TABLE OF CONTENTS
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Genealogical and biographical data 1880-1930, n.d.
Series 2: Correspondence 1860s-1902
Series 4: Writings and Notes n.d.
Series 5: Art Inventories, 1901-1921, n.d.
Series 7: Exhibition loan files
Series 8: Biblical manuscript files
Series 9: American School of Archaeology in China file
Series 11: Gift and bequest to Smithsonian Institution
Charles Lang Freer
A Finding Aid to His Papers at the Freer Gallery of Art and
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
- Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
- Smithsonian Institution
- Washington, D.C. 20560
- Tel: 202-633-0533
- Email: AVRreference@asia.si.edu
Contact Information
Collection Summary | ||
| Creator: | Charles Lang Freer | |
| Title: | Charles Lang Freer Papers | |
| Dates: | 1876-1931 | |
| Quantity: | 145 linear feet | |
| Abstract: | The personal papers of Charles Lang Freer, the industrialist and art collector who founded the Freer Gallery of Art. The papers include correspondence, diaries, art inventories, scrapbooks of clippings on James McNeil Whistler and other press clippings, and photographs. | |
| Identification: | A.1 | |
Biographical Information
| 1854 February 25 | Born in Kingston, New York | |
| 1873 | Appointed accountant and paymaster of New York, Kingston and Syracuse Railroad by Frank J. Hecker (1846-1927) | |
| 1876 | Moves to Indiana to work, with Hecker, for the Detroit and Eel River and Illinois Railroad | |
| 1880 | Moves to Detroit, participates in organization of the Peninsular Car Works with Hecker | |
| 1883 | Becomes vice president and secretary of Peninsular Car Company when it succeeds Peninsular Car Works | |
| Begins collecting European prints | ||
| 1884 | Peninsular Car Company constructs plant on Ferry Avenue | |
| 1887 | Meets Howard Mansfield (1849-1938) | |
| Acquires proofs of 26 etchings, Venice, Second Series (1886), by James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) | ||
| Purchases a small Japanese fan attributed to Ogata Kōrin (1658-1715) | ||
| Buys land on Ferry Avenue | ||
| 1889 | Meets Frederick Stuart Church (1826-1900) and Dwight William Tryon (1849-1925) in New York | |
| 1890 | Commissions Wilson Eyre (1858-1944) to design house on Ferry Avenue, Detroit, Michigan | |
| On first trip to London, meets James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) | ||
| 1892 | Moves to Ferry Avenue house | |
| Tryon and Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851-1938) undertake decoration of reception rooms | ||
| 1893 | Lends American paintings to World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago | |
| Purchases first piece of Chinese art, a small painting of white herons by an anonymous Ming dynasty (1368-1644) artist | ||
| 1894 | Begins yearlong trip around the world, which includes visit to the Whistlers in Paris and first trip to Asia, stopping in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India, China, and Japan | |
| 1896 | Meets Matsuki Bunkyō (1867-1940) in Boston | |
| 1899 | Takes part in consolidation of railroad-car building companies then retires from active business | |
| 1900 | Attends Exposition International Universelle in Paris | |
| Buys villa in Capri with Thomas S. Jerome | ||
| 1901 | Meets Siegfried Bing (1838-1905) in Paris and Ernest Fenollosa (1853-1908), who visits Freer in Detroit | |
| 1902 | Meets Dikran Kelekian (1868-1951) | |
| Spends summer in Britain building Whistler collection | ||
| Views Whistler's, Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room | ||
| 1904 | Purchases Whistler's Peacock Room | |
| Offers his art collections and funds to build a museum in which to house them to the Smithsonian Institution | ||
| 1905 | Smithsonian committee visits Freer in Detroit | |
| 1906 | United States government formally accepts Freer's gift on January 24 | |
| Freer signs Deed of Gift to Smithsonian Institution on May 5 | ||
| 1907 | On second tour of Asia, meets Hara Tomitarō 1868-1939) in Yokohama, Japan | |
| 1908 | Takes third trip to Asia, specifically to West Asia to study Rakka ware | |
| 1909 | Tours Europe to study art museums | |
| On fourth trip to Asia, attends memorial ceremony for Fenollosa (d.1908 Sept.) at Miidera, Japan, and meets Duanfang (1861-1911) in China | ||
| 1910 | On last trip to Asia, visits Longmen Buddhist caves in China | |
| 1911 | Suffers stroke | |
| 1912 | Lends selection of objects for exhibition at Smithsonian Institution | |
| 1913 | Meets Eugene (1875-1957) and Agnes E. (1887-1970) Meyer | |
| Commissions Charles Adams Platt (1861-1933) to design museum building in Washington | ||
| 1914 | Meets Katharine Nash Rhoades (1885-1965) in Detroit | |
| 1915 | Settles in New York City | |
| Site of future Freer Gallery of Art is determined | ||
| 1916 | Platt's plans for Freer Gallery are approved by Smithsonian Regents and Commission of Fine Arts and ground is broken in September | |
| 1918 | After falling ill in Detroit, Freer travels to New York for treatment | |
| Work on the museum building is delayed by the war | ||
| 1919 | Freer appends codicil to will permitting acquisitions of Asian, Egyptian, and Near Eastern (West Asian) art | |
| Dies in New York City on 25 September and is buried in Kingston, New York | ||
| Construction of Freer Gallery completed | ||
| 1920 | John Ellerton Lodge (1876-1942) is appointed director of the Freer Gallery | |
| 1923 | Freer Gallery opens to the public on May 9 | |
| 1930 | Memorial ceremony for Freer is held at Kōetsu Temple, Kyoto |
Return to the Table of Contents
Scope and Content Note
The personal papers of Charles Lang Freer, the industrialist and art collector who founded the Freer Gallery of Art. The papers include correspondence, diaries, art inventories, financial materials, scrapbooks of clippings on James McNeil Whistler and other press clippings, architectural drawings, stone rubbings, artifacts, files regarding the Biblical manuscripts, and photographs.
Return to the Table of Contents
Organization of the Papers
This collection is organized into sixteen series.
Series 1: Genealogical and biographical data
Series 2: Correspondence
— Subseries 2.1: Charles Lang Freer correspondence
— Subseries 2.2: Charles Lang Freer letterpress books
— Subseries 2.3: James McNeil Whistler correspondence
— Subseries 2.4: Beatrix Godwin Whistler correspondence
— Subseries 2.5: Richard Albert Canfield correspondence
— Subseries 2.6: Katharine Nash Rhoades correspondence
Series 3: Diaries
— Subseries 3.1: Charles Lang Freer diaries
— Subseries 3.2: Joseph Stephens Warring Diary
Series 4: Writings and notes
Series 5: Art inventories
Series 6: Financial materials
— Subseries 6.1: Railroad manufacturing business records
— Subseries 6.2: Detroit Ferry Avenue house
— Subseries 6.3: Yearly financial reports
— Subseries 6.4: Personal accounts and stock holdings
— Subseries 6.5: Vouchers
— Subseries 6.6: Banking records
— Subseries 6.7: Cashbooks
Series 7: Exhibition loan files
Series 8: Biblical manuscript files
Series 9: American School of Archaeology in China file
Series 10: Printed material
— Subseries 10.1: Whistler scrapbooks
— Subseries 10.2: Press cuttings books
— Subseries 10.3: Newspaper clippings
— Subseries 10.4: Exhibition announcements
Series 11: Gift and bequest to the Smithsonian Institution
Series 12: Photographs
Series 13: Reproductions
Series 14: Architectural drawings
Series 15: Rubbings
— Subseries 15.1: Freer memorial stone in Kyoto, Japan
— Subseries 15.2: Fenellosa memorial stone in Kyoto, Japan
Series 16: Artifacts
— Subseries 16.1: Death mask
— Subseries 16.2: Memorial plaque
Return to the Table of Contents
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Access is by appointment only, Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please contact the Archives to make an appointment.
Restrictions on Use
Due to the fragility of the letterpress books, access is limited. Researchers are asked to view the microfilm version of the letterpress books. There are no other restrictions on the use of this collection.
Return to the Table of Contents
Selected Search Terms | ||
| Names: | ||
| Bacher, Otto H. (Otto Henry), 1856-1909 | ||
| Berenson, Bernard, | ||
| Whistler, James McNeill, 1834-1903 | ||
| Organizations: | ||
| Freer Gallery of Art | ||
| Smithsonian Institution | ||
| Subjects: | ||
| Art – Collectors and collecting | ||
| Art, American – Collectors and collecting | ||
| Art, Asian – Collectors and collecting | ||
| Document Types: | ||
| Business records | ||
| Correspondence | ||
| Diaries | ||
| Financial records | ||
| Inventories | ||
| Notes | ||
| Photographs | ||
| Rubbings | ||
Return to the Table of Contents
Administrative Information
Alternate Format
The Archives of American Art microfilmed portions of the Freer papers in 1992. The microfilm is available at the Archives of American Art's Washington D.C. office, the Freer Gallery of Art Library, and through interlibrary loan.
Preferred Citation
Charles Lang Freer Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of the Estate of Charles Lang Freer .
Processing Information
This collection is not fully processed. Partial processing by archivist Colleen Hennessey.
Provenance
Gift of the Estate of Charles Lang Freer.
Return to the Table of Contents
Bibliography
The following publications reference and shed light on items in the Freer papers.
Brunk, T.W. (1997). Annotated Charles L. Freer ceramic records inventory. Thesis (Ph. D.). Cincinnati, Ohio: Union Institute, the Graduate School.
Lawton, T. & Merrill, L. (1993). Freer: A legacy of art. Washington, D.C.: Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution with New York: H.N. Abrams.
Merrill, L. (ed.). (1995). With kindest regards: The correspondence of Charles Lang Freer and James McNeill Whistler 1890-1903. Washington, D.C.: Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution in association with Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
Return to the Table of Contents
Index | ||
| Index to cross-referenced correspondents in the series, Charles Lang Freer correspondence | ||
| Beal, Junius E. See: Warring, Joseph Stephens | ||
| Black, George M. See: Saint-Gaudens, Augustus | ||
| Board of Education (Kingston, New York) See: Michael, M. J. | ||
| Bonner, Campbell See: University of Michigan | ||
| Boughton, George H. See: Yardley, F. C. | ||
| British Museum See: Binyon, Laurence; Hobson, R. L. | ||
| Brown, Harold H. See: Art Association of Indianapolis | ||
| Buchner, Evelyn B. See: Knoedler, M., and Company | ||
| Buckholder, C. H. See: Art Institute of Chicago | ||
| Butler, S. B. See: Unidentified correspondents | ||
| Carnegie Institute See: Balken, Edward Duff; Harshe, Robert B. | ||
| Carpenter, Newton H. See: Art Institute of Chicago | ||
| Caulkins, Horace James See: Pewabic Pottery | ||
| Chao, Shih-chin See: Gunn, Chu Su | ||
| Chicago & North Western Railway Co. See: Hughett, Marvin | ||
| Clark, Charles Upson See: Clark, Arthur B. | ||
| Cleveland Museum of Art See: Whiting, Frederic Allen | ||
| Columbia University See: Braun, W. A.; Gottheil, Richard; Hirth, Friederich | ||
| Commission of Fine Arts See: Moore, Charles | ||
| Corcoran Gallery of Art See: Minnigerode, C. Powell | ||
| Crocker, Anna B. See: Portland Art Association | ||
| Dannenberg, D. E. See: Karlbeck, Orvar | ||
| De Menoncal, Beatrice See: Lien, Hui Ch'ing Collection | ||
| De Ricci, Seymour See: Ricci, Seymour de | ||
| Defnet, William A., Mrs., See: Franke, Ida M. | ||
| DeMotte See: Vigouroux, J. | ||
| Detroit Institute of Arts See: Detroit Museum of Art | ||
| Detroit Publishing Company See: Livingstone, W. A. | ||
| Detroit School of Design See: George Hamilton; Stevens, Henry | ||
| DeVinne Press See: Peters, Samuel T.; Witherspoon, A. S. | ||
| Dyrenforth, P. C. See: Philip, Rosalind Birnie | ||
| Eddy, Arthur J. See: Philip, Rosalind Birnie | ||
| Eggers, George Williams See: Art Institute of Chicago | ||
| Farr, Daniel H. See: Robinson and Farr | ||
| Farrand School (Detroit) See: Yendall, Edith | ||
| Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago) See: Laufer, Berthold | ||
| Flagg, Frederick J. See: Allen, Horace N. | ||
| Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University See: Forbes, Edward; Pope, Arthur Upham; Sachs, Paul J. | ||
| French, M. R. See: Art Institute of Chicago | ||
| Fu, Lan-ya See: Pang, Lai-ch'en | ||
| Fujii, Yoshio See: Yoshio, Fujii | ||
| Gerrity, Thomas See: Knoedler, M., and Company | ||
| Goupil Gallery See: Marchant, William | ||
| Gray, William J. See: Barr, Eva | ||
| Great Lakes Engineering Works See: Hoyt, H. W. | ||
| Grolier Club See: Philip, Rosalind Birnie | ||
| Heinemann, W. See: Philip, Rosalind Birnie | ||
| Holden, Edward S. See: West Point, U. S. Military Academy | ||
| Hudson, J. L. See: Weber, William C. | ||
| Hutchins, Charles L. See: Art Institute of Chicago | ||
| Hutchins, Harry B. See: University of Michigan | ||
| Kelekian, H. G. See: Kelekian, Dikran G. | ||
| Kelsey, Francis W. See: Warner, Langdon | ||
| Kent, H. W. See: Metropolitan Museum of Art | ||
| Lee, Kee Son See: Li, Chi-ch'un | ||
| Levy, John See: Schneider, A. K. | ||
| Library of Congress See: Rice, Richard A.; Wright, Helen | ||
| Louvre (Paris, France) See: Midgeon, Gaston | ||
| Matsuki, Z. See: Matsuki, Kihachirō | ||
| McKim, Mead and White See: White, Stanford | ||
| Mills, A. L., Colonel See: Saint-Gaudens, Augustus | ||
| Miner, Luella See: Lien, Hui Ch'ing Collection | ||
| Minneapolis Institute of Arts See: Breck, Joseph; Van Derlip, John R. | ||
| Monif, R. Khan See: Rathbun, Richard | ||
| Museum of Fine Arts, Boston See: Lodge, John Ellerton | ||
| Naser, Katen & Nahass See: Katen, K. | ||
| Nordlinger, Marie, Miss See: Meyer-Riefstahl, Marie | ||
| Panama Pacific International Exposition See: Moore, Charles C.; Trask, John E. D. | ||
| Peabody Museum See: Morse, Edward Sylvester | ||
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts See: Trask, John E. D. | ||
| Perry, Mary Chase, Miss., See: Pewabic Pottery | ||
| Philip, Ronald M. See: Philip, Rosalind Birnie | ||
| Pope, G. D. See: Barr, Eva | ||
| Reinhart, A. G. See: Gottschalk, E. | ||
| Reitz, Sigisbert Chrétien Bosch See: Bosch-Reitz, Sigisbert Chrétien | ||
| Rutgers College See: Van Dyke, John C. | ||
| Saint-Gaudens, Augusta H. See: Saint-Gaudens, Augustus | ||
| Saint-Gaudens, Homer See: Saint-Gaudens, Augustus | ||
| Samurai Shokai See: Nomura, Yōzō | ||
| San Francisco Art Association See: Laurvik, J. Nilsen | ||
| Scribner's, Charles, Sons See: Van Dyke, John C. | ||
| Shaw, Wilfred B. See: University of Michigan | ||
| Shirae, S. Z. See: Yamanaka and Company | ||
| Smith College See: Clark, Arthur B. | ||
| Smithsonian Institution See: Holmes, William Henry; Rathbun, Richard; Ravenel, William deC.; Walcott, Charles D. | ||
| Société des Beaux-Arts See: Reid, Alexander | ||
| Society of Arts and Crafts (Detroit) See: Plumb, Helen | ||
| Stevens, George W. See: Toledo Museum of Art | ||
| Stratton, Mary Chase Perry See: Pewabic Pottery | ||
| Tanaka, Kichijiro See: Yamanaka and Company | ||
| Tuttle, William F. See: Art Institute of Chicago | ||
| Union Trust Company (Detroit) See: Philip, Rosalind Birnie | ||
| United States Military Academy See: West Point, U. S. Military Academy | ||
| University of Chicago See: Zug, George Breed | ||
| University of Pennsylvania, Univ. Mus. See: Gordon, George Bryon | ||
| Ushikubō, D. J. R. See: Yamanaka and Company | ||
| Wallis & Son See: Barr, Eva; Thompson, C. Croal Ward, Clarence See: Oberlin College | ||
| Warren, Edward K. See: Philip, Rosalind Birnie | ||
| Warring, Stephen See: Warring, Joseph Stephens | ||
| Watkin, Williams R. T. See: Philip, Rosalind Birnie | ||
| Watson, Margaret, Miss See: Parker, Margaret Watson | ||
| Whistler, Anna See: Stanton, Anna Whistler | ||
| Whiting, Almon C. See: Toledo Museum of Art | ||
| Williams College See: Rice, Richard A | ||
| Wright, F. G. See: Orbach and Company | ||
| Yatsuhashi, H. See: Yamanaka and Company | ||
Return to the Table of Contents
| Index to cross-referenced correspondence in the series, Whistler correspondence | ||
| [Vanderbilt?], George, Mrs. See: George, Mrs. | ||
| Bell, William See: Unidentified correspondents | ||
| Brown, Ernest See: Painter Etchers' Society, Committee | ||
| Cowen, John T. See subseries: Charles Lang Freer Correspondence | ||
| Ford, Sheridan See: Reid, Alexander | ||
| Haden, Francis Seymour See: Painter Etchers' Society, Committee | ||
| Haden, Francis Seymour, Lady See: Haden, Deborah Whistler | ||
| Leighton, Frederick, Baron See: Campbell, Lady Colin | ||
| Moore, Albert See: Reid, Alexander | ||
| Morley, Charles See: Pall Mall Gazette | ||
| Morris, Harrison S. See: Reid, Alexander | ||
| Pennell, Joseph See: Miscellaneous typescripts | ||
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts See: Reid, Alexander | ||
| Prange, F. G. See: Reid, Alexander | ||
| Société des Beaux-Arts See: Reid, Alexander | ||
| Society of Portrait Painters See: Reid, Alexander | ||
| Stevens Fine Art See: Reid, Alexander | ||
| Studd, Arthur See: Miscellaneous typescripts | ||
| Whistler Memorial Committee See: Miscellaneous typescripts | ||
| Whistler, William McNeill, Mrs. See: Whistler, Nellie | ||
Return to the Table of Contents
| Index to cross-referenced correspondence in the series, Richard Albert Canfield correspondence | ||
| Albright[-Knox] Art Gallery See: Kurz, Charles M.; Sage, Cornelia Bentley | ||
| Linde, Max See: Grier, J. | ||
| Oppenheimer, Joseph See: Grier, J. | ||
| Pennell, Joseph See: Sage, Cornelia Bentley | ||
Return to the Table of Contents
| Index to cross-referenced correspondence in the series, Katharine Nash Rhoades correspondence | ||
| Franke, Ida M. See: Defnet, Mrs. William A. | ||
| Watson, Margaret, Miss See: Parker, Margaret Watson | ||
Return to the Table of Contents