Bizot, Irène, 2001-2002

As documented in the "Library Company of Philadelphia" folder, d'Harnoncourt again crossed paths with Fiske Kimball, her directorial predecessor by 30 years. (Both were recipients of the prestigious Philadelphia Award--Kimball in 1950 and d'Harnoncourt in 1997.) In the tradition of Benjamin Franklin and its other original founders, the Library Company offers shares in its organization as a form of support. In 2001, it informed d'Harnoncourt that the share previously purchased in 1929 by Kimball had become available. Appreciating the historical symmetry, she purchased the share, noting "what fun!" Also of note from 2001 is the correspondence in the "Tanning, Dorothea" folder. In a letter of thanks about "that lovely day I spent at the Museum," Tanning, whose career as a surrealist artist began in the 1940s, includes a commentary on the state of galleries today. She observes that the "stunning" little Duchamp show was a "heartening contrast from the barn-sized repositories of emptiness so ubiquitous in Chelsea and Soho galleries," and suggests that the latter may be more appropriately considered "arenas" or "hippodromes."

As to the local art community, d'Harnoncourt had a close and long-term relationship with the Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM). The founder, Marion "Kippy" Stroud was a friend of 40 years, and starting in 1981 d'Harnoncourt served on FWM's advisory board. In 2003, d'Harnoncourt curated an exhibition there to mark FWM's 25th anniversary. Her working papers are included here. Other series in this collection hold additional material related to the Fabric Workshop and Museum. Images of the 1992 anniversary gala at which FWM honored d'Harnoncourt, along with artist Louise Bourgeois are filed in the "Photographs" sub-subseries of "Photographs and publicity" series. The series "Professional affiliations" includes d'Harnoncourt's files pertaining to her Advisory Board tenure.

Two of the last times d'Harnoncourt sat for extended interviews are also documented here. In celebration of its 75th anniversary, the archivist of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) invited d'Harnoncourt to participate in their Oral History Project in order to share her memories of her father, who served as MoMA's director for nearly 20 years. That letter of invitation, dated February 24, 2003, is included here. D'Harnoncourt's interview transcript was approved posthumously in 2010. A finalized transcript, generously provided by MoMA, is now available in the Museum Archives. For "A brief history of curating" (2008), Hans Ulrich Obrist interviewed d'Harnoncourt in 2006. Although the amount of correspondence in the folders identified by his name is minimal, it documents his initial contact with d'Harnoncourt and samples of earlier interviews.