Heather-
Try searching the auction records databases first to see if you
can locate the piece or artist in question. Assuming you meet
with
success here, check the English art newspapers for the time
period
of the auction. Many times you can find prices realized and
purchasers' names. Also, try the Frick to see if they have an
annotated copy of the auction catalogue for the sale the picture
was in. There may ber a label on the back of the frame indicating
a sale date, as well.
Hope this helps some.
Kevin Mullen
--
--
On Tue Apr 21 14:09:41 CDT 2009, "Brodhead, Heather"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Our Provenance Researcher Mira Foster is researching the
> provenance of a piece in our collection which was sold at auction
> in 1930 at Christie's London. When we contacted them to ask who
> had purchased that piece (we suspect it was purchased by the
> donor (long deceased) but we have ambiguous paper work--no
> receipt), Christie's would not tell us because that information
> is considered private with no time limit.
>
> Does anyone there have any ideas on obtaining such information?
>
> Another question: do _public_ archives have an obligation to lift
> limits on access to confidential information? (By that I mean,
> there might be information which is considered confidential for a
> time, but 25 years after the individual's death the information
> could be released.)
>
> It would be helpful if you could reply with any help directly to
> Mira at [log in to unmask] Thank you!
>
> Heather Brodhead
> Librarian
> Constance & George Fearing Library
> Santa Barbara Museum of Art www.sbma.net
> 1130 State Street
> Santa Barbara, CA 93101
> (805) 884-6451
>
>
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>
__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
For information about joining ARLIS/NA see:
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Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc)
to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
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