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| Creator: | Art Lending Service and Art Advisory Service of The Museum of Modern Art | |
| Title: | Art Lending Service and Art Advisory Service Records | |
| Dates: | 1948-1996 | |
| Quantity: | 84.5 linear feet of records Comprised of 147 boxes: One hundred and seven (107) 10" x 5" x 15.5" boxes Three (3) 10" x 2.5" x 15.5" boxes Fourteen (14) 12.5" x 5.5" x 3.5" card boxes Twenty-three (23) 12.5" x 6.5" x 4.5" card boxes |
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| Abstract: | The processed records document the entire lifespan of both the Art Lending Service (1951-1982) and the Art Advisory Service (1964-1996). The records include relevant administrative material for both services. They consist of approximately 84.5 linear feet of documentation, which includes correspondence, card files, exhibition lists, financial records, consignment forms, loan forms, catalogues, publicity material, magazine articles, newspaper clippings, photographs, slides, and color transparencies. The records have been vetted for confidential material. | |
In 1948, the Junior Council of The Museum of Modern Art, led by Blanchette Rockefeller, began discussing the idea of creating an art lending library that would function as a forum to educate young collectors about modern art. The library would allow the public to rent works of art selected by a trustee advisory committee, in consultation with curators from the Museum. This early conception of an art lending library became the Art Lending Service (ALS) in 1951.
The Art Lending Service provided the public with the opportunity of renting a piece of art for a two-month period before deciding whether to purchase the work or return it to the ALS. The ALS took a small commission on each work sold, which was used to staff and underwrite the expenses of the ALS.
In addition to renting artworks in the lending library, the ALS organized approximately five exhibitions per year in the Museum's Penthouse Restaurant; these works were also for rent or sale. The Penthouse Exhibitions were initially small selections of exceptional works from the ALS's holdings, but in the early 1960s these shows became theme-oriented exhibitions that were organized by curators from MoMA. Curators Pierre Apraxine, Campbell Wyly, Alicia Legg, Grace Mayer, and John Szarkowski, from various departments within the Museum, participated in the selection of works for the ALS. Many of the Penthouse Exhibitions included works by emerging artists who would later become well known.
The ALS functioned for thirty years and was a pioneering effort; the Service's rental/sales program was adopted by other institutions throughout the international art community. After long discussions between the Junior Council, MoMA trustees, and Museum staff, the ALS closed permanently to the public in 1982.
In 1962, members of the Junior Council began discussing the need for a service that would cater to corporate members of The Museum of Modern Art, and in 1964 the Art Advisory Service (AAS) was founded. The AAS was an adjunct service of the ALS, and was intended to further develop corporate collecting of contemporary art.
The AAS provided several services to corporate members of MoMA including advice on art acquisitions and rental exhibitions. The AAS utilized many of the exhibitions created under the auspices of the ALS as well as created new theme-oriented shows to be hung in corporate spaces. Many corporations that exhibited and collected through the AAS became long-term clients with relationships that spanned decades.
The AAS expanded considerably in the 1970s and again in the 1980s, when it became a part of MoMA's Department of Development and Public Affairs. Services provided by the AAS increased to include educational programming for corporate clients and broader curatorial services. In addition, the AAS was able to tailor its professional services to meet individual company policies. Corporate clients of the AAS included American Electric Power, American Medical Association, CIGNA Corporation, Freeport Minerals, and Johnson & Johnson.
In 1996, the AAS closed to the public permanently. The records of the AAS provide an important source for the history of corporate art collecting in the U.S. and abroad.
Series I. Art Lending Service
This series documents the history and daily functioning of the Art Lending Service (ALS) and has been divided into four subseries. Subseries I.A. contains historical information about the ALS including correspondence between Museum trustees and curators, meeting minutes, notes concerning the early development of the ALS program, and photographs of the ALS. Subseries I.B contains administrative material and includes sales forms, client information, correspondence with clients, marketing material, and information concerning ALS pilot projects. The pilot projects carried out by the ALS consisted of individual events at the Museum as well as outreach programs targeted toward both the art and business communities of New York.
In Subseries I.C, the relationship between the ALS and MoMA's Department of Photography is well documented. The Department of Photography accessioned and deaccessioned photographic prints through the ALS from 1961 to 1969. John Szarkowski, Chief Curator in the Department of Photography, wanted to increase interest in the purchase of contemporary photographic prints and utilized the ALS lending option to do so. The subseries contains significant correspondence between ALS staff and the Department of Photography. Subseries I.D.1 and I.D.2 consist of exhibition files for Penthouse Exhibitions and General Exhibitions. The Penthouse Exhibitions in Subseries I.D.1 contain many examples of innovative exhibitions put together by the ALS and MoMA curatorial advisors. Exhibitions of note are the ALS Retrospective in 1960, Young West Coast Artists, Photographs for Collectors, Works from Change, 76 Jefferson, and Maps. Penthouse Exhibitions were often reorganized for newly acquired corporate clients of the ALS and AAS. Shows that were assigned official MoMA exhibition numbers may have additional documentation in the Curatorial Exhibition Files. Subseries I.D.2 contains files of exhibitions that were installed in corporate settings. Each corporate client who rented a particular show has been listed under the appropriate exhibition title.
Series II. Art Advisory Service
This series documents the history and daily functions of the Art Advisory Service. Subseries II.A is comprised of correspondence, meeting minutes, and general records related to the formation of the AAS. Subseries II.B contains substantial information about marketing projects that were created by the AAS in order to gain new clients. The marketing documentation consists of brochures and advertising packets, research, and bibliographic references. Of particular note in Subseries II.B is the Corporate Installation Index. The Index was created by the AAS as a general resource for client presentations and includes photographs, slides, and presentation material. Subseries II.C concerns the AAS and its relationship to various departments within The Museum. The AAS was a fundamental part of the Department of Development at MoMA in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The relationship between the Department of Development and the AAS can be traced through correspondence in Subseries II.C as well as the client files in Series VI. The files in Subseries II.D.1 consist of reference material on broad topics such as Clothes, Water, and New York City, that were used as resources for possible AAS exhibitions. The files contain exhibition announcements, photographs, slides, and notes. Subseries II.D.2 primarily consists of exhibition files for shows held in the Members' Dining Room and Members' Gallery at MoMA. Additional information for exhibitions listed in Subseries II.D.1 and II.D.2 can be found in Subseries I.D.1 and I.D.2.
Series III. Financial Records: ALS & AAS
Series III consists of the financial records for both services. The records contain annual budgets, consignment forms, rental agreements, deposits, and inventories.
Series IV. Artist Files: ALS & AAS
This series contains information about artists that exhibited, rented and/or sold works through the ALS and AAS. These files primarily contain consignment forms and loan forms. These files do not provide a comprehensive list of artists that worked with the ALS and AAS. See Series VII. Inventories: Consignments, Sale and Returns for further enquiry. Other media such as slides and photographs may be included in these files as is noted in the finding aid.
Series V. Gallery Files: ALS & AAS
Series V documents the abundance of galleries that the ALS and AAS worked with from the 1950s through the 1990's. As available, the names of artists that were represented by the gallery were included in the finding aid.
Series VI. Client Files: AAS
This series includes documentation on all of the AAS clients. The AAS developed many long-term relationships with corporations including Freeport Minerals, Johnson & Johnson, CIGNA and its subsidiary Connecticut General as well as many others. These files contain a variety of documentation including correspondence, budgets, financial reports, purchases, inventories of collections, and exhibition preparatory material. Many of these files contain photographs, slides, and color transparencies as noted in the finding aid. Because the AAS maintained clients for many years, these files provide information on corporate collecting trends in the United States from the 1970s through the 1990s. For ALS client files see Subseries I.B.
Series VII. Inventories, Consignments, Sales, and Returns: ALS & AAS
Series VII is comprised of a central card file utilized by both the ALS and AAS. The cards contain information about individual borrowers, artists, and galleries as well as exhibition and inventory data. The cards have been maintained in their original order and are organized alphabetically. The cards reflect the everyday functioning of the ALS and AAS. Both services made notes on the cards as necessary including such information as the medium and size of the work and the dates works were returned or sold.
The records are open for research and contain no restricted materials.
Holdings of the MoMA Archives are available for consultation in the Archives Reading Room in the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building of The Museum of Modern Art, located at 4 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019.
The Art Lending Service and Art Advisory Service Records are stored at MoMAQNS, 45-20 33rd Street, Long Island City, New York 11101, and are made available by appointment at the Cullman Building or at the QNS location. Please contact the Archives for further details.
The Records of the Art Lending Service and Art Advisory Service 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 or to obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Museum Archivist.
The Curatorial Exhibition Files contain information about many of the ALS Penthouse Exhibitions.
The Department of Public Information Records include extensive clippings regarding Museum exhibitions, personalities, and events.
The Department of Circulating Exhibitions Records (CE) contain information about ALS exhibitions that circulated domestically.
The Records of the International Program (ICE) contain information about ALS and AAS exhibitions that circulated internationally.
The Oral History of Barbara Jakobson includes descriptive information about her participation in the Junior Council and subsequently the ALS.
The Junior Council/Associate Council Records include documentation about the ALS and the AAS.
The Photographic Archive contains installation photographs of many of the Penthouse Exhibitions that were assigned MoMA exhibition numbers.
The Art Lending Service and Art Advisory Service Records were transferred to the Museum Archives when the Art Advisory Service officially closed in 1996.
Art Lending Service and Art Advisory Service Records, [series.folder]. The Museum of Modern Art Archives, New York.
For subsequent citations the abbreviated version may be used: ALS/AAS, [series.folder]. MoMA Archives, NY.
The records are in good condition. Prior to transfer to the Museum Archives, there was extensive use of rubber bands and staples, which resulted in torn pages and holes in documents. For preservation purposes, rubber bands and staples were removed, photographs have been placed in mylar sleeves, and slides were placed into storage pages to prevent further deterioration.
The records were processed 2006, by Dedalus Fellow MacKenzie Bennett under the supervision of Michelle Elligott, Museum Archivist.
Explanation of Abbreviations
ALS is the Art Lending Service.
AAS is Art Advisory Service.
MoMA is The Museum of Modern Art.
n.d. stands for no date.
MoMA Exh. #, or just Exh. #, followed by a date, refers to the number assigned to the exhibition and the date it was shown at The Museum of Modern Art.
C/E refers to the national circulating version of the exhibition.
Dates that follow are the years during which the exhibition toured.
ICE stands for International Circulating Exhibition, an exhibition circulated under the auspices of the International Council of The Museum of Modern Art.
ALS Retrospective [MoMA Exh. #657, January 27-March 20, 1960] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Selections from the ALS [MoMA Exh. #662, March 24-April 17, 1960] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Photography for Collectors [MoMA Exh. # 671, October 1-October 16, 1960]
Christmas Sale 1961 [MoMA Exh. #697a, November 21-December 17, 1961] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Members Collect Retrospective Exhibition [MoMA Exh. #822a, March 27-May 25, 1967] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Paperworks [MoMA Exh. #946b, November 24, 1970-January 10, 1971] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Untitled I [MoMA Exh. #957b, March 9-May 15, 1971] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Untitled II [MoMA Exh. #966b, May 20-July 5, 1971] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Summer Penthouse [MoMA Exh. #968b, July 6-September 15, 1971] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
The Christmas Show [MoMA Exh. #985b, November 23, 1971-January 9, 1972] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Untitled III [MoMA Exh. #991b, January 25-February 29, 1972] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Untitled IV [MoMA Exh. #1001b, March 20-April 30, 1972] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Prints for Collectors [MoMA Exh. #1007b, June 26-September 15, 1972] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Landscape [MoMA Exh. #1012b, October 9-November 15, 1972] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Unique Photographs and Multiple Sculpture [MoMA Exh. #1018c, December 2, 1972-January 15, 1973] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Seven [MoMA Exh. #1024b, February 14-April 13, 1973] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Homers [MoMA Exh. #1032b, April 20-May 25, 1973] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Images [MoMA Exh. #1038b, June 18-November 21, 1973] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Works on Paper [MoMA Exh. #1054b, February 25-May 24, 1974] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Painting and Sculpture [MoMA Exh. #1062b, May 31-September 8, 1974] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Works from Change, Inc. [MoMA Exh. #1074b, September 25-October 20, 1974] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Posters in the Penthouse [MoMA Exh. #1082b, December 6, 1974-February 28, 1975] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Architectural Studies and Projects [MoMA Exh. #1091b, March 13-May 11, 1975] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Prints by Sculptors [MoMA Exh. #1099b, May 21-September 1, 1975] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
76 Jefferson [MoMA Exh. #1107b, September 11-December 1, 1975] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
A Museum Menagerie [MoMA Exh. #1115b, December 9, 1975-March 7, 1976] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Photography for Collectors [MoMA Exh. #1121a, March 16-June 20, 1976] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Handmade Paper [MoMA Exh. #1138, June 28-September 12, 1976] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Los Angeles: Selections from the ALS [MoMA Exh. #1147, September 21-November 28, 1976] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Rooms [MoMA Exh. #1158a, December 7, 1976-February 6, 1977] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Maps [MoMA Exh. #1164a, February 14-April 10, 1977] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Artists by Artists [MoMA Exh. #1172a, April 18-June 26, 1977] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Dream/Reality/Dream [MoMA Exh. #1187a, September 26-November 28, 1977] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Posters in the Penthouse [MoMA Exh. #1192a, December 1, 1977-February 6, 1978] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
New Art for the New Year [MoMA Exh. #1199a, February 13-April 9, 1978] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Art for Corporations [MoMA Exh. #1208a, April 17-July 4, 1978] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Selections from the ALS [MoMA Exh. #1219a, July 10-September 5, 1978] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
NewYork/New York [MoMA Exh. #1225a, September 11-November 13, 1978] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Gold [MoMA Exh. #1239a, November 20, 1978-February 19, 1979] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Stage Show [MoMA Exh. #1252a, March 5-May 29, 1979] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Views Over America [MoMA Exh. #1265a, June 4-July 30, 1979] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Selections from the ALS [MoMA Exh. #1328a, November 26, 1981-January 3, 1982] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
People Watching [MoMA Exh. #1274a, October 1-November 27, 1979] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Movin' [MoMA Exh. #1280a, December 6, 1979-February 10, 1980] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Selections from the ALS [MoMA Exh. #1289a, March 23-May 12, 1980] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Around Picasso [MoMA Exh. #1289b, May 14-September 30, 1980] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Selections from the ALS [MoMA Exh. #1291a, October 2-November 4, 1980] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
A Penthouse Aviary [MoMA Exh. #1296a, November 6, 1980-January 20, 1981] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Inside Spaces [MoMA Exh. #1302a, January 22-March 24, 1981] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
New Art II: Surfaces/Textures [MoMA Exh. #1305a, March 26-June 9, 1981] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Summer Light [MoMA Exh. #1310a, June 11-September 15, 1981] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
New Work in Black and White [MoMA Exh. #1319a, September 17-November 24, 1981] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]
Selections from the ALS [MoMA Exh. #1328a, November 26, 1981-January 3, 1982] [ALS Penthouse Exhibition]