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Carl W. Peters papers

 Collection
Identifier: D.422

Biographical / Historical note

Carl William Peters (1897-1980) was an American regionalist painter. Born in Rochester, New York, he moved to a small farm in the nearby town of Fairport in 1911. The rural landscape inspired a love of nature that would later define Peters's work as an artist. Two years later the University of Rochester's Memorial Art Gallery was established. The exhibits organized by its first director, George Herdle, left another strong impression on young Peters, who at age seventeen established his own Rochester studio and declared himself an artist in the city directory. With the outbreak of World War I, Peters left high school to attend the Mechanics Institute, now the Rochester Institute of Technology, where his art studies included anatomy, perspective, and illustration. He left for Europe as a cavalry soldier in 1918 and was assigned to the Camouflage Corps as a designer. He settled in New York City following the war, where he joined the Arts Student League and attended their summer school in Woodstock. It was here in 1921 that Peters heard the lectures of Robert Henri and was enthralled by the egalitarian values of the Ash Can School, who were known for their realist depictions of daily life in New York City's working class neighborhoods. This influence remained with Peters throughout his career. He established his landscape style at Woodstock and was soon submitting his work to prominent national shows. In 1925 Peters moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts, having grown fond of the art colony life. Alternating between rural and urban landscapes, his style quickly became so unique his works were said to be instantly distinguishable from those of his Rockport friends, who were mostly realists and American Scientists. During this time he began winning high honors such as the Hallgarten Prize from the National Academy of Design for his oil paintings and became the first recipient of the Lillian Fairchild Award from the Memorial Art Gallery. Throughout his career, other prizes would include the silver medal and two first places from the Rochester Art Club, the Mr. and Mrs. Spencer White Award from Academic Artists, and numerous medals and awards from the Rockport Art Association. In Rochester, Peters is perhaps best known for the large mural Rochester Past, Present, and Future formerly at the Genesee Valley Trust Company Building (today the Time Square Building), but now destroyed. Completed along with the building in 1930, the mural was contemporaneous with those of three other artists in New York City (Thomas Hart Benton, Boardman Robinson, and D. Putnam Brinley) who also drew on iconography from American history. Together, these four murals contributed to a national popularization of the Depression-era mural, which is distinguished by its American historical themes as opposed to the 'timelessness' of earlier murals. As the Depression continued, Peters joined thousands of other artists in the Public Works Art Projects and painted additional murals. He also kept up his plein air works, often depicting the agrarian community in which he had grown up. Peters divided his time between his studios in Fairport near the Erie Canal and Rocky Neck in Cape Ann. While living in Massachusetts during the summer, he taught art classes and enjoyed painting the fishermen of Rockport. Beginning in the 1940s his style leaned towards a more colorful bravura although his interest in landscapes and everyday scenes remained constant until his death in 1980. Carl W. Peters married Christine and had two daughters, Elaine and Gay. The couple divorced in 1948. Peter later married Blanche Peaslee, who survived him.

Scope and Contents

The Carl W. Peters Papers consists primarily of his sketches and sketchbooks, but also include material related to his life, career, and artistic legacy.

Creator

Dates

  • Creation: 1899-2004

Language of Materials

English

Extent

10 box(es)

Access

The Carl W. Peters Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books, Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Carl W. Peters Papers were donated in February 2009 by Nancy Miller Batty, whose father had been a neighbor and student of Peters'. The papers consist primarily of his sketches and sketchbooks, but also include material related to his life, career, and artistic legacy. Another collection of Carl W. Peters' papers is located in the Archives of American Art. More information about Peters is also available from R.H. Galleries, the Perinton Historical Society, and the Distinguished Artist Series.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Carl W. Peters Papers, D.422, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Related Archival Materials

Reference: Richard H. Love, Carl W. Peters: American Scene Painter from Rochester to Rockport (University of Rochester Press, 1999).

Title
Carl W. Peters papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
Date
undated
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Library Details

Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA