Written by The Kreeger Museum's former head of education and its founding archivist, this article looks closely at provenance and makes use of primary source documents and photographs to relive the rich story of how The Kreeger Museum's African art collection came to be. A detailed account of the negotiations, communications, transactions, and circulations of people, objects, and ideas—the following narrative offers an interesting case study into the early European and American art collectors' circuit.
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References
1.
AllenJane, and GruthrieDerek. “Baker's African Art on View.”Chicago Tribune, November 26, 1972.
2.
d'HautbarrGallery. “Correspondence to Margie Sharpe.”The Kreeger Museum Archives, October 25, 1974.
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KreegerDavid Lloyd. “Remarks at Cultural Achievement Award.”Washington Art Dealers Association. Smithsonian Institution Archives Acc. 11-001, Robbins, Warren M., Warren M. Robbins Papers, ca. 1927–2009 (Boxes 13, 29, 31, 66). National Archives Building, Washington, D.C., June 3, 1964.
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KreegerDavid Lloyd. “The Origin of Great Art Collectors.” Speech. Cosmos Club, Washington, D.C.: Transcription in The Kreeger Museum Archives, October 8, 1974.
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KreegerDavid Lloyd. “Personal Correspondence to Warren Robbins.”The Kreeger Museum Archives, April 18, 1977.
11.
KreegerDavid Lloyd. “Oral Memoir.” Interview with Martin Bookspan. Transcription in The Kreeger Museum Archives, October 9, 1980.
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LippDelmar. The Language of African Art: A Guest Exhibition of the Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution.Los Angeles: University of California, 1970. Exhibition catalog and promotional materials.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Remarks at Cultural Achievement Award.” Washington Art Dealers Association. Smithsonian Institution Archives Acc. 11–001, Robbins, Warren M., Warren M. Robbins Papers, ca. 1927–2009 (Boxes 13, 29, 31, 66). National Archives Building, Washington, D.C., June 3, 1964.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to David Lloyd Kreeger.” Smithsonian Institution Archives Acc. 11–001, Robbins, Warren M., Warren M. Robbins Papers, ca. 1927–2009 (Boxes 13, 29, 31, 66). National Archives Building, Washington, D.C., August 22, 1964.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to David Lloyd Kreeger.”The Kreeger Museum Archives, April 24, 1967.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to David Lloyd Kreeger.” Smithsonian Institution Archives Acc. 11–001, Robbins, Warren M., Warren M. Robbins Papers, ca. 1927–2009 (Boxes 13, 29, 31, 66). National Archives Building, Washington, D.C., April 24, 1967.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to David Lloyd Kreeger.”The Kreeger Museum Archives, November 13, 1967.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to David Lloyd Kreeger.”The Kreeger Museum Archives, February 14, 1968.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to David Lloyd Kreeger.”Smithsonian Institution Archives Acc. 11–001, Robbins, Warren M., Warren M. Robbins Papers, ca. 1927–2009 (Boxes 13, 29, 31, 66). National Archives Building, Washington, D.C., May 1, 1968.
20.
RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to David Lloyd Kreeger.”The Kreeger Museum Archives, June 15, 1971.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to David Lloyd Kreeger.”The Kreeger Museum Archives, November 16, 1972.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to David Lloyd Kreeger.”The Kreeger Museum Archives, February 10, 1975.
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RobbinsWarren M.“African Art in the Kreeger Collection.” in The Kreeger Collection.Richmond, VA: W. M. Brown & Son, Inc., 1976.
24.
RobbinsWarren M.“Draft for Letter to David Lloyd Kreeger.”Smithsonian Institution Archives Acc. 11–001, Robbins, Warren M., Warren M. Robbins Papers, ca. 1927–2009 (Boxes 13, 29, 31, 66). National Archives Building, Washington, D.C., January 1983.
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RobbinsWarren M.“Personal Correspondence to Alan David.” Robbins Center for Cross Cultural Communication Records, July 29, 1999.
26.
SharpeMargie. “Notes from Warren Robbins Lecture.”Museum of African Art on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., October 2, 1973.
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SimpsonBrad. E-mail to authors, June 9, 2015.
28.
Sotheby's. Tribal Art. Robbins Center for Cross Cultural Communication records. E-mail attachment from Brad Simpson, October 31, 1994.
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ThomasMary. “Obituary: Jay C. Left”Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 25, 2000.
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Tribute to Africa: The Photography and the Collection of Eliot Elisofon. Memorial Exhibition of the Museum of African Art, June-December 1974. Washington, D.C.: Museum of African Art, 1974.
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WoodheadLindy. War Paint: Madame Helena Rubinstein and Miss Elizabeth Arden, Their Lives, Their Times, Their Rivalry.Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2004.
