Alexander Liberman miscellaneous papers, 1953-1997, undated

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Summary

Creators:
Liberman, Alexander
Abstract:
Alexander Liberman was an artist, photographer, and an influential art director of Vogue magazine from 1943 to 1962, then editorial director of Condé Nast publications until 1994. The collection contains Liberman's drafts, transcripts, mock-ups, sound recordings relating to "Vogue project," The Artist in his Studio and other publications. Also included are nine albums of photographs and clippings from Vogue and various newspaper reviews.
Extent:
35 Linear Feet (35 boxes. Computer media: 2.74 GB [568 files]) and 2 unprocessed Jaz drives
Language:
Collection material is in English.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection is comprised of handwritten and typewritten drafts, corrected typescripts, layouts and mock-ups for photo-essays in Vogue, The artist in his Studio, and other publications. Also includes correspondence, several audio recordings, computer disks, and other media. Among the most heavily represented artists in the collection are George Braques, Marc Chagall, and Jacques Villon.

Arrangement

Arranged in five series: Series I. Artist essays, 1954-circa 1990, undated;Series II. Vogue project, 1956-1980;Series III. The artist in his studio, 1954-1982, undated;Series IV. Other writings, 1956-1997, undated;Series V. Miscellaneous, 1953-1997, undated

Biographical / historical:

Alexander Liberman was born in Kiev, Russia (now Ukraine) on September 14, 1912, and was educated in London and Paris before moving to the United States in 1941. Liberman, who is mostly known for his tenure as artistic director at Condé Nast and Vogue for over 50 years, had a multifaceted career as sculptor, painter, photographer, writer and graphic designer.

In the summer of 1948, Liberman embarked on a project to photograph artists in their homes and studios. Many of the photographs were published in Vogue with accompanying text by Liberman. The project culminated in Liberman's book, The Artist in His Studio, first published in 1960. According to the book's forward, Liberman's purpose was "to record and interpret with a camera the personalities and ambiance of some of the leading European painters and sculptors."

Acquisition information:
Gift of the Estate of Alexander Liberman. Acquired in 2003.
Physical location:
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Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
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