Finding aid for the Knoedler Kasmin Limited records, 1959-2007, bulk 1970-1992
Sheila Prospero
Descriptive Summary
Title: Knoedler Kasmin Limited records
Date (inclusive): 1959-2007 (bulk 1970-1992)
Number: 2010.M.71
Creator/Collector:
Knoedler Kasmin
Limited
Physical Description:
45.7 Linear Feet
(75 boxes, 2 flat file folders)
Repository:
The Getty Research Institute
Special Collections
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
reference@getty.edu
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10020/askref
(310) 440-7390
Abstract: The Knoedler Kasmin Limited records
document the business of the London gallery under the partnership of gallerist John Kasmin
with New York's Knoedler & Co. from 1977 to 1992. The gallery exhibited mostly abstract
painting and sculpture and represented well-known contemporary artists such as Stephen
Buckley, Anthony Caro, David Hockney, Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Motherwell
and Frank Stella. The bulk of the collection consists of exhibition announcements, clippings
and photographic documentation of artists' work in the form of prints, transparencies,
slides and negatives. Also included are business records such as inventory lists, sales
invoices and administrative and operational documents.
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Language: Collection material is in English
Biographical / Historical Note
The Knoedler Kasmin Limited gallery operated in London from 1977 to 1992 as a partnership
between gallerist John Kasmin and New York's Knoedler & Co. The gallery exhibited mostly
abstract painting and sculpture and represented well-known contemporary artists such as
Stephen Buckley, Anthony Caro, David Hockney, Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert
Motherwell and Frank Stella.
Prior to the opening of the gallery, John Kasmin (British, 1934- ), backed by the Marquess
of Dufferin and Ava, a young Guinness heir, formed Kasmin Limited in 1961 and created his
eponymous gallery on New Bond Street two years later. Kasmin represented artists including
Hockney, Caro, Howard Hodgkin and Gillian Ayres, as well as American artists Frankenthaler,
Jules Olitski and Morris Louis. Kasmin Limited became known for its associations with
Hockney and the American color field painters championed by Clement Greenberg. The gallery
closed in 1972 due to a downturn in the economy and a shift in the Marquess's interests.
Kasmin continued to work with artists, selling work privately and organizing exhibitions in
other galleries.
Five years later, Kasmin entered into equal partnership with Knoedler Inc. of New York to
operate a joint gallery out of the Knoedler premises on Bond Street opposite the Sotheby's
headquarters. At the time, Knoedler Inc. was under the ownership of business tycoon Armand
Hammer and was directed by Kasmin's friends, John Richardson and Lawrence Rubin. Seeking to
promote the Knoedler name in London beyond the sale of old master paintings, Richardson and
Rubin were able to attract Kasmin with a large line of credit from a U.S. company and
near-complete freedom in choosing what art to display.
Knoedler Kasmin Limited gallery launched at 143 New Bond Street and then moved to a larger
space at 22 Cork Street, where it remained until July 1992. Kasmin continued to work with
artists he had represented at Kasmin Limited, along with new artists including Motherwell,
Francis, Joel Shapiro, Nancy Graves and Jennifer Bartlett, as well as younger artists Peter
Kinley, Tim Scott, and Bhupen Khakhar. The gallery also participated in art fairs at Basel,
Paris, Madrid, Chicago and Bologna.
Kasmin ended the Knoedler Kasmin partnership in 1992, having decided to move away from
representing living artists. He has since dedicated himself to collecting ancient Eastern
and Islamic sculpture, ceramics, textiles and calligraphy.
Administrative Information
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Knoedler Kasmin Limited records, 1959-2007 (bulk 1970-1992), The Getty Research Institute,
Los Angeles, Accession no. 2010.M.71.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2010m71
Acquisition Information
Gift of John Kasmin in 2010.
Processing History
Processed by Sheila Prospero under the supervision of Andra Darlington in 2012.
Related Archival Materials
Separated Materials
78 monographs and 15 serials were transferred to the library. These publications may be
found by searching the
Library Catalog for the Knoedler Kasmin
Limited Collection.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Knoedler Kasmin Limited records document the business of the London gallery from 1977
to 1992 under the partnership of gallerist John Kasmin with New York's Knoedler Inc. The
archive highlights the gallery's emphasis on abstract painting and sculpture and provides
extensive information on notable contemporary artists such as David Hockney and Frank
Stella.
Series I forms the bulk of the archive and consists of files on the artists whose work the
gallery exhibited, including British artists Hockney, Stephen Buckley, Anthony Caro, Howard
Hodgkin and Gillian Ayres, as well as American artists Stella, Helen Frankenthaler, Jules
Olitski and Robert Motherwell. The series contains mostly exhibition announcements,
clippings and photographic images of artists' works in the form of prints, transparencies,
slides and negatives. Some files also include correspondence, business papers and exhibition
catalogs. Filed at the end of the series (box 11) are unidentified color slides and
transparencies.
Featured in Series II is a small section of papers and photographs related to group and
special exhibitions at the gallery as well as art fairs in which the gallery participated.
Included in this series are exhibition lists, announcements and correspondence. The
photographic material consists of both black-and-white and color prints, transparencies and
negatives documenting exhibition installation shots and artists' works.
Series III contains administrative records and operational documents for the gallery,
including documentation of the gallery's incorporation in 1977 and closure in 1992. Records
include lease documents, architectural plans, daybooks and clippings, as well as insurance
claims and correspondence following a flood at the gallery in February 1984.
Series IV consists of inventory lists and invoices for artwork sold at Knoedler Kasmin
Limited gallery between 1977 and 1992. The gallery's inventory is also documented in stock
books and a small number of photographs of works sold before 1990. A large number of
invoices for art sold at the gallery forms the major portion of the series.
Arrangement
Arranged in four series:
Series I. Artist files, 1959-2007 (bulk 1970-1991);
Series II. Exhibition
files, 1972-1992, 2004;
Series III. Gallery
administration, 1963-2006;
Series IV. Gallery
inventory, 1977-1992.
Indexing Terms
Subjects - Names
Ayres, Gillian,
1930-
Buckley, Stephen,
1944-
Caro, Anthony, 1924-2013
Hodgkin, Howard, 1932-2017
Hockney, David
Frankenthaler, Helen, 1928-2011
Francis, Sam, 1923-1994
Olitski, Jules,
1922-2007
Motherwell, Robert
Kasmin, John, 1934-
Stella, Frank
Subjects - Corporate Bodies
Knoedler Kasmin
Limited
Subjects - Topics
Art dealers -- England -- London
Art galleries, Commercial -- England -- London
Art, Modern -- 20th century
Art, Modern -- Collectors and collecting
Genres and Forms of Material
Photographs, Original
Slides (photographs)
Printed ephemera
Transparencies
Black-and-white prints (photographs)
Color prints (photographs)
Contributors
M. Knoedler & Co
Knoedler Kasmin
Limited
Kasmin, John,
1934-
Series I.
Artist files,
1959-2007 (bulk 1970-1991)
1970-1991
Physical Description:
24.2 Linear
Feet
(44 boxes, 1 flat file
folder)
Scope and Content Note
The artist files form the bulk of the archive and document the artists the gallery
represented including British artists David Hockney, Stephen Buckley, Anthony Caro,
Howard Hodgkin and Gillian Ayres, as well as American artists Frank Stella, Helen
Frankenthaler, Jules Olitski and Robert Motherwell. This section contains mostly
exhibition announcements, clippings and photographic images of artists' works in the
form of prints, transparencies, slides and negatives. Some files also include
correspondence, business papers and exhibition catalogues. Filed at the end of the
series (box 11) are unidentified color slides and transparencies. For more photographs
of artists' works, see box 66 and 67 in Series IV.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by artist with unidentified slides and negatives at the
end.
box 1, folder 1
Arnold, Eve,
1987
Scope and Content Note
Exhibition announcements.
Ashbaugh, Dennis,
1980-1981
box 12
Clippings (portfolio),
1980-1982
box 1, folder 3
Black-and-white prints,
1980-1981
box 7
Color transparencies,
1980-1981
box 1, folder 4
Avedisian, Edward,
1965-1966
Scope and Content Note
Exhibition announcements.
Ayres, Gillian,
between 1980-1991
box 1, folder 5-11
General,
1982-1991
Scope and Content Note
Includes exhibition announcements, clippings, business papers, invoice book and
one black-and-white photograph.
box 12
Clippings (portfolio),
1983-1987
box 7
Color photographs, slides and negatives,
1980s
Bannard, Walter Darby,
1964-1991, undated
box 7
Color transparencies and black-and-white negatives,
undated
Bartlett, Jennifer,
1989-1990
box 1, folder 13
Exhibition announcements,
1989-1990
Photographs,
1989
Scope and Content Note
Installation shots for exhibition,
Jennifer Bartlett: New
Work: Fire.
Buckley, Stephen,
1968-2006 (bulk 1970-1990)
1970-1990
Papers,
1978-2006 (bulk 1978-1990)
1978-1990
box 25, folder 2-12
General,
1978-2006 (bulk 1978-1990)
1978-1990
Scope and Content Note
Folder 11 also includes black-and-white photographs.
box 26
Clippings (portfolios),
1972-1988
Scope and Content Note
See also box 25, folder 12.
box 43*, folder 1-2
Posters,
1979-1985, undated
Photographs,
1968-1989, undated
box 13-14
Prints, Polaroids, negatives, slides and transparencies,
1976-1989
Scope and Content Note
Also includes black-and-white negatives.
box 15-16
Numbered slides,
1968-1988
Black-and-white prints,
1972-1987, undated
box 17-18
Binders,
1977-1987
Scope and Content Note
Photographs have been removed from original binder for conservation
purposes.
Loose,
1972-1987, undated
box 12
Clippings (portfolio),
1978-1987
flatfile 1**
Exhibition poster,
1990
Scope and Content Note
For solo exhibition at Gallery Kasahara, Osaka.
Photographs,
1971-1989, undated
Black-and-white,
1978-1989, undated
box 8
Color prints, Polaroids, transparencies, slides and
negatives,
1971-1986
box 3, folder 1
Carter, John,
1991
Scope and Content Note
Exhibition announcement.
box 3, folder 2
Cohen, Bernard,
circa 1962-1964
box 3, folder 3
Exhibition announcement,
1987
box 8
Color transparencies,
between 1984-1987
box 8
Davis, Ron,
1968-1971
Scope and Content Note
Color photographs and transparencies.
box 3, folder 4
Dzubas, Friedel,
1975-1983
Scope and Content Note
Exhibition announcements.
box 3, folder 8-9
Black-and-white prints,
1987, 1989
box 9
Color prints, transparencies, one slide and one Polaroid,
1987-1989
Frankenthaler, Helen,
between 1959-1985
Photographs,
between 1959-1981
box 3, folder 11
Black-and-white prints,
1978-1980
box 9
Color prints and transparencies,
between 1959-1981
box 9
Goodnough, Robert,
circa 1970
Scope and Content Note
Color transparencies.
box 3, folder 12
Gottlieb, Adolph,
1986
Scope and Content Note
Exhibition catalogue.
box 3, folder 15
Grosz, George,
undated
Scope and Content Note
One black-and-white photograph.
Hambleton, Mary,
between 1987-1990
Photographs,
between 1987-1990
box 3, folder 17
Black-and-white prints,
1990
box 10
Color slides and transparencies,
between 1987-1990
Harris, Rohan,
1987-1991, undated
Photographs,
1987-1989, undated
box 3, folder 19
Black-and-white prints,
undated
box 10
Color prints, transparencies and one slide,
1987-1989, undated
Hockney, David,
1962-1998
box 28
Personal and business correspondence,
1971-1998
Scope and Content Note
Also includes black-and-white photographs.
box 29
General,
1978-1984
Scope and Content Note
Contains mostly papers related to an exhibition of paintings and drawings related
to the opera,
Parade. See also flat file folder 1**
for an unfolded exhibition poster.
box 43*, folder 4
Printed fabric,
undated
Scope and Content Note
Silkscreened Hockney print.
Posters,
1978-1981, undated
box 43*, folder 5
Various,
1978-1981, undated
flatfile 1**
Exhibition poster:
Paintings and Drawings for
'Parade',
1981
box 35-36
Black-and-white prints,
1962-1988
box 37-39
Color prints, Polaroids, transparencies, negatives, and
slides,
1978-1989
Hodgkin, Howard,
1962-1989
box 4, folder 2-3
Books,
1969-1976
Scope and Content Note
Contains mostly exhibition catalogues with annotations.
flatfile 1**
Exhibition poster,
1982
Scope and Content Note
Solo exhibition at M. Knoedler & Co.
box 4, folder 4
Black-and-white prints,
1979, 1981
box 10
Color prints and slides,
1978-1980
box 4, folder 5
Janowich, Ron,
1988
Scope and Content Note
Exhibition announcement.
box 4, folder 6
Exhibition announcements,
1982
box 12
Clippings (portfolio),
1982-1983
Khakhar, Bhupen,
1970-1992
box 4, folder 7-10
Exhibition announcements,
1970-1992
box 12
Clippings (portfolio),
1982-1983
box 10
Kinley, Peter,
between 1977-1988
box 5, folder 1
Exhibition announcement,
1981
box 5, folder 2
Black-and-white photographs,
undated
box 5, folder 3
Martinez, Ginetta,
1984-1986
box 5, folder 4
Matisse, Henri,
undated
Scope and Content Note
Black-and-white photographs.
McNeil, George,
1985-1989
Motherwell, Robert,
1977-1984
box 11
Color transparency,
circa 1978
box 11
Muller, Richard,
undated
Scope and Content Note
One color transparency.
Olitski, Jules,
1978-2007
box 5, folder 7-8
General,
1978-1989, 2007
Scope and Content Note
Also includes one black-and-white photograph.
box 12
Clippings (portfolio),
1978
box 11
Color print, transparencies and one slide,
undated
Owen, Frank,
between 1980-1986
box 5, folder 9
General,
1981-1986
Scope and Content Note
Also includes two black-and-white photographs.
box 12
Clippings (portfolio),
1983
box 11
Color slides and transparencies,
between 1980-1984
box 5, folder 10
Porter, Katherine,
1988
Scope and Content Note
Exhibition announcement.
Prangenberg, Norbert,
between 1978-1989
box 12
Clippings (portfolio),
1983
Photographs,
between 1978-1985
box 5, folder 12
Black-and-white prints,
between 1978-1982
box 11
Color prints, contact sheets, transparencies and one
Polaroid,
between 1978-1985
box 11
Price, Kenneth,
circa 1967
Scope and Content Note
One color transparency.
Black-and-white photographs,
between 1978-1980
box 6, folder 3-4
Prints and contact sheets,
1978-1980
Smith, Matthew,
1976, undated
box 6, folder 6
Exhibition catalogue,
1976
Smith, Richard,
1963-1990
box 6, folder 10
Black-and-white prints,
1979-1983
box 11
Color prints, Polaroids, slides and transparencies,
1963-1986
box 42, folder 10-11
Black-and-white prints,
1981-1990
box 40-41
Color prints, Polaroids, transparencies, slides and
negatives,
1970-1990
box 11
Unidentified slides and negatives of artworks,
undated
Series II.
Exhibition files,
1972-1992, 2004
Physical Description:
1.4 Linear
Feet
(3 boxes)
Scope and Content Note
Papers and photographs related to group and special exhibitions at the gallery as well
as art fairs the gallery participated in are featured in this series. Included are
exhibition lists, announcements and correspondence. The photographic material consists
of both black-and-white and color prints, transparencies and negatives documenting
exhibition installation shots and artists' works.
Arrangement
Arranged by subject or by document type.
List of shows,
circa 1986-1989
box 44
Binder,
circa 1986
Scope and Content Note
Contains list of works exhibited at the gallery from December 1977-1986 and
organized by artist.
box 45, folder 2
Exhibition announcements,
1978-1992
box 45, folder 7-9
Business correspondence,
1972-1987, 2004
Scope and Content Note
Also includes exhibition announcements from various galleries.
box 45, folder 3-5
Black-and-white prints,
1977-1986
Scope and Content Note
Also includes photographs of a summer party at the gallery in 1983.
box 46
Color prints, transparencies and negatives,
1977-1991
Series III.
Gallery administration,
1963-2006
Physical Description:
4.3 Linear
Feet
(3.5 boxes, 1 flat file
folder)
Scope and Content Note
This series contains administrative papers and operational documents for the gallery
and provides historical information dating from the incorporation of Knoedler Inc. with
Kasmin to papers regarding the gallery's closure in 1992. These documents include lease
papers, architectural plans, daybooks and clippings. Another significant portion of the
series is material related to damage from a flood at the gallery in February 1984,
consisting mostly of insurance claims and correspondence.
Arrangement
Arranged by subject or by document type.
Lease,
1981-1993
Scope and Content Note
For 22 Cork Street location.
flatfile 2**
Architectural drawings,
1981, 1984
Scope and Content Note
Drawings of the gallery space.
box 45, folder 14-15
Garage Art Limited,
1973-1975
Scope and Content Note
Business papers related to the purchase of the gallery by John Kasmin and Terence
Conran.
box 45, folder 17
New gallery name report,
1992
Scope and Content Note
Information on company name change to Cork Street Art Ventures Limited.
box 47
Flood records,
1984-1987
Scope and Content Note
Claims and correspondence related to flood damages at the gallery on February 10,
1984. Also contains black-and-white photographs.
box 48
Portfolio,
1963-1965, 1970
box 49, folder 3
Miscellaneous ephemera,
1981, 1984
box 49, folder 6
Hockney Polaroid Requests book,
circa 1981
Scope and Content Note
Contains names and addresses of potential buyers interested in a Hockney Polaroid
composite. Book was also used as a "Daily Events" logbook.
box 50
Purchase daybook,
1989-1992
Series IV.
Gallery inventory,
1977-1992
Physical Description:
15.8 Linear
Feet
(24.5 boxes)
Scope and Content Note
This series consists of inventory lists and invoices of art work sold at Knoedler
Kasmin Limited gallery between 1977-1992. A record of the gallery's inventory is
documented in stock books as well as a small number of photographs of artists' works
sold before 1990. A large number of invoices for art sold at the gallery form the
majority of the section.
Arrangement
Arranged by subject or by document type.
Photographs,
undated
Scope and Content Note
Stock sold before 1990. Photographs of artists' works.
box 66, folder 1-19
Black-and-white prints,
undated
box 67
Color prints, transparencies, negatives, and one Polaroid,
undated
Stock books,
1977-1992
Scope and Content Note
Organized by inventory number.
box 69
K1970-K2539,
June 1981-August 1984
box 70
K2540-K3021,
September 1984-November 1987
box 71
K2540-K3116,
November 1987-November 1988
box 72
K3117-K3327,
December 1988-November 1991
box 73
6554-6687,
March 1980-February 1988
box 74
6923-7219,
March 1988-February 1992