French and Company Records, 1910-1998, bulk 1950-1960

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Summary

Title:
French & Company records
Dates:
1910-1998, bulk 1950-1960
Creators:
French & Company (New York, N.Y.)
Abstract:
The French & Company records document some of the activities of the art dealership and primarily date from the period of Spencer Samuels's directorship, ca. 1950-1960. Papers relate to legal and business operations, financial matters, the board of directors, business deals, artwork sales, exhibitions, and publicity for the firm.
Extent:
6 linear ft. (17 boxes, 3 flat file folders)
Language:
Collection material in English
Preferred citation:

French & Company records, 1910-1998, bulk 1950-1960, Getty Research Institute, Research Library, Accession no. 990051.

Background

Scope and content:

The French & Company records document some of the activities of the art dealership and are drawn mainly from the period of Spencer Samuels' directorship in the 1950s. Papers relate to legal and business operations, financial matters, the board of directors, business deals, artwork sales, exhibitions, and publicity for the firm. One videotape records the opening of French & Company on Madison Ave., New York City. Specific subjects include the reorganization of French & Company, audits of the firm, relations with J. Paul Getty, tapestry sales, appraisals of artworks, and art market research. Several boxes of clippings, and some photographs, document French & Company exhibits (including in Mexico and Cuba), as well as art market news. Much of the documentation is in the form of correspondence: typescript, handwritten, or copied. Other types of records include ledger sheets, photographs, transparencies, photocopies, and newspaper and magazine clippings.

The bulk of the firm's records were lost in a fire. The Getty Research Library holds French & Company stock sheets and ledgers in a separate acquisition (Accession no. 840027). The photographic archive of the firm was acquired by the J. Paul Getty Museum in 1971, and is now part of the Getty Research Library's Photo Study Collection (Accession no. 71.P.1 and 97.P.7).

The papers are organized in 7 series: Series I. Legal and business operations, 1922-1998, bulk 1953-1960Series II. Financial, 1915-1959Series III. Board of directors, 1954-1959Series IV. Business dealings and correspondence, 1944-1960Series V. Sales records, 1927-1998, bulk 1950-1998Series V.A. Getty correspondence and appraisals, 1960-1998Series V.B. Records relating to clients other than Getty, 1945-1972Series V.C. Artwork inventory and sales records, 1927-1971Series VI. Exhibitions and publicity, 1930-1967, bulk 1956-1967Series VII. Architectural drawings, 1910-1950

Biographical / historical:

An art dealership based in New York City, French & Company bought and sold decorative arts, as well as paintings and sculpture. For over half a century after Mitchell Samuels co-founded the firm in 1907 in New York, French & Company was considered one of the largest art dealerships in the world. Under Mitchell Samuels' directorship, French & Company worked with many wealthy American collectors eager to develop collections in decorative art objects and paintings of European provenance. Among the firm's clients were J. Paul Getty, William Randolph Hearst, J.P. Morgan, the Vanderbilts, and the Rockefellers. During this period, the firm also served as agents and decorators for the Huntingtons, Fricks, Mellons, and Astors. The French & Company building on East 57th Street housed more than 50 showrooms, eight fireproof vaults and a 10,000 volume art reference library.

Spencer Samuels, Mitchell's son, took over as president of French & Company in the 1950s. During his presidency, Spencer Samuels collected sales records from major worldwide art auctions dating to as far back as the 1700s in order to provide complete documentation for the artwork the firm sold. After his father's death, Spencer sold the firm to City Investing in 1959 and went to work for Duveen Brothers. In 1968, City Investing sold the firm to Martin Zimet. Much of the French & Company remaining stock of decorative arts objects was sold at auction in 1968. The firm continued under the same name after the 1950s, but with a changing inventory and clientele.

Acquisition information:
Collection acquired in 1999 from Spencer A. Samuels Company, New York. Additional portions received in 2002, 2003.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Rina Vecchiola in April 2001. Additions received in 2002 and 2003 were integrated into the collection in Dec. 2003. One box of books was separated to the Getty Research Library.

Physical location:
To access physical materials on site, go to the library catalog record for this collection and click "Request an Item." Click here for access policy.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts .

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Rina Vecchiola
Date Prepared:
©2001
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid encoded in SoftQuad Author/Editor 3.5 by Rina Vecchiola. Apr 2001, revised Apr 2004

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers.

Terms of access:

Contact Library Rights and Reproductions

Preferred citation:

French & Company records, 1910-1998, bulk 1950-1960, Getty Research Institute, Research Library, Accession no. 990051.

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