Fern and Hersh Cohen Print Collection
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Abstract
Approximately 200 works on paper by American artists, dating from 1891-1948, from the collection of Fern and Hersh Cohen. The majority of the prints depict various aspects of Depression era American life.
Biographical / Historical
The prints in this collection were amassed over a period of more than 40 years by Hersh Cohen, an investment manager, and his wife Fern Cohen, a school librarian. The Cohens have focused on collecting prints by American artists created between 1900 and World War II, with an emphasis on the Depression era.
A number of the prints were created under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration (WPA, renamed the Work Projects Administration in 1939), a New Deal government agency created by President Roosevelt that hired millions of Americans to execute public works and community service projects. While many WPA workers built roads, bridges, and other infrastructure, some divisions assigned people to work in the arts. The WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) was established in 1935 to create employment for artists during the Great Depression. The Graphic Arts Division of the program, which emphasized block printing and lithography, among other printmaking techniques, employed more than 700 artists across 36 American cities, many of whom used their work to address social justice issues.
Arrangement
The prints are listed alphabetically by artist.
Scope and Contents
This collection comprises approximately 200 works on paper by American artists, dating from 1891-1948. The majority of the prints depict facets of American life during the era of the Great Depression, a time of social upheaval and economic hardship for many. Included are scenes of workers at their jobs; strikes; homelessness; as well as people gathered on stoops, in bars, and at various amusements. Many of the prints are New York City views.
The container list includes the artist and title of all prints in the collection. Scope notes include information about printmaking technique and dimensions, as well as the presence of a WPA stamp. Dates, titles, and dimensions are based on information received from the donors.
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Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: Fern and Hersh Cohen Print Collection, PR 466, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.
Credit Line for exhibitions should read: Fern and Hersh Cohen Print Collection.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Fern and Hersh Cohen, 2023.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Archivist Marybeth Kavanagh arranged and described this collection in May 2024.