Middeldorf (Ulrich Alexander) Papers, 1925-1981

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Summary

Title:

Ulrich Alexander Middeldorf papers

Dates:

1925-1981

Creators:

Middeldorf, Ulrich Alexander

Abstract:

German-American art historian who specialized in the areas of sculpture, bronzes, and the applied arts. The bulk of the collection consists of Middeldorf's research files: clippings and bibliographic notations about the arts, particularly sculpture, drawings, Renaissance medals, and applied arts such as costumes, textiles, furniture, and metalwork.

Extent:

71.72 Linear Feet (172 boxes)

Language:

Collection material is in English and German.

Preferred citation:

Ulrich Alexander Middeldorf Papers 1925-1981, Getty Research Institute, Research Library, Accession no. 840024.

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa840024

Background

Scope and content:

The Ulrich Alexander Middeldorf papers contain some correspondence, many clippings, also photographs, postcards, bibliographic and research notes, as well as articles, offprints and annotated books, dating from ca. 1925 -1981. These papers document his research interests and contacts with other art historians and some students. His interests in Italian art, sculpture, medals and the applied arts are evident in the research files which cover costume, architecture, textiles, graphic arts, Italian artists, decorative arts, as well as sculpture and medals. The collection comprises ca. 55 linear ft.

Arrangement note

The papers are organized in five series: Series I. Clippings files (boxes 1-17); Series II. Letters and bibliographic notes (boxes 18-21); Series III. Journals and offprints (boxes 22-38); Series IV. Annotated books (boxes 39-48, 167-172); Series V. Bibliographic files (boxes 49-166).

Biographical / historical:

Ulrich Alexander Middeldorf, born in 1901, was a German-American art historian who specialized in the study of sculpture, medals, and the minor and applied arts. He was director of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Longhi Institute, and then served as the director and librarian of the Kusthistorisches Institute until his death in 1983.

In addition to his research specializations, Middeldorf had an abiding interest in Italian art, and a collector's passion for the connection between art and fiction. He assembled a collection of fiction, much of it popular, paperback works, which include characters or plot lines that relate to art (artists, art history, forgery, etc.). This collection of Art in Fiction was acquired by the Getty Research Institute Library in 1984. Middeldorf's correspondence with Sybille Pantazzi about his art in fiction collecting and other interests (1966-1983) may be seen in Special Collections Accession no. 950004.

Acquisition information:

Acquired in 1984.

Physical location:

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About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:: J. Gibbs.
Date Encoded:: This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2019-02-26 12:39:38 -0800 .

Access and use

Restrictions:: Open for use by qualified researchers.
Terms of access:: Contact Library Rights and Reproductions.