Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
James Martin papers, approximately 1930s-2000s
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Martin, James, 1928-
- Title
- James Martin papers
- Dates
- approximately 1930s-2000s (inclusive)19302009
- Quantity
- 2.6 cubic feet (5 boxes plus 2 oversize folders)
- Collection Number
- 5260
- Summary
- Correspondence, art exhibition and sale records, gallery announcements and catalogs, clippings, writings, art, and other papers related to the career of an artist based in Edmonds, Washington
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Open to all users.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Artist James Martin, a nationally-acclaimed painter renowned for his whimsical style, was born on April 7, 1928 in Everett, Washington, to parents Isabel Laughton and Wilfred Scott Martin. He had one older sister, Irene. When Martin was a child, his family moved to the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle, where he attended Washington Irving Elementary School, James Monroe Junior High School, and Ballard High School. During his sophomore year of high school, Martin dropped out and began work as an apprentice mechanic at William O. McKay Ford. Yet one of his teachers, Orre Nelson Nobles, recognized Martin’s creative potential and convinced his parents to send him back to school. Martin returned to take art classes from Nobles, and became so devoted to the subject that he set up his own art studio in the basement of his home. However, he soon dropped out again and began work at an auto wrecking yard.
Martin eventually completed his high school degree at the YMCA in 1948, when he was twenty years old. He then enrolled at the University of Washington, where he intended to earn a degree in engineering or architecture. Neither field suited him, however, and he instead pursued classes in art and creative writing. Martin earned his Bachelor of Arts in English in 1953.
Following his graduation, Martin struggled to find work as a writer. He took a job as a patternmaker at Boeing, but did not stay in that job for long. He then began work as an art framer at Frederick & Nelson, where he began to make professional connections with art dealers and other artists. Throughout this time, Martin continued to create his own artwork, much of which was selected for exhibition in museums and galleries in Seattle. His work also caught the attention of art dealer Otto Seligman, who began to represent Martin. Martin’s first show was at the Seligman Gallery in Seattle’s University District in January 1958, and was well-received and garnered excellent reviews.
After Seligman’s death, Martin had one last show with that gallery, which had been taken over by Francine Seders. He then exhibited at Windsor Utley’s gallery before moving first to the Gordon Woodside Gallery in the 1970s and, finally, to the Foster/White Gallery in the 1980s. Martin’s work, which he creates at his studio in Edmonds called the Donald Duck Ranch, continues to be widely sought-after. A book on his life and career, James Martin: Art Rustler at the Rivoli by Sheila Farr, was published by the University of Washington Press in 2000.
Martin passed away in December 2020.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Martin papers primarily document his artistic career. Included are correspondence with art galleries and financial records tracking the sales and exhibitions of his paintings. The papers also contain photographs, gallery announcements, artist catalogs, gallery catalogs, artwork, and newspaper clippings about his work, as well as a small selection of writings, notes, and personal correspondence with artists such as Morris Graves and his friend and mentor, Orre Nelson Nobles.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Creator's literary rights have been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
Organized into 2 accessions.
- Accession No. 5260-001, James Martin papers, 1961-2001
- Accession No. 5260-002, James Martin papers, 1930s-2000s
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Accession No. 5260-001: James Martin papers, 1961-2001Return to Top
Scope and Content: The bulk of the Martin papers centers around his artistic career. Included are correspondence with art galleries and financial records tracking the sales and exhibitions of his paintings. The papers also contain photographs, gallery announcements, artist catalogs, gallery catalogs, and newspaper clippings about his work. Also included is a small selection of writings, notes, and personal correspondence with artists such as Morris Graves and his friend and mentor, Orre Nelson Nobles.
- Incoming letters
- Outgoing letters
- Financial records
- Account books
- Writings
- Artwork
- Artist catalogs
- Gallery catalogs
- Photographs
- Subject file
- Ephemera
- Notes
- James Martin: Art Rustler at the Rivoli
- Clippings
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Acquisition Info: James Martin, 2001
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Incoming letters |
|||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
1/1 | 5260-001 | The Fountain Gallery of Art |
1966-1985, undated |
1/2 | 5260-001 | Gordon Woodside Gallery
Scope and Content: The later letters are from the Gordon Woodside/John Braseth
Galleries, Seattle.
|
1975-1985, undated |
1/3 | 5260-001 | Graves, Morris |
1983-1996 |
1/4 | 5260-001 | Mayo, Rae |
1975, undated |
1/5-6 | 5260-001 | Nobles, Orre Nelson
Scope and Content: Includes photographs of Orre Nelson Nobles, his family, and
his South King Street, Seattle, house "Breezy Bluff," as well as stationery
featuring Noble's drawings.
|
1961-1967, undated |
1/7 | 5260-001 | Otto Seligman Gallery |
1966-1968, undated |
1/8 | 5260-001 | University of Washington, Henry Art
Gallery |
1963-1986 |
1/9-10 | 5260-001 | Miscellaneous |
1962-2000, undated |
Outgoing letters |
1967-1971 | ||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
1/11 | 5260-001 | Outgoing letters |
1967-1971 |
Financial records
Scope and Content: Includes inventories of the galleries, consignment receipts,
sales receipts, a release, and a consignment contract.
|
|||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
1/12-14 | 5260-001 | Fountain Gallery of Art |
1967-1985, undated |
1/15 | 5260-001 | Gordon Woodside Gallery |
1972-1985, undated |
1/16 | 5260-001 | Maxwell Galleries |
1969-1970 |
1/17 | 5260-001 | Otto Seligman Gallery |
1964-1968, undated |
1/18 | 5260-001 | Utley's Art Galleries |
1967-1968 |
1/19 | 5260-001 | Miscellaneous |
1966, 1971, undated |
Account books |
|||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
1/20 | 5260-001 | Fountain Gallery of Art |
1966-1976 |
1/21 | 5260-001 | Gordon Woodside Gallery |
1967-1968 |
1/22 | 5260-001 | Utley's Art Galleries |
undated |
Writings |
undated | ||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/1 | 5260-001 | Writings
Scope and Content: Includes a watercolor on tablet paper.
|
undated |
Artwork |
1962 | ||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/2 | 5260-001 | Christmas card by Neil Meitzler |
1962 |
Artist catalogs |
|||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/3 | 5260-001 | Anderson, Guy |
1965 |
2/3 | 5260-001 | Graves, Morris
Scope and Content: Annotated. Includes a 1992 letter from Vonnie Cowan.
|
[1966?], 1992 |
2/3 | 5260-001 | Steensma, John Jay |
1997 |
Gallery catalogs |
1962-1998 | ||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/4 | 5260-001 | Gallery catalogs |
1962-1998 |
Photographs |
1976, undated | ||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/5 | 5260-001 | Photographs
Scope and Content: One photograph of Orre Nobles; two photographs of unidentified
individuals.
|
1976, undated |
Subject file |
undated | ||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/6 | 5260-001 | Subject file -- Reynolds, Helen |
undated |
Ephemera |
|||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/7 | 5260-001 | Gallery |
undated |
2/8 | 5260-001 | Miscellaneous |
undated |
Notes |
undated | ||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/9 | 5260-001 | Notes |
undated |
James Martin: Art Rustler at the
Rivoli |
2001 | ||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/10 | 5260-001 |
James Martin: Art Rustler at the
Rivoli, (La Conner, Washington: Museum of Northwest Art and University
of Washington Press) Farr, Sheila
|
2001 |
Clippings |
1967-2001 | ||
Box/Folder | Accession | ||
2/11 | 5260-001 | Clippings |
1967-2001 |
VF:oversize | |||
Oversize VF 73 | 5260-001 | Clippings |
1995-2001 |
Accession No. 5260-002: James Martin papers, approximately 1930s-2000sReturn to Top
Scope and Content: Incoming correspondence to James Martin from gallery owners, collectors, artists, and friends; writings by Martin; clippings, brochures, and other exhibit publicity materials; artwork by Martin; and other materials related to James Martin's career.
Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.
Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Acquisition Info: James Martin, 2007-04-06
Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
---|---|---|---|
Box | Accession | ||
1-2 | 5260-002 | Correspondence |
1970s-2000s |
2 | 5260-002 | Short stories by James Martin |
1950s |
2 | 5260-002 | Report cards and student records
(photocopies) |
1930s-1950s |
2 | 5260-002 | Exhibit publicity |
1990s-2000s |
2 | 5260-002 | Exhibit catalogs |
1992-2007 |
2 | 5260-002 | Foster/White Gallery exhibition review |
2004 |
2 | 5260-002 | Articles and clippings |
1990s-2000s |
2 | 5260-002 |
Muse magazine with Martin's
work |
2001 |
2 | 5260-002 | Orre Nelson Nobles biography |
undated |
2 | 5260-002 | Jay Steensma exhibit publicity |
2000 |
2 | 5260-002 | Miscellaneous |
2001, undated |
2 | 5260-002 | Photographs and sketches |
undated |
3 | 5260-002 | Restaurant menu covers featuring artwork by
Martin |
undated |
3 | 5260-002 | Clippings |
1999, 2007 |
3 | 5260-002 | Magazine articles |
1990s-200s |
3 | 5260-002 | Art |
undated |
folder:oversize | |||
OS folder 1 | 5260-002 | Aging Mob Guy painting
|
1995 |
OS folder 1 | 5260-002 | Lion in the Portal painting
|
2002 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Art galleries, Commercial--Oregon--Portland
- Art galleries, Commercial--Washington (State)--Seattle
- Art, American--20th century
- Artists--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
- Northwest school of artists
- Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
Personal Names
- Martin, James, 1928- --Archives
- Martin, James, 1928- --Exhibitions
- Nobles, Orre Nelson, 1894-1967
Corporate Names
- Fountain Gallery of Art
- Gordon Woodside Gallery (Seattle, Wash.)
- Gordon Woodside/John Braseth Galleries (Seattle, Wash.)
- Otto Seligman Gallery (Seattle, Wash.)
- Utley's Art Galleries (Seattle, Wash.)