Finding aid for the Nicholas Wilder Gallery records, 1927-1980

Ellen Colvin

Descriptive Summary

Title: Nicholas Wilder Gallery records

Date (inclusive): 1927-1980

Number: 2014.M.35

Creator/Collector: Nicholas Wilder Gallery

Physical Description: 10.93 Linear Feet (15 boxes, 1 flatfile folder)

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 collection comprises over fifty artist and gallery files containing photographs of works, press clippings, correspondence, slides, transparencies, and personalized artwork.

Request Materials: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy .

Language: Collection material is in English.

Biographical / Historical

Nicholas Walter George Wilder was born in Rochester, New York, in 1938. He graduated from Amherst College in 1960 and studied law at Stanford University before deciding to enter the art field. Wilder opened his gallery on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles on April 1, 1965, exhibiting contemporary works from New York and Europe, and works by up-and-coming Los Angeles artists. The gallery was highly regarded; Wilder was noted for his keen eye and ability to recognize artistic talent. He gave early exhibitions to Dan Flavin, Ronald Davis, Joe Goode, and Robert Graham, and fostered the work of Sam Francis, David Hockney, John McLaughlin, and many others. He was the first to show Bruce Nauman's performance video pieces and John McCracken's Planks.In 1970, the gallery moved to Santa Monica Boulevard; but changing trends in the art market, including a shift by artists toward creating art with an eye toward the commercial market rather than toward personal expression, and collectors' reluctance to buy work from emerging or unestablished artists, impacted that gallery's financial success.

Wilder decided to close his gallery in 1979, and many of the artists he represented moved to the James Corcoran Gallery. Wilder then moved to New York and reemerged a few years later as an artist inspired by those he had represented, with the James Corcoran Gallery hosting his first solo show in 1986. Nicholas Wilder died of AIDS in New York City on May 12, 1989.

Sources: Rani Singh, Acquisition Approval Form for "Nicholas Wilder (American, 1938-1989) Gallery Records (1965-1979), accession no. 2014.M.35," June 16, 2014.

Aid to the Nicholas Wilder Gallery Records, 1944-1984, AAA.nichwild, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. https://www.aaa.si.edu/files/resources/finding-aids/pdf/nichwild.pdf

Burt A. Folkart, "Nicholas Wilder; Was Contemporary Art Dealer in L.A.", The Los Angeles Times, May 14, 1989, http://articles.latimes.com/1989-05-14/news/mn-442_1_nicholas-wilder-contemporary-art-dealer-art-history (accessed November 7, 2017).

Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Access

Audiovisual materials are unavailable until reformatted.

Publication Rights

Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions .

Preferred Citation

Nicholas Wilder Gallery records, 1927-1980, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 2014.M.35.

http://hdL.handle.net/10020/cifa2014M35

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of The Estate of Nicholas Wilder. Acquired in 2014.

Processing Information

Processed by Ellen Colvin, under the supervision of Kit Messick in Fall 2017.

Related Archival Materials

Nicholas Wilder Gallery records, 1944-1984 (bulk 1968-1979). Archives of American Art http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/findingaids/nichwild.htm

Scope and Content of Collection

The collection comprises artist files and records pertaining to the operation of the Nicholas Wilder Gallery. Files contain assorted ephemera, black-and-white photographs, color photographs, clippings, inventory cards, slides, transparencies, and exhibition posters. There is also unique artwork and correspondence from George Herms and Peter Zecher.

Arrangement

Arranged in two series: Series I. Artist files; Series II. Gallery files

Indexing Terms

Subjects - Names

Herms, George, 1935-

Hockney, David

Nauman, Bruce, 1941-

McCracken, John

Francis, Sam

Subjects - Topics

Art galleries, Commercial -- California -- Los Angeles

Art dealers -- United States -- Correspondence

Artists -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century

Contributors

Nicholas Wilder Gallery

Series I. Artist files, 1927-1980, undated

Physical Description: 6.67 linear feet (11 boxes)

Box 10, Folder 2

Alexander, Peter, 1971

Scope and Content Note

Color slides.

Altoon, John, 1970-1980, undated

Box 10, Folder 1

Black-and-white negatives, undated

Box 1, Folder 1

Black-and-white photographs, 1972-1973

Box 12*, Folder 1

Clippings, 1974

Box 10, Folder 1

Color photographs, undated

Box 1, Folder 2-3

Correspondence, 1970-1980

Box 1, Folder 4

Avedisian, Edward, undated

Scope and Content Note

Black-and-white photographs.

Almeida, Raymond, 1974-1977

Box 12*, Folder 1

Clippings, 1974

Box 10, Folder 3

Color slides, 1974

Box 1, Folder 5

Exhibition materials, 1974-1977

Arnoldi, Charles, 1973-1979, undated

Box 10, Folder 4

Black-and-white negative, undated

Box 1, Folder 6

Exhibition materials, 1973-1979

Box 1, Folder 7

Exhibition reviews, 1973-1979

Box 1, Folder 8

Baldwin, Gordon, 1977

Box 10, Folder 5

Bannard, Darby, 1970

Scope and Content Note

Color slides.

Box 1, Folder 9

Bell, Larry, undated

Scope and Content Note

Black-and-white photographs.

Bengston, Billy Al, 1972-1975, undated

Box 1, Folder 12-13

Black-and-white photographs, undated

Box 10, Folder 8

Color slides, 1972-1975

Box 10, Folder 6-7

Color transparencies, 1974-1975

Box 1, Folder 10-11

Index card inventory, 1972-1975

Box 1, Folder 14

Photographs and exhibition materials, 1974-1975

Brice, William 1961-1980, undated

Box 2, Folder 3

Black-and-white photographs, undated

Box 12*, Folder 1

Clippings, 1978

Box 10, Folder 9

Color photograph, undated

Box 2, Folder 1

Exhibition materials, 1961-1980

Box 2, Folder 2

Inventory cards, 1975-1978

Clemins, Vija, 1975-1980

Box 2, Folder 4

Exhibition materials, 1975-1980

Box 2, Folder 5

Fliers and calendars, 1977-1978

Christianson, Dan, 1969-1978, undated

Box 10, Folder 10

Color photographs, undated

Box 10, Folder 10

Color slides, 1969-1970

Box 2, Folder 6

Photographs and documents, 1977-1978

De France, James, 1970-1976, undated

Box 2, Folder 8

Black-and-white photographs, undated

Box 10, Folder 11

Color slides, 1976

Box 2, Folder 7

Gallery documentation, 1970-1976

DeLap, Tony, 1971-1979, undated

Box 10, Folder 13

Black-and-white negatives, 1974-1979

Box 2, Folder 11

Black-and-white photographs, undated

Box 13*, Folder 1

Clippings, 1974

Box 10, Folder 12-13

Color slides, 1971-1977

Box 13*, Folder 1

Exhibition poster, 1975

Box 2, Folder 12-13

Gallery documentation and reviews, 1973-1979

Scope and Content Note

Contains duplicate exhibition announcements.

Box 2, Folder 9-10

Gallery materials and photographs, 1971-1976

Box 2, Folder 14

De Maria, Walter, 1966-1967, undated

Scope and Content Note

Black-and-white photographs; contains duplicates.

Box 2, Folder 15

Diebenkorn, Richard, 1976-1979

Box 3, Folder 1

Flavin, Dan, 1962-1966, undated

Scope and Content Note

Black-and-white photographs.

Francis, Sam, 1951-1980, undated

Box 13*, Folder 2

Clippings, 1973-1978

Box 10, Folder 14

Color slides, 1973-1974

Box 10, Folder 14

Color transparencies, undated

Box 3, Folder 4

Correspondence and documentation, 1976-1979

Box 3, Folder 2-3

Exhibition materials, 1973-1980

Scope and Content Note

Contains duplicate exhibition announcements.

Box 3, Folder 6-7

Index card inventory, 1967-1978

Scope and Content Note

The inventory cards contain black-and-white photographs of artworks.

Box 3, Folder 8

Photographs and exhibition materials, 1951-1974, undated

Scope and Content Note

The last two, sleeved photographs need conservation attention.

Box 3, Folder 5

Price lists, 1973-1978

Box 3, Folder 9

Reviews, 1969-1978

Frankenthaler, Helen, 1955-1973, undated

Box 10, Folder 15

Color transparencies, undated

Box 3, Folder 10

Photographs and review, 1955-1973, undated

Goode, Joe, 1963-1978, undated

Box 10, Folder 16

Black-and-white negative, undated

Box 4, Folder 1-3

Black-and-white photographs, 1963-1978, undated

Box 13*, Folder 3

Clippings, 1976

Box 10, Folder 16-17

Color photographs, 1978

Scope and Content Note

Includes several instant photographs of artworks.

Box 10, Folder 16-17

Color slides, 1964-1977

Box 10, Folder 16

Color transparencies, undated

Scope and Content Note

Several transparencies need conservation attention.

Box 3, Folder 11

Correspondence, 1978

Box 3, Folder 12-14

Exhibition materials, 1970-1978

Box 13*, Folder 3

Exhibition posters, 1976, undated

Gorky, Arshile, 1927-1973, undated

Box 4, Folder 4

Acquisition of pieces, 1927-1973

Box 10, Folder 18

Black-and-white negative, undated

Box 10, Folder 18

Color transparency, 1946

Box 4, Folder 5

Graham, Robert, 1978

Box 4, Folder 6

Hall, Nigel, 1968

Scope and Content Note

Black-and-white photographs.

Helm, Robert, 1976-1980, undated

Box 10, Folder 19

Color slides, undated

Box 4, Folder 7

Exhibition reviews and correspondence, 1976-1980

Box 4, Folder 8

Inventory lists and biography, 1976-1980

Box 4, Folder 9

Photographs, undated

Herms, George, 1963-1979

Box 4, Folder 10-11

Correspondence and exhibition materials, 1973-1979

Scope and Content Note

This folder contains original screen prints by Herms, including a change of address notice and an image of a blimp.

Box 12*, Folder 2

Exhibition poster, 1975

Box 4, Folder 12

Inventory cards, 1963-1977

Hockney, David, 1966-1979, undated

Box 5, Folder 1

Clippings and exhibition materials, 1979

Scope and Content Note

This folder contains clippings that should be made into preservation copies.

Box 10, Folder 20

Color slides, undated

Scope and Content Note

The slides correspond to a letter written by Joni Weyl about new lithographs by Hockney.

Box 10, Folder 20

Black-and-white negative, undated

Box 5, Folder 2-3

Black-and-white photographs, 1966-1976, undated

Box 5, Folder 4

Inventory lists and correspondence, 1979

Hoffman, Hans, 1965, undated

Box 10, Folder 21

Color photograph, 1965

Box 5, Folder 5

Photographs and inventory list, undated

Box 10, Folder 21

Transparency, undated

Holland, Tom, 1965-1980, undated

Box 5, Folder 9

Biography, undated

Box 5, Folder 12-13

Black-and-white photographs and exhibition materials, 1965-1979, undated

Box 13*, Folder 3

Clippings, 1969

Box 10, Folder 22

Color slides, 1976-1978

Scope and Content Note

Two slides correspond to a letter from Tom Holland found in box 5, folder 6.

Box 5, Folder 10-11

Exhibition announcements, 1965-1980

Box 5, Folder 7

Exhibition materials, 1971-1976

Box 13*, Folder 3

Exhibition posters, undated

Box 5, Folder 8

Inventory and business correspondence, 1965-1979

Box 5, Folder 6

Personal correspondence, 1965-1970

Scope and Content Note

Contains four original artworks by Tom Holland.

Hoyland, John, 1967, undated

Box 11, Folder 1-2

Color transparencies, undated

Box 5, Folder 14

Photographs and exhibition announcements, 1967

Box 11, Folder 3

Hudson, Bobby, 1976

Scope and Content Note

Color slides and transparencies.

Box 11, Folder 4

Louis, Morris, 1957-1961

Scope and Content Note

Color slides and transparencies.

McCollum, Allan, 1972-1978

Box 12*, Folder 2

Clippings, 1973

Box 11, Folder 5

Color slide, 1972

Box 5, Folder 15

Correspondence and exhibition materials, 1973-1978

Scope and Content Note

This folder contains clippings that should be made into preservation copies.

McCracken, John, 1964-1980, undated

Box 6, Folder 5

Black-and-white photographs, 1972-1976

Box 11, Folder 7

Black-and-white transparencies, 1972-1976

Box 13*, Folder 4

Clippings, 1974

Box 11, Folder 6-7

Color slides, 1972-1976

Box 6, Folder 1-3

Correspondence, 1965-1980

Box 6, Folder 4

Exhibition fliers and materials, 1965-1980

Exhibition posters, 1967-1968, undated

Box 13*, Folder 4

1967-1968

Scope and Content Note

One black-and-white poster and three blue posters.

Flatfile FF1**

Undated

Box 13*, Folder 4

Inventory drawing, 1964-1965

McLaughlin, John, 1961-1979, undated

Box 6, Folder 7-8

Black-and-white photographs, 1961-1967

Box 11, Folder 8

Color photograph, undated

Box 11, Folder 8

Color slides, 1969-1970

Box 6, Folder 6

Correspondence and exhibition materials, 1978-1979

Box 11, Folder 8

Color transparencies, undated

Scope and Content Note

These transparencies need conservation attention.

box 14

Uncut black-and-white negatives, undated

Scope and Content Note

Restricted pending conservation attention, contact Reference desk for further information.

Moses, Ed, 1971-1980, undated

Box 6, Folder 9

Black-and-white photographs, 1972-1976

Box 6, Folder 10

Correspondence and exhibition materials, 1973-1980

Box 13*, Folder 3

Exhibition posters, 1973, undated

Box 6, Folder 11

Inventory cards, 1971-1977

Murrill, Gwynn, 1969-1979

Box 7, Folder 2

Black-and-white photographs, 1969-1977

Box 13*, Folder 4

Clippings, 1978

Box 11, Folder 9

Color slides, 1974-1977

Box 7, Folder 1

Exhibition materials, 1976-1979

Box 6, Folder 12

Inventory cards, 1972-1978

Nauman, Bruce, 1971-1980, undated

Box 7, Folder 5-8

Black-and-white photographs and exhibition materials, 1971-1976, undated

Box 12*, Folder 3

Clippings, 1975

Box 11, Folder 10

Color photograph, 1975

Scope and Content Note

Photograph stuck to correspondence and needs conservation attention.

Box 11, Folder 10

Color slides, 1974-1977

Box 12*, Folder 3

Exhibition posters, 1975, undated

Scope and Content Note

The Grossmont College Gallery poster needs conservation attention.

Box 13*, Folder 5

Exhibition poster, 1976

Box 7, Folder 4

Exhibition materials, 1975-1980

box 15

Film reel and scraps, undated

Scope and Content Note

Contains film scraps from one of Nauman's performance pieces involving his hands and feet, as well as an 8mm reel containing an unidentified Nauman piece. Audiovisual material is unavailable until reformatted; contact repository regarding access.

Box 7, Folder 3

Inventory cards and loan paperwork, 1974-1979

Newton, Helmut, 1973-1977, undated

Box 7, Folder 9

Correspondence, 1976

Box 7, Folder 10-11

Inventory cards, 1973-1977

Box 7, Folder 12

Reception invitation list, undated

Box 7, Folder 13

Reviews, 1976

Olitski, Jules, 1966, undated

Box 7, Folder 14

Black-and-white photographs and exhibition announcement, 1966, undated

Box 11, Folder 11

Color slides, 1966

Box 8, Folder 1

Price, Kenneth, 1974

Scope and Content Note

Black-and-white photograph.

Raciti, Cherie, 1972-1979, undated

Box 8, Folder 5

Black-and-white photographs, undated

Flatfile FF1**

Clippings, 1973

Box 11, Folder 12

Color slides, 1975

Box 8, Folder 2

Correspondence between Wilder and Raciti, 1975-1979

Box 8, Folder 3-4

Exhibition announcements and reviews, 1972-1979

Exhibition posters, 1974-1977, undated

Flatfile FF1**

1974, undated

Scope and Content Note

Two Kodak exhibition posters.

Flatfile FF1**

1977

Box 11, Folder 12

Transparency, undated

Box 8, Folder 6

Rauschenberg, Robert, 1977-1978

Box 8, Folder 7

Ruppersberg, Allen, 1974

Scope and Content Note

Black-and-white photographs.

Smith, Alexis, 1972-1978, undated

Box 8, Folder 8

Black-and-white photographs, 1973-1976

Flatfile FF1**

Clippings, 1973

Box 11, Folder 13

Color slides, 1976, undated

Scope and Content Note

This slide corresponds to an application for a Tiffany Foundation grant.

Box 8, Folder 10

Exhibition announcements and correspondence, 1975-1978

Box 8, Folder 9

Exhibition announcements and reviews, 1972-1977

Box 8, Folder 11

Exhibition materials (duplicates), 1975

Flatfile FF1**

Exhibition poster, undated

Box 11, Folder 13

Transparencies, undated

Scope and Content Note

The transparencies need conservation attention.

Snyder, Joan, 1976-1980, undated

Box 8, Folder 12

Exhibition announcements and correspondence, 1976-1980

Box 13*, Folder 6

Exhibition poster, undated

Box 8, Folder 13

Sorenson, Don, 1974-1979

Spence, Andrew, 1974-1976, undated

Box 8, Folder 14

Black-and-white photographs, undated

Box 8, Folder 15

Loan paperwork and reviews, 1974-1976

Todd, Michael, 1975-1976

Box 11, Folder 14

Color slides, 1976

Box 8, Folder 16

Exhibition materials and reviews, 1975-1976

Box 8, Folder 17

Torres, Horatio, 1974-1975, undated

Scope and Content Note

Black-and-white photographs.

Yokomi, Richard, 1969-1979, undated

Box 13*, Folder 6

Clippings, 1978

Box 11, Folder 15

Color photograph, undated

Box 9, Folder 1

Correspondence and exhibition materials, 1969-1979

Box 13*, Folder 6

Exhibition posters, undated

Scope and Content Note

Three duplicate exhibition posters also found in Tom Holland and Ed Moses' folders.

Zecher, Peter, 1970-1980, undated

Box 9, Folder 2

Bibliography and photographs, 1970-1975, undated

Box 11, Folder 16

Black-and-white negatives, 1974

Box 12*, Folder 4

Clipping, 1975

Scope and Content Note

The article about Peter Zecher is in the middle of the paper.

Box 11, Folder 16

Color photograph, 1974

Box 11, Folder 16

Color slides, 1974

Box 9, Folder 3

Correspondence and reviews, 1974-1980

Box 12*, Folder 4

Unidentified artwork, 1977

Series II. Gallery files, 1960-1978, undated.

Physical Description: 4.33 Linear Feet (4 boxes, 1 flatfile)

Box 13*, Folder 6

Clippings, 1977

Scope and Content Note

This contains clippings about Andy Warhol and Ambroise Vollard.

Box 9, Folder 6-9

Correspondence and invoices, 1977-1978

Box 13*, Folder 6

Exhibition poster, 1978

Box 9, Folder 5

Mailing list, undated

Photographs, undated

Box 9, folder 4

Black-and-white photographs

Box 11, Folder 17

Color photographs

Box 11, Folder 17

Color slides

Box 11, Folder 17

Transparencies

Box 10, Folder 23

Purchased and unpurchased paintings, 1965-1970

Scope and Content Note

Photographs and descriptions of artworks.