Carl Zigrosser (1891–1975) was an art dealer best known for founding and running the New York Weyhe Gallery in the 1920s and 1930s, and as Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art between 1940 and 1963. In the 1910s, he was active in New York's anarchist movement.

Biography

Zigrosser was born in 1891 in Indianapolis. His father, Hugo Zigrosser emigrated from

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and worked as an architect. He graduated from

Newark Academy Newark Academy is a coeducational private day school located in Livingston, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in sixth through twelfth grades. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Coll ...

in 1908 and earned a scholarship to

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, from which he graduated in 1911,

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...

. In 1915, he began writing for ''The Modern School Magazine,'' a publication concerning key issues in libertarian education, and took over as editor in 1917. He began his art career working for

Frederick Keppel Frederick Keppel (19 January 1728 – 27 December 1777) was a Church of England clergyman, Bishop of Exeter. Background Keppel was the fifth and fourth surviving son of Willem van Keppel, 2nd Earl of Albemarle and his wife Lady Anne Lenno ...

, a New York print dealer. "There he learned the art trade and met many famous collectors, literati, artists (most notably Rockwell Kent) and curators." Zigrosser founded and ran the Weyhe Gallery in 1919, which he directed until 1940, and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1939 and 1940. The Dictionary of Art Historians notes that during his years with the Weyhe Gallery, he "helped establish many American artists. . . .He published ''Six Centuries of Prints'' in 1937 as a primer on graphics collecting to educate novices in the field. The book was a monumental success and raised Zigrosser's reputation as a print authority." In 1969, he issued the catalogue raisonné of John Marin prints, ''The Complete Etchings of John Marin'', as the exhibition catalog for a show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which is still considered the best study on Marin's prints. In 1940, Zigrosser was approached by

Fiske Kimball Sidney Fiske Kimball (1888 – 1955) was an American architect, architectural historian and museum director. A pioneer in the field of architectural preservation in the United States, he played a leading part in the restoration of Monticel ...

, who sought to hire him as curator of prints at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He accepted the position and moved to

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. During his curatorship, he was made vice director of the museum in 1955, served as vice-director of the

Print Council of America The Print Council of America is an organization that seeks to "foster the creation, dissemination, and appreciation of fine prints, old and new." It is primarily a group of museum curators, but also includes university professors, conservators of ...

and vice president of the Print Club of Philadelphia. In 1961, he received an honorary degree from

Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...

. He was elected a trustee of the

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often referred to as The Guggenheim, is an art museum at 1071 Fifth Avenue on the corner of East 89th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It is the permanent home of a continuously exp ...

. During his tenure, the museum's print department grew from about 15,000 objects to more than 100,000 works of art. After retiring from the museum in 1963, he continued as Curator Emeritus at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. After his retirement Zigrosser remained active in the artworld, serving as associate of the

Whitney Museum of Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–1942), ...

and exhibition organizer for the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

Personal life

Zigrosser was married twice, first to Florence King, and second time to Laura Canadé, daughter of artist Vincent Canadé. On 26 November 1975, Zigrosser died in Montagnola, Switzerland, where he had lived for the last three years of his life.

Works

* ''Rockwellkentiana'' (1933), with

Rockwell Kent Rockwell Kent (June 21, 1882 – March 13, 1971) was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, writer, sailor, adventurer and voyager. Biography Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York. Kent was of English descent. He lived much of ...

* ''Six Centuries of Fine Prints'' (1937) * ''Kaethe Kollwitz'' (1949), introduction * ''The Expressionists: A Survey of Their Graphic Art'' (1957) * ''The Appeal of Prints'' (1970) * ''American Prints in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

: A Catalog of the Collection'', foreword (1970)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zigrosser, Carl 1891 births 1975 deaths People from New York City American art dealers Ferrer Center and Colony Columbia College (New York) alumni People from Indianapolis Newark Academy alumni People associated with the Philadelphia Museum of Art American curators