Stanton Loomis Catlin Papers

The collection consists of the personal and professional papers of art historian and curator Stanton L. Catlin. It is arranged into nine series: Personal and Biographical, Correspondence, Written Works, Exhibits and Projects, Professional Activities and Organizations, Artist and Subject Files, Photographs and Audiovisual Materials, United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA), and Oversized Materials.

The first series, Personal and Biographical, includes Catlin’s curriculum vitae and professional bibliographies, clippings, writings and notes recounting events in his life, and correspondence and transcripts of interviews conducted by professional acquaintances. Also included are documents from the donation of professional papers to the Archives of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as notes, term paper drafts, and collected materials relating to Catlin’s primary through graduate education, arranged chronologically.

The next series, Correspondence, contains letters to and from personal and professional contacts and is arranged into five subseries. The first three subseries are based on the letters’ arrangement: alphabetically by name of individual or institution, alphabetically by subject, and chronologically by decade. The fourth subseries is comprised of invitations, press releases, and other announcements for art exhibitions and events, arranged by geographic location or time period. The final series contains address lists and directories of personal and professional contacts.

Series three, Written Works, includes drafts, proofs, notes, reference materials, published articles and excerpts, and correspondence. The series is divided into six subseries based on written form: Articles and Essays, Books, Lectures and Symposia, Fragments and Miscellaneous, Notes, and Written Works by Others. Works by others were typically given to Catlin for comment and include his annotations. Subseries are arranged by title of work.

Exhibitions and Projects document Catlin’s work as a curator and consultant for various exhibitions and art-related projects throughout his career. Material types include correspondence, financial and selection files, catalog and label notes and drafts, publicity, photographs, and reference materials. Materials are arranged alphabetically by name of exhibition (first subseries) or project (second subseries). Of particular note are files relating to the landmark Art of Latin American Since Independence exhibit, which include photographs and subject files arranged by country, and material on Diego Rivera: A Retrospective, including Catlin’s production files for his census of Rivera’s mural paintings and the documentary film The Frescoes of Diego Rivera. Mexican Mural Project records document an extended project to study the history of Mexican mural painting, which includes files on interviews conducted by Catlin with some of Rivera’s assistants.

The fifth series, Activities and Organizations, contains a small subseries of materials relating to Catlin’s professional employment as a curator or director at various art institutions, arranged alphabetically by institution. Also included are correspondence, newsletters, clippings, and meeting minutes from professional organizations and institutions that Catlin was involved with, broadly related to art history and/or Latin American studies. The largest subseries, Teaching Files, documents Catlin’s teaching engagements at Hunter College at the City University of New York, Syracuse University, and Universidad de Chile.

The next series, Subject Files and Collected Materials, consists of printed materials, clippings, and articles (with minor correspondence and photographs) largely related to art history topics and Latin American artists, arranged alphabetically. Also included are miscellaneous clippings on various topics grouped by date.

The Audiovisual Materials series, series seven, is arranged by material type: Photographs and Negatives, Slides and Slide lists, Audiocassettes, Microcassettes, and other audio materials. Photographs and slides are largely reproductions of artwork. Audiocassettes are named according to labels assigned by Catlin. Of particular note are five Soundscriber Discs recorded by Catlin, dictating letters and remembrances while working for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration; these materials have been digitized.

Series eight contains documents relating to Catlin’s service with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). Materials include official correspondence and personal letters home, a diary and typescripts recounting Catlin’s experience with the UNRRA, as well as official reports, directives, and agency publications.

The final series consists of Oversize Materials, items that were separated from other collection materials due to size. Included are blueprints for the Teatro Colón and the Sepulture Nationale du Dr. Francois Duvalier, oversized art prints, photographs, exhibition posters, and collected materials.