Helen Clay Frick Research Files on Italian Art

This collection contains documents produced by Helen Clay Frick and the Frick Art Reference Library staff circa 1920-1933 during their research on Italian sculpture and painting, with the bulk of the documents in the collection dating from 1925-1933. The files contain typed and handwritten research notes, black and white photographs, printed material, some correspondence, and extensive artist bibliographies. The primary purpose of Miss Frick's research was to annotate photographic reproductions of artworks for the Library's photograph collection, now known as the Photoarchive. The documents in this collection are both preliminary and completed research notes for these annotations. The photographs in this collection are mainly duplicates of those in the Photoarchive, though some are described by Miss Frick or other Library researchers as unidentified.

Miss Frick's research notes follow the structure of the Frick Art Reference Library Photoarchive annotations, listing underneath a mounted reproduction of each painting or sculpture the title of work, name of artist, location of work, approximate date, known reproductions, owner, description, and bibliographic information.

In addition to research notes for the Photoarchive, there is also extensive bibliographic information for several Italian sculptors and painters. The majority of the bibliographic references were published circa 1923-1927 in periodicals such as The Burlington Magazine.

The collection also includes Miss Frick's notes and brief correspondence with librarians at the Frick Art Reference Library and other brief correspondence related to the purchase of photographic reproductions from well-known early 20th century photographic firms such as Alinari.