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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Russell, Morgan, 1886-1953 | |
| Title: | Morgan Russell Collection | |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1914-1958 | |
| Quantity: | .75 Linear Feet One 5″ document box and one 2.5″ document box |
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Arrangement |
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| The Papers are organized into four Series: | ||
| Series I: Original Documents | ||
| Series II: Copies | ||
| Series III: Secondary Source Material | ||
| Series IV: Photographs | ||
Morgan Russell was born in Greenwich Village in New York City in 1886. He studied at the Art Students League and the New York School of Art before settling in Paris in 1909, where he studied sculpture with Henri Matisse. He was aware of the avant-garde movements Cubism, Orphism, and Futurism. Turning his attention from sculpture to painting, he developed a style based on the rhythmic use of color, analogous to symphonic musical composition, which he termed Synchromism. Like his contemporaries Frank Kupka and Robert and Sonia Delaunay, Russell was interested in color theory.
Russell exhibited his Synchromist paintings, along with those of another young American, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, first in Europe and then in New York in 1914 and 1916. Although Russell was discouraged by financial difficulties and abandoned his Synchromist style by 1930, his work had suggested to his American contemporaries the possibilities of a new style of abstract painting that emphasized color. He returned to America in 1946 and died in Broomall, Pennsylvania in 1953.
In 1976 The Museum of Modern Art organized an exhibition of paintings, notebooks, and sketches entitled Morgan Russell: Synchromist Studies 1910-1922 [MoMA Exh.# 1121, March 16 - May 25, 1976]. The exhibition was directed by Cora Rosevar, Assistant Curator in the Department of Painting and Sculpture. Gail Levin Theodore, Assistant Professor of Art History, Connecticut College, collaborated on the exhibition, making available her independent research on Morgan Russell.
Materials include original documents in the artist's hand, such as musical notebooks, essays, notes, and sketches relating to his theories on art. An original typescript with handwritten annotations, negative photostats, catalogues, exhibition announcements, photographs, and newspaper and magazine articles are included as well.
The records are open for research and contain no restricted materials.
The Morgan Russell Collection is 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 Museum Archivist.
Index Terms |
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| This collection is indexed under the following headings in DADABASE, 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. | ||
| Persons and Organizations: | ||
| Russell, Morgan, 1886-1953 | ||
See also, the Curatorial and Registrar exhibition files, the Artist File in the museum library, and the correspondence between Stanton Macdonald-Wright and Morgan Russell, 1913-1938 at the Archives of American Art.
Extensive Morgan Russell Papers, formerly located at the Whitney Museum of American Art, are now located at the Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, New Jersey.
The Collection was a gift to The Museum of Modern Art Library from Rose Fried in 1968. They were transferred from the Library to the Museum Archives on August 14, 1998 and re-processed adhering to archival principles.
Morgan Russell Collection, [series.folder]. The Museum of Modern Art Archives, New York.
Explanation of Abbreviations
ALS is an Autographed Letter Signed.
TLS is a Typed Letter Signed.
TL stands for Typed Letter.
MoMA is The Museum of Modern Art.
n.d. stands for no date.
re: stands for regarding.
Series I. Original Documents |
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Includes a notebook, musical scores, essays, notes, sketches, and typescript, relating to Russell's theories on art, Synchromism |
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| Folder | Title | Date |
| I.1 | Notebook | |
| I.2 | Musical scores and essays | |
| I.3.a | Notes and sketches | |
| I.3.b | Notes and sketches | |
| I.4 | Original typescript by the artist With annotations |
December 1947, August 1950 |
| I.5 | ALS Morgan Russell - Robert Henri Negative photostat |
June 21, 1925 |
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Series II. Copies |
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Includes copies of all of the items in Series I; a notebook, musical scores, essays, notes, photostat, sketches, and typescript, relating to Russell's theories on art, Synchromism |
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| Folder | Title | Date |
| II.1 | Notebook Negative photostat and xerox copy |
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| II.2 | Musical scores and essays [copies] | |
| II.3.a | Notes and sketches [copies] | |
| II.3.b | Notes and sketches [copies] | |
| II.4 | Original typescript by the artist With annotations |
December1947, August 1950 |
| II.5 | ALS Morgan Russell - Robert Henri Negative photostat |
June 21, 1925 |
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Series III. Secondary Source Material |
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| Folder | Title | Date |
| III.1 | Catalogues and exhibition announcements | 1923-1957 |
| III.2 | Articles Examples include: |
1914-1958 |
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Series IV. Photographs |
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| Folder | Title | |
| IV.1 | Photographs of works of art by Russell Drawings, watercolors, paintings, and sculpture |
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| IV.2 | Photographs of artists Examples include: reception at the Rose Fried Gallery |
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