The Menil Collection Library Gifts
The Menil Collection Library is pleased to announce the recent arrivals of three gifts of artbook collections from the following gracious donors:
1. The late David Whitney, life partner of the late Philip Johnson, independent curator, and a Menil Foundation trustee: his second marvelous gift (35 boxes) of books (first was in 1998) concentrating on United States artists of the post-World War II period. Many of the books are inscribed by the artists, to whom David was a fervent supporter—it includes my favorite “find” so far while pawing through the boxes: an Andy Warhol monograph inscribed on one page “To David with love” and on the following page “To David with hate”. Classic Warholian scampishness!
2. The late Walter Hopps, Founding Curator of The Menil Collection, legendary exhibition designer, buddy of Dennis Hopper and the Menil’s one true celebrity (remember his ad for GAP?): again, a superb collection of books on post-war American Abstract-Expressionists etc., with weird digressions like Louisiana swamp painters and (not-weird) concentrations on women Surrealists. Thanks must also go to his widow Caroline Huber for tirelessly helping me sort through his office bookshelves. Hoppalong, Walter, we miss you so much.
3. A wildly-diverse selection (my doing, naturally) from the artbook collection of the James A. Elkins, Jr. Estate. The late Mr. Elkins (it’s difficult addressing this kind spirit as anything besides “Jim”) was a long-time Menil Foundation trustee whose generosity and personality are missed in equal parts at The Menil Collection. My selections from the Estate ranged from an elephant folio of ancient Buddhist paintings from Japan; a lovely and strange Kiki Smith MoMA catalogue; to a 1964 edition of Art Treasures of the United Nations, (another signed-by-the-author item: Jacob Baal-Teshuva in this instance).
So how am I approaching the accessioning of all these lovely books? Easy decision: the first David Whitney gift (mentioned above) used up most of our existing available shelving space for post-war U.S. artists (oh, those N6537’s will be the death of me yet). So the first two present collections above go immediately to cataloging backlog (sorry to say). We’ve still got space to accommodate the ancient Japanese Buddhist paintings item, believe it or not. Anyway, I can return to the Whitney and Hopps gifts when (if) I get my requested compact/mobile bookshelves project approved, or if we do a major physical reconfiguration/shift of the entire book collection utilizing our existing shelves (volunteers, anyone?)
Phil Heagy
Chief Librarian
The Menil Collection