17; 3.8 linear ft.)
- Series 5: Art Work, circa 1903-1970s, undated (Boxes 17, 26; 0.4 linear ft.)
- Series 6: Financial Records, 1923-1973, undated (Box 18; 0.6 linear ft.)
- Series 7: Miscellaneous Records and Artifacts, 1931-1975, undated (Box 18; 0.4 linear ft.)
- Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1911-1971 (Boxes 27-30; 1.3 linear ft.)
- Series 9: Printed Material, 1910s-1973, undated (Boxes 19-23, OV 32; 4.8 linear ft.)
- Series 10: Photographs, circa 1870s-1973, undated (Boxes 23-25; 1.4 linear ft.)
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
Photographs
Art -- Study and teaching -- New York (State) -- New York
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews
Christmas cards
Scrapbooks
Video recordings
Drawings
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Diaries
Watercolors
Sketches
Sketchbooks
Art criticism -- New York (State) -- New York
Painting, American -- New York (State) -- New York
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York
Illustrated letters -- Local
Artists for Victory, Inc.
American Watercolor Society
Today's art
Society of American Etchers
Biographical Information
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
1919-1973, undated
(Box 1, OV 31; 0.2 linear ft.)
Scope and Contents note
Biographical information includes awards and certificates, educational records, passports and travel documents.
Awards and Certificates
Archival Resource Key
1946-1973, undated
1
1-2
Scope and Contents
(see: OV 31)
Biographical Notes
Archival Resource Key
1961-1973, undated
1
3
Crystal Reading of Fabri's Character by M. Williams
Archival Resource Key
undated
1
4
Educational Records (includes contemporary typescript copy)
Archival Resource Key
1920-1924
1
5
Jury Duty Certificates
Archival Resource Key
1933-1943
1
6
Literacy Certificate
Archival Resource Key
1932
1
7
Membership and Identification Cards
Archival Resource Key
1919-1974, undated
1
8
Passports and Travel Documents
Archival Resource Key
1921-1968
1
9
Will (codicle)
Archival Resource Key
1971
1
10
Oversized Awards and Certificates from Box 1, Folders 1-2
Archival Resource Key
1946, 1964
OV 31
Correspondence
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
1904-1975, undated
(Boxes 1-12; 11.0 linear ft.)
Scope and Contents note
This large series of mainly correspondence with relatives and friends --is in Hungarian. Among the earliest pieces of correspondence are small watercolors by Fabri that he used as postcards to send messages to family members. A number of later letters are illustrated with drawings by Fabri and other artists.
Professional correspondence concerns teaching, writing and publishing, commercial work, exhibitions and sales. Extensive correspondence - often daily missives - records romantic liaisons with Mabel Farrar, Mina Kocherthaler, Elly von Marczell, and Mavis Elizabeth Peat, as well as the travels and careers of Hungarian opera singer Maria Samson and composer and impresario Laszlo Schawrtz . In addition, there are large numbers of Christmas cards, many with original artwork, from former students and artist friends.
Arrangement note
Additional correspondence is included with Subject Files (Series 3) and also among the loose items removed from, but retained with, Fabri's diaries (Series 4: Writings).
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1904-June 1923
1
11-28
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
July 1923-Feb. 1928
2
1-20
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
March 1928-July 1930
3
1-19
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
Aug. 1930-Oct. 1934
4
1-20
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
Nov. 1934-June 1938
5
1-18
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
July 1938-1943
6
1-19
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1944-1949
7
1-20
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1950-1956
8
1-19
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1957-1965
9
1-20
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1966-1973
10
1-20
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1974-1975
11
1-4
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1910s-1970s, undated
11
5-14
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
undated (Jan.-Dec.)
11
15-22
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
undated (Dec.)
12
1-3
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
undated
12
4-5
Subject Files
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
1941-1975, undated
(Boxes 12-14, 25; 2.1 linear ft.)
Scope and Contents note
Subject files relate mainly to organizations and institutions with which Fabri was associated. They include correspondence, and some official records (minutes, reports, financial records), and printed material. Files for publications ( American Artist and Today's Art) include manuscripts for articles and reviews by Fabri, and correspondence with readers. Files for schools where Fabri taught include correspondence with students and faculty, school catalogs, teaching materials, examinations, class rosters and grade sheets. The Theodore Dreiser file includes information about the Dreiser papers Fabri gave to the University of Pennsylvania and a few typescripts of Dreiser letters.
Allied Artists of America, Inc.
Archival Resource Key
12
Administrative Records
Archival Resource Key
1973-1974, undated
12
6
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1964-1974, undated
12
7
American Artist
Archival Resource Key
12
Article by Fabri
Archival Resource Key
1971
12
8
Book Reviews by Fabri
Archival Resource Key
1972-1975
12
9-12
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1971-1974
12
13
American Watercolor Society
Archival Resource Key
1964-1972, undated
12
14
Artists for Victory, Inc.
Archival Resource Key
12
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1943-1946, undated
12
15
Minutes of Executive Board
Archival Resource Key
1945
12
16
Audubon Artists of America, Inc.
Archival Resource Key
1944-1975
12
17
City College of New York
Archival Resource Key
12
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1951-1972, undated
12
18
Examinations
Archival Resource Key
1950-1965
12
19
Grade Sheets
Archival Resource Key
1952-1966
12
20
Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
1948-1963, undated
12
21
Reports by Fabri
Archival Resource Key
1952-1963
12
22
Teaching Notes
Archival Resource Key
1950s-1960s
12
23
Technical Building Mural
Archival Resource Key
1961-1963
12
24
Dreiser, Theodore
Archival Resource Key
1951-1972
12
25
National Academy of Design
Archival Resource Key
12
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1943-1971, undated
12
26-29
Minutes, Committee on the Constitution (with reports, drafts of revisions, and related correspondence)
Archival Resource Key
1961-1962
12
30
Minutes, Council Meetings
Archival Resource Key
1949-1950
12
31
Minutes, Executive Committee
Archival Resource Key
1949-1950, 1964
12
32
Minutes, Finance Committee
Archival Resource Key
1949, 1961
12
33
Minutes, Publicity Committee
Archival Resource Key
1949
12
34
Miscellaneous Notes
Archival Resource Key
undated
12
35
150th Anniversary Planning
Archival Resource Key
1971-1974
12
36
Annual Reports
Archival Resource Key
1946-1971
13
1
Printed Material, Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
1949-1973
13
2
Printed Material, School Circulars, etc.
Archival Resource Key
1950-1973, undated
13
3
School Budget and Expense Analysis
Archival Resource Key
1950-1951
13
4
Report of Treasurer
Archival Resource Key
1961
13
5
National Society of Painters in Casein, Inc.
Archival Resource Key
13
Constitution and By-Laws
Archival Resource Key
undated
13
6
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1954-1975, undated
13
7
Financial Records
Archival Resource Key
1954-1964, undated
13
8
Lists (membership, awards, etc.)
Archival Resource Key
undated
13
9
Minutes of Annual Meeting and Board Meeting
Archival Resource Key
1965, 1973
13
10
Publicity and Scrapbook
Archival Resource Key
1952-1965, undated
13
11
Scope and Contents
(see: Box 25)
Reports
Archival Resource Key
1950s-1968, undated
13
12
Parsons School of Design
Archival Resource Key
1947-1950, undated
13
13
Pen and Brush
Archival Resource Key
1963-1973
13
14
Society of American Etchers (John Taylor Arms)
Archival Resource Key
1941-1947
13
15
Today's Art
Archival Resource Key
13
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1960-1974, undated
13
16-27
Manuscripts of Articles and Reviews by Fabri and Other Authors
Archival Resource Key
1958-1972, undated
13
28-35
Manuscripts of Articles and Reviews by Fabri and Other Authors
Archival Resource Key
1973-1974, undated
14
1-4
Oversized National Society of Painters in Casein, Inc., Scrapbook from Box 13, Folder 11
Archival Resource Key
1952-1962
25
Writings
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
1911-1975, undated
(Boxes 14-17; 3.8 linear ft.)
Scope and Contents note
Among the extensive writings by Fabri are drafts and completed manuscripts of articles, books, music and lyrics, and a few poems. Manuscripts for Fabri's books include two unpublished titles: a partial draft and outline for Flower Painting in Every Medium that may have become Complete Guide to Flower Painting, and The Romance of Architecture.
Diaries (75 vols.) covering the period 1918-1975 (entirely or partially in Hungarian prior to about 1938) contain almost daily entries recording in varying degrees of detail professional and personal activities, special and mundane events, and his opinions. Of particular interest are Fabri's heavily illustrated notes from his student days at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
Notebooks (7 vols.) mainly contain lists of concerts, operas, and plays attended by Fabri between 1912 and 1974, noting the performers. Writings by other authors include the manuscript of Pastel Painting, a book published by Stephen Csoka, said to have been ghostwritten by Fabri.
Arrangement note
The series is arranged into 2 subseries:
- 4.1: Writings By Fabri, 1911-1975, undated
- 4.2: Writings By Other Authors, 1962, undated
Writings By Fabri
4.1
Archival Resource Key
1911-1975, undated
Addresss
Archival Resource Key
14
Address Books
Archival Resource Key
circa 1920s-1969, undated
(6 volumes)
14
5-9
Card File and Loose Slips of Paper
Archival Resource Key
undated
14
10
Articles
Archival Resource Key
14
Various Titles
Archival Resource Key
1921-1971, undated
14
11
"Methods and Materials" (series in Pictures on Exhibit)
Archival Resource Key
1949-circa 1955
14
12
Books
Archival Resource Key
14
Advanced Techniques and Styles in Oil Painting (partial manuscript and outline; unpublished)
Archival Resource Key
1953
14
13
The Art of Polymer Painting
Archival Resource Key
14
Edited First Draft
Archival Resource Key
circa 1966
14
14
Revised Manuscript
Archival Resource Key
circa 1966
14
15
Final Manuscript
Archival Resource Key
circa 1966
14
16
Notes and Information Concerning Publicity
Archival Resource Key
1966
14
17
Artist's Guide to Composition
Archival Resource Key
14
Manuscript
Archival Resource Key
1969
14
18-19
Illustrations, Captions, Invoices for Photo Orders
Archival Resource Key
1969
14
20
Color: A Complete Guide for Artists
Archival Resource Key
14
Edited Draft
Archival Resource Key
circa 1967
14
21-22
Partial Draft and Notes
Archival Resource Key
circa 1967
14
23
Complete Guide to Flower Painting Manuscript
Archival Resource Key
circa 1968
14
24-25
The First Hundred Years: A Brief History of the American Watercolor Society
Archival Resource Key
14
Manuscript
Archival Resource Key
1968
14
26
Notes
Archival Resource Key
1968
14
27
Flower Painting in Every Medium (partial draft and outline)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1966
15
1
Learn To Draw (manuscript)
Archival Resource Key
1945
15
2
Oil Painting: How To Do It! (dummy)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1953
15
3
Painting Cityscapes
Archival Resource Key
15
Manuscript
Archival Resource Key
circa 1969
15
4-5
Illustration Captions
Archival Resource Key
1969
15
6
Painting Outdoors (manuscript)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1968-1968
15
7-8
The Romance of Architecture (unpublished)
Archival Resource Key
15
Draft
Archival Resource Key
circa 1959
15
9
Manuscript
Archival Resource Key
circa 1959
15
10
Sculpture in Paper
Archival Resource Key
15
Draft
Archival Resource Key
circa 1966
15
11
Manuscript
Archival Resource Key
circa 1967
15
12
Diaries (vols. 1 -21)
Archival Resource Key
1918-1952
15
13-21
Diaries (vols. 22-61)
Archival Resource Key
1953-1969
16
1-15
Diaries (vols. 62-75)
Archival Resource Key
1970-1975, undated
17
1-5
Epicomedy
Archival Resource Key
1911
17
6
Exhibition Reviews (probably for Pictures on Exhibit)
Archival Resource Key
1952-1956
17
7
Lecture Notes
Archival Resource Key
1933-1947
17
8
Lists of Art Work
Archival Resource Key
undated
17
9
Music and Lyrics
Archival Resource Key
1910-1913
17
10
Notes from Architecture Courses, Hungarian Royal Academy of Fine Arts
Archival Resource Key
1915-1916
17
11
Notebooks
Archival Resource Key
1912-1974, undated
(7 vols)
17
12-13
Notes, Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
undated
17
14
Poems
Archival Resource Key
1959, 1962, undated
17
15
Writings By Other Authors
4.2
Archival Resource Key
1962, undated
Hoffman Irwin D. Tribute to Ralph Fabri
Archival Resource Key
undated
17
16
Csoka, Stephen, Pastel Painting (ghostwritten by Fabri)
Archival Resource Key
17
Corrected Draft
Archival Resource Key
1962
17
17
Final Manuscript
Archival Resource Key
1962
17
18
Art Work
Series 5
Archival Resource Key
circa 1903-1970s
(Box 17, 26; 0.4 linear ft.)
Scope and Contents note
Art work by Fabri includes student work, early commercial work, drawings and sketches, a few early watercolor paintings, and two sketchbooks. Other artists represented are Fabri's uncle Miklos Fabri, Laszlo Schwartz, Paul Mommer, and Marantz.
In addition, illustrated letters by Fabri are filed with Series 1: Correspondence. Notes from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest, which are heavily illustrated, can be found with Series 4: Writings.
Arrangement note
The series is arranged into 2 subseries:
- 5.1: Art Work By Fabri, circa 1903-1970s, undated
- 5.2: Art Work By Other Artists, circa 1903, undated
Art Work By Fabri, circa 1903-1970s, undated
5.1
Archival Resource Key
Commercial and Student Work
Archival Resource Key
1912-1918, undated
(see: Box 26)
17
19
Designs, Textiles and Jewelry (see: Box 26)
Archival Resource Key
1921
17
20
Drawings and Sketches (pencil; ink)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1903-1970s, undated
(see: Box 26)
17
21-26
Paintings (oil; watercolor)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1903-1906
17
27
Paintings (watercolor; gouache)
Archival Resource Key
1910s-1920s
17
28
Sketchbooks (2 vols.)
Archival Resource Key
1920s, 1940s-1950s
17
29
Oversized Artwork by Fabri, Jewelry Designs from Box 17, Folder 20
Archival Resource Key
1921
26
Oversized Artwork by Fabri, Drawings (pencil) from Box 17, Folders 21-26
Archival Resource Key
1932
26
Oversized Student Work by Fabri (Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest) from Box 17, Folder 19
Archival Resource Key
1915-1918
26
Art Work By Other Artists, circa 1903, undated
5.2
Archival Resource Key
Painting (watercolor) by Miklos Fabri [uncle]; Drawing (pencil) by László Schwartz; Painting (gouache) by Paul Mommer; and Drawing (ink) by Marantz
Archival Resource Key
circa 1903, undated
(see: Box 26)
17
30
Oversized Painting (gouache) by Paul Mommer; Drawing (ink) by Marantz from Box 17, Folder 30
Archival Resource Key
undated
26
Financial Records
Series 6
Archival Resource Key
1923-1973, undated
(Box 18; 0.6 linear ft.)
Banking
Archival Resource Key
18
American Union Bank (cancelled checks)
Archival Resource Key
1925-1931
18
1
Chemical Bank (cancelled checks; account statements)
Archival Resource Key
1970-1973
18
2
Corn Exchange Bank Trust Company (savings passbooks)
Archival Resource Key
1933-1938
18
3
International Money Order Receipts
Archival Resource Key
1923-1924; 1925; 1931; 1956
18
4
Manufacturers Trust Company (cancelled checks)
Archival Resource Key
1931-1932
18
5
Ledger
Archival Resource Key
1958-1968
18
6
Receipts
Archival Resource Key
18
Packages Sent to Family in Hungary
Archival Resource Key
1928-1956, n.d
18
7
Personal and Business Expenses
Archival Resource Key
1917-1969, undated
18
8-9
Taxes
Archival Resource Key
18
Income Tax (federal, state, local)
Archival Resource Key
1924-1925; 1939-1970; 1973-1974
18
10-15
Sales Tax (New York City)
Archival Resource Key
1935-1956
18
16
Miscellaneous Records
Series 7
Archival Resource Key
1931-1975, undated
(Box 18; 0.4 linear ft.)
Scope and Contents note
Included among the miscellaneous records and artifacts are art sales and donations, six medals awarded to Fabri, and guest books. A videotape (SONY Helical Scan recording) of Fabri in his studio, made by Jerome Bona and Rick Brown that aired on NYC public access television station Channel C in 1973, is also included.
The videotape (SONY Helical Scan recording) of Fabri in his studio was made by Jerome Bona and Rick Brown and aired on NYC public access television station Channel C in 1973.
Volume "Art Reocords" listing Art Sales and Donations
Archival Resource Key
1931-1975
18
17
Artifacts
Archival Resource Key
18
Leather Wallet or Passport Case (with insignia and inscription in Hungarian) and Leather Card Case
Archival Resource Key
undated
18
18
Medals
Archival Resource Key
1950-1958
(6 items)
18
19-20
Guest Books
Archival Resource Key
1946, 1949-1971
(2 vols.)
18
21
Videotape of Fabri
Archival Resource Key
1973
18
22
Scrapbooks
Series 8
Archival Resource Key
1911-1971
(Boxes 27-30; 1.3 linear ft.)
Scope and Contents note
Ten volumes of scrapbooks document Fabri's career and consist mainly of clippings and other printed material. Also included are samples of his early commercial work.
Arrangement note
An additional scrapbook of the National Society of Painters in Casein, Inc. is included with Series 3: Subject Files.
Vol. 1: Reproductions of early work, clippings, linoleum cuts, and commercial work
Archival Resource Key
1911-1941/42
27
Vol. 2: Clippings, reproductions, other printed material including samples of commercial work (disbound)
Archival Resource Key
1940s, undated
27
Vol. 3: Clippings and printed material
Archival Resource Key
1921-1943
27
Vol. 4: Clippings and printed material
Archival Resource Key
1943-1945
28
Vol. 5: Clippings and printed material
Archival Resource Key
1945-1951
28
Vol. 6: Clippings and printed material
Archival Resource Key
1952-1957
29
Vol. 7: Clippings and printed material
Archival Resource Key
1957-1963
29
Vol. 8: Clippings and printed material
Archival Resource Key
1963-1967
30
Vol. 9: Clippings, printed material, and photograph
Archival Resource Key
1966-1969
30
Vol. 10: Clippings, printed material, and photograph
Archival Resource Key
1969-1971
30
Printed Material
Series 9
Archival Resource Key
4.8 Linear feet
Boxes 19-23, 25, and OV 32
1910s-1973, undated
Scope and Contents note
Printed material by Fabri includes articles, books, commercial designs, reproductions, and works he translated for publication in Hungarian. A fairly complete run of Today's Art is included. Fabri contributed articles to the magazine starting in 1953, its first year of publication.
Exhibition related items include catalogs, announcements, and invitations for Fabri's exhibitions and exhibitions of other artists. Also included are posters, and prospectuses. Miscellaneous printed items on a variety of topics include a fair number of blank postcards, and reproductions of art work by other artists.
Arrangement note
This series is arranged as 4 subseries:
- 9.1: About/Mentioning Fabri, 1920s-1973, undated
- 9.2: By Fabri, 1910s-1973, undated
- 9.3: Exhibitions, 1917-1971, undated
- 9.4: Miscellaneous Printed Items, 1919-1973, undated
About/Mentioning Fabri
9.1
Archival Resource Key
1920s-1973, undated
Announcements of Painting Demonstrations and Lectures by Fabri
Archival Resource Key
1959-1973, undated
19
1
Articles
Archival Resource Key
1929-1975, undated
19
2-3
Book Reviews, Publicity, Advertisements for Books by Fabri
Archival Resource Key
1966-1971, undated
19
4
Business Cards. Receipt Form, Announcement (R.F. Studios); Calling Card
Archival Resource Key
1920s, undated
19
5
Catalogs of Art Collections
Archival Resource Key
1958-1964
19
6
Miscellaneous Items
Archival Resource Key
1953-1973, undated
19
7
Reports
Archival Resource Key
1943-1969
19
8
By Fabri
9.2
Archival Resource Key
1910s-1973, undated
Articles [in Hungarian]
Archival Resource Key
1921-1932
(see: Box 25)
19
9
Books
Archival Resource Key
19
History of the American Watercolor Society: The First Hundred Years
Archival Resource Key
1969
19
10
Learn to Draw: A Comprehensive Handbook for Art Students and Art Lovers
Archival Resource Key
1945
19
11
Oil Painting: How to Do It!
Archival Resource Key
1953
19
12
Commercial Designs by Fabri
Archival Resource Key
19
Envelopes and Album Covers for Stamp and Album Co. of America
Archival Resource Key
1938-1942
19
13
Map Covers for Geographica Map Co.; Covers for All-In-One Suppliers Catalogs
Archival Resource Key
1940s
19
14
Miscellaneous Items, Posters, and Calendar for All-In-One Suppliers
Archival Resource Key
1910s-1920s and 1940s
(see: Box 25 and OV 32)
19
15
Sheet Music Covers (Laszlo Schwartz, composer)
Archival Resource Key
1923-1924
19
16
Stamps for American Hungarian Relief
Archival Resource Key
1940s
19
17
Letter to the Editor, New York Times Magazine
Archival Resource Key
1972
19
18
Reproductions of Work by Fabri (postcard and Christmas card)
Archival Resource Key
undated
19
19
Today's Art (Ralph Fabri, associate editor)
Archival Resource Key
1953-1969
19
20-28
Today's Art (Ralph Fabri, editor)
Archival Resource Key
1971, 1973
20
1-3
Translated by Fabri
Archival Resource Key
20
Akit Nem Szabad Szeretni by Giudo da Verona
Archival Resource Key
1920
20
4
A nó a XVIII. Száladban by Edmund and Jules de Goncourt and Levelek a Malmamból by Daudet
Archival Resource Key
1921, 1922
20
5
Oversized Articles by Fabri from Box 19, Folder 9
Archival Resource Key
1921-1932
25
Oversized Calendar for All-In-One Suppliers; Miscellaneous Items from Box 19, Folder 15
Archival Resource Key
1943 and undated
25
Oversized Commercial Posters Designed by Fabri (advertisement for Arthur Allen Clothiers; announcement of weekly stamp collectors' broadcasts) from Box 19, Folder 15
Archival Resource Key
1940s
32
Exhibitions
9.3
Archival Resource Key
1917-1971, undated
Catalogs, Announcements, Invitations (Fabri shows)
Archival Resource Key
1917/18-1948
20
6-16
Catalogs, Announcements, Invitations (Fabri shows)
Archival Resource Key
1949-1959
21
1-16
Catalogs, Announcements, Invitations (Fabri shows)
Archival Resource Key
1960-1971
22
1-22
Catalogs, Announcements, Invitations (Fabri shows)
Archival Resource Key
1972-1974, undated
23
1-4
Catalogs, Announcements, Invitations (Other artists)
Archival Resource Key
1956-1968, undated
23
5
Prospectuses
Archival Resource Key
1943-1971
23
6
Miscellaneous Printed Items
9.4
Archival Resource Key
1919-1973, undated
Art Topics
Archival Resource Key
23
Audubon Artists
Archival Resource Key
1950-1952, undated
23
7
General
Archival Resource Key
1919-1972, undated
23
8
National Academy of Design
Archival Resource Key
1949-1950
23
9
National Society of Painters in Casein, Inc.
Archival Resource Key
1955-1966
23
10
Menu from Magyar Ház (restaurant operated by Henrik Fabri) and Advertisement for Strand-Pensió (hotel run by Henrik Fabri)
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
11
Miscellaneous Topics (not art)
Archival Resource Key
1921-1973, undated
23
12
Newsletters (Regun Theatre; 14th Street Theatre)
Archival Resource Key
1925
23
13
Postcards (blank)
Archival Resource Key
23
Art
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
14
Canada; England; France
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
15
Hungary; India, Ceylon, and Burma; Italy; Romania
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
16
Miscellaneous U.S. States
Archival Resource Key
1948-1950, undated
23
17-18
Programs, Concert
Archival Resource Key
1921-1937, undated
23
19
Programs, Theater
Archival Resource Key
1921, undated
23
20
Reproductions of Art Work by Other Artists
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
21
War Ration Books
Archival Resource Key
1942-1943
23
22
Photographs
Series 10
Archival Resource Key
circa 1870s-1973, undated
(Boxes 23-25; 1.4 linear ft.)
Scope and Contents note
Photographs are of Ralph Fabri, his family (including a few ancestors), friends, and unidentified individuals and groups. Among the places depicted are Pension Villa-Fabri in Hungary, the family's restaurant and hotel. An item of particular note filed with miscellaneous subjects is a view of "Give a Thought to Music," a parade float designed and constructed by Fabri. Ten volumes of photograph albums include views of paintings and commercial work by Fabri, various friends, his studio, the Dreiser estate in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., and group portraits of the City College of New York faculty.
Arrangement note
This series is arranged as 5 subseries:
- 10.1: Art Work, 1862-1964, undated
- 10.2: People, circa 1870s-1973, undated
- 10.3: Places, circa 1920s-1971, undated
- 10.4: Miscellaneous Subjects, circa 1920s, undated
- 10.5: Photograph Albums, 1920s
Art Work
10.1
Archival Resource Key
1862-1964, undated
By Fabri
Archival Resource Key
23
A-Z (by title)
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
23-24
Untitled
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
25
Color Transparency of Still Life
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
26
Painting Demonstrations
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
27
By Other Artists
Archival Resource Key
23
A-Z and unidentified (by artist)
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
28
Illustrations for National Gallery of Canada Calendar
Archival Resource Key
1964
23
29
Illustrations for Sculpture in Paper by Fabri (includes negatives)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1962
23
30
Unidentified Artist (possibly Fabri), Architectural Drawing
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
31
People
10.2
Archival Resource Key
circa 1870s-1973, undated
Fabri, Ralph
Archival Resource Key
23
Portraits
Archival Resource Key
1922-1973, undated
(see: Box 25)
23
32
With Others (Dreiser, Helen and unidentified individuals)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1920s-1970, undated
23
33
Family
Archival Resource Key
23
Fabri Children (Charles, Elza, Otti, and Ralph in various groupings)
Archival Resource Key
1898-1908, 1935
23
34
Fabri, Charles (brother)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1900-1936
23
35
Fabri, Elza (sister); her Husband, Géza Dési; their Children
Archival Resource Key
1908-1960
23
36
Fabri, Helena Fischer (mother)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1880s-1937, undated
23
37
Fabri, Helena Fischer and Henrik L. Fabri (parents)
Archival Resource Key
1893
23
38
Fabri, Henrik L. (father)
Archival Resource Key
early 1900s, 1924
23
39
Fabri, Otti (sister); her Children
Archival Resource Key
circa 1900, 1922-1936
23
40
Fabri, Pauline (aunt)
Archival Resource Key
1952
23
41
Fabri, Ralph
Archival Resource Key
1894-1904
23
42
Fischer, Eugene (uncle)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1870s
23
43
Fischer, Grandmother (mother of Helena Fischer Fabri)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1870s
23
44
Levine, Bernice Becher (second cousin, husband George Levine, and parents Jack and Charlotte Pfeiffer Becher)
Archival Resource Key
1935-1937
23
45
Others
Archival Resource Key
23
Daitz-Caporicci, Teresa
Archival Resource Key
1962
23
46
Dreiser, Helen
Archival Resource Key
1932, circa 1944
23
47
Einstein, Alfred and Abraham Mandelstam
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
48
Gottlieb, Elizabeth
Archival Resource Key
1947
23
49
Van Dijk, Kees
Archival Resource Key
undated
23
50
Unidentified Individuals
Archival Resource Key
1922-1973, undated
23
51
Unidentified Groups
Archival Resource Key
1922, undated
23
52
Oversized Photographs, People -- Fabri Portraits
Archival Resource Key
1942, 1963
25
Places
10.3
Archival Resource Key
circa 1920s-1971, undated
Alaska
Archival Resource Key
1922, undated
24
1
British Columbia
Archival Resource Key
undated
24
2
Hungary (Budapest), Pension Villa-Fabri (exterior, garden, outdoor dining area)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1920s-1930s
24
3
India (Agra and Darjeeling)
Archival Resource Key
undated
24
4
Ireland (Dublin)
Archival Resource Key
1968
24
5
National Gallery of Canada, Lorne Building
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s
24
6
Turkey (negatives)
Archival Resource Key
1971
24
7
Unidentified
Archival Resource Key
undated
24
8
Miscellaneous Subjects
10.4
Archival Resource Key
circa 1920s, undated
Animals
Archival Resource Key
undated
24
9
Parade Float, "Give a Thought to Music," Designed and Constructed by Fabri
Archival Resource Key
circa 1920s
24
10
Photograph Albums
10.5
Archival Resource Key
1920s
Vol. 1, "Photographs of Paintings, Settings, etc.,"
Archival Resource Key
1920s
24
11
Vol. 2, Photographs of Displays and Other Commercial Work (disbound)
Archival Resource Key
1920s-1940s
24
12
Vol. 3, "Pix I took of Maria Samson, Hungarian opera singer, in Winnipeg and New York. Also: Laszlo Schwartz in Winnipeg and some friends in N.Y.,"
Archival Resource Key
1921-1923
24
13
Vol. 4, "Ralph Fabri movie displays, shadowboxes, a horsedrawn float, etc. done while working for the Art Guild, W. 5th St., 1922-23 (24). Lettering done by letterers,"
Archival Resource Key
1922-1924
24
14
Vol. 5, "Starting with early pix, 1921-1922, though my European trip, 1927, my studio in Washington Square, my family in U.S. and Hungary. My friends Mabel Farrar, Elizabeth Schirmer, others and myself up to 1930. Last pix on top,"
Archival Resource Key
1921-1930
24
15
Vol. 6, "Family, the Dreisers. Camp Wigwam. Mabel [Farrar]. Elly von Marczell. Maria Samson's House (Kew Gardens). Mavis Elizabeth Peat. Evelyn B. Macht,"
Archival Resource Key
1928-1937
24
16
Vol. 7, "Ralph Fabri: Photograph of Portraits,"
Archival Resource Key
1929-circa 1946
24
17
Vol. 8, "Photographs I took at Camp Wigwam, Maine and "Iroki" the Dreiser estate, Mt. Kisco, N.Y.,"
Archival Resource Key
1930-1936
24
18
Vol. 9, "Pix from Mt. Kisco and house I remodeled in Newark, N.J. for my uncle" and Vol. 10
Archival Resource Key
1931-1960s
(see: Box 25 for Vol. 10)
24
19
Oversized Vol. 10 Photograph Album, Oversized Photographs of Paintings by Fabri; Group Portraits, including CCNY Faculty (disbound)
Archival Resource Key
1940s-1960s
25