Archives of American Art
Theodoros Stamos papers
Stamos, Theodoros, 1922-1997
AAA.stamtheo
Archival Resource Key
3.1 Linear feet
circa 1922-2008
The papers of Theodoros Stamos measure 3.1 linear feet and date from circa 1922-2008. Stamos was a painter primarily associated with the first generation of Abstract Expressionists. Biographical materials, correspondence, writings, business and legal records, printed materials, and photographs document Stamos' career as a painter. Also included are materials relating to the Rothko estate controversy compiled by Stamos' sister, Georgianna Savas, as well as her papers concerning arrangements for Stamos' funeral and posthumous exhibition plans.
Most of the collection is in English; some records are in Greek.
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Theodoros Stamos loaned the Archives of American Art material for microfilming in 1970. Stamos' sister, Georgianna Savas, donated papers in 2008 and 2011.
Separated Material
The Archives of American Art also holds materials lent for microfilming (reels N70-66 and N70-67) including correspondence, poems, printed material and membership cards. Lent material was returned to the lender and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Related Material
Among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are oral history interveiws conducted by John Jones and Bruce Hooten, February 19, 1965, and by Irving Sandler, April 23, 1968. Also found are Theodoros Stamos letters to Diran Deckmejian, 1977-1995, and Theodoros Stamos letters to James DiMartino, 1977-1988.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Cynthia S. Brenwall in 2009; in 2012, Catherine S. Gaines updated the finding aid to include the 2011 addition.
Preferred Citation
Theodoros Stamos papers, circa 1922-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Restrictions on Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
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.
Biographical Note
Painter Theodoros Stamos (1922-1997) worked in New York and spent considerable time in Lefkada, Greece. A first generation Abstract Expressionist, Stamos developed as a color field painter, and had a long teaching career. His later years were encumbered by his role in the Mark Rothko Estate controversy.
Born to Greek immigrant parents in New York City, Stamos attended the prestigious Stuyvesant High School, leaving just three months before graduation to pursue a career in art. From 1941 to 1948 he operated a frame shop where he framed hundreds of Paul Klee paintings for Nierendorf Gallery and encountered customers such as Arshile Gorky and Fernand Léger, experiences that influenced the young artist.
Stamos' first solo exhibition, presented by Betty Parsons in 1943, brought the 20 year old painter to the attention of museums and private collectors. Throughout the 1940s Stamos painted and traveled extensively. By the end of the decade he had had three solo exhibitions and participated in group shows such as the 1945 Whitney Museum Biennial and "The Ideographic Picture," an important early Abstract Expressionist exhibition curated by Barnett Newman.
Through connections made at the American Artists' School Stamos became a notable artist among the New York avant garde during the early years of Abstract Expressionism. He was the youngest of the "Irascibles," a group of American artists who broke from the School of Paris to create a new approach to abstract painting.
In 1951, Stamos built a house in East Marion, New York on Long Island where he lived and worked. Here, he began to develop his color field technique and, influenced by his Greek heritage, continued to express interest in spiritualism and ancient Greek myths and philosophy. In 1958, Stamos' work was shown in a retrospective exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, and in "The New American Painting," the Museum of Modern Art's traveling exhibition that introduced European audiences to Abstract Expressionism.
Stamos began his career as an educator in 1950 at Black Mountain College. Later, he taught at Columbia University and Brandeis University, and for more than 20 years was on the faculty of the Art Students League.
Following the death of his friend Mark Rothko, Stamos was involved in a highly publicized lawsuit involving his role as an executor of the estate. The trial ended unsuccessfully for Stamos and its adverse consequences impacted the late part of his career. In 1966, the Rothko children obtained permission to disinter their father's remains from the Stamos burial plot in East Marion, New York; with the assistance of Stamos' sister, Georgianna Savas, arrangements were made to bury Rothko at a cemetery in Valhalla, New York.
Traveling between homes in New York and Lefkada, Greece, Stamos continued to paint and teach late into his life. He died in Greece in 1997.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Theodoros Stamos measure 3.1 linear feet and date from circa 1922-2008. Stamos was a painter primarily associated with the first generation of Abstract Expressionists. Biographical materials, correspondence, writings, business and legal records, printed materials, and photographs document Stamos' career as a painter. Also included are materials relating to the Rothko estate controversy compiled by Stamos' sister, Georgianna Savas, as well as her papers concerning arrangements for Stamos' funeral and posthumous exhibition plans.
Biographical material includes birth and death certificates and interview transcripts. Personal correspondence is with friends and family; professional correspondence pertains to gallery transactions, including a falling out with gallery owner Louis K. Meisel. Among the printed materials are exhibition announcements and clippings of articles in English and Greek concerning his career and personal life. Photographs include views of family and friends, portraits of Stamos by Hans Namuth, Nina Leen and other photographers, as well as images of artwork by Stamos and other artists.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 9 series:
Missing Title
- Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1922-2006 (Box 1; 0.5 linear feet)
- Series 2: Financial Records, 1979-circa 1990s (Box 1; 2 folders)
- Series 3: Correspondence, circa 1940s-1997 (Boxes 1, 5; 0.5 linear feet)
- Series 4: Business and Legal, 1974-2008 (Box 1; 2 folders)
- Series 5: Writings, circa 1944-2002 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
- Series 6: Artwork, circa 1940s-1980 (Box 1, OV 6-7; 0.3 linear feet)
- Series 7: Printed Materials, 1945-2007 (Box 2, OV 7; 0.4 linear feet)
- Series 8: Photographs, 1943-1999 (Boxes 2-3, 5; 1.0 linear feet)
- Series 9: Georgianna Savas Papers on Theodoros Stamos, 1985-2005 (Boxes 3-4; 0.3 linear feet)
Existence and Location of Copies
Materials lent for microfilming are available on 35mm microfilm reels N70-66 and N70-67 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Transcripts
Photographs
Abstract expressionism
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York
Painting, American
Painting -- Technique
Interviews
Namuth, Hans
Savas, Georgianna
Meisel, Louis K.
Leen, Nina, 1909-
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970
Biographical Material
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
0.5 Linear feet
Box 1
circa 1922-2006
Scope and Contents note
Biographical materials include birth and death certificates, membership cards, two address books with contact information for artists such as Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko, and interview transcripts. There are three versions of the Stamos will, including the final draft in which he left the majority of his estate to his sister, Georgianna Savas. Also included are a VHS video cassette of Stamos' memorial service, memorabilia, and a plaque awarded posthumously by a Greek organization.
Address Books
Archival Resource Key
undated
1
1
Birth Certificate
Archival Resource Key
1922
1
2
Curriculum Vitae
Archival Resource Key
circa 1950
1
3
Membership and Insurance Cards
Archival Resource Key
1987-1992
1
4
Interview Transcripts
Archival Resource Key
1988
1
5
Death Certificate
Archival Resource Key
1997
1
6
Last Will and Testament
Archival Resource Key
1982-1996
1
7
Last Will and Testament
Obituary and Memorial Service
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1997
1
8
Award
Archival Resource Key
2006
1
9
Financial Records
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
2 Folders
Box 1
1979-circa 1990's
Scope and Contents note
This series contains records of art sales made by Louis K. Meisel Gallery. Also found are a check book register and a receipt for canvas.
Photocopies of checks to Theodoros Stamos from Louis K. Meisel Gallery
Archival Resource Key
1979-1980
1
10
Check Register and Receipt
Archival Resource Key
circa 1990s
1
11
Correspondence
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
0.5 Linear feet
Boxes 1, 5
circa 1940s-1997
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence documents business dealings with museums and galleries that represented Stamos. Also found are letters from E. W. Root, director of Black Mountain College and an early collector of Abstract Expressionist art, a collaged Christmas card from Helen Frankenthaler, and personal letters and notes.
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
7 Folders
circa 1940s-1997
1
12-18
Scope and Contents note
Oversized material housed in box 5
ACA Galleries
Archival Resource Key
1990-1991
1
19
Camillos Kouros Gallery
Archival Resource Key
1988-1990
1
20
Galleria D'Arte del Naviglio
Archival Resource Key
1979
1
21
Gallery Lambert Monet
Archival Resource Key
1979-1980
1
22
Louis K. Meisel Gallery
Archival Resource Key
1979-1981
1
23
P.T. Efstathiou Fine Arts
Archival Resource Key
1992-1996
1
24
P.T. Efstathiou Fine Arts
Tanger Gallery
Archival Resource Key
1958
1
25
Gallery Veith Turske
Archival Resource Key
1979-1986
1
26
Oversized Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
circa 1940s-1997
5
Scope and Contents note
from box 1, folders 12-18
Business and Legal Records
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
2 Folders
Box 1
1974-2008
Scope and Contents note
Business and legal records include the estate and final tax records for Theodoros Stamos as well as petitions and legal documents regarding the disinternment of Mark Rothko from the Stamos burial plot in East Marion, NY.
Theodoros Stamos Estate Records
Archival Resource Key
1997-1999
1
27
Mark Rothko Estate Records
Archival Resource Key
1974-2008
1
28
Mark Rothko Estate Records
Writings
Series 5
Archival Resource Key
0.2 Linear feet
Box 1
circa 1944-2002
Scope and Contents note
This series contains an artist's statement and personal notes including price lists for works of art. Writings about Stamos by others include a chronology of Stamos' life through 1970, a 1960 interview with Lawrence Alloway for Art News and Review, and a documentary film proposal that include Stamos and his work.
By Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
2 Folders
circa 1944-1980
undated
1
29-30
By Other Authors about Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
1960-2002
1
31
Artwork
Series 6
Archival Resource Key
0.3 Linear feet
Box 1, OV 6-7
circa 1940s-1980
Scope and Contents note
This series contains artwork by Stamos such as line drawings, collages and small paintings. Also included are a handmade card and drawings by other artists, and illustrated rocks attributed to Stamos and gallery owner, Betty Parsons.
Drawings and Paintings by Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
1947-1980
1
32
Drawings and Cards by Other Artists
Archival Resource Key
undated
1950
1951
1
33
Illustrations on Rocks
Archival Resource Key
undated
1
34
Oversized Sketches and Drawings
Archival Resource Key
circa 1940s
6
Oversized Designs for Posters
Archival Resource Key
1950s
7
Printed Materials
Series 7
Archival Resource Key
0.4 Linear feet
Box 2, OV 7
1945-2007
Scope and Contents note
This series contains clippings and exhibition announcements in both English and Greek, relating to Stamos and his artwok, and to other Abstract Expressionists. Posthumous announcements were collected by Georgianna Savas and are mostly from shows of his work that she arranged. Some clippings concern the Rothko Estate controversy and the disinternment of Rothko's remains from Stamos' burial plot.
Clippings about Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
8 Folders
undated
1947-2008
2
1-8
Clippings of Related Artists
Archival Resource Key
1958-2005
2
9
Exhibition Checklist
Archival Resource Key
1958
2
10
Exhibition Announcements and Brochures
Archival Resource Key
8 Folders
1947-2005
undated
2
11-18
Reproductions
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
19
Offprints
Archival Resource Key
1948-1982
2
20
Miscellaneous Printed Items
Archival Resource Key
2
Relating to Others
Archival Resource Key
2002
1945
2
21
Relating to Memorial Service
Archival Resource Key
1997
2007
2
22
Oversized Posters
Archival Resource Key
1966-1978
7
Oversized Lecture Announcements
Archival Resource Key
1964 April 8 or 1970 April 8
7
Photographs
Series 8
Archival Resource Key
1 Linear foot
Boxes 2-3, 5
1943-1999
Scope and Contents note
This series includes photographs of Stamos, his family, his homes and studios in New York and Greece, and works of art. Most photographs are unattributed, but photographs by Han Namuth, Lloyd Lozes Goff, Steven Trefonides and Diran Deckmejian (a former student at the Art Students League) are found along with a group photograph of the "Irascibles" taken by Nina Leen for Life magazine in 1950. Other photographs document Stamos late in life, his memorial service and grave dedication, and views of posthumous retrospective exhibitions.
Artwork
Archival Resource Key
2
Theodoros Stamos, A-Z, and unidentified (executed circa 1947-1967)
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
23
Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
4 Folders
undated
1994-1999
2
24-27
Other Artists
Archival Resource Key
2 Folders
undated
1999
2
28
Scope and Contents note
Oversized material housed in box 5
Other Artists, Evelyn Jablow interior with Stamos Painting
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s
2
29
Events
Archival Resource Key
2
Theodoros Stamos on Lecture Panel
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s
2
30
Scope and Contents note
oversized material housed in box 5
ACA Gallery Exhibition Opening
Archival Resource Key
1993
undated
2
31
Hiro Gallery Exhibition Opening
Archival Resource Key
1996
2
32
Theodoros Stamos with Friends; Gallery Opening
Archival Resource Key
circa 1990s
2
33
Theodoros Stamos Funeral in Lefkada, Greece
Archival Resource Key
1997
2
34
Retrospective Opening and Monument Commemoration in Greece
Archival Resource Key
1997
2
35
Theodoros Stamos Memorial Service, New York City
Archival Resource Key
1997
2
36
People
Archival Resource Key
2
Portraits of Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
2
Lloyd Lozes Goff
Archival Resource Key
1947
2
37
Diran Deckmejian
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
38
Hans Namuth
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
39
Steven Trefonides
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s
2
40
Scope and Contents note
oversized material housed in box 5
Bill Wilson
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
41
Unidentified Photographers
Archival Resource Key
4 Folders
undated
2
42-45
Scope and Contents note
Oversized material housed in Box 5
Group Portrait of the "Irascibles" including Stamos by Nina Leen
Archival Resource Key
1950
2
46
Scope and Contents note
oversized material housed in box 5
Informal Images of Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
1943-1978
undated
2
47
Theodoros Stamos with Family and Friends
Archival Resource Key
2 Folders
undated
1961-1997
2
48-49
Theodoros Stamos with Friends at Party
Archival Resource Key
2 Folders
1992
circa 1960s
2
50-51
Friends, Gavin Arthur and Robert Price
Archival Resource Key
undated
1919
2
52
Friends, Family and Others
Archival Resource Key
undated
1943
2
53
Colleagues
Archival Resource Key
circa 1990s
2
54
Family and Friends in Greece
Archival Resource Key
1997
2
55
Places
Archival Resource Key
3
Construction of the Stamos House in East Marion, New York
Archival Resource Key
1951
3
1
Theodoros Stamos' Samosa Studio
Archival Resource Key
1997
3
2
Cemetery; Views of Athens
Archival Resource Key
1997
3
3
Household Interior with Stamos Painting
Archival Resource Key
undated
3
4
House Under Construction (unidentified location)
Archival Resource Key
undated
3
5
Miscellaneous
Archival Resource Key
3
Images Collected by Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
undated
3
6
Scope and Contents note
oversized material housed in box 5
Slides
Archival Resource Key
3
Artwork by Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
circa 1947-1987
undated
3
7
Transparencies
Archival Resource Key
3
Artwork by Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
undated
3
8
Portraits of Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
undated
3
9
Negatives
Archival Resource Key
3
Artwork by Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
undated
3
10
Scope and Contents note
black and white
Artwork by Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
undated
3
11
Scope and Contents note
color
Monument and Family in Greece
Archival Resource Key
1997
3
12
Cemetery views, Athens and Memorial Service
Archival Resource Key
1997
3
13
Oversized Photographs
Archival Resource Key
5
Artwork
Archival Resource Key
1999
undated
5
Scope and Contents note
from box 2, folder 28
Events
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s
5
Scope and Contents note
from box 2, folder 30
People
Archival Resource Key
circa 1960s
undated
5
Scope and Contents note
from box 2, folders 40, 42-46
Images Collected by Stamos
Archival Resource Key
undated
5
Scope and Contents note
from box 4, folder 6
Stamos Monument
Archival Resource Key
1997 or later
5
Georgianna Savas Papers on Theodoros Stamos
Series 9
Archival Resource Key
0.3 Linear feet
Box 3-4
1985-2005
Scope and Contents note
This series contains Georgianna Savas' papers relating to her brother, Theodoros Stamos. Found are notes and correspondence about the handling of the Stamos estate and correspondence concerning the Stamos retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery of Greece organized by Savas. There is correspondence relating to the exhumation of the Rothko remains from the Stamos family plot in East Marion, New York and records concerning cleaning and conservation services for Stamos' painting. Condolence cards received by Savas after the death of her brother are also part of this series.
Notebook
Archival Resource Key
undated
3
14
Records, Conservation Receipts
Archival Resource Key
undated
1985-1988
3
15
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
3
Relating to Theodoros Stamos
Archival Resource Key
1986-2005
3
16
Relating to Theodoros Stamos Exhibition in Greece
Archival Resource Key
1996-1997
3
17
Condolence Cards
Archival Resource Key
2 Folders
1997
4
1-2
Notes, Stamos Estate
Archival Resource Key
1999
undated
4
3
Photographs
Archival Resource Key
4
Foundation for Hellenic Culture Exhibition Opening
Archival Resource Key
2001
4
4
Stamos Foundation Exhibition Installation, Transportation and Unidentified People
Archival Resource Key
2001
4
5
Marymount Exhibition Installation and Book Signing
Archival Resource Key
2005
4
6