Sidney Laufman (1891-1985) was a landscape painter. He studied at the Cleveland School of Art, the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, and under Robert Henri at the Art Students League of New York. After World War I, he and his wife settled in Paris where he worked for thirteen years before returning to the United States. He was active in the Federal Emergency Relief Administration in Florida and the WPA in New York. He also taught at the Art Students League in 1938.
The collection is arranged into six series.
The papers of Sidney Laufman measure 1.0 linear feet and date from 1916 to 1983. The papers document Laufman's career as a landscape painter through awards, biographical outlines, interviews, and other biographical material; correspondence with family,friends, and art organizations; notebooks, notes, and other writings; receipts, sales records, and other personal business records; clippings, exhibition announcements, exhibition catalogs, and other printed material; and photographs of Laufman and his family and photographs of artwork.
Biographical material includes awards and citiations, a biographical outline, an audio reel oral history interview with Laufman, and small oil paintings. Correspondence includes letters from Louis Bouche, Eliot Clark, Ralph Fabri, Leon Kroll, Ethel Magafan, Meyer Schapiro, and art dealers. Writings include typescripts of lectures and writings; five notebooks relating to his techniques, materials, and style, lists of works, and business notes, 1942 to 1952; a journal and a typescript of the journal kept by his wife Beatrice, ca. 1938-1955. Business records include receipts, sales records, and dealings with East End Gallery, Living American Art, and Milch Galleries. Printed material includes newpaper clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, press releases, and programs for the Third Woodstock Art Conference. Photographic material consists of personal photographs of Laufman with family and friends and photographs of Laufman's artwork.
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This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
The Sidney Laufman papers were donated to the archives between 1983-1984 by Sidney Laufman.
Syracuse University also holds a portion of the Sidney Laufman papers.
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Sidney Laufman conducted by Joseph Trovato, January 29, 1965.
Sidney Laufman papers, 1916-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2020.
Biographical material includes awards and citiations, a biographical outline, an audio reel oral history interview with Laufman, and small oil paintings.
Correspondence includes letters from Louis Bouche, Eliot Clark, Ralph Fabri, Leon Kroll, Ethel Magafan, Meyer Schapiro, and art dealers.
Writings include typescripts of lectures and writings; five notebooks relating to his techniques, materials, and style, lists of works, and business notes, 1942 to 1952; a journal and a typescript of the journal kept by his wife Beatrice, ca. 1938-1955.
Business records include receipts, sales records, and dealings with East End Gallery, Living American Art, and Milch Galleries.
Printed material includes newpaper clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, press releases, and programs for the Third Woodstock Art Conference.
Photographic material consists of personal photographs of Laufman with family and friends and photographs of Laufman's artwork.