Footnotes

1 Popular Photography, vol. 6, no.7, Feb. 1940, p.19.

2 Berenice Abbott, autobiographical sketch, Feb. 7, 1954, McCausland papers, Archives of American Art, p.1.

3 Malcolm Cowley, Exile's Return, rev.ed. (1951) (New York: Penguin Books, 1994), p.47.

4 Jim McQuaid and David Tait, "Interview with Berenice Abbott" (July 1975), in deposit at the International Museum of Photography, George Eastman House, Rochester, New York, p. 20.

5 Rick Beard and Leslie Cohen Berlowitz, eds., Greenwich Village, Culture and Counterculture, (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) and Rutgers University Press, 1993), p.ix.

6 Abbott, autobiographical sketch, p.9.

7 Abbott to Arnold Crane, Interview (1968), Arnold Crane Papers, Archives of American Art, p. 10.

8 Julia van Haaften, Berenice Abbott Photographer, A Modern Vision, (New York: New York Public Library, 1989), p.11.

9 Florent Fels, "The First Salon IndŽpendant de la Photographie," trans. Robert Erich Wolf, in Photography in the Modern Era,

European Documents and Critical Writings, Christopher Phillips, ed. (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art and Aperture, 1989), p.25.

10 Abbott, autobiographical sketch, p.10.

11 Berenice Abbott, The World of Atget (New York, Horizon Press, 1964), p. xxii.

12 Pierre MacOrlan, "The Literary Art of Imagination and Photography," in Phillips, Photography in the Modern Era, p.28.

13 Pierre MacOrlan, "Preface to Atget Photographe de Paris," in Phillips, Photography of the Modern Era, p.44.

14 Abbott, The World of Atget, pp.x, viii.

15 André Calmette to Abbott, The World of Atget, p.xi. Calmette was Atget's executor and closest friend.

16 In Sarah Carlton, The American Girl, Aug. 1931, p.23; Abbott Archive, Commerce Graphics (AACG).

17 André Siegfried, America Comes of Age, a French Analysis, H. H. Hemming and Doris Hemmings, trans. (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1927), p.350.

18 Walter L. Davis, "Girl Wins Paris by Camera"s Art,' Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sunday, Nov. 18, 1928; AACG.

19 Application to John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, 1931; AACG.

20 The scrapbook is in the Department of Photographs, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

21 Camille Recht, Die Alte Photographie (Paris and Leipzig: Henri Jonqueres, 1931). I thank Peter Barr for bringing this publication and Abbott's precocious interest in Brady to my attention.

22 Later historians discovered that Brady's studio issued photographs by many operators and that Brady was more businessman than photographer.

23 MCNY, New-York Gazette, vol.1, no.1, Oct. 1924, p.3. See Max Page, "A 'Visualized Biography,':Inventing and Displaying the Past Museum of the City of New York," in "The Creative Destruction of New York City: Landscape, Memory, and the Politics of Place, 1900-1930," Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania, 1995, pp. 214-260.

24 Abbott to Hardinge Scholle, Nov. 26, 1931, WPA file, MCNY.

25 I. N. Phelps Stokes to Scholle, Nov. 18, 1931, WPA file, MCNY.

26 Scholle to Stokes, Nov. 19, 1931, WPA file, MCNY.

27 Abbott to A. J. Wall, Librarian, New-York Historical Society, Dec. 19, 1932; Wall to Abbott, Dec. 21, 1932, AACG.

28 Abbott saved 34 rejection letters; AACG.

29 J. Clarence Davies to Grace Mayer, June 25, 1933, WPA file, MCNY.

30 The exhibition was called "Urban Vernacular of the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties, American Cities Before the Civil War." It opened at Yale University in November 1934, at the same time that Abbott's first MCNY exhibition was on view. It subsequently traveled to Smith College; Phillips Academy, Andover; Wesleyan University; and William and Mary College.

31 Henry-Russell Hitchcock, Jr., unpublished introduction to Changing New York. Courtesy of Special Collections, Olin Library, Wesleyan University.

32 Gilbert Seldes, This Is New York, The First Modern Photographic Book of New York (New York: David Kemp, 1934).

33 Also included were Pennsylvania Station, the lower Manhattan skyline, Trinity Churchyard, Rockefeller Center in construction, Bowling Green, the Daily News Building, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Hester Street, and Exchange Place.

34 P.S., "Current Exhibitions," Parnassus, Jan. 1935, vol.6, no.8, p.25. The exhibition was reviewed with a show of Alfred Stieglitz photographs at Stieglitz's gallery, An American Place.

35 Elizabeth McCausland, "New York City as Seen in Abbott Photographs," Springfield Sunday Union and Republican, Oct. 23, 1934.

36 Abbott to McCausland, Oct. 29, 1934, McCausland papers, Archives of American Art.

37 McCausland to Abbott, Nov. 5, 1934, AACG.

38 "The Photography of Berenice Abbott," Trend, vol. 3, no.1, March-April, 1935, p. 8.

39 Ibid., p.16.

40 Elizabeth McCausland and Berenice Abbott, application to John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, 1936, AACG.

41 Ibid.

42 Susan Blatchford to the author, March 10, 1997.

43 Kay Weaver and Martha Wheelock, Berenice Abbott, A View of the 20th Century, Los Angeles: Ishtar Films, 1992.

44 Richard D. McKinzie, The New Deal for Artists (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1973), p.80.

45 Among the New York City creative assignments were Arnold Eagle and David Robbins's "One Third of a Nation," which depicted Lower East Side slums; Eagle's "Sabbath Studies"; and Sid Grossman's series on Harlem. The negatives for these series are at MCNY.

46 Examples include a photograph of a restorer gilding a mirror, of a sculptor preparing a portable history kit used in the education department, and a montage of installation photographs of a Museum exhibition, "New York Gothic." National Archives, Record Group 69, folder 24.

47 "Photographic Record of New York City submitted to Art Project, Works Division, Emergency Relief Bureau by Berenice Abbott." MCNY and AACG.

48 McQuaid, p.307.

49 In April 1936, Abbott's researchers began using a data report sheet with the heading, "Changing New York"; this appears to be the earliest use of the title.

50 "Photographic Record of New York City."

51 Lewis Mumford, Sticks and Stones, 2nd ed. (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1933), p.193.

52 In his doctoral dissertation, "Becoming Documentary: Berenice Abbott's Photographs, 1925-1939," (Boston University, 1997), Peter Barr discusses at length Mumford's influence on Abbott.

53 "Changing New York," October 1936, draft submitted to Emanuel Benson for proposed FAP publication, Art for the Millions; AACG. See Francis V. O'Connor, ed., Art for the Millions, Essays from the 1930s by Artists and Administrators of the WPA Federal Art Project (Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1972), pp.158-162.

54 There are three undated lists: "Photographs to be Taken with Linhoff [sic] Camera," "Photographs to be Taken with Rolleflex [sic] Camera," and "Photographs to be Taken with Big Camera." AACG.

55 Rosa Reilly, "Berenice Abbott Records Changing New York," Popular Photography, vol. 3, no. 3, Sept. 1938, pp.9-10, 94.

56 Robert W. Marks, "Chronicler of Our Times, In the Hands of Berenice Abbott the Camera is an Instrument of Social Documentation," Coronet, vol. 4, no. 8., Dec.1938, p.169.

57 "Suggestions in Connection with the Information, Data, and Write-up to Accompany Berenice Abbott's Photographic Series, Changing New York," unsigned and undated memorandum, Abbott files, MCNY.

58 Abbott, "Notes on Research," undated memorandum, AACG.

59 Abbott to M.J. Kaufmann, undated memorandum, AACG.

60 The researchers devised a code based on Abbott's outline, e.g., I.A.2. signified I. Material Aspect -- A. Buildings Ñ 2. Picturesque. Each image was assigned a code designation, which was written on the back of the print. The codes were neither consistent nor complete and have never been an effective finding aid for researchers.

61 Gabriel Haver to Phyllis C. Scott, Nov. 30, 1936, Abbott files, MCNY.

62 Abbott organized several exhibition lists alphabetically and was probably responsible for the alphabetical arrangement of the files.

63 Scott to Audrey McMahon, July 6, 1937, Abbott files, MCNY.

64 On March 16, 1936, the New York Herald Tribune published, "Changing City Caught in Flight by Photographs," an article about Abbott's photographs at the Federal Art Gallery; only incidentally did the article mention that the FAP exhibit included examples of work in all other media. For Art for the Millions, see note 53.

65 Beaumont Newhall to Abbott, Nov. 10, 1937, AACG. Newhall's praise came despite Abbott's tepid review of his exhibition. Writing in Art Front, she contended that the social value of photography, as opposed to its art value, had not been sufficiently emphasized. vol, 3., no.2, May 1937, p.25.

66 Carl Van Vechten to Abbott, Nov. 11, 1937, AACG.

67 Robert M. Coates, The New Yorker, Dec.18, 1937.

68 Art Front, vol. 3, no. 8, Dec. 1937, p.17.

69 Torrey-Hohoff, Fine & Decorative Arts Publicity, press release, Sept. 30, 1937, AACG.

70 life Magazine, Jan. 3, 1938, pp.40-44.

71 For "Photography 1839-1937"(April 1937), Newhall borrowed from Abbott a selection of Atget prints and seven of her own works. Newhall included eight Abbott prints in "Art in Our Time" (Sept. 1938). In 1939, Abbott was one of the photographers included in the Museum of Modern Art traveling exhibition, "Seven American Photographers." Newhall also gave Abbott pride of place in "Documentary Approach to Photography," Parnassus, vol 10, no.3, March 1938, pp.3-6.

72 Abbott's photographs were shown at the gallery of Hudson D. Walker, 38 East 57th Street. All aspects of Abbott's work except her FAP photographs were represented, and prices ranged from $7.50 to $25.

73 Rosa Reilly, Popular Photography, vol.3, no.2, p. 72. Aug. 1938. Reilly wrote a feature article on Abbott for the magazine's Sept. 1938, issue.

74 "Roofs for 40 Million" was organized by An American Group, Inc., and was held at the Maison Française at Rockefeller Center in April 1938. Lewis Mumford wrote the catalogue's foreword.

75 Abbott to McMahon, Aug. 14, 1937; McMahon to Abbott, Aug. 25, 1937; AACG.

76 The change in Abbott's status may explain why in 1938 she took a series of photographs of the Harlem Community Art Center, which now belong to the New York Public Library. These photographs are similar to other Photographic Division assignments and unlike "Changing New York."

77 McMahon to Abbott, Aug. 28, 1939, AACG.

78 Dutton had published several books by Henry Collins Brown, an amateur historian, prolific writer of guidebooks, and the founder of MCNY.

79 "Tentative List of Photographs to be Included in Book," undated manuscript, AACG. The list includes 66 prints, 11 of which pre-date the FAP.

80 Elizabeth McCausland, "Eyewitness: The Rise of Modern Photography," Susan Dodge Peters, ed., unpublished manuscript, cited in Peters' introduction, p.18; originally published in "Works of Resident New York Artists," Springfield Sunday Union and Republican, Sept. 13, 1936, p.6E.

81 In 1943, McCausland wrote "Photographic Books" for The Complete Photographer, no.6, pp. 2783-93.

82 McCausland's mock-up, which includes type face notations, was made on brown wrapping paper and measures 12 by 9 inches. AACG.

83 Abbott to John MacCrae, Jr., Vice-President, E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., June 12, 1938, AACG.

84 In 1938, a new streamlined data report sheet was designed. McCausland routinely typed questions to the researchers on the upper right corner of the sheets; she wrote comments in the margins, and she occasionally attached a separate memo. The cited examples are for Lamport Export Company; Warehouse, Dock and Water Streets; and Burn Bros. Coal Elevator (Greenwich Village Plate 3, Outer Boroughs Plate 32, North of 59th Street Plate 21). Abbott research files, MCNY.

85 Lincoln Rothschild to McCausland, Sept. 7, 1938, Abbott files, MCNY.

86 McMahon to Rothschild, "Complete file of the original captions of the Abbott Book," July 14, 1938, Abbott files, MCNY.

87 Comparison of the original captions with the final selection shows 14 replacements. In a memo dated Sept. 2, 1938, to Rothschild, McCausland enclosed "a set of new captions, 14 in all." Abbott files, MCNY.

88 The penultimate caption list includes 100 images with Father Duffy and Church of God crossed out. The final book includes 97 images and is missing Construction Old and New.

89 Abbott to Lewis Mumford, Aug. 25, 1938; Abbott to Hitchcock, Sept. 15, 1938; AACG.

90 Hitchcock,"Introduction to "Changing New York."" An undated, unsigned memo that appears to be written by McCausland to Rothschild, notes: "McCrae has questioned the introduction submitted on the basis that Hitchcock is not sufficiently well-known and that the content does not seem to deal directly with the material of the book. He probably feels references are esoteric and general character not sufficiently popular." Abbott files, MCNY.

91 "Miss Abbott volunteers (strongly desires) to consult on lay-out and jacket for which she has submitted suggestions which have been presented to Dutton." Ibid.

92 Beaumont Newhall, "Changing New York," U.S. Camera, June 1939, pp.38, 70.

93 LaGuardia to Abbott, April 4, 1939; Weston to Abbott, Aug. 23, 1939; Stokes to Abbott, March 31, 1939; AACG.

94 The largest single recipient of "Changing New York" prints was the New York Public Library, which holds 2,240. The prints were distributed throughout the library's branches until the 1980s, when the library's Curator of Photographs, Julia van Haaften, collected them in the Prints and Photographs Division of the main research library.

95 Gift receipt, April 22, 1940, WPA file, MCNY.

96 When the FAP was dissolved in 1943, the Index of American Design collection was given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Shortly thereafter, the collection was moved to the new National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. At the time of transfer, the "Changing New York" prints were inadvertently left at the Metropolitan Museum. In 1949, the Met gave the Index set of Abbott photographs to the Museum of the City of New York. With the set came the research files and McCausland's captions.

97 Charles C. Adams, Director of the New York State Museum, arranged for the exhibition of "Changing New York" in Albany in July 1938. He subsequently acquired 125 prints from the project for the State Museum's collection. By appealing through New York Governor Herbert H. Lehman, he succeeded in waiving the $1.00 per print charge for the cost of materials.

98 Scholle to Cahill, Feb. 4, 1936; Cahill to Scholle, Feb. 7, 1936; Scholle to Cahill, Feb. 13, 1936; Cahill to Scholle, Feb. 14, 1936; WPA file, MCNY.

99 Grace Mayer to Scholle, interdepartmental memo, Oct. 14, 1938; Scholle to McMahon, Oct. 17, 1938; McMahon to Scholle, Oct. 24, 1938; WPA file, MCNY.

100 Abbott to McMahon, Sept. 19, 1939, AACG.

101 Abbott to Cahill, Feb. 7, 1940, AACG.

102 The gift receipt of Feb. 1, 1943, states the transfer of "one set photographs and one set negatives by Berenice Abbott, "Changing New York,"" and also lists ten creative assignments without mentioning the names of the photographers or the number of items in the gift. Registrar's file, MCNY.

103 McQuaid, p.309.

104 McQuaid, pp.116 and 321.

105 life Magazine, Jan. 1, 1938, p.40.

106 Abbott, "Metropolis: Old and New," AACG.

Return to A "Fantastic Passion"

Return to Berenice Abbott Main Page

COPYRIGHT © MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
www.mcny.org