Oral history interview with Thomas M. Messer, 1994 Oct.-1995 Jan

Object Details

Place of publication, production, or execution

New York (State)

Physical Description

83 Pages, Transcript

General Note

Originally recorded on 7 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 7 hrs., 23 min. End of interview session Jan. 24, 1995 (Tape 6, side B) not recorded due to equipment malfunction.

Summary

An interview of Thomas M. Messer conducted 1994 Oct.-1995 Jan., by Andrew Decker, for the Archives of American Art, at the Americas Society, New York, N.Y.

Messer speaks about his youth in pre-World War II Czechoslavakia, his directorship of the American Federation of Arts; the Roswell Museum in Roswell, N.M.; the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston; and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. He discusses his collecting interests in connection with the development of the Guggenheim, particularly Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky; his working relationship with Harry, Peter, and Peggy Guggenheim; numerous exhibitions; and the acquisitions of several major collections. Finally, he comments on post-retirement projects, particularly at the National Gallery of Prague.

Citation

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Thomas M. Messer, 1994 Oct.-1995 Jan. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Funding

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Biography Note

Thomas M. Messer (1920- ) is a museum director in New York, N.Y.

Language Note

English .

Provenance

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Location Note

Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Data Source

Archives of American Art

Record number

(DSI-AAA_CollID)11803

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)215810

AAA_collcode_messer94

interviewee

Messer, Thomas M.

interviewer

Decker, Andrew

Subject

Kandinsky, Wassily

Klee, Paul

Guggenheim, Peggy

Guggenheim, Harry Frank, 1890-1971

American Federation of Arts

Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, Mass.)

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Národní galerie v Praze

Type

Sound recordings

Interviews

Topic

Art museum directors -- United States -- Interviews

Record ID

AAADCD_oh_215810

Usage

Usage conditions apply