The Richard York Gallery records were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2006 by Kevin Scott, the executor of Richard York's estate; and in 2015 by Lisa Bush Hankin, former gallery director.
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Haug in 2010-2011. An addition to the records was processed and added to the finding aid by Christopher DeMairo in 2022.
Richard York Gallery records, circa 1865-2005, bulk 1981-2004. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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Richard T. York (circa 1950-2003) opened his eponymous gallery in the spring of 1981 on East 65th Street in New York City. Specializing in American painting and sculpture from early 1800s to 1950, the Richard York Gallery dealt in the artwork of hundreds of artists including Albert Bierstadt, Charles Demuth, Arthur Dove, Lockwood de Forest, John Graham, Georgia O'Keeffe, John Singer Sargent, Charles Sheeler, and Steve Wheeler. It also represented the estates of artists John Marin and Joseph Stella.
Richard York passed away in April 2003, and the gallery closed in May 2004.
The records of the Richard York Gallery, a New York gallery specializing in American art from early 1800s to 1950, measure 87.5 linear feet and date from circa 1865-2005, with the bulk of the material dating from 1981 to 2004. The bulk of the records are artists' artwork files, documenting the sale and consignment of nearly 6,500 works of art. The gallery's activities are also recorded through correspondence, artists' files, client files, gallery invoices, inventories, business and financial records, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographic materials of artwork, and estate records for the John Marin estate and Sergio Stella estate (Joseph Stella).
Correspondence includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence with collectors, clients, galleries and museums, primarily regarding appraisals, consignments, exhibitions, general inquiries, loans, and sales. Also found are scattered transactional records, information sheets for artwork, and photographic materials. Correspondence from the mid-late 1980s is poorly represented.
The sale and consignment of nearly 6,500 pieces of artwork at the Richard York Gallery are documented through transactional records, photographic materials, correspondence, and scattered printed materials found in the Artists' Artwork Files. Artists for which there are significant quantities of materials (over 50 folders) include Joseph Goldyne, Ellen Day Hale, John Henry Hill, John William Hill, Lester George Hornby, Louis Lozowick, Luigi Lucioni, Emma Fordyce MacRae, John Marin, Joseph Stella, William Henry Stevens, and Steve Wheeler. Also included are the files of the Richard York photography collection, which contained works by Robert Mapplethorpe.
Similar to the Artists' Artwork Files, Client Files document the sale and consignment of artwork, but are arranged by artist's and client's name. Materials found are primarily from the early 1990s and include correspondence, notes, photographic materials, photocopied client information cards, and printed materials.
The Richard York Gallery represented the John Marin estate and the Sergio Stella estate (Joseph Stella). The records of the John Marin estate are primarily artwork in-take sheets from 1998 and inventory lists from 2001. The Sergio Stella Estate records include correspondence, inventories of artwork by Joseph Stella, and some photographic materials.
Sales and inventory records contain a nearly complete set of gallery invoices from 1995-2000, and 2004. Inventories includes gallery inventory lists, and inventory cards of sold artwork from 1981-1997 (bulk 1981-1991).
The business and financial records include accounting records, bank deposit records, corporate records, index cards for contacts, invoices for gallery expenses, materials related to Richard York's involvement in the ADAA, mailing lists, records of payments to consignors, receipts, shipping records, and tax records. The gallery migrated from paper records to Artbase, an artwork management system, around 2000-2002. Included are two CDs of database data and digital images from Artbase, as well as inventories of the digital file names.
Printed materials contain advertising tear sheets from 1998-2002, exhibition catalogs, magazine and newspaper clippings of reviews and announcements, and other miscellaneous printed materials. Printed materials are also found in eight scrapbooks which document the activities of the Richard York Gallery, Richard York, and the gallery's exhibitions from 1981-2002. Materials in the scrapbooks include clippings, correspondence, photographs, exhibition catalogs, announcements, and invitations.
Photographic materials includes color photographs, transparencies, digital prints, and scattered printed materials, as well as over 600 slides of artwork, primarily works of art which were sold or consigned by the gallery. Artists for which there is significant volume of transparencies include Houghton Cranford Smith and Lockwood de Forest, Sr.
Artists' files consist mostly of photocopied newspaper and magazine clippings, writings about the artist, and exhibition catalogs. Some original copies of printed material, correspondence with collectors, curators, and gallerists, photographic materials, artwork records, and some exhibition records are also present.
The collection is arranged as 10 series:
Correspondence spans the life of the gallery and contains incoming and outgoing correspondence with collectors, potential clients, galleries and museums regarding appraisals, consignments, donations, exhibitions, general inquiries, loans, and sales.
The series is arranged as 2 subseries:
Alphabetical correspondence includes incoming and outgoing correspondence with collectors, potential clients, galleries, and museums regarding inquiries, consignments, and sales. The files of Executive Vice President Susan Menconi (1993-1998) and Gallery Manager Michael Mikulay (1996-1997) are included, as well as scattered gallery receipts and invoices, information sheets for artwork, and photographic materials. Correspondence from 1985-1990 is poorly represented.
The bulk of the alphabetical correspondence was originally grouped by year(s) and filed alphabetically. The original order has been maintained, with general A-Z correspondence filed first in chronological order, followed by folders filed alphabetically by correspondent's last name or organization name.
Originally filed by subject by the gallery, materials in this subseries concern appraisals, consignments, donations, loans, and a handful of exhibitions or pieces of artwork. Also found is some correspondence regarding Richard T. York's personal collection. The bulk of the subject correspondence is from the 1990s-2004.
Artists' Artwork Files contain materials related to the sale and consignment of works of art. Each work of art was assigned an inventory number when it was taken in by the gallery, made up of a unique three- or four-digit number followed by a two-letter code (i.e. 2549CY). The numbers were assigned in numerical order, therefore smaller numbers indicate an earlier intake date and larger numbers, a more recent intake date. The two-letter code indicates the type of transaction: consignment ("CY"), loan ("LY"), joint venture ("JY"), or the Richard York Gallery inventory ("RY"). Researchers should note that artwork may have multiple inventory numbers or may be described by alternate titles as a result of being taken in by the gallery on more than one occasion.
The series is arranged as 2 subseries:
Originally known as the "paintings files" by the Richard York Gallery, this subseries provides comprehensive documentation for the gallery's artwork. Found are sales, consignment, and loan records; correspondence related to transactions; research materials; and photographs, slides, and transparencies. Folders include many photocopies of original documents. Artists for which there are significant quantities of materials (over 50 folders) include Joseph Goldyne, Ellen Day Hale, John Henry Hill, John William Hill, Lester George Hornby, Louis Lozowick, Luigi Lucioni, Emma Fordyce MacRae, John Marin, Joseph Stella, William Henry Stevens, and Steve Wheeler.
The bulk of the materials in this subseries are dated from 1981 to 2004, and includes active files from the gallery's closing in April 2004, documenting the disposition of artwork. Materials dated prior to 1981 are typically artwork artifacts such as back labels, or research materials. Researchers should also consult Client Files regarding particular artists. Additional related records may also be found in the Artbase CDs found in Business and Financial Records.
Folder titles are described and arranged according to the gallery's filing system: first by artists' last name, then numerically by the inventory number. A placeholder found in this series has been left in its original location upon accession; however, it is unknown if the location of the placeholder remained relevant to the filing order of the records.
Ault, George, 2529RY:
Crawford, Ralston, 4642CY:
Cross, Henry H., 3997CY:
Cucuel, Edward, 8542CY (2606JY):
David, S. S. [De Scott Evans], 2938CY:
David, S. S. [De Scott Evans], 3087RY:
David, S. S. [De Scott Evans], 3377CY:
David, S. S. [De Scott Evans], 3538CY:
David, S. S. [De Scott Evans], 3619LY:
David, S. S. [De Scott Evans], 4066RY:
David, S. S. [De Scott Evans], 7145RY:
Dunning, Robert Spear, 2895CY:
Gaylor, Samuel Wood, 2331JY: (Landscape)
Hill, John William, 9138CY:
Lachaise, Gaston, 4034CY:
Pearce, Charles Sprague, 861CY:
Pearce, Charles Sprague, 1539CY:
Stella, Joseph, 6068JY:
Tait, Arthur Fitzwilliam, 3632CY:
Ulrich, Charles F., 1620CY:
Wiggins, Guy, 1907CY:
Found are Artists' Artwork files related to photographic works of art acquired in the last years of the gallery's operation, and which were physically separated from the General subseries upon accession. Subject matter of the material is primarily landscapes, abstracts, male nudity, and explicit sexual content. Prominent photographers in this collection include Robert Mapplethorpe, PaJaMa, Alfred Stieglitz, and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Researchers interested in photographic works of art should also consult the General subseries for works by H.O. Albrecht, Paul Strand, and others. Additional related records may also be found in the Artbase CDs found in Business and Financial Records.
Folders are arranged by artists' last name, then numerically by the inventory number.
Client Files contains correspondence, notes, photographic materials, photocopied client information cards, and printed materials related to particular artists of interest to clients. The files found here are primarily from the early 1990s; as such, this is not a comprehensive file of the Richard York Gallery clients. This series is sometimes referred to as "Paintings Files - VIPs" in the records; researchers should consult this series in conjunction with Artists' Artwork Files.
A price code is occasionally used throughout this series to mask the price of a work of art. The processing archivist found reference to the code in Box 64, Folder 77 and Box 67, Folder 9. The code uses the word "Artichoke" to substitute for numbers; A=1, R=2, T=3, I=4, etc. "X"=0.
Folders are labeled according to the gallery's filing system upon accession; first by artist's last name, then by client name. Folders are arranged alphabetically by artist's last name.
MacEwen, [Walter]; Graham Williford (VIP)
The Richard York Gallery represented the John Marin estate and the Sergio Stella estate (Joseph Stella).
The series is arranged as 2 subseries:
John Marin Estate records includes correspondence and lists from an inventory taken in 2001 compared with 1998 artwork in-take records from Kennedy Galleries. Records related to the consignment and sale of Marin's artwork are found in Artists' Artwork Files.
Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Artwork by Joseph Stella was consigned to the Richard York Gallery by the Sergio Stella Estate; executors of the estate included Sergio Stella, Mary Stella, and Lisa Stella McCarthy. Appraisal records, correspondence, inventories of artwork by Joseph Stella, photographic materials and notes on sales are found. Records related to the consignment and sale of Stella's artwork are found in Artists' Artwork Files.
Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
The series is arranged as 2 subseries:
Sales Records contains a nearly complete set of gallery invoices, many of which are photocopies, for artwork sales, shipping, and restoration services from 1995-2000, and 2004; less so for 2001-2003. There are two sets of 1998, 1999, and 2000 invoices records; researchers should consult both sets of invoices for those years, in case the sets are not exact duplicates. Sales records prior to 1995 may be recorded on inventory cards in the Inventories subseries of this series, or may be found in the Artists' Artwork Files.
Upon accession, some invoices were housed in binders and books. Letters assigned to binders were given by the processing archivist. Invoices were removed from binders and books, and the original order was retained; in some cases invoices are arranged numerically in ascending order, in other cases, descending order.
Additional artwork sales records may also be found in the Artbase CDs found in Business and Financial Records.
Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Inventories includes inventory lists, primarily of the gallery's owned (also called "cost") artwork, and inventory cards of sold artwork from 1981-1997 (bulk 1981-1991). Inventory cards record the artwork's title and inventory number, artist's name, date of artwork, price paid and payments received by the gallery, description of the artwork, exhibition/provenance notes, and sometimes an attached photograph. Prices are frequently in code; the code can be found in Box 64, Folder 77 and Box 67, Folder 9. The price code uses the word "Artichoke" to substitute for numbers; A=1, R=2, T=3, I=4, etc. "X"=0. Inventory cards are arranged in their original order, alphabetically by artist's last name.
Additional artwork inventory records may also be found in the Artbase CDs found in Business and Financial Records.
Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
This series documents the day-to-day functions and transactions of the gallery, as well as founding documents.
The series is arranged as 2 subseries:
The gallery's business records include corporate records, materials related to Richard York's involvement in the ADAA, two CDs of data from the artwork management system Artbase, two shoeboxes of index cards for contacts, mailing lists, records related to Richard York's photography collection, shipping records from 1999-2004, and other miscellaneous records related to the daily functions of the gallery. The index cards for contacts record addresses, phone numbers, and notes on purchases and interests for clients, organizations, museum, and galleries. Inventories and minimal descriptive information of the digital files on the Artbase CDs are included, as well as access copies of the CDs.
Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Found are financial records related to the gallery's operation including accounting records, bank deposit records, invoices for gallery expenses, records of payments to consignors, receipts, and tax records.
Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Printed Materials contains advertising tear sheets from 1998-2002, exhibition catalogs, magazine and newspaper clippings of reviews and announcements, and other miscellaneous printed materials.
Folders are arranged alphabetically by type of materials. The original arrangement of advertising tear sheets and press books has been maintained.
Press Book: Dorothy Ruddick
Eight scrapbooks document the activities of the Richard York Gallery, Richard York, and the gallery's exhibitions from 1981-2002. Materials include clippings, correspondence, photographs, exhibition catalogs, announcements, and invitations. Scrapbooks were disassembled and materials were kept in their original order.
Folders are arranged chronologically.
Photographic Materials includes color photographs, transparencies, and digital prints, as well as over 600 slides of artwork, primarily works of art which were sold or consigned by the gallery. Artists for which there is significant volume of transparencies include Houghton Cranford Smith and Lockwood de Forest, Sr. Also found is scattered printed materials about artists.
Folders are arranged alphabetically by subject. Folder dates are based on the print date of the material in the folder.
Folders consist mostly of photocopied newspaper and magazine clippings, writings about the artist, and exhibition catalogs that date back to the nineteenth century. Some original copies of printed material, correspondence with collectors, curators, and gallerists, photographic materials, artwork records, and some exhibition records are also present.
Researchers should note that file dates represent the date of the material and do not represent the date of items that were photocopied.