Biographical/Historical Note
Scope and Contents Note
Accessing the Collection
Conditions Governing Use Note
Arrangement Note
Separated Materials Note
Processing Information Note
Preferred Citation Note
Title: Balch Art Research Library Collection of Artist and Gallery Ephemera
Identifier/Call Number: LIB.001.002
Contributing Institution:
Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research Library
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
447.0 Linear feet
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1965-1990
Date (inclusive): Bulk, 1965-1990 1879-2013
General Physical Description note:
approximately 447.0 linear feet
creator:
Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch Art Research Library.
Biographical/Historical Note
Staff, interns, and volunteers of the Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch Art Research Library of the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art (LACMA) have contributed to the organization and maintenance of the files since the opening of the museum on Wilshire
Boulevard in 1965. Materials dating before the 1960s were inherited from the museum's parent entity, the Los Angeles Museum
of History, Science, and Art (now the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County) at Exposition Park, from which the art
collection was separated in 1961 to form LACMA. The library currently receives most materials either directly by mail or by
donation from curators, board and committee members, artists and their families, or other private donors.
Scope and Contents Note
The artist and gallery ephemera collection contains approximately 447 linear feet of miscellaneous uncataloged materials related
to individual artists and artist groups, as well as galleries and other art institutions that are or have been active in California.
The bulk of the materials relate to exhibitions or other art-related events, and are represented in the form of: invitation
postcards, press releases, brochures, pamphlets, thin catalogs, price lists, news and magazine clippings, posters, slides,
and photographs.
Series I: Artist Files contains materials related predominantly to individual artists. To a far lesser extent, the files may
include non-artist individuals, such as collectors, museum directors, or critics. All items relating to single individuals
are retained regardless of the nationality, period, or school of the artist, or venue represented.
Series II: Gallery/Institution Files contains materials related to individual galleries, institutions, or organizations. As
of 2011, only items pertaining to California-based venues are collected.
Series III: Posters include materials larger than 18x24". See Arrangement Note for internal arrangement schema.
Accessing the Collection
This collection is open for use by appointment only at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Balch Art Research Library. Contact
the Library at 323-856-6118 or library@lacma.org in advance to inquire if materials exist in the ephemera collection pertaining
to your research interests.
Conditions Governing Use Note
Contact the Balch Research Library at 323-856-6118 or library@lacma.org for information on publishing or reproducing materials
included in these records. Permission will be granted by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as the owner of the physical
materials, and does not imply permission from the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all
necessary permissions from the copyright holder.
Arrangement Note
Series I: Artist Files (655 boxes, or 383 linear feet)
Files are arranged alphabetically by personal last name.
Individual files are either designated for a single artist (e.g., "Abramovic, Marina"), or may represent an alphabetical range
(e.g., "Aba-Abz") that excludes those artists for whom designated individual files have been created.
Series II: Gallery/Institution Files (96 boxes, or 56 linear feet)
Files are arranged alphabetically by venue name (e.g., "Norton Simon Museum", NOT "Pasadena").
Materials related to more than one artist is filed under this series.
Individual files are either designated for a single venue (e.g., "Felix Landau Gallery"), or may represent an alphabetical
range (e.g., "F-Fh") that excludes those venues for which designated individual files have been created.
Series III: Posters (6 boxes, or 8 linear feet)
Files are arranged alphabetically by city name.
Note on cross-listed artists: Current practice is to file all single artists under Artist Files and to file any item representing
more than one artist under Gallery/Institution Files. Due to previous filing irregularities, some multiple-artist materials
may be found in the Artist Files under the name of the first artist listed, or under a name that the filer has checked or
underlined. Index card surrogates directing the user to other files were also previously used (e.g., "see also" or "filed
under").
Separated Materials Note
Ephemera in unique or unusual formats have been removed from the files and cataloged separately. These items include invitations
and announcements issued in the form of an artist's book, a three dimensional object, or an object that references a theme
in the artists artwork. These are also available for research consultation as a part of the artist and gallery special formats
ephemera collection (collection number LIB.001.001).
Processing Information Note
The rehousing and reorganization of the ephemera collection and the creation of this finding aid was made possible by a grant
from the Getty Foundation, and was completed in 2012 as part of the initiative Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945-1980
in order to improve the visibility, accessibility, growth, and conservation of the collection.
During this time, the formerly separate "Gallery Files" and "Institution Files" were integrated into a single series, and
the geographical filing method (alphabetical by city) was abandoned in favor of filing by the name of the gallery or institution.
Physical storage was also improved by replacing filing cabinets and record storage boxes with archival document cases and
open shelving.
Preferred Citation Note
[Description of item], [Name of series], Artist and gallery ephemera, Los Angeles County Museum of Art Balch Art Research
Library, LIB.001.002.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Art galleries, Commercial--California
Art museums--California
Artist files
Ephemera