In the not-too-distant past, contacts were stored not in pocket-sized computers but in pocket-sized address books. Our new…

brucesterling:

archivesofamericanart:

In the not-too-distant past, contacts were stored not in pocket-sized computers but in pocket-sized address books. Our new exhibit gives you a glimpse into the grimy, dog-eared pages of well-known artists’ “little black books.” From Ad Reinhardt’s address book that fits in the palm of your hand, to Holly Solomon’s hulking double rotary Rolodex, these documents help us understand the social networks in which these artists lived and worked.

Little Black Books: Address Books from the Archives of American Art is on view in the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery from August 7 - November 1, 2015. 

gif from: Ad Reinhardt’s address book, circa 1950-1965. Ad Reinhardt papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

*Paper.  And they, like, mailed stuff.  About “art.”