Ann Baumann Trust Collection of Gustave Baumann Materials
Collection
Identifier: AC 523
Scope and Content
This collection contains the records of the Ann Baumann Trust, which was created by Ann Baumann, daughter of New Mexico artist Gustave Baumann, in order to promote Baumann’s artistic legacy and preserve his archival materials. The collection consists primarily of Gustave Baumann’s archival records, including his business and personal correspondence, personal documents, financial records, records of woodcut printing methods, and correspondence and reports related to Baumann’s work with the WPA. The collection also contains numerous manuscripts written by Baumann on various topics, including his autobiography and other writings about his life and work; essays on his woodcut technique; talks; notes and essays on Southwest history, daily life in Santa Fe, and prominent Santa Fe residents; observations on social and political issues; essays about marionette making and scripts for marionette shows; creative stories and poems; and material related to exhibitions at the Museum of New Mexico. The collection also contains original artwork created by Baumann, including proofs and mock-ups of published and planned art books; proofs of color woodcuts, commercial illustrations, illustrations for books and periodicals, posters, and stationery; drawings and paintings; hand-made holiday cards by Baumann and other notable artists; and artwork given to Baumann by other artists. The collection also contains Baumann’s scrapbooks, audio recordings, and newspaper clippings.
This collection also contains the personal records of Gustave Baumann’s wife Jane Henderson Baumann and their daughter Ann Baumann. These include personal correspondence; personal documents; letters and cards from Gustave Baumann; personal newspaper clippings; audio material; and genealogical material related to Jane Henderson Baumann's family dating from between 1799 and 1889. The collection also contains records of Jane and Ann Baumann's business activities in managing the sale of Baumann’s artwork after his death, including correspondence with various museums and art galleries; financial records; and newspaper clippings and publicity material related to the legacy of Gustave Baumann. In addition, a significant portion of this collection consists of the research files of Gala Chamberlain, who served as trustee of the Ann Baumann Trust following Ann Baumann’s death in 2011. Between 1975 and 2019, Chamberlain conducted extensive research on Baumann and his work in order to publish the catalogue raisonné of his color woodcuts. These research files include documentation of museum collections and exhibitions of Baumann’s work, and contain both original and photocopied correspondence, exhibition catalogs, museum catalog records, notes, newspaper clippings, and research articles. The collection also includes records related to projects undertaken at the direction of Ann Baumann or the Ann Baumann Trust, including facsimile woodcuts printed from Baumann’s original blocks. Any woodcuts printed from Gustave Baumann’s blocks by someone other than Baumann have been noted in the finding aid.
This collection also contains the personal records of Gustave Baumann’s wife Jane Henderson Baumann and their daughter Ann Baumann. These include personal correspondence; personal documents; letters and cards from Gustave Baumann; personal newspaper clippings; audio material; and genealogical material related to Jane Henderson Baumann's family dating from between 1799 and 1889. The collection also contains records of Jane and Ann Baumann's business activities in managing the sale of Baumann’s artwork after his death, including correspondence with various museums and art galleries; financial records; and newspaper clippings and publicity material related to the legacy of Gustave Baumann. In addition, a significant portion of this collection consists of the research files of Gala Chamberlain, who served as trustee of the Ann Baumann Trust following Ann Baumann’s death in 2011. Between 1975 and 2019, Chamberlain conducted extensive research on Baumann and his work in order to publish the catalogue raisonné of his color woodcuts. These research files include documentation of museum collections and exhibitions of Baumann’s work, and contain both original and photocopied correspondence, exhibition catalogs, museum catalog records, notes, newspaper clippings, and research articles. The collection also includes records related to projects undertaken at the direction of Ann Baumann or the Ann Baumann Trust, including facsimile woodcuts printed from Baumann’s original blocks. Any woodcuts printed from Gustave Baumann’s blocks by someone other than Baumann have been noted in the finding aid.
Dates
- 1799-2020
- Majority of material found in 1904-1971
Creator
- Baumann, Gustave, 1881-1971 (Person)
Language of Materials
Collection predominately in English. Some correspondence in German and French.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication of print materials allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Biographical Information
Gustave Baumann (1881-1971)
Gustave Baumann was born in Magdeburg, Germany on June 27, 1881. In 1891, his family moved from Germany to Chicago, Illinois. Baumann began working in Chicago’s commercial art district at age 16 to help support his family and later began attending night classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. From August 1904 to December 1905, Baumann returned to Germany to study at the Royal Kunstgewerbeschule (Arts and Crafts School) in Munich, where he learned the art of woodblock printing. Baumann returned to Chicago in 1906 and continued working as a commercial artist. In 1908, Baumann joined the Palette and Chisel Club of Chicago and began producing his first color woodcut prints. In June 1910, Baumann moved to Nashville in Brown County, Indiana, where he devoted himself full-time to making woodcuts. The art colony in Nashville made a significant impact on Baumann’s artistic development. He became fascinated by the landscapes and residents of Brown County and used them as the subjects for his first published print portfolio, In the Hills o’ Brown, in 1910. In 1915, Baumann won the gold medal for prints in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. In 1917, Baumann left Indiana and moved around various art colonies in the northeast before settling for a short time in Wyoming, New York.
In May 1918, Baumann visited the art colony in Taos, New Mexico. In October of that year, he exhibited his work at the recently opened Museum of New Mexico (now the New Mexico Museum of Art) in Santa Fe. Baumann decided to remain in Santa Fe and established a workspace in the museum basement before occupying studios at 140 Canyon Road and the old Methodist Church on San Francisco Street. In 1923, Baumann built a new home and studio at 409 Camino de las Animas, where he would reside for the remainder of his life. In December 1923, Baumann met Jane Henderson, a singer and actress from Denver, Colorado, at a dance at San Felipe Pueblo. Gustave and Jane were married on June 25, 1925 in Denver, after which they returned to Baumann’s Santa Fe home. Their daughter Ann was born in Santa Fe on July 31, 1927.
Baumann was known for his vivid depictions of the Southwest and his use of vibrant colors. From the 1920s through the 1950s, Baumann produced some of his most iconic woodcuts inspired by the New Mexico landscape and daily life in Santa Fe, as well as his trips to Arizona and California. He carried out every aspect of the woodblock process himself, carving the blocks, mixing his own pigments, painting the blocks, and printing the images using a large hand-powered press. Baumann was also an accomplished painter, woodcarver, and marionette maker. He established his own puppet theater in Santa Fe, which put on public performances between 1932 and 1959.
During his time in New Mexico, Baumann became an integral part of the Santa Fe cultural and social scene. He was one of the founding members of the Old Santa Fe Association, which sought to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of Santa Fe and prevent outside development. Baumann was also a key figure in the development of the modern Santa Fe Fiesta, and in 1926 he designed and built the first Zozobra figure with fellow artist Will Shuster. Baumann also restored and carved a replica of the statue of La Conquistadora at the Cathedral of St. Francis in 1934. From 1933-1934, Baumann served as the regional coordinator for New Mexico and Arizona for the Public Works of Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). In 1952, Baumann was named an Honorary Fellow of Art by the School of American Research; that same year, the Museum of New Mexico staged a retrospective exhibition of his work. In Baumann’s later years, health problems restricted his ability to carve and print new woodcuts and he focused primarily on painting. However, he continued to print, sell, and exhibit his woodcuts, as well as give interviews and lectures, throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Gustave Baumann died in Santa Fe on October 8, 1971.
Jane Henderson Baumann (1892-1984)
Jane Henderson Baumann was born Jane Devereux Henderson in Kimball, Nebraska on October 23, 1892. Her family later moved to Denver, Colorado. As a young woman, she studied music, opera, and performing arts and worked as a professional stage actress and singer. From 1912-1914 and again from 1919-1922, Jane traveled around Europe, where she acted in stage plays and received formal training at the Sorbonne in Paris and the Royal Academy of London. In 1922, she returned to Denver and opened a studio where she taught singing, dramatic art, and diction. In 1923, Jane traveled to New Mexico to study Native American music and from 1924-1925 she lived with a family at Santa Clara Pueblo and studied Tewa songs. After marrying Gustave Baumann in 1925 and giving birth to their daughter Ann in 1927, Jane continued performing and frequently appeared in local theater productions with The Santa Fe Players. Jane became an integral part of Santa Fe social life and participated in many community service activities, particularly those associated with the Quaker movement. Along with fellow Santa Fe resident Olive Rush, she helped found the Santa Fe Friends Meeting and worked with the American Friends Service Committee. She also served on the Santa Fe Opera Board of Directors and the Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico. Throughout their marriage, Jane was an active supporter of Gustave Baumann’s artistic and business interests. She assisted with his marionette performances by operating the marionettes, making costumes, planning music, and directing plays. Jane also frequently assisted in selling Baumann’s prints and dealt with his business correspondence when he was unavailable. After Baumann’s death, Jane continued to sell Baumann prints along with her daughter Ann. Jane lived in the Baumanns’ Santa Fe home until 1976, when she moved to Santa Rosa, California to be closer to her daughter. Jane Henderson Baumann died in Santa Rosa, California on April 14, 1984.
Ann Baumann (1927-2011) and the Ann Baumann Trust
Ann Baumann was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico on July 31, 1927. She attended Santa Fe High School and Sandia School in Albuquerque before attending Bradford College in Massachusetts and later the University of California Berkeley, where she studied psychology and social work. She settled in Santa Rosa, California in 1964 and worked as a social worker for the State of California. Ann Baumann was instrumental in promoting Gustave Baumann's legacy after his death in 1971 by continuing to sell Baumann woodcuts and ensuring that museums and galleries continued to exhibit his work. She also donated many of his works to museums across the United States and internationally, most notably the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the New Mexico Museum of Art, the New Mexico History Museum, the Worcester Art Museum, and the British Museum, among many others. Beginning in 1973, Ann formed a relationship with Annex Galleries in Santa Rosa, California, owned by Daniel Lienau and Gala Chamberlain, and by 1988, Annex Galleries exclusively handled all sales of Gustave Baumann’s prints. Ann Baumann died in Santa Rosa, California on November 15, 2011, after which Gala Chamberlain of Annex Galleries was appointed sole trustee of the Ann Baumann Trust. Chamberlain conducted extensive research on the work of Gustave Baumann, particularly his color woodcuts, which culminated in the publication of a catalogue raisonné of Baumann’s work in 2019.
Gustave Baumann was born in Magdeburg, Germany on June 27, 1881. In 1891, his family moved from Germany to Chicago, Illinois. Baumann began working in Chicago’s commercial art district at age 16 to help support his family and later began attending night classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. From August 1904 to December 1905, Baumann returned to Germany to study at the Royal Kunstgewerbeschule (Arts and Crafts School) in Munich, where he learned the art of woodblock printing. Baumann returned to Chicago in 1906 and continued working as a commercial artist. In 1908, Baumann joined the Palette and Chisel Club of Chicago and began producing his first color woodcut prints. In June 1910, Baumann moved to Nashville in Brown County, Indiana, where he devoted himself full-time to making woodcuts. The art colony in Nashville made a significant impact on Baumann’s artistic development. He became fascinated by the landscapes and residents of Brown County and used them as the subjects for his first published print portfolio, In the Hills o’ Brown, in 1910. In 1915, Baumann won the gold medal for prints in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. In 1917, Baumann left Indiana and moved around various art colonies in the northeast before settling for a short time in Wyoming, New York.
In May 1918, Baumann visited the art colony in Taos, New Mexico. In October of that year, he exhibited his work at the recently opened Museum of New Mexico (now the New Mexico Museum of Art) in Santa Fe. Baumann decided to remain in Santa Fe and established a workspace in the museum basement before occupying studios at 140 Canyon Road and the old Methodist Church on San Francisco Street. In 1923, Baumann built a new home and studio at 409 Camino de las Animas, where he would reside for the remainder of his life. In December 1923, Baumann met Jane Henderson, a singer and actress from Denver, Colorado, at a dance at San Felipe Pueblo. Gustave and Jane were married on June 25, 1925 in Denver, after which they returned to Baumann’s Santa Fe home. Their daughter Ann was born in Santa Fe on July 31, 1927.
Baumann was known for his vivid depictions of the Southwest and his use of vibrant colors. From the 1920s through the 1950s, Baumann produced some of his most iconic woodcuts inspired by the New Mexico landscape and daily life in Santa Fe, as well as his trips to Arizona and California. He carried out every aspect of the woodblock process himself, carving the blocks, mixing his own pigments, painting the blocks, and printing the images using a large hand-powered press. Baumann was also an accomplished painter, woodcarver, and marionette maker. He established his own puppet theater in Santa Fe, which put on public performances between 1932 and 1959.
During his time in New Mexico, Baumann became an integral part of the Santa Fe cultural and social scene. He was one of the founding members of the Old Santa Fe Association, which sought to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of Santa Fe and prevent outside development. Baumann was also a key figure in the development of the modern Santa Fe Fiesta, and in 1926 he designed and built the first Zozobra figure with fellow artist Will Shuster. Baumann also restored and carved a replica of the statue of La Conquistadora at the Cathedral of St. Francis in 1934. From 1933-1934, Baumann served as the regional coordinator for New Mexico and Arizona for the Public Works of Art Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). In 1952, Baumann was named an Honorary Fellow of Art by the School of American Research; that same year, the Museum of New Mexico staged a retrospective exhibition of his work. In Baumann’s later years, health problems restricted his ability to carve and print new woodcuts and he focused primarily on painting. However, he continued to print, sell, and exhibit his woodcuts, as well as give interviews and lectures, throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Gustave Baumann died in Santa Fe on October 8, 1971.
Jane Henderson Baumann (1892-1984)
Jane Henderson Baumann was born Jane Devereux Henderson in Kimball, Nebraska on October 23, 1892. Her family later moved to Denver, Colorado. As a young woman, she studied music, opera, and performing arts and worked as a professional stage actress and singer. From 1912-1914 and again from 1919-1922, Jane traveled around Europe, where she acted in stage plays and received formal training at the Sorbonne in Paris and the Royal Academy of London. In 1922, she returned to Denver and opened a studio where she taught singing, dramatic art, and diction. In 1923, Jane traveled to New Mexico to study Native American music and from 1924-1925 she lived with a family at Santa Clara Pueblo and studied Tewa songs. After marrying Gustave Baumann in 1925 and giving birth to their daughter Ann in 1927, Jane continued performing and frequently appeared in local theater productions with The Santa Fe Players. Jane became an integral part of Santa Fe social life and participated in many community service activities, particularly those associated with the Quaker movement. Along with fellow Santa Fe resident Olive Rush, she helped found the Santa Fe Friends Meeting and worked with the American Friends Service Committee. She also served on the Santa Fe Opera Board of Directors and the Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico. Throughout their marriage, Jane was an active supporter of Gustave Baumann’s artistic and business interests. She assisted with his marionette performances by operating the marionettes, making costumes, planning music, and directing plays. Jane also frequently assisted in selling Baumann’s prints and dealt with his business correspondence when he was unavailable. After Baumann’s death, Jane continued to sell Baumann prints along with her daughter Ann. Jane lived in the Baumanns’ Santa Fe home until 1976, when she moved to Santa Rosa, California to be closer to her daughter. Jane Henderson Baumann died in Santa Rosa, California on April 14, 1984.
Ann Baumann (1927-2011) and the Ann Baumann Trust
Ann Baumann was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico on July 31, 1927. She attended Santa Fe High School and Sandia School in Albuquerque before attending Bradford College in Massachusetts and later the University of California Berkeley, where she studied psychology and social work. She settled in Santa Rosa, California in 1964 and worked as a social worker for the State of California. Ann Baumann was instrumental in promoting Gustave Baumann's legacy after his death in 1971 by continuing to sell Baumann woodcuts and ensuring that museums and galleries continued to exhibit his work. She also donated many of his works to museums across the United States and internationally, most notably the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the New Mexico Museum of Art, the New Mexico History Museum, the Worcester Art Museum, and the British Museum, among many others. Beginning in 1973, Ann formed a relationship with Annex Galleries in Santa Rosa, California, owned by Daniel Lienau and Gala Chamberlain, and by 1988, Annex Galleries exclusively handled all sales of Gustave Baumann’s prints. Ann Baumann died in Santa Rosa, California on November 15, 2011, after which Gala Chamberlain of Annex Galleries was appointed sole trustee of the Ann Baumann Trust. Chamberlain conducted extensive research on the work of Gustave Baumann, particularly his color woodcuts, which culminated in the publication of a catalogue raisonné of Baumann’s work in 2019.
Extent
16.8 Linear Feet
Arrangement
Collection is arranged in 14 series. The first 10 series contain the records of Gustave Baumann. The final 4 series contain the records of Jane Henderson Baumann, Ann Baumann, and the Ann Baumann Trust.
Separated Material
Photographs have been transferred to Palace of the Governors Photo Archives (PAAC 076).
Wood blocks and other three-dimensional artifacts have been transferred to New Mexico History Museum collections department.
Books have been transferred to Fray Angélico Chávez History Library stacks.
- Art -- New Mexico -- Pictorial works
- Artists -- New Mexico -- Santa Fe
- Baumann, Gustave, 1881-1971
- Block printing – New Mexico – 20th century
- Folk art -- New Mexico
- Frijoles Canyon (N.M.)
- Marionettes
- New Mexico--Santa Fe--History
- Puppet making -- New Mexico -- Santa Fe
- Santa Clara Pueblo (N.M.)
- Santa Fe (N.M.) -- Social life and customs
- Santos (Art) -- New Mexico -- Pictorial works
- Wood blocks (printing blocks)
- Wood engraving – Printing – New Mexico – 20th century
- Wood-engravers -- New Mexico -- Santa Fe
- Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Creator
- Baumann, Gustave, 1881-1971 (Person)
- Baumann, Jane Henderson, 1892-1984 (Person)
- Baumann, Ann, 1927-2011 (Person)
- Ann Baumann Trust (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Ann Baumann Trust Collection of Gustave Baumann Materials, 1799-2020 (bulk 1904-1971)
- Author
- Alice Wehling
- Date
- © 2023
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Repository Details
Part of the Fray Angélico Chávez History Library Repository
Contact:
Fray Angélico Chávez History Library
New Mexico History Museum
113 Lincoln Ave
Sante Fe NM 87501 USA
(505) 476-5090
historylibrary@state.nm.us
Fray Angélico Chávez History Library
New Mexico History Museum
113 Lincoln Ave
Sante Fe NM 87501 USA
(505) 476-5090
historylibrary@state.nm.us