Israel Rosen collection on modern art

Collection

Identifier: MS-0307

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists largely of non-book printed material collected by Israel and Selma Rosen to support their modern art collection. These include newspaper clippings, magazine articles, private gallery invitations and listings, brochures, and fliers. The Rosens also collected catalogs from the major auction houses, Parke-Bernet, Sotheby's and Christie's. The materials in this collection deal with artists, art movements, art exhibits, museums, and private collections.

The materials in this collection have not been completely analyzed but appear to correspond to the topics covered by the Rosen book collection. Major topics include: Abstract expressionism, Expressionism (including German, Austrian, other European countries and the United States), Cubism, Surrealism and Dada (1940s-1980s), De Stijl, Bauhaus, Futurism, and Constructivism. Individual artists involved in these art movements and represented in this collection include Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Hans Hofmann.

Many of the items were inserted directly into the books and were separated when the books were cataloged. These materials are identified as the Book Vertical File and are arranged by the call number of the book from which they were removed. These are in two call number sequences due to the size of the clippings.

The auction catalogs cover sales of impressionistic paintings, modern sculpture and paintings, and contemporary art held at Parke-Bernet, Sotheby's, and Christie's from the 1950s-1986. There is also a series of catalogs from sales of Russian modern art.

There are a few letters to the Rosens about their collection. These are in Box 8. Lists of books collected by the Rosens along with the accession lists of books donated to various institutions are in Box 13.

Dates

Creation: 1968 - 1988

Creator

Rosen, Israel, 1911-1988 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Contact Special Collections for more information.

This collection is open for use with the exception of the collection's provenance file. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical Note

Israel Rosen (1912-1988) was a physician and collector of modern art. He graduated from the Baltimore City College in 1928, received a B.A. from The Johns Hopkins University in 1931, and earned a medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1935. He had a family practice in East Baltimore from 1936 until he retired in 1977.

Dr. Rosen and his wife Selma began collecting art on their honeymoon in 1936 and went on to build one of Baltimore's best modern art collections. Among others, they collected the work of Picasso, Klee, Braque, Leger and Modrian. To support their art collection, the Rosens acquired printed material about modern art especially art books and exhibit catalogs. The Rosen's began donating much of this printed material to the Eisenhower Library in 1986.

Extent

13.24 Cubic Feet (8 record center cartons, 5 letter size document boxes, 1 letter half-size document box, 1 legal size document boxes, 4 pamphlet boxes (7.25 x 4 x 10 inches))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Israel Rosen (1912-1988) was a physician and collector of modern art. The collection consists largely of non-book printed material collected by Israel and Selma Rosen to support their modern art collection. These include newspaper clippings, magazine articles, private gallery invitations and listings, brochures, and fliers, and catalogs from the major auction houses. Materials range in date from 1968-1988.

Provenance

These printed materials were inserted in the art books Israel and Selma Rosen donated to Johns Hopkins University between 1986 and 1990.

Related Materials

Israel Rosen donated similar art files covering 1944 to 1971 to the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Processing Information

Finding aid preliminarily sorted by Cynthia H. Requardt in September 1990, June 1991, July 1992, July 2002, June 2003.

Many of the items were inserted directly into the books and were separated when the books were cataloged. These materials are identified as the Book Vertical File and are arranged by the call number of the book from which they were removed. These are in two call number sequences due to the size of the clippings.

In July, 2002, another bequest of books was received from the Rosen estate. During the gift accessioning process, clippings were separated from the books and turned over to the curator of manuscripts. These have been added to the Book Vertical File A second set of printed material was loose and is identified as the Topical Vertical File. It is arranged topically. See the container list for the headings

Access to the provenance file for this collection is restricted.