[Women] [Art] [Business] Correspondence Scrap Book of Wife of Noted Painter and Art Dealer. by Gruppé, Helen

Various places: mostly 1902-1903 and 1910- 1911. 11" x 8 1⁄2". Quarter cloth over marbled paper- covered boards. 54 pages with 49 items of correspondence and 27 other items of ephemera adhesive mounted; an additional 16 items of correspondence and 10 items of ephemera are laid in. Book good: heavily worn with loss at edges, front joint split but holding, most corners of leaves lost but only affecting some characters in two letters. Contents generally very good.

This is the correspondence archive of Helen Gruppé, wife of artist Charles Paul Gruppé. Charles was an American painter living in the Netherlands during the period covered by this archive and Helen was apparently staying at various hotels throughout the country. Gruppé, was also a dealer who represented Dutch painters in the United States. As this scrapbook shows, Helen played an integral role in the business, coordinating with museum directors, dealing with collectors and also promoting her musician son, Paulo.

Well over half the correspondence relates to coordinating exhibitions of Hendrik W. Mesdag. There are letters from directors from the Detroit Museum of Art, Carnegie institute, Art Institute of Chicago, and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as well as news clippings reviewing the exhibitions. Also included are six pieces of correspondence including two ALSs and a TLS from George H. Story, the artist, and curator of paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Other correspondence includes thank yous, annoyed customers, reports of sales and more. Correspondence from other notables include an ALS from music critic and musicologist Henry Edward Krehbiel; a TLS from the first director of the Art Institute of Chicago, William M.R. French; an ALS from art dealer William Robert Deighton; a TLS from Florence N. Levy, founder of the American Art Annual; an ALS from activist and suffragist Maud Nathan; and a TLS from Edward Robinson, director of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Ephemera includes a number of calling cards, news clippings, programs and brochures.

A trove of ephemera and letters regarding a woman's work promoting an art business in the early 20th century.