Archives of American Art
Salvatore Scarpitta papers
Scarpitta, Salvatore, 1919-2007
AAA.scarsalv
Archival Resource Key
3.1 Linear feet
1934-2011
The papers of sculptor, painter, and race car driver Salvatore Scarpitta measure 3.1 linear feet and 5.09 GB and date from 1934 to 2012. The papers include personal and professional letters from friends and galleries, exhibition and loan files, legal records pertaining to Scarpitta's estate, financial records, a scrapbook, photographs, printed and digital material, and video recordings.
The collection is in English and Italian.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 5 series.
- Series 1: Financial and Legal Records, 1972-2012 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)
- Series 2: Correspondence, 1976-2007 (1 folder; Box 1)
- Series 3: Printed Material, 1934-2000 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1, 1.07 GB; ER01)
- Series 4: Photographs, circa 1960-2007 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 1, OV 4, 0.155 GB; ER02-ER03)
- Series 5: Video Recordings, 1983-2011 (2 linear feet; Boxes 2-3, 3.86 GB; ER04)
Biographical / Historical
Salvatore Scarpitta (1919-2007) was a sculptor, painter, and race car driver in Los Angeles, California, and New York, New York. Scarpitta was born in New York and grew up in Los Angeles. He served in the United States Navy during World War II as a Monuments Man, and afterwards lived for a period of time in Rome. In 1958 he moved to New York and was represented by the Leo Castelli Gallery. At the Castelli Gallery, Scarpitta received 10 solo exhibitions and was involved in numerous group shows. His work included multimedia canvases, sleds, and sprint cars.
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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Salvatore Scarpitta papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2014 by Salvatore Scarpitta's daughter, Stella Cartaino.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2019. Born-digital material was processed by Kirsi Ritosami-Kisner with funding provided by Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund.
Related Materials
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Salvatore Scarpitta conducted by Paul Cummings, January 31-February 3, 1975.
Scope and Contents
The papers of sculptor, painter, and race car driver Salvatore Scarpitta measure 3.1 linear feet and 5.09 GB and date from 1934-2012. The papers include personal and professional letters from friends and galleries, exhibition and loan files, legal records pertaining to Scarpitta's estate, financial records, a scrapbook, photographs, printed and digital material, and video recordings.
Financial and legal records include court documents related to Scarpitta's estate, loan agreements with various museums and galleries, expenses for various exhibitions, records for commission work, and appraisal documents. Correspondence, both personal and professional, are from friends, galleries and institutions. Printed materials include magazine and newsletter clippings related to Scarpitta, exhibition materials from specific museums, exhibition catalogs and press releases, and miscellaneous materials such as school yearbooks. Photographic material includes personal photographs, photographs and digital photographs of artwork, photographs of Scarpitta as a racer, and a photo journal from a friend documenting his trip to see one of Scarpitta's exhibition openings. Video recordings, one in digital format, include materials related to Scarpitta's career as a race car driver.
Conditions Governing Access
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 born-digital records or audio visual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Existence and Location of Copies
All of the video recordings in the collection were digitized for research access and are available at Archives of American Art offices.
Preferred Citation
Salvatore Scarpitta papers, 1934-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Video recordings
Painters -- California -- Los Angeles
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
Sculptors -- California -- Los Angeles
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York
Automobile racing drivers -- California -- Los Angeles
Automobile racing drivers -- New York (State) -- New York
Leo Castelli Gallery
Financial and Legal Records
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
0.4 Linear feet
Box 1
1972-2012
Scope and Contents
Financial and legal records include court documents related to Scarpitta's estate, loan agreements with various museums and galleries such as the Leo Castelli Gallery, expenses for various exhibitions, records for commission sculpture for Marlene Dietrich, and appraisal documents. Some of the material is in Italian.
Licenses and Registrations
Archival Resource Key
1972-1977
1
1
Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
1974-2012
1
2
Various Exhibition Finances
Archival Resource Key
1979
1
3
Loan Agreements and Shipping Bills with Museums
Archival Resource Key
1979-1981
1
4
Leo Castelli Gallery
Archival Resource Key
1980-1990
1
5
Light Street Expenses
Archival Resource Key
1988-1989
1
6
Marlene Dietrich Sculpture
Archival Resource Key
1994
1
7-9
The Museum of Modern Art
Archival Resource Key
2005
1
10
Court Documents Regarding Beneficiaries
Archival Resource Key
2007-2010
1
11-12
Appraisals
Archival Resource Key
2008
1
13
Legal Correspondence Concerning Rights to Produced Videos
Archival Resource Key
2010
1
14
Legal Correspondence Concerning Videos and Artwork
Archival Resource Key
2011
1
15
Correspondence
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
1 Folder
Box 1
1976-2007
Multiple languages.
Scope and Contents
Correspondence material includes personal letters to and from family and friends in both English and Italian.
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1976-2007
1
16
Correspondence
Printed Material
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
0.4 Linear feet
Box 1
1.07 Gigabytes
ER01
1934-2000
Scope and Contents
Printed materials include magazine and newsletter clippings related to Scarpitta, exhibition materials from specific museums and galleries such as the Leo Castelli Gallery and the Portland Center for the Visual Arts, exhibition catalogs and press releases, and miscellaneous materials, such as school yearbooks. Some of the material is in Italian.
Yearbooks
Archival Resource Key
1934
1
17
Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
1963-1997
1
18
Magazines and Newsletters
Archival Resource Key
1966-1991
1
19
Exhibition Materials, Leo Castelli Gallery
Archival Resource Key
1975-1992
1
20
Exhibition Catalogs
Archival Resource Key
1977-2000
1
21
Exhibition Materials, Portland Center for the Visual Arts
Archival Resource Key
1979
1
22
Exhibition Announcements
Archival Resource Key
1979-1990
1
23
Exhibition Articles and Press Releases
Archival Resource Key
1981-1996
1
24
Matrix Gallery, University of California Berkeley (1989 July 12 - September 10), Digital Photographs and Documents
Archival Resource Key
1.07 Gigabytes
Ten computer files
circa 2010
ER01
Exhibition Material, Scott Hanson Gallery
Archival Resource Key
1989-1990
1
25
Photographs
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
0.3 Linear feet
Box 1, Oversize 4
0.155 Gigabytes
ER02-ER03
circa 1960-2011
Scope and Contents
Photographic material includes personal photographs, photographs of artwork, photographs of Scarpitta, and a photo journal from a friend documenting his trip to see one of Scarpitta's exhibition openings.
Photo-Journal
Archival Resource Key
1990
1
26
Photographs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960-2007
1
27-28
The Bridge, exhibition (circa 2011), Digital Photographs
Archival Resource Key
0.135 Gigabytes
32 computer files
2011
ER02
Artwork, Digital Photograph
Archival Resource Key
0.02 Gigabytes
One computer file
2009
ER03
Oversized Photographs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960-2007
4
Video Recordings
Series 5
Archival Resource Key
2 Linear feet
Boxes 2-3
3.86 Gigabytes
ER04
1983-2011
Scope and Contents
Found here is extensive video documentation, including the artist's video works "Potato Masher," "Sal is Racer," "Racer's Tattoo," "Roar with Gilmore," "Speed to Spare," and raw footage of Scarpitta working and lecturing at the Glassell School of Art. Film "dirt" is in digital format.
"dirt"
Archival Resource Key
circa 2007
Includes born-digital records, see ER04
1
30
dirt, Film by Steve Staso (2007), Digital Video Recording
Archival Resource Key
3.86 Gigabytes
One computer file
2007
ER04
Evening Magazine/Message to Leo
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1987
2
1
Glassell School of Art Lecture
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1980s
2
2
Exhibition at Maryland Institute, College of Art
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1980s
2
3
Scope and Contents
Label says "Sal #4 Institute Show copy"
"Lunar Rally" and "Racer Tattoo", Rough Edits
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1984, October 20
2
4
"Moon with Plane Coming through," Unedited footage
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
2
5
Scope and Contents
Tape case labeled "Moon, Words, Dad's Navy Slides, Bones and Muscles"
"Potato Masher," Unedited footage
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1985 December 15
2
6
Scope and Contents
Tape label reads "Aberdeen, Sal making tank sounds"
"Potato Masher"
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1985
2
7
Scope and Contents
Tape is labelled "edit master" on the side
"Potato Masher"/Sal Scarpitta is Racer/Racers Tattoo
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
circa 1984-1985
2
8
Scope and Contents
Tape label reads "Titles" "Titles Sal with Netling"
Unedited Stock Car Racing
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1984 May 9
2
9
Scope and Contents
Tape label reads "Stock car racing Darcy, Indi slides"
"Roar With Gilmore"
Archival Resource Key
3 Videocassettes (VHS)
1985
3
1-3
Scope and Contents
• Folder 1 is the edited master copy, and Folders 2-3 are the rough edits.
Conditions Governing Access
edited master copy in Folder 1 is suppressed
"Sal Scarpitta is Racer"
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1984
3
4
"Sal is Racer/Speed to Spare," Rough Edits
Archival Resource Key
2 Videocassettes (VHS)
1984
3
5
Screening of "Sal Scarpitta racer" at Nelsons
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1983
3
6
Scope and Contents
Tape label reads "Racer Master at Nelsons, bird lands and noises, Bk kids in front of Sal's studio"
"Sal Working on Car at Nelsons," Unedited
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1983 November 13
3
7
Scope and Contents
Tape label reads "Sal working on car at Nelson's, Master, original unedited"
"Sal Working on Car at Nelsons," Unedited
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1984 October
3
8
Scope and Contents
Tape label reads "Sal Arden at Nelson's 3/4 of hour"