Evan H. Turner Records, 1964-1978
PRÉSENTATION DU CONTENU
The Evan H. Turner Records document Turner's tenure as Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA). From 1964 to 1978, Turner led the Museum through a series of striking changes, including controversial exhibitions, the creation of new museum departments, and the long term closing of the museum for renovation. A mix of correspondence, inter-office memoranda, reports, minutes and other records document Turner's contributions to these endeavors, as well as his supervisory role in exhibition and event planning, and the daily operations of the museum. The collection also documents Turner's work with a number of professional organizations, his efforts to help the city of Philadelphia to plan the Bicentennial celebrations, and his professorship at the University of Pennsylvania.
The collection is divided into four series: "Official correspondence and subject files" "Special projects" "Professional affiliations" and "Unofficial subject files and correspondence."
Please see series level notes and folder lists for more information.
NOTE BIOGRAPHIQUE ET HISTORIQUE
Evan H. Turner was an art historian, scholar, and Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) from 1964 to 1978. He led the Museum during a period of significant growth and transformation. He created new art departments for American and 20th Century Art, and the innovative Department of Urban Outreach (DUO) to promote art across the city of Philadelphia. These progressive activities were matched by a groundbreaking exhibition in 1973, the Marcel Duchamp retrospective, which drew upon significant scholarship and assembled virtually the entire oeuvre of one of the most important artists represented in the Museum. In 1975, Turner led the museum in a major construction project to install a new climate control system in the building, and in 1976, he helped plan the United States' Bicentennial and the PMA's Centennial celebrations.
Turner was born in 1927 in Orono, Maine. He attended Harvard University, where he received his BA (1949), MA (1950) and PhD (1954) in art history. From 1950 to 1951, he managed the Fogg Museum's docent program, and from 1951 to 1952, completed a Harvard teaching fellowship. From 1953 to 1956, Turner worked as a lecturer and research assistant at the Frick Collection in New York City. He was appointed general curator at the Wadsworth Athenaeum in 1955, where he remained until 1959, when he was hired as the Director of the Montreal Museum of Art. He stayed there until 1964, when he was brought on as director of the PMA.
Turner's tenure at the PMA was very productive. He established departments in 20th century and American Art, and the Alfred Stieglitz Center for Photography. Under his leadership, yearly donations to the museum increased to $500,000 and membership grew to 18,000. Turner was also committed to expanding the museum's patronage. To this end, he created the Department of Urban Outreach (DUO). The DUO brought art into the neighborhoods, especially through its mural painting program, and from 1971 to 1977, two affiliated institutions were coordinated by DUO, the Fleisher Art Memorial in South Philadelphia and the Thomas Eakins House in the Fairmount neighborhood.
In 1975, Turner embarked on a major city construction project to install climate control throughout the museum's main building. This project required removal of works of art from galleries and temporarily closing the museum to the public. After the project's completion, Turner led the museum in a series of events to celebrate the country's Bicentennial and the museum's Centennial, including a reception in honor of HRH Queen Elizabeth of England and the landmark exhibition, "Three Centuries of American Art."
1977 saw the arrival by bequest of the Carl Otto von Kienbusch Collection, one of the finest arms and armor collections in the United States. That year, unexpectedly, Turner tendered his resignation, stating in his letter of resignation, "I have come to feel increasingly that there are very real advantages to change in the direction of a distinguished art museum such as ours… I am proud to have had a part in the Museum's preparations for its Centennial celebrations, but it is proper that someone else should undertake the challenges of the directorship and bring different energies to bear as the museum faces its second century."
From Philadelphia, Turner went on to be director of North Carolina's Ackland Art Museum, and from 1982 to 1993, he was the Director of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Turner was a leader nationally in the world of art museums. Throughout his career, he held various leadership roles within several professional and arts and culture organizations including, Federal Council on the Arts, Center for Museum Education, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Association of Art Museum Directors, American Association of Museums, American Federation of Arts, and International Advisory Committee on Fine Arts. While in Philadelphia, he was affiliated with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Fairmount Park Art Association, Old Philadelphia Development Corporation, Philadelphia 1976 Bicentennial Corporation, and the Institute of Contemporary Art. He also taught at the University of Pennsylvania.
INFORMATIONS ADMINISTRATIVES
- Organisme
- Philadelphia Museum of Art, Library and Archives
- Mention préférée
- [Item identification and date], [Series info.], Evan H. Turner records, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Library and Archives.
- Dates extrêmes
- 1964-1978
- Informations sur l'acquisition
- Transferred from the Director's Office.
ACCÈS
- Conditions d'accès
- This collection is open for research use.
- Conditions d'utilisation et de reproduction
- The Evan Turner Records are the physical property of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Archives. The Museum holds literary rights only for material created by Museum personnel or given to the Museum with such rights specifically assigned. For all other material, literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for obtaining permission from rights holders for publication and for other purposes where stated.
- Cotes extremes
- TUR
- Importance matérielle
- 146 linear feet
"Du-Dz"1965-1970
Correspondence from Marcel Duchamp to Evan H. Turner1967 January 29
Duchamp, Marcel1970
Correspondence from Alexina Duchamp to Pierre Schneider1970 January 10
Correspondence from Alyce Nash to Evan H. Turner1969 November 24
Correspondence from Anne d'Harnoncourt to Evan H. Turner1970 February 10
Correspondence from Arturo Schwarz to Evan H. Turner1970 September 28
Correspondence from Arturo Schwarz to Evan H. Turner1970 September 1
Correspondence from Barnet Hodes to Evan H. Turner1970 April 17
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Arturo Schwarz1970 September 11
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Daniel Lynch1970 August 6
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Donald Mason1970 August 6
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to James Trower1970 August 6
Correspondence from Gertrude Toomey to John Margraff1970 February 20
Correspondence from John L. Tancock to Arturo Schwarz1970 September 14
Correspondence from Melanie Yulman to Alexina Duchamp1970 November 19
Correspondence from Melanie Yulman to Alexina Duchamp1970 August 10
Correspondence from MGK to Evan H. Turner1970 October 19
Correspondence from Thomas M. Messer to Evan H. Turner1970 September 11
Memorandum from Carol Griffith1970 February 23
Note from Evan H. Turnercirca 1970
Note from Gertrude Toomey to Evan H. Turner1970 July 30
Telegram from Alexina Duchamp to Evan H. Turner1970 July 29
Art in America. "Marcel Duchamp 1887-1968: The Great Spectator"1969 July-August
Art in America. "The New Piece"1969 July-August
Correspondence from Alexina Duchamp to Evan H. Turner1969 November 11
Correspondence from Alexina Duchamp to Evan H. Turner1969 October 24
Correspondence from Alexina Duchamp to Evan H. Turner1969 February 25
Correspondence from Barnet Hodes to Evan H. Turner1969 April 28
Correspondence from Barnet Hodes to Evan H. Turner1969 February 26
Correspondence from Barnet Hodes to Evan H. Turner1969 February 10
Correspondence from Barnet Hodes to Evan H. Turner1969 February 3
Correspondence from Cleve Gray to Evan H. Turner1969 February 15
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Alexina Duchamp1969 October 1
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Alexina Duchamp1969 February 28
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Alexina Duchamp1969 February 20
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Alexina Duchamp1969 January 28
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Alexina Duchamp1969 January 20
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Arturo Schwarz1969 March 24
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Barnet Hodes1969 August 1
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Barnet Hodes1969 March 11
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Barnet Hodes1969 February 6
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Cleve Gray1969 February 11
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to George Cheston1969 January 28
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Huntington T. Block1969 February 20
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Paul Matisse1969 February 20
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Walter Hopps1969 March 24
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to William N. Copley1969 February 5
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to William N. Copley1969 January 28
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to William N. Copley1969 January 20
Correspondence from Huntington T. Block to Evan H. Turner1969 February 24
Correspondence from Maria Martins to Evan H. Turner1969 April 15
Correspondence from Mary G. Kane to Alexina Duchamp1969 October 3
Correspondence from Mary G. Kane to Alexina Duchamp1969 October 3
Correspondence from Paul Matisse to Alexina Duchamp1968 December 11
Correspondence from Paul Matisse to Anne d'Harnoncourt1969 February 6
Correspondence from Paul Matisse to Theodore Siegl1969 January 6
Correspondence from William N. Copley to Evan H. Turner1969 January 30
Draft telegram from Evan H. Turner to Peter Graham Harnden1969 January 28
Memorandum from Anne d'Harnoncourt1969 October 8
Memorandum from Anne d'Harnoncourt to Evan H. Turner1969 April 14
Memorandum from Anne d'Harnoncourt to Evan H. Turner1969 March 25
Memorandum from Evan H. Turner1969 March 7
Memorandum from Evan H. Turner to George Howard1969 February 26
Note about museum shopcirca 1969
Note from Anne d'Harnoncourt to Evan H. Turner1969 June 24
Note from Anne d'Harnoncourt to Evan H. Turner1969 March 25
Note from Carol to Miss de Miege1969 June 24
Note from Evan H. Turner1969 June 19
Note from Evan H. Turner1969 June 18
Note from Evan H. Turner1969 May 15
Note from Evan H. Turner1969 April 15
Note from Gertrude Toomey to Evan H. Turner1969 February 6
Note from M. K. about photographs for Cleve Gray1969 February 14
Note from M. K. to Evan H. Turner1969 February 24
Telegram from Evan H. Turner to Peter Graham Harnden1969 January 28
Museums of France1965-1970
Correspondence from Bernard Dorival to Evan H. Turner1966 November 8
Correspondence from Bernard Dorival to Evan H. Turner1966 December 12
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Bernard Dorival1967 January 10
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Bernard Dorival1967 February 2
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Jean Chatelain1967 February 2
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Olga Popovitch1967 January 10
Correspondence from Evan H. Turner to Olga Popovitch1967 February 2
Correspondence from Olga Popovitch to Evan H. Turner1966 November 7
Correspondence from Olga Popovitch to Evan H. Turner1967 January 16
Correspondence from Olga Popovitch to Evan H. Turner1967 February 28