The
The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and
Printed Ephemera
Henry Francis du Pont
5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur,
Delaware 19735
Telephone: 302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883
OVERVIEW OF
THE COLLECTION
Creator: Maher, James T.
Title: Research papers
Dates: circa 1960-circa 1990
Call No.: Col. 968
Acc. No.: 16x62
Quantity: 7 boxes (about 2 cubic feet)
Location: 8 H 5
BIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
Although best known as a historian of popular song,
James Thomas Maher began his career as a journalist. He worked in public relations and wrote about
American decorative arts. He contributed
to and edited Alec Wilder’s American
Popular Song. He encouraged Marshall
Stearns to found an archive of jazz, which became the Rutgers Institute of Jazz
Studies. He appeared in a documentary
about Benny Goodman and in Ken Burns’ documentary about jazz.
Maher was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 23,
1917, the son of James T. Maher (1865-1917) and Anna Marie Ryan Maher (1881-1957). (The 1910 census listed the elder Mr. Maher’s
occupation as real estate agent.) James
Maher had to drop out of university due to ill health, and became a newspaper
reporter. Eventually, he moved into
public relations, taking a break to serve in the U.S. Army during World War
II. As a public relations professional,
he wrote for his clients and did much editing work, but for himself, he also
wrote stories, a television script, a novel (The Distant Music of Summer), articles on various subjects, liner notes
for more than 200 albums (as of 1980), and other works, including The Twilight of Splendor: Chronicles of the
Age of American Palaces. (His resume
in the collection includes his plan for a work on New York City decorating
firms of the 19th century.)
James T. Maher was married and had a son. He died in New York City on July 18, 2007.
SCOPE AND
CONTENT
Research notes assembled by James T. Maher, chiefly
about American architecture and interior decoration of the 19th
century, with a focus on New York City.
This includes files on the house of Cornelius Vanderbilt, II, at 1 West
57th Street. The files
labeled “People” contain notes and newspaper clippings about individuals and
firms, mostly interior decorators, furniture firms, or architects.
ORGANIZATION
The files are in alphabetical order, but with People
files at the end.
LANGUAGE OF
MATERIALS
The materials are in English.
RESTRICTIONS
ON ACCESS
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.
PROVENANCE
Gift of Jack Gray.
[Apparently these Maher files had ended up in the possession of scholar Nina Gray (her papers: acc. 16x61).]
ACCESS POINTS
People:
Vanderbilt, Cornelius, 1843-1899
- Homes and haunts.
Topics:
Interior decoration –
History – 19th century.
Interior decoration – New York (State) – New York.
Interior decorators – 19th century.
Architecture, American – 19th century.
Research notes.
DETAILED
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Location: 8 H 5
Box 1:
Folder 1: “The
American Gobelins”: notes for study
[see
folder containing Maher’s resume for a description of this project]
Folder 2: American
homes and buildings: California, Colorado, and other states
Folder 3: American
homes and buildings: miscellaneous notes
Folder 4: American
homes and buildings: New England
Folder 5: American
homes and buildings: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio
Folders 6-8: American
homes and buildings: New York
Box 2:
Folder 1: American
homes and buildings: New York: chiefly Fifth Avenue homes
Folder 2: American
homes and buildings: Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Folder 3: The American Vignola [from International
Correspondence Schools, Scranton]
Folder 4: Americans
in Paris
Folder 5: Architecture:
miscellaneous
Folder 6: Architecture
and buildings outside the United States
Folder 7: The Art Amateur: notes
Folder 8: Bibliography
Folder 9: Boiserie
Folder 10: Collectors
and collecting; and art auctions
Folder 11: Contractors
Folder 12: Dealers,
art
Folder 13: Decoration
(including costs, styles)
Folder 14: Decorators
(including Decorative Arts Society/Society of Decorative Arts)
Folder 15: Ecole
des Beaux-Arts (Paris)
Box 3:
Folder 1: Field,
Cyrus W.
Folder 2: France:
miscellaneous notes
Folder 3: French
furniture
Folder 4: French
Second Empire style
Folder 5: Guggenheim
family
Folder 6: Hotels
Folder 7: Limestone
Folder 8: Maher,
James T.: resume [from circa late 1970s] and work log [Jan.-Mar. 1980];
The resume
summarizes Maher’s plans for “The American Gobelins,” about decorators in 19th
century New York City; it also summarizes some of his other work.
Folders 9-12: New
York décor: 19th century: chart of decorators; 1800-1850;
1850-1870;
1870-1880;
1880-1890;
1890-1900+
Folder 13: Organs
[musical instruments]
Folder 14: Painters
Folder 15: Preservation
Folder 16: Sculptors
Box 4:
Folder 1: Sources:
decoration, architecture
Folder 2: Sources:
miscellaneous
Folders 3-7: Vanderbilt,
Cornelius, II: home at 1 West 57th Street, New York City
Folder 8: Vanderbilts
and the decorative arts: notes for a study
Folder 9: People:
A-Bos:
Alma-Tadema;
Angeli Bros.; Avery; Bagues freres; Barbedienne; Batterson, See & Eiselle;
Baudouine; Baudry; Baumgarten; Belter; Bitter; Bodart; Bosworth
Box 5:
Folder 1: People:
Bouché
Folder 2: People:
Boudoni-C:
Boudoni;
Marcel Boulanger; Bouwens vand der Boijen; Bureau; Burkhard; Byron; Cabus;
Carlhian; Carrere & Hastings; Chalfin; Charles [Duveen]; Cheney; Codman;
Coleman/Colman; Cottier; Allyn Cox; Kenyon Cox; Crawford; Cuel
Folder 3: People: Da-Duc:
Dalva Bros.;
Dasson; De Forest; De Forest (Cleveland & Co.); Deskey; Hector D’Espouy; De
Wolfe; Duchene
Folder 4: People: Duveen
Folder 5: People: E-Gal:
Ellin,
Kitson; Fauchere; Ficken & Smith; Fourdinois; French & Co., Furness;
Galland
Folder 6: People:
Gay-Gre:
Gay;
Gilbert; Gottscho; Glaenzer; Jacques Greber & Achille Duchene
Folder 7: People:
Gue-Heb:
Guerin;
Harney; Harriet & Henry; Hastings; Havard; Hebert
Folder 8: People:
Herter Brothers. [ continues in next box]
Box 6:
Folders 1-3: People:
Herter Brothers [continued from previous box]
Folder 4: People:
Herts-Hu
Herts
Bros.; Hess; Hoffman; Hofstatter; Huet; R.M. Hunt; Hutchings
Folder 5: People:
J-Mam:
Jansen; C.M.
Jenckes; Kimbel/Bembe & Kimbel; E.E. Kimbro; La Farge; Lamb; Lami;
Lannuier; Lathrop; Le Brun; L’Hommedien [i.e. L’Hommedieu?]; Lienau; Luce;
Mammelsdorff
Folder 6: People: Marcotte
Folder 7: People: Marq-Post:
Marquand
& Co.; Maugham; McKim, Mead & White [see also White]; McMillen; C-F
Mewes; Mowbray; Oudinot; Palladio; Pasquali & Aeschlimann; G.W. Phillips;
Phyfe; C.A. Platt; G. Platt; Post
Folder 8: People: Pott-Ru:
Pottier
& Stymus; Praz; H.H. Richardson; Rinquet; Rochefort; Roudillon; Roux;
Ruhlmann
Box 7:
Folder 1: People:
S:
Saint-Gaudens;
Samuel; Sanson; Scalmandre; Schastey; W. & J. Sloane; Franklin Smith;
Snook; F.M. Spandau; Mrs. H.N. Straus; Sypher
Folder 2: People: T-We:
Thiebaud
freres; Tiffany; Tillinghast; Trumbauer; Urban; Vaux; Vernay; Warren; Webb
Folder 3: People: Wh-Z:
Wheeler; S.
White [see also McKim, Mead & White]; White Allom Ltd.; Williams; Wren;
Yandell; Yellin; Ziegler