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INVENTORY OF THE WILLIAM AND NOMA COPLEY FOUNDATION AND COLLECTION RECORDS,
1954-1980
880403
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Table of contents
Title: William and Noma Copley foundation and collection records
Date (inclusive): 1954-1980
Collection number: 880403
Creator:
William and Noma Copley Foundation
Extent:
4.5 linear feet
(10 boxes)
Repository:
Getty Research Institute
Research Library
Special Collections and Visual Resources
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, California 90049-1688
Abstract: Records document the William and Noma Copley Foundation's grant program for composers and artists, 1954-1966. Richard Hamilton's
correspondence, 1960-1966, largely concerns the Foundation's monograph series, which he edited. Other papers, including correspondence
with artists, files regarding exhibitions and insurance, and photographs, document the Copleys' personal art collection, known
for its large number of Surrealist works. Files dated after 1966 primarily contain Noma Copley's correspondence with artists.
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Language: Collection material in English
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Library Rights and Reproductions
William and Norma Copley foundation and collection records, 1954-1980, Research Library, The Getty Research Institute, Accession
no. 880403
The Research Library acquired the bulk of the archive in 1988. Additional material was acquired in 1995, 1996, and 1998.
Monika Wiessmeyer unpacked the archive in 1988. Lynda Bunting processed and cataloged the collection June-July, 1995. The
Richard Hamilton correspondence (former accn. no. 920052) was moved to the William and Noma Copley Foundation and Collection
Records at this time. Bunting revised the finding aid in August 1997 to add a Hans Bellmer document (960054) and in January
1998, to add ca. 40 letters and postcards from other two separate acquisitions (960074, 980002).
Vivaldi, Cesare.
Pietro Cascella. Milan: Edizioni del milione, ca. 1962.
Copley Foundation
The William and Noma Copley Foundation was incorporated in Chicago as a non-profit foundation in 1954. Its aim was to aid
and encourage creative individuals in the fields of painting, sculpture and music composition. Grants were awarded by a board
of directors from nominations made by the advisers. The Foundation's advisers were Jean Arp, Alfred Barr, Jr., Roberto Matta
Echaurren, Max Ernst, Julien Levy, William Lieberman, Man Ray, Sir Roland Penrose and Sir Herbert Read. The officers and directors
were William Copley, Noma Copley, Marcel Duchamp, Barnet Hodes (also called Barney), Eleanor Hodes and Darius Milhaud. Music
and art award responsibilities were divided between husband and wife. Noma Copley collaborated with Milhaud, whose music recommendations
were nearly all accepted. William Copley generally made the final decisions on the visual art grants, based on the recommendations
of his artist friends. In 1966 William Copley became dissatisfied with his Foundation association, preferring to be known
as a painter rather than a philanthropist.
The Foundation published a series of monographs from 1960-1966 to highlight those artists who received awards. The British
Pop artist Richard Hamilton was chosen as editor, not only for his well-known talents in layout and design, but also, as one
of Duchamp's protegées, for the respect given him by the international art community. A total of 10 monographs were published
on Hans Bellmer, Richard Lindner, Bernard Pfriem, René Magritte, Thomas Albert Sills, Eduardo Paolozzi, James Metcalf, Serge
Charchoune, Jacques Hérold and Diter Rot [i.e., Dieter Roth]. The later books, especially Dieter Rot's, explored the medium
of the artist book, which Hamilton found very exciting. He suggested that the Foundation continue in this direction and consider
publishing books by non-awardees (such as Emmett Williams). However, William Copley believed the series was straying from
the Foundation's initial intentions, which could jeopardize the Foundation's non-profit tax status.
Copley Collection
The Copleys assembled an important private collection of Surrealist art. Hans Bellmer, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, René Magritte
and Man Ray were represented in depth. Important works in the collection were acquired abroad and imported into France. Approximately
half of the collection was purchased in France. The collection included Magritte's “Ceci n'est pas une pipe” and “Chambre
d'Ecoute,” Ernst's “Le Surréalisme et la Peinture,” Man Ray's “A l'Heure de l'Observatoire: les Amoureux” and Richard Hamilton's
“$he”. From 1964 to 1966, Marcia Tucker worked as collection curator, overseeing exhibition loans and the care and maintenance
of the collection. Most of the Copley collection was sold at auction (Sotheby's Nov. 5, 1979). Some of the works were placed
on long-term loan or donated to museums.
William Copley
| 1919 | William Nelson Copley born in New York. Adopted by newspaper publisher Colonel Ira C. Copley, who owned a string of newspapers throughout Chicago and Southern California. |
| 1932-1936 | Studied at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. |
| 1936-1938 | Studied at Yale University. |
| 1942-1946 | U.S. Army campaigns throughout Italy and North Africa. |
| 1946 | Married Doris Wead, with whom he had two children. |
| 1947-1948 | Director of Copley Galleries in Beverly Hills, Calif. in partnership with his brother-in-law John Ployardt. Exhibited Magritte, Cornell, Matta, Tanguy, Man Ray, Ernst. |
| 1947 | Began painting in a pseudo-naif style that prefigured certain aspects of Pop Art. |
| 1951-1964 | Lived and worked in Paris. |
| 1954 | Married Noma Ratner. |
| Organized and directed non-profit Copley Foundation until ca. 1966. | |
| 1955 | Filed a lawsuit in Chicago that demanded liquidation of the Copley estate, involving many millions of dollars. |
| 1959 | Began receiving payment for Copley Press shares sold to his brother, according to their settlement. |
| 1961 | IRS questioned his studio tax deductions and his status as a serious artist. |
| 1964-1979 | Lived and worked in New York. |
| 1968 | Second marriage to Noma ended. Organized the publication SMS (Shit Must Stop). |
| 1972 | Married Stella Yang. |
| 1979 | Sold the majority of Surrealist works from the collection (Sotheby's Nov. 5). |
| 1980-1991 | Lived and worked in Roxbury, Connecticut. |
| 1992- | Lived and worked in Key West, Florida. |
| 1993 | Sold contemporary works from the collection (Christie's Nov. 8). |
Scope and Content of Collection
The William and Noma Copley Foundation and Collection Records document the couple's philanthropic and collecting activities,
which along with their personal relationships with Surrealist artists would profoundly affect the exhibition and evaluation
of the Surrealist movement in the United States. The archive dates from 1954-1980, the bulk dating from 1954-1966, when the
Copleys directed the Foundation. Correspondence after 1966 is primarily from Noma Copley's personal files.
The collection contains correspondence with the Foundation's advisors, and with composers and artists who were awarded grants,
in effect demonstrating the Foundation's award process. Letters also were exchanged with artist friends about personal matters
and the Copley art collection. Additionally, there is personal and business correspondence with Richard Hamilton from the
time when he was editor of the Copley Foundation's monograph series. One series contains personal correspondence, with many
drawings and handmade cards, collected by Noma Copley. There is much material, including correspondence and photographs of
art works, relating specifically to the Copley collection, covering topics such as exhibition loans, appraisals, conservation
of the collection, financial and insurance documents.
Arrangement
The archive is arranged in 5 series:
Series I. Foundation documents, 1954-1967;
Series II. Richard Hamilton correspondence, 1960-1966;
Series III. Personal correspondence, 1957-1980;
Series IV: Collection documents, 1954-1967;
Series V. Collection photographs, n.d..
Arp, Jean, 1887-1966
Baj, Enrico, 1924-
Bellmer, Hans, 1902-1975
Charchoune, Serge, 1888-1975
Copley, Noma
Copley, William Nelson, 1919-
Ernst, Max, 1891-1976
Hamilton, Richard, 1922-
Hérold, Jacques, 1910-
Ray, Man, 1890-1976
Roth, Dieter, 1930-
Tanguy, Yves, 1900-1955
Tanning, Dorothea, 1910-
William and Noma Copley Foundation
Art—Private collections
Art—Collectors and collecting
Art—Scholarships, fellowships, etc.
Art, Modern—20th century
Publishers and publishing
Surrealism
Christmas cards
Collages
Drawings
New Year cards
Photographic prints
Photographs, Original
Arp, Jean, 1887-1966
Baj, Enrico, 1924-
Bellmer, Hans, 1902-1975
Cage, John
Celmins, Vija, 1939-
Chryssa, 1933-
Copley, Noma
Copley, William Nelson, 1922-
De Maria, Walter, 1935-
Delvaux, Paul
Flavin, Dan, 1933-
Glanville-Hicks, Peggy
Hamilton, Richard, 1922-
Hérold, Jacques, 1910-
Jones, Charles, 1910-
Kelkel, Manfred
Lam, Wifredo
Mason, Raymond, 1922-
Matta Echaurren, Roberto Sebastián, 1911-
Metcalf, James, 1925-
Milhaud, Darius, 1892-1974
Petlin, Irving, 1934-
Pfriem, Bernard, 1914-
Ray, Man, 1890-1976
Sage, Kay
Tajiri, Shinkichi, 1923-
Tanning, Dorothea, 1910-
Turner, Charles, 1921-
Waldberg, Patrick
Westermann, H.C. (Horace Clifford), 1922-