MS212
Jack Berkman Collection
Jack Berkman's artistic career
began at age twelve when he started drawing cartoons, and at fourteen several of them were
published by the Washington Post. He was born April 1908 in Washington, D.C. and
after attending public schools in Washington, Jack Berkman was accepted at the
conservative Corcoran School of Art in that city. It was here that he learned classical drawing
emphasizing light and shade. He was awarded two Tiffany Foundation Art
Scholarships while at Corcoran, and also studied at George Washington
University.
Although his art career spanned 60 years, his main support was as a draftsman
with the War Deptartment, and later as architect for the Federal Housing Authority, National
Housing Agency until retirement in 1959. In 1943 he was drafted into the Army,
and did not paint during his three years overseas, where he was involved in locating
housing for displaced refugees in Europe. A lifelong "doodler", Berkman often
drew ink sketches of the destruction he saw in Germany and France, in letters to
his wife Eleanor. These drawings, along with many other illustrations of the
results of war, letters home, descriptive narratives, and memorabilia, have been
donated to the U.S. Military Museum, Washington, D.C.
Jack Berkman and his wife moved to New Mexico, where he attended the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and while attending Harwood Foundation, in the art community of Taos, taught art to Indian, Anglo, and Anglo-American children, which became a feature article in National Geographic magazine. When he returned to the East Coast it had become influenced by the new Abstract Expressionism, which nearly wiped out well known "figure" painters, such as Berkman. Later, while teaching at Guilford College, Greensboro, NC he admitted his work "wandered", but claimed this was in response to a society that was wandering. He tried various styles to keep current, but quickly realized he had to be true to himself.
Jack Berkman moved to Wilmington permanently in 1974, moving into a studio on Front Street, and then later across from the Old Courthouse on Princess. His output was prolific, and varied. His series in oils of District Court scenes in 1977, depicting what he saw take place in an atmosphere of everyday happenings including dozing officials, Highway Patrol Troopers, prisoners, everyday people, hung in the Old Courthouse and were then donated to St. John's Museum of Art. These are considered among his finest work.
His love of the human figure evolved in a series of paintings of rock musicians, whose words he could not understand, but recognized how their movements had an effect on society.
Many of these were donated to the Art Department of
the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Mr. Berkman did not keep records
of his art until 1968. Fortunately the UNCW collection has the most accurate
listings, some in his handwriting accompanied by photographs of each piece and
the disposition including year of sale or donation. Prior to 1968, his work was
given or sold without record, and in some cases, he left sketches, pencil or pen
drawings, and some watercolors with people he chanced to meet. At present all of
his WWII work is in Washington, D.C. as noted. St. John's Museum Archives
contain sketch books from 1932, lectures on art, biography albums, newspaper
publicity, letters, and folders of photos of paintings, sales of art.
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington Art Department was posthumously
bequeathed his paintings.
Special Collections contains his photo records, handwritten records, an album of his work and personal photographs, some Gallery announcements, copies of letters with sketches during post WWII, numerous color slides of his art, exhibits, and family, newspaper articles, and twenty sheets (back to back) of ink sketches of nudes.
This collection was donated by Mildred Solomon, companion and Executrix of the Jack Berkman Estate.
There are no access restrictions to
this collection.
Processed by Carroll R. Jones
Manuscripts Collection
William Madison Randall Library
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington
July, 2002
Inventory
Manuscript/Box/File
212/1/1
Photo record of Berkman Art Collection, includes location, price and title of
work
212/1/2
Photo record of Berkman Collection
212/1/3
Photo record of Berkman Collection
212/1/4
Photo record of Berkman Collection
212/1/5
Photo record of Berkman Collection
212/1/6
Photo record of Berkman Collection
212/1/7
Photo record of Berkman Collection
212/1/8
Photo record of Berkman Collection
212/1/9
Corcoran Gallery of Art Exhibit program,
1944 St. John's Art Gallery exhibit programs, 1947, 1963, 1978, 1979
"A Glimpses of Washington", 1960
212/1/10
Photo of painting Ink drawing of girl blowing out candles. No title, no date.
212/1/11
Diary of trip to Albuquerque, Jan., 1992
212/1/12
Pen and ink drawings, New Orleans, 1994
212/1/13
Pocket notebook with pencil drawings, no date.
212/1/14
Ink drawings from notebook, 1987
212/1/15
1993 diary of trip to Hawaiian Islands, San Francisco
212/1/16
Sketches of San Francisco, Hawaiian Islands, 1993
212/1/17
Sketches of San Francisco, Hawaiian Islands, 1993
212/1/18
Letters from Commerce and War Dept. in appreciation for J. Berkman designs for
monument Appomattox, VA., 1930/31
212/1/19
Organization of Arts & Crafts Activity program Glossary of terms for
Developmental Training. No date.
212/1/20
U.S. Army Developmental Training Unit, 1944 Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Prisons
letter, March, 1944, 3 case studies
212/1/21
Letter of thanks from Twentieth Century Club, W.D.C. An intimate narrative to my
wife@, Dec. 1943, with pen drawings
of Army life
212/1/22
Housing of Displaced Persons in Bavaria, Germany, by J. Berkman, 1945
212/1/23
Two letters to his wife from Jack Berkman: from Heidelberg, Aug. 5, 1945 from
Munich, Aug., 1945
212/1/24
Letter from Corcoran School of Art, Oct., 1947 Letter from Harwood Foundation,
Univ. New Mexico, 1949 Application for
Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, 194.
212/1/25
Letter pursuing possible faculty opening Verde Valley School, 1949 Catalog list
of paintings, Greenville Art Center, 1964
Congratulatory telegram, no date Turkish Embassy reception, 1964
212/1/26
Thoughts by Berkman, about 1993
212/1/27Envelope
Gallery Photo
212/1/28Envelope
Photos of gallery, painting
212/1/29Envelope
Photo Sculpture, unknown artist
212/1/30Envelope
Photos of Jack Berkman ca. 1994
212/2/1
Letter of appreciation to Millie Solomon from Dept. of Army, 1998
List of
contents of Berkman Collection sent to National Museum, U.S. Army
212/2/2
Inventory of items donated to St. John's Museum Archives, including sketch
books, letters, lectures, 1998
212/2/3
Berkman Art outside Wilmington, August, 1999
Berkman Art at St. John's Museum, 1999
Berkman inventory of oils and drawings, August, 1999
212/2/4
Ledger & Journal of paintings, drawings, water colors, from July 1968 - May 1974
212/2/5
Record of oils sold in 1968 - 1970
212/2/6
Record of oils sold in 1969 - 1976
212/2/7
Record of oils sold in 1970's
212/2/8
Record of oils sold in 1970's
212/2/9
Record of oils sold in 1970's
212/2/10
Record of oils sold in 1970's
212/2/11
Record of paintings sold in 1970's
212/2/12
Reproductions of articles from New Hanover County Library
212/2/13
Record of paintings sold, 1980's
212/2/14
Record of paintings sold, 1980's
212/2/15
Record of paintings sold, Many from 1970's
212/2/16
Donated & sold art, various medium, 1980's
212/2/17
Written record of art, all mediums, 1969 - 1983 photos of un-named art, business
card, notes
212/2/18
News articles on Berkman exhibits and the artist
212/2/19
Greensboro Business - official magazine of Chamber
of Commerce, Feb. 1972
212/2/20
Assorted newspaper articles on Berkman, 1950's - 1990's
212/2/21
Letter to Millie Solomon from Sherman Hayes, October 2001
Berkman Biography, copyright clearance form
Copies of ink sketch, piano prayer
212/3/1
20 sheets (both sides) ink sketches of nudes
1 issue Taos Star, Feb. 26, 1950
1 issue Encore, 1987
1 issue Encore, 1990
1 issue This Week Magazine, 1990
1 issue Encore, 1998
Star News, "Downtown Poses for Painter," September 25, 1983
Photo Album
Contains numerous color photographs of Jack Berkman at work, as well as a
pictorial tour of his studio filled with paintings as testimony to his
versatility in style. Included are photos of individual pieces, exhibit
announcements, note enclosures, postcards, and 8x10 black and white photographs
of Wilmington City scenes such as "A Robbers Row", downtown business areas, the
old Courthouse, and historical homes and churches. His studies of people, often
in animation, tell a story without words.
Photo Box 1
Mostly original pencil or ink sketches. Numerous ink caricatures of profiles,
six to a page, dated over many years.
Photo Box 2
Color slides of Berkman's work. Also slides of friends and family, from early
1960's to early 1990's.
COPYRIGHT: Retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.