Collection: Gilding the Gilded Age: Interior Decoration Tastes and Trends in New York City as Documented by a Collection of Auction Catalogs in Frick and Hearst Library Collections

Description: The Gilded Age, witnessed large and valuable private collections disposed of at auction. New York City played an important role in this burgeoning market. Auction catalogs from these sales provide a wealth of information about the world of collecting, provenance, artists, and artistic tastes during a time of burgeoning wealth. Materials from the Frick Art Reference Library and Archive and The William Randolph Hearst Archive, LIU Post comprise this collection documenting auctions of decorative arts during the Gilded Age. Spanning the period from 1876 to 1922, this collection documents the importance of auction catalogs and sales that played a pivotal role in the history of collecting in New York City. A majority of the auction catalogs in the collection were issued at auctions held by the American Art Association. 19,294 objects were digitized and 104 MARC records were created for the digital versions of the catalogs.