It is with great sadness that the Executive Board of the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) notes the death of one of the founders of the Society and a leader in art librarianship, Dr. Wolfgang M. Freitag, who passed away on November 14, 2012.

 

Dr. Freitag was among the ten visionary individuals who founded ARLIS/NA in Chicago in 1972. In addition to being President of the Society in 1980, he was also the first chair of the International Relations Committee, where he utilized his vast network of friends and colleagues to help promote the Society and our profession. Born in Berlin in 1924, Freitag received his PhD at the University of Freiburg (Germany) and his MLS from Simmons College, Boston. He was the Librarian of the Fine Arts Library, Harvard University from 1964 to 1991, where he was also a Senior Lecturer in art historiography and bibliography. Author of many articles on a wide range of topics in art history and art librarianship – a selection was reprinted in A Reader in Art Librarianship (Philip Pacey, Munich, 1985), Freitag was most noted for the landmark Art Books: A Basic Bibliography of Monographs on Artists that has been published in thirteen editions since 1985. Following his retirement from Harvard in 1991, Dr. Freitag remained an active member in the Society and was a mentor to legions of young art librarians. In recognition of Dr. Freitag’s many important contributions to the field, the Society bestowed to him its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, in 1990. 

 

The Executive Board would like to extend its condolences to his wife, Doris Pfeil Freitag, and their children. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Wolfgang M. Freitag Endowment Fund, Harvard College Library, Office of the Recording Secretary, Harvard University, 124 Mt. Auburn St., Suite 430N, Cambridge, MA 02138.

 

 

The ARLIS/NA Executive Board

Deborah Kempe, Gregory P.J. Most, Jon Evans, Alan Michelson, Deborah Barlow Smedstad, Daniel Payne, Laurel Bliss, Melanie Emerson, Rina Vecchiola, Sarah Carter

 

 

 

 

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