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Elaine Johnson Papers

in The Museum of Modern Art Archives



The Museum of Modern Art Archives
11 West 53 Street
New York, NY 10019-5497
https://www.moma.org/research/archives/
© 2007
The Museum of Modern Art Archives
Finding aid prepared by the MoMA Archives, 2007, updated by Rachel Garbade, 2025.

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Johnson, Elaine L., 1928-1979
Title: Elaine Johnson Papers
Dates 1960-1979
Quantity: 3.13 linear feet
Seven 5" document boxes, one 2.5" document box

Arrangement

The Papers are processed to the folder level and arranged based on original order according to manuscript title.
The Papers are organized into six Series:
Series I. Sculpture, 1875-1975
Series II: Modern Drawing
Series III: Bi-Century Bibliography
Series IV: History of Printmaking
Series V: Subject Material
Series VI: Latin American Material


Biographical Note

Elaine L. Johnson joined The Museum of Modern Art's Department of Circulating Exhibitions in 1960. She became an Assistant Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints in 1961 and served as an Associate Curator in the same department from 1963 to ca. 1971.

She directed or co-directed twenty exhibitions of graphic art for the Museum, devoted to many styles and periods, including: Orozco: Studies for the Murals at Dartmouth College (MoMA Exh, #698, Nov. 22, 1961-Jan. 21, 1962); Prints by German Expressionists (C/E II.2/128(13), 1961-1963); Modern American Drawings (ICE-F-44-60, 1961-1962); The Responsive Eye: Prints ("op" art) (MoMA Exh, #757, Feb. 25-Apr. 25, 1965; C/E II.3.4 (48), 1966-1969); and Dada, Surrealism, and Today (C/E II.2/141(7), 1967-1969.)


Scope and Content Note

The Papers comprise eight 5" document boxes of various manuscripts, both published and unpublished by Elaine L. Johnson; photographs; and correspondence.


Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The records are open for research and contain no restricted materials.

Ownership and Literary Rights

The Elaine Johnson Papers are the physical property of The Museum of Modern Art. Literary rights, including copyright belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Rights to work produced during the normal course of Museum business resides with The Museum of Modern Art. For further information, and to obtain permission to publish or reproduce, contact the staff of the MoMA Archives.


Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the library catalog of The Museum of Modern Art. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.
Subjects:
Art museum curators -- New York (State) -- New York -- Archives
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Sources
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Sources
Johnson, Elaine L. -- Archives
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) -- Employees -- Archives
Research notes
Women art critics -- New York (State) -- New York -- Archives
Women art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Archives


Related Collections at MoMA

Related material can be found in the Department of Public Information / Communications Records, the Department of Circulating Exhibition Records, the International Council and International Program Records, and The Museum of Modern Art Exhibition Records in the MoMA Archives.


Administrative Information

Provenance

Series I, II, III, IV, and V were donated to the MoMA Library by the executors of Johnson's estate in 1980. In 1998, the Papers were transferred from the MoMA Library to the MoMA Archives and re-housed according to archival principles.

Elaine Johnson transferred eight photo albums and one envelope of prints to the photographic archive (then overseen by the Department of Rights and Reproductions) in 1971; they were added to this collection in 2014 and formally processed in 2025 as folders VI.1 to VI.36.

In 2003, the Department of Prints and Illustrated Books transferred two folders of correspondence to the MoMA Archives; they were added to this collection in 2025 as folders VI.37 and VI.38.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:

Long version: Elaine Johnson Papers, [series.folder]. The Museum of Modern Art Archives, New York.

Short version: Elaine Johnson, [series.folder]. MoMA Archives, NY.


Container List

Series I: Sculpture, 1875-1975

Unfinished manuscript

Folder Title
I.A Notes for introduction
I.B Notes for plates and comments
I.C Notes for glossary and chronology
I.D Notes for sources

Incl. Bibliography, visual index, special index, and general index


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Series II: Modern Drawing

Unfinished manuscript

Folder Title
II.A Forward and Introduction
II.B Artist list and "Chapter 2, Traditional Language"
II.C.1 Drafts of "entries": Handwritten

Alphabetical by artist

II.C.2 Drafts of "entries": Typewritten version 1

A-C

II.C.3 Drafts of "entries": Typewritten version 1

D-K

II.C.4 Drafts of "entries": Typewritten version 1

L-R

II.C.5 Drafts of "entries": Typewritten version 1

S-Z

II.C.6 Drafts of "entries": Typewritten version 2

A-Z

II.C.7 Drafts of "entries": Typewritten version 3

D, F, G, M, N, O, P

II.D.1 Drawing Collection Worksheets
II.D.2 Drawing Collection Worksheets

Includes articles, notes, correspondence and other


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Series III: Bi-Century Bibliography

Possibly notes for Arts in America (1979) edited by Bernard Karpel

Folder Title
III.A Introduction (Draft)
III.B.1 Notes

Includes work record, word list, entry on bibliographies and other

III.B.2 Notes

Includes work record, word list, entry on bibliographies and other

III.B.3 Notes

Includes work record, word list, entry on bibliographies and other

III.B.4 Notes

Includes work record, word list, entry on bibliographies and other

III.C.1 Bibliographical material on individual artists and notes (1/2)
III.C.2 Bibliographical material on individual artists and notes (1/2)

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Series IV: History of Printmaking

Includes notes possibly used for the glossary section of Contemporary Painters and Sculptors as Printmakers, MoMA Exh. #747a, Sep. 15 - Oct. 25, 1964.

Folder Title
IV.A Notes, drafts, notes on artists
IV.B.1 Drafts and notes

"France to World War I"

"World War I

"Elsewhere to World War II"

IV.B.2 Drafts and notes

"Picasso to World War II"

"Germany to World War II"

"World War II to present: specific works"

"World War II to present: background"


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Series V: Subject Material

Folder Title
V.A Draft of and notes for "A Report on Art and Architecture"
V.B Outline of proposed article "Towers"

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Series VI: Latin American Material 1967-1974

This series consists of photographs and correspondence from Elaine Johnson's trip to Latin America in 1967 and the correspondence and research that followed through 1974. This trip was funded by MoMA's International Program. Photographs of artwork are arranged by country of origin and, sometimes, by year of production; there is often handwritten caption information on the backs of the photographs.

Elaine Johnson transferred eight photo albums and one envelope of prints to the photographic archive (then overseen by the Department of Rights and Reproductions) in 1971; they were added to this collection in 2014 and formally processed in 2025. The processing archivist disassembled the eight albums and split the contents into folders based on original divisions; original volume numbers and division titles were retained in the folder titles. The albums now make up folders VI.1 to VI.35; an additional envelope of Jose Clemente Orozco prints now makes up folder VI.36.

In 2003, the Department of Prints and Illustrated Books transferred two folders of correspondence to the MoMA Archives; they were added to this collection in 2025 as folders VI.37 and VI.38.

Folder Title Date
VI.1 List of Slides in the Office of Elaine L. Johnson, as of July 1970

Lists of artists arranged by country, including: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Haiti, Puerto Rico, French West Indies, Peru, Bolivia, Guatemala, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Netherland-Antilles.

1970
VI.2 Volume I: Argentina, 1820-1890 1967
VI.3 Volume I: Argentina, 1900-1918

This section of the album was received empty.

1967
VI.4 Volume I: Argentina, 1919-1945 1967
VI.5 Volume I: Argentina, 1946-1959 1967
VI.6 Volume I: Argentina, 1960- 1967
VI.7 Volume IIa: Brazil 1967
VI.8 Volume IIa: Brazil, 1820-1899

This section of the album was received empty.

1967
VI.9 Volume IIa: Brazil, 1900-1918 1967
VI.10 Volume IIa: Brazil, 1919-1945 1967
VI.11 Volume IIa: Brazil, 1946-1959 1967
VI.12 Volume IIb: Brazil, 1960- 1967
VI.13 Volume IIIa: Bolivia 1967
VI.14 Volume IIIa: Chile 1967
VI.15 Volume IIIa: Colombia 1967
VI.16 Volume IIIb: Ecuador 1967
VI.17 Volume IIIb: Dutch Guyana 1967
VI.18 Volume IIIb: Paraguay 1967
VI.19 Volume IIIb: Peru 1967
VI.20 Volume IIIb: Uruguay 1967
VI.21 Volume IIIb: Venezuela 1967
VI.22 Volume IV: Mexico, 1820-1899 1967
VI.23 Volume IV: Mexico, 1900-1918 1967
VI.24 Volume IV: Mexico, 1919-1945 1967
VI.25 Volume IV: Mexico, 1946-1959 1967
VI.26 Volume IV: Mexico, 1960- 1967
VI.27 Volume V: Costa Rica 1967
VI.28 Volume V: El Salvador 1967
VI.29 Volume V: Guatemala 1967
VI.30 Volume V: Honduras 1967
VI.31 Volume V: Nicaragua

This section of the album was received empty.

1967
VI.32 Volume V: Panama 1967
VI.33 Volume VI: Cuba 1967
VI.34 Volume VI: Puerto Rico 1967
VI.35 Volume VI: Haiti 1967
VI.36 "Orozco"

Prints of Jose Clemente Orozco artworks with cataloging sheets.

Undated
VI.37 "The International Program (Latin America) Elaine Johnson (correspondence, trip…)"

Correspondence regarding Latin American artwork, for possible acquisition or exhibition.

1967-1974
VI.38 "The International Program (Latin America) Report by Elaine Johnson 1967"

Reports on trips to Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama.

1967

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Box and Folder List

Box Series Folder
1 I A-D
II A-C.1
2 II C.2-C.5
3 II C.6-D.2
III A-B.1
4 III B.2-C.1
5 III C.2
IV A-B.2
V A-B
6 VI 1-15
7 VI 16-35
8 VI 36-38


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