The Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives Opens Records of Former Director Thomas Hoving for Research

November 4, 2015

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives announces the availability for research of 43 linear feet of Museum records from the office of Thomas Hoving, Director of the Metropolitan from 1967-1977.  Under Hoving's leadership the Metropolitan developed and set in motion a major expansion plan for the Museum, acquired important artworks and collections, and mounted a sequence of highly popular special exhibitions. The records include official Museum correspondence with trustees, staff, donors and other institutions; news clippings and publicity material pertaining to exhibitions, acquisitions, and Hoving himself; proposals and other documentation of special exhibitions; interdepartmental memoranda and reports concerning collections, galleries and administrative matters; and materials related to the Metropolitan's centennial celebration in 1970. The records also include some correspondence from Hoving's term as New York City Parks Commissioner (1966-1967), as well as his graduate studies, and research he conducted as a curator in the Metropolitan Museum's Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters.  Collectively, these materials provide an in-depth view of the administration of the Metropolitan during a pivotal era of expansion, and provide key insights on the personality and work style of one of the institution's leaders.  The records will support important new scholarship in art history, museum studies, New York City history and many other fields.

A complete inventory of the records is now available online:
http://libmma.org/digital_files/archives/Thomas_Hoving_records_b18583829.

For information about access to the physical materials at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives, contact archives@metmuseum or visit our website at http://libmma.org/portal/museum-archives/.

Processing of the Thomas Hoving records was funded by a generous grant from the Leon Levy Foundation, a private, not-for-profit foundation created from the estate of Leon Levy, an investor with a longstanding commitment to philanthropy. The Foundation's overarching goal is to support scholarship at the highest level, ultimately advancing knowledge and improving the lives of individuals and society at large. www.leonlevyfoundation.org<http://www.leonlevyfoundation.org>.



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