This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
The papers of painter and collector Loretta Hines Howard measure 0.2 linear feet, date from circa 1920 to 1941, and primarily concern Robert Henri's portrait of Howard and the friendship between Howard and the Henri family. The papers include an artwork, correspondence, printed material, and Robert Henri's annotated color theory chart.
The collection is available on 35mm microfilm reels 2006-2007 at 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.
Loretta Hines Howard (1904-1982) was a painter and art collector from Dayton, Ohio, and New York City, New York. She studied painting under Robert Henri, who later painted Howard's portrait. Howard collected nativity scenes and donated her extensive collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Loretta Howell donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in 1972-1973, through trustee Eloise Spaeth.
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Loretta Hines Howard papers, circa 1920-1941. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The collection was microfilmed after receipt on reels 2006-2007, and was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2022 with support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
Artwork comprises one painted and unsigned sketch. Correspondence includes letters from Emma Bellows, Marjorie Organ Henri, Robert Henri, Walt Kuhn, and Violet Organ. Robert Henri's letters discuss painting, color theory, travel plans, and suggestions for Howard's studio. Marjorie Henri's letters comment on their work, her husband's final illness, and estate settlement. Letters from Violet Organ describe her sister Marjorie's illness. Printed materials consist of clippings about the death of Robert Henri. Of note is Henri's color theory chart and accompanying annotations.