My proposed project is introspective in that it begins with the materials in my institution’s collection. However, I enjoy thinking of this project reaching the point where it could be expanded to include corresponding information from other institutions that were collecting related works, collecting from the same dealers/galleries/artists, and that have records of installation for 1920s-1940s.

As for outside resources that could provide some context or additional information, these are ones I would use:

MOMA Archives: There is a lot of relevant information in the institutional archives here. The Exhibition Files Checklist is a growing resource and the upcoming information going back to 1929 would make for a good comparison to my museum’s exhibition history. (Though I am interested in permanent collection installation rather than special exhibitions.) MOMA also contributed installation photographs to Artstor, some of which date back to 1929.

Archives of American Art: A portion of our founder’s correspondence is in the collection of AAA, so naturally that would be useful to consult, either originals or the microfilm collection we have in-house. Also, AAA has digitized a large number of their collections which include not only artists, but also galleries, many of whom did business with our founder. There is a lot to draw from there.

Frick’s Archives Directory for the History of Collecting: This resource provides an index of archives of art collectors, dealers, and gallerists in America found in collections around the country. For example, the record for Katherine Dreier lists 21 collections in 10 repositories that include material related to her as a collector.

Source: Identifying Resources