PHILIP EVERGOOD
Autograph Letter SIGNED, 2 pp on one 4to sheet of printed personalized stationery, Bridgewater, CT., Oct. 27, 1965.
Philip Evergood writes to Sidney Hill regarding, among other things, Sidney’s catalogue of his Charles Dana Gibson show. Sidney Hill was co-owner. at the time, with his brother, Henry, of Berry-Hill Galleries in New York. Henry and Sidney moved from London to New York during World War II and established Berry-Hill Galleries. While they were scholars of and dealers in antiquities and gold boxes, they became known in America for dealing in American art. Berry-Hill had an exhibition from October 1 – November 15, 1965 of “Charles Dana Gibson, 1867-1944: Creator of the ‘Gibson Girl’,” an exhibition of over 100 original Gibson black and white drawings from the artist’s collection. Evergood says that he is a “great admirer of Gibson for in his smooth way he is a social satirist of great stature like George Grosz was in a savage way.” Evergood says that he is not sure he will get to see the exhibition because of “my wife’s broken arm” and “some of my own problems which include great pressures of work….” Evergood was with Dintenfass Gallery in 1963 and left them to join Ziunta Gerst’s Gallery 63 in New York. He exhibited at Gallery 63 and in Rome at their La Galleria 63 during 1963 and 1964. But in 1965 “Gallery 63 suddenly closed without warning” as he tells Sidney in this letter. So, as he also tells Sidney, it was in 1965 that he then went to Hammer Galleries, owned by Victor Hammer. Evergood must have been preparing at this time for what would be his first one-man show with Hammer Galleries which occurred in 1967. He didn’t stay long there, however, as, according to details in “Philip Evergood: Never Separate from the Heart,” by Kendall Taylor (page 20), in 1970 he left Hammer for Kennedy Galleries. Evergood reminds Sidney that since he was only interested in his work on an exhibition basis, he had to go elsewhere to “seek a permanent anchor,” saying that he had “recently… joined the Hammer Galleries.” He then speaks highly of owner Victor Hammer who “has great plans to how my work abroad.” While in the 1930s, the Hammer Galleries were the first in the west to exhibit the Faberge eggs, by the 1960s they were focused on 19th and 20th century European and American Masters. In a side note, after the P.S., Evergood asks his correspondent if he has “seen the Kahns lately.” This reference is most likely to Mr. & Mrs. Harry Kahn (1916-1999) who the Frick Collection “Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America” lists as an art collector, an investment advisor and a philanthropist who served on the board of the Brooklyn Museum until 1997 and founder of its Contemporary Arts Council. An informative letter showing the working life of the artist, moving from gallery to gallery, preparing for exhibitions, and commenting on other artists. Signed “Phil Evergood” and again with initials in the P.S.
Item #4117
Price: $625.00