Ingalls Library & Museum Archives

This index is the type of reference text that librarians and researchers rejoice over.  The A.C.I. was compiled and realized by Noelle Corboz and Cécile de Pebeyre under the direction of Marc Blondeau and Thierry Meaudre.  The subtitle defines it succinctly, “Catalogues Raisonnés & Critical Catalogues of Artists 1780-2008,” and further, “Painting, Sculpture, Works on Paper, Prints, Contemporary Media.”  Entries are alphabetical by artist name, with place and date for birth and death.  Bibliography proceeds chronologically from date of publication, with separation for genre.  Details of publication are included, as well as ISBN number.  A thoughtful introduction tracing the history and evolution of the catalogue raisonné written by Rainer Michael Mason is also presented.  An author index follows, linking to the corresponding artist.  Prior to the release of this volume, art reference librarians relied on the Wolfgang M. Freitag text Art Books: A Basic Bibliography of Monographs on Artists, published in 1997.  This more up to date volume will indeed be a boon to research.  The A.C.I. will be shelved behind the reference desk for ease of access.

Researching the history of the Cleveland Museum of Art collection became easier recently with the addition of two serial publications to the JStor collection.  The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art ran from1914 to 1994, serving as the primary publication for announcements regarding exhibitions, collections, and all things about the Museum.  With JStor’s full text searching, researching museum objects is certainly easier.  Searching within the publication by accession number, dropping the first two digits of the year, reveals numerous relevant articles.  Notable authors, such as Henry Hawley, can be tracked similarly.  As well, caption searching returns images of objects not included in the Ingalls Library Publication Index.  This latter search can be especially helpful with May Show artists, as the objects of First Prize and Special Award winners are often pictured, as in this caption search for Schreckengost.  This information is not available via the Ingalls Library’s May Show database.

While Cleveland Studies in the History of Art picks up in 1995, it is not a typical successor to the Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Rather, this annual publication produced more academic scholarship on the Museum’s collection.  Because the journal spans nine years, through 2000, accession number searches are useful in both two digit and four digit year number searches.  Though a scan of the table of contents would be equally useful.  Caption searching produces color images, suitable for presentation, as in this search for the Museums 14th Century table fountain.

Original copies of both publications will continue to be held in the Ingalls Library reference room.

Recently added to the Ingalls Library, via the continuing generosity of John C. Bonebrake, is this volume, Buckminster Fuller to Children of Earth, by noted architect, designer, and thinker, R. Buckminster Fuller, with photographs by Cam Smith.   Written in a matter of fact tone, the book juxtaposes Fuller’s folksy truisms against black and white photography.  It is at the least an historical document of early seventies environmentalism.  And while some of the writing is far less enlightening than Fuller’s seminal works, it is hard not to take some wisdom from lines like, “Nature has no weeks.  There is no Monday, Tuesday, Friday in nature.”  PS3511.U6617 B8 1972

Steadfastly modernist architect Charles Gwathmey died Monday in New York City.  He is best known in the art world as the architect responsible for the renovation and addition to the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Guggenheim Museum in 1992.  Other notable museum buildings in his portfolio include the American Museum of the Moving Image, the International Center of Photography, as well as an addition to the Fogg Museum, among numerous others.  His firm, Gwathmey Siegel also worked for numerous celebrity clients, building residences, in addition to his commercial work.  The Ingalls Library holds several volumes on his work.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing, Bonhams is offering this collection of objects related to space exploration.  With over 50 lots related to the Apollo 11 mission, this inaugural auction is certain to draw the interest of both avid and casual fans of space memorabilia.  Browsers of the catalog will be treated to everything from flight plans, ship models, module controllers, a lunar life raft, and even a painting by Astronaut Thomas Patten Stafford.  While a premium is placed on objects which spent time in space, the juxtaposition between object and estimate can be jarring, even comical.  A pocket comb for $2000?  Certainly if it parted astronaut hair in space!  The catalog for the Space Sale is available on the recent acquisitions shelf.  Catalogs of sales related to the Russian space program are also available in the Ingalls Library, from 1996 as well as 1993.

Newly acquired and residing in the contemporary galleries of the East Wing is a sculpture by artist Liza Lou.  Continuous Mile (Black) is a large coil of what appears to be rope, but when viewed closely is made entirely from black glass beads.  The hand knotted sculpture is the product of Lou’s interest in beadwork and her location; her studio is in the city of Durban, South Africa.  There she is able to draw on local Zulu men and women to assist in the creation of her intricate work.  The Ingalls Library holds several volumes on Liza Lou, as well as resources on South African and Zulu beadwork.

Known to art librarians as Lancour, after the librarian at the Cooper-Union who compiled the volume, Harold Lancour’s American Art Auction Catalogues 1785-1942 is a union list of auction sales of art objects.  Like Fritz Lugt’s Répertoire… this volume is an integral part of provenance research.  Sales are arranged by year, with entries following the manner set forth in American Book Auction Catalogues, 1713-1934, by McKay.  Any catalogue that contained 25 or more art objects is included, allowing greater coverage of early estate sales.  Following each listing, the extant copies of the aforementioned catalogue are provided.  Our copy of Lancour is annotated with a carrot mark to indicate which catalogues we maintain in our collection.  Of particular interest is the listing of auction houses, prefacing the sales.  All known addresses and relevant dates are included, providing a unique list of galleries and auction houses unavailable elsewhere.  Lancour is shelved in the library’s reference collection at Z5939.A1 L3.

Alex Ash, recent graduate of Case Western University, writes in his winning answer to the Summer of CMA’s essay contest, “I have always been fortunate enough to have the wonderful Cleveland Museum of Art right in my backyard,” continuing, “Although most of the museum was closed for my four years here, I still was lucky enough to have classes there, as well as access to the best kept art-secret for art lovers in Cleveland–Ingalls library.”  Congratulations to Alex.  Like the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Ingalls Library is free to all.  Visit us Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm.

Recently added to the Ingalls Library collection through the generous bequest of the Butkin Estate is a wonderful example of book illustration, Kate Greenaway’s Birthday Book for Children.  The book is a collection of daily verses, written by British children’s book author Mrs. Sale Barker.  With each day’s verse, Greenaway provides a delicate illustration, a woman struggling with her umbrella for a blustery January, tulips blooming in a flower pot for May.  New months feature a full page color illustration.  Interleaved within the images are lined pages for inscription or notes.  The book joins our already robust selection of Greenaway titles in the library’s rare book collection.  For those unable to view the book in person, there is a reproduction of the work available online.  But a personal viewing is invited and recommended, contact the reference desk for arrangements at 216.707.2530.  For more information on Kate Greenaway, the library’s Collection in Focus is an exceptional starting point.  Kate Greenaway’s Birthday Book for Children is available in our library catalog at NC242.G74 G74 1880.

As Art and Power in the Central African Savanna closes in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s special exhibition space,  visitors are reminded that the Ingalls Library maintains copies of every catalog for every exhibition we present.  Museum publications are available for browsing in the reference department of the Library.  This fascinating catalog is no exception, you will find it on the shelf at NB1099.C6 P48 2008.