Alan D. Gruskin (1904-1970) hoped to become an artist, but while still a student realized that his talents were better suited to art administration than painting. Following graduation from Harvard University, he worked at a New York gallery that specialized in old masters, returning home to Pennsylvania after a year to pursue a writing career that ultimately proved unsuccessful. Gruskin returned to New York and opened Midtown Galleries at 559 Fifth Avenue in 1932. Specializing in work by living American artists, Midtown was one of a rather small number of commercial galleries in New York City that showed contemporary American art. Midtown Galleries represented academic and realist painters, and purposely avoided abstract art.
Founded during the Depression, Midtown Galleries was a shoe-string operation in its early years. Originally operated as a cooperative, Midtown Galleries' participating artists contributed to the costs and work of presenting exhibitions. Between 1932 and 1935, Gruskin served as "Art Director" of the gallery and his business partner, Francis C. Healey was "Publicity Director." Healey appears to have been responsible for weekly broadcasts on NBC radio designed to interest people in visiting the gallery. The 15-minute programs consisted of discussions with museum directors, curators, artists, writers, and musicians about a broad range of cultural topics. Copies of the scripts were offered for a dime, and the payments mailed by radio listeners bought Gruskin's meals. During this period, Gruskin lived in the gallery. After Healey's departure in 1935, Midtown Galleries ceased to be run as a cooperative.
Midtown Galleries usually represented approximately two dozen artists, and many remained with the gallery for decades. They included: Julien Binford, Isabel Bishop, Paul Cadmus, Gladys Rockmore Davis, Emlen Etting, Maurice Freedman, Dong Kingman, Oronzio Maldarelli, William C. Palmer, Waldo Peirce, Doris Rosenthal, Zoltan L. Sepeshy, Frederic Taubes, William Thon, Margit Varga, and Robert Vickrey.
Gruskin worked to educate and interest the public in American art and to promote the artists he represented. In addition to countless reviews, articles, and catalog essays, he wrote three books:
Midtown Galleries was a pioneer in circulating traveling exhibitions to colleges and art associations in communities distant from major art museums and commercial galleries. Beginning in 1936 and or more than 35 years, Midtown Galleries circulated 8-10 shows throughout the country each year; most were group shows organized around a theme, though occasional solo exhibitions were offered. Other important exhibitions off the premises were the Central Illinois Art Exposition, 1939, and the contemporary American art exhibition at the New York World's Fair, 1964-1965. The 1939 show organized by Gruskin for the Bloomington, Illinois, Art Association was a large exhibition of American art borrowed from a variety of institutions; the very well-publicized show was heavily attended, drawing visitors from a large area of the rural Midwest, many of whom had never visited a museum or seen original art.
Records of Midtown Galleries [including the addition], circa 1904-1997, comprise 86.82 linear feet on 117 microfilm reels. Records are sparse for the early years when the gallery was operated as a cooperative. As the business expanded and became profitable, recordkeeping was more systematic and thorough. Records consist of administrative correspondence, 1927-1989 and undated; exhibition records, 1934-1982 and undated; inventories and sales records, 1946-1980 and undated; financial records, 1933-1957; miscellaneous, 1934-1985 and undated; photographs, circa 1925-circa 1980; printed matter, 1932-1982 and undated; personal papers of Alan D. and Mary J. Gruskin, 1932-1983 and undated; and Papers of Francis C. Healey, 1932-1935 and undated An addition, represents scattered material, 1932-1997 and undated, that remained after the gallery closed in 1995. It includes administrative records, 1934-1995 and undated; photographs circa 1938-1988 and undated; artists records, 1932-1993 and undated; exhibitions, 1958-1993 and undated; videotapes, 1977-1988; and oversize printed matter, 1973-1977 and undated Because microfilmimg of the Midtown Galleries records was already underway when this material was received, it could not be integrated with the main portion of the collection.
Administrative correspondence is categorized as General Correspondence, Artists Correspondence, and Artists Applications. General Correspondence is with clients, collectors, museums and galleries, arts organizations, and businesses providing services to Midtown Galleries, and concerns routine business matters. Artists Correspondence contains both personal and business letters since the Gruskins were close friends of many artists represented by Midtown Galleries. Artists Applications consists of correspondence with artists seeking representation by Midtown Galleries. Both accepted and rejected artists are included in this subseries.
Exhibition records includes schedules and general correspondence about cooperative exhibitions and traveling shows. Exhibition files, arranged by title, contain correspondence concerning arrangements for each show.
Inventories include listings by artist and by warehouse location; also, lists of paintings on consignment, paintings returned to artists, loan/shipping log, and "traffic cards." Sales records include "groups totals,: artists account ledger, and sales slips.
Financial records consist of bills paid, banking records, accounting records, and tax returns with related documentation.
Miscellaneous items include manuscripts of
Photographs of people include founders Alan D. Gruskin and Francis C. Healey, Mary J. Gruskin (Mrs. Alan D.) and many artists affiliated with Midtown Galleries. Photographs of works of art are by Midtown artists and others. Also, illustrations for
Printed matter includes material produced by Midtown Galleries: exhiition catalogs, 1932-1983 and undated; news releases, 1932-1983 and undated;
Personal papers of Mary J. and Alan D. Gruskin contain biographical information, correspondence, financial records, miscellaneous items, calendars, and writings of Alan D. Gruskin. Correspondence, 1931-1970 and undated, with family and friends concerns personal business; also, letters of condolence on the death of Alan D. Gruskin, 1970. Financial records include personal finances and documentation of gifts of artwork to institutions, with appraisals and tax information. Calendars, 1939-1983, record both personal engagements and some business appointments. Writings of Alan D. Gruskin include manuscripts and drafts of columns, short stories, a screenplay, radio broadcasts, and lecture notes from courses at Harvard.
Papers of Francis C. Healey are comprised of correspondence that relates to both gallery and ersonal business. Also included are scripts and drafts for radio broadcasts, printed matter, press releases, and proposals for radio programs.
Administrative records received with the addition include general correspondence, correspondence with clients, and correspondence regarding gifts, sales and purchases. Records concerning the sale of Midtown Galleries to John Whitney Payson include Gruskin's and Payson's inventories. Also, included is a history of the gallery.
Photographs are of the Gruskins, their friends, and country house; also, views of Midtown exhibitions, openings, artists, and individual works of art.
Artists records are comprised mainly of artists files, largely containing printed matter. Among the artists records are a file of holiday cards by various artists, many with original artwork. Also included are catalogs of group shows featuring Midtown artists at other galleries
Exhibition materials include announcements, news releases, catalogs, miscellaneous printed matter, and a guest book. A small number of these items are dated after Payson's purchase of Midtown Galleries.
Videotapes of William Palmer, Isabel Bishop, and Robert Vickrey, as well as oversize printed matter relating to Midtown artists, complement the artists records.
The collection is arranged into 10 series. A detailed explanation of the arrangement of each series is provided with the series descriptions. Each series is subdivided, often by record type, with categories usually arranged chronologically; exceptions are noted. Administrative correspondence (Series 1) is arranged alphabetically, as are many inventories sales records (Series 3). Photographs of people, exhibitions, and works of art (Series 6) are arranged alphabetically, as are the artists files and exhibition clippings portions of the printed matter (Series 7). The addition is described separately in Appendix A; and, wherever possible, reel and frame numbers of related materials received and filmed with the addition have been included in the main text's series descriptions.
Midtown Galleries loaned a small number of records consisting of news releases, 1939-1966, and exhibition schedules to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in 1966. Subsequently, Mary J. Gruskin donated this material, along with many other gallery records, to the Archives in several installments between 1972 and 1991; an additional gift was received in 1997. The portion loaned in 1966 is now integrated with the main records and has been refilmed in sequence. Unfortunately, the addition of 1997 was received in Washington, D.C. after microfilming was well underway. The addition has been microfilmed and described separately as Series 10. Wherever possible, the main text has been annotated with reel and frame numbers for related items contained in the addition.
The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy.
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
The majority of the collection is available on 35 mm microfilm reels 5322-5438 and 5475 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.
Midtown Galleries records, 1904-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
Processing of the collection was completed by Catherine Stover Gaines in 1999.
Administrative Correspondence includes general correspondence, artist correspondence, and artists applications. All correspondence is arranged alphabetically.
General correspondence, (37 linear feet) is with clients, collectors, museums, arts organizations, commercial galleries, and framers, shippers, conservators and others providing services to Midtown Galleries. This correspondence concerns routine business of the gallery such as sales, appraisals, loans for exhibition, arrangements for exhibitions, receptions, openings and entertainment, requests to participate in charitable fundraising events, publicity, etc. A small amount of printed matter is included, usually as enclosures with correspondence. Addition correspondence concerning Midtown exhibitions, particularly traveling exhibitions,will be found in Series 2: Exhibitions.
Alphabetical subdivisions noted represent folder titles. Capitalized titles note the alphabetical span encompassed by a particular folder, while those in lower case indicate an entire folder for a particular individual, institution, or organization.
Artist correspondence (13.5 linear feet) includes items that are both official and personal in nature because the Gruskins were close friends of many artists represented by Midtown Galleries.
Artist applications (0.5 linear feet) contain correspondence with artists interested in affiliating with Midtown Galleries. These files include both accepted and rejected applicants.
The Exhibitions series includes schedules and information about traveling shows, which were usually group exhibitions built around themes; these records are arranged chronologically. The majority of the records in this series consist of files on particular exhibitions, including both traveling shows and exhibitions held at Midtown Galleries; these records are arranged alphabetically by exhibition title. See the Appendix for .
See Appendix for a chronological list of Midtown Galleries exhibitions documented in Series 2.
The series is organized into two subsseries:
This list was compiled from announcements and catalogs produced by Midtown Galleries. A few of these were not included with the Midtown Galleries records, but were microfilmed in the mid-1960s as part of an Archives of American Art project to microfilm exhibition catalogs at a number of art libraries. Microfilm reel and frame numbers for these items are indicated in parentheses (reel: frames) immediately following the title. Most are part of Series VII: Printed Matter, and are microfilmed in chronological order; those marked with an asterisk (*) are part of the 1997 addition (5438: 713-838 and 889-932).
Below is a list of exhibitions for which the year or date is unknown.
Group Exhibitions, date or year unknown
This subseries contains exhibition schedules; general information about cooperative exhibitions; and files for seasons of traveling shows which contain schedules, price lists, shipping information, and general correspondence.
Inventories (2 linear feet) of Midtown Galleries stock, 1946-1980, and undated, indicate artist, title, date, medium, dimensions, and whether a piece is framed or unframed. Often, a bin number or other location is specified, and occasionally insurance values are included. Most inventories are arranged alphabetically by artist, but some are arranged by storage location; some are in the form of lists and others are card files. Other records relating to gallery stock are included in this series. These include lists of paintings on consignment and lists of paintings returned to artists, as well as loan/shipping logs, and "traffic cards."
Sales records (3.3 linear feet) include "group totals," artists account ledgers, and copies of sales slips arranged by name of artist.
"Traffic cards," found in this subseries, are 3 x 5 cards arranged alphabetically by artist that indicate title, date, and exhibition history. Inventory cards are 5 X 8 cards arranged alphabetically by artist and indicate title, date, size, value, and exhibition history.
This subseries includes sales slips indicating name and address of buyer, date of sale, artist, title, and price. There are also notes on expenses to be deducted, and the amount and dates of payments to artists.
Financial records consist of invoices for bills paid (arranged alphabetically by name of creditor); banking records such as statements and passbooks; accounting records including an accounts receivable ledger and a petty cash book; and federal, state, and city income and business tax records. Because these are likely to be of interest to a very limited number of researchers, this series was not microfilmed; of course, arrangements may be made for the original records to be consulted at our Washington office. Financial information concerning gallery stock is included in Series 3: Inventory and Sales Records, and letters relating to gallery purchases and sales may also be included with Series 1: Administrative Correspondence.
Miscellaneous records include Midtown Galleries guest registers complete at 32 volumes except for the first two years of the galleries's existence. This series includes artifacts, mainly samples of artist-designed or inspired silk fabrics produced for the Onandoga Silk Co.; several department stores featured garments made from the fabrics and mounted small exhibitions of the paintings on which the fabrics were based. Also, two brass labels from paintings and a sound recording with a cover designed by a Midtown Galleries artist. Writings by authors other than Alan D. Gruskin are manuscripts about Isabel Bishop and Philip Guston (Gruskin's writings are part of Series 8: Personal Papers of Alan D. and Mary J. Gruskin). Legal documents include items such as the galleries' Act of Incorporation, partnership agreements, and leases.
This series is organized into five subseries:
People includes artists, most but not all were associated with Midtown Galleries; also, photographs of Alan D. and Mary J. Gruskin. Photographs of people are arranged alphabetically by name, followed by unidentified individuals.
Photographs of works of art are arranged by name of artist and photographs of exhibitions are arranged alphabetically by exhibition title.
(mainly photographs of paintings by Waldo Peirce, many annotated with five digit numbers (negative numbers) and some with names and addresses, possibly photographers or purchasers)
Miscellaneous subjects are arranged alphabetically by name or subject.
This subseries (1 linear foot) consists of exhibition catalogs, 1932-1983, news releases, 1935-1983, and
Most, but not all, artists included here were affiliated with Midtown Galleries. Files include printed matter comprising mainly clippings, but also tear sheets, exhibition notices, and catalogs from galleries other than Midtown. Files are arranged A-Z with each file in rough chronological order.
The Once Upon A Time Press folder includes a manuscript of
The personal papers of Alan D. Gruskin (1904-1970) and Mary J. Gruskin include biographical material, correspondence, financial records, and calendars that record some business appointments as well as personal engagements.
The series is organized into six subseries:
This subseries includes obituaries, draft notices, marriage announcements, various identification and membership cards, a memorial service guest book, and miscellaneous items.
Included here is correspondence with family and friends concerning personal business. Letters of condolence on the death of Alan D. Gruskin, 1970, are arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent.
In addition to personal financial records, this subseries contains appraisals and tax information relating to gifts of artwork to various institutions.
Both personal engagements and some business appointments are recorded.
These writings are unfilmed except for Radio Broadcasts.
Nothing is known about Francis C. Healey other than the fact that between 1932 and 1935 he and Gruskin were business partners. During that time, Healey served as Midtown Galleries' "Publicity Director" and Gruskin's title was "Art Director." His records include both gallery and personal and business correspondence, including letters from radio listeners; scripts and drafts of scripts for radio broadcasts; and miscellaneous items such as clippings, printed matter, press releases, and radio program proposals.
Further records of the Midtown Galleries were donated by Mary J. Gruskin in 1997. This material is arranged and stored separately because it was received in Washington after microfilming of the main portion of the gift was well underway. Wherever possible, the main text of this finding aid contains reel and frame numbers for related records received and filmed with this addition.
This subseries includes correspondence files and other records concerning the operation of Midtown Galleries and its sale to John Whitney Payson in 1985. Also found here are records documenting Mary Gruskin's personal collection and gifts of artwork made to various museums and institutions.
(notes for proposals; also, certificates of appreciation for participation in programs)
(research notes on Midtown artists who participated in W.P.A. programs, and clippings about federal art projects)
(annotated photocopies of Midtown announcements-probably exhibition research)
This subseries contains mainly printed matter, arranged by artist, with a small number of notes and photographs. Many of the artists holiday cards contain original art work. Files on Fred Nagler include an obituary and photographs, 1983, 1997, undated; exhibition announcements, 1947, 1950, 1963, 1972, 1975, 1984; gifts and sales, 1965, 1978, 1984-1990, undated; and an inventory, 1984-1990. The Waldo Peirce files include a scrapbook (1 vol.), "Art Clippings," (1934-1935 undated), about Peirce and other artists and a photograph of Peirce and his studio.
[target incorrectly reads "Artists' Obituaries, 1991"]
(regarding group shows, miscellaneous Midtown artists, and Midtown Galleries)
(group shows that included Midtown artists)
Exhibition announcements include Midtown and Midtown-Payson shows, and a few miscellaneous items relating to Midtown artists.