Frick Family Papers
The papers of the Frick family date from the 1860s to the 1980s and consist of correspondence, photographs, albums and scrapbooks, diaries, financial records, printed material, and architectural records documenting the lives of Henry Clay Frick, his wife, Adelaide, and their children, Helen Clay Frick and Childs Frick. These materials give valuable insight into the history of the Frick family and members of their circle, which included politicians, art dealers, business leaders, university officials, fellow art collectors, and philanthropists. Some notable figures represented in these papers are Andrew W. Mellon, Theodore Roosevelt, Andrew Carnegie, Joseph Duveen, and J. Horace Harding. The collection also documents the family’s own art collecting and their philanthropic interests, which ranged from museums and educational institutions to hospitals and parks.
Below is a list of collections comprising the Frick Family Papers, each with a brief description and links to the finding aids and catalog records when available.
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Henry Clay Frick Papers, 1881–1928
Contains correspondence, letterpress books, art files, diaries, financial and property records, subject files, and estate records documenting Henry Clay Frick’s career as a businessman and art collector.
Series I: Art Files, 1881–1925
Online finding aid | Print version (PDF)
Catalog record (FRESCO)
Series II: Correspondence, 1882–1929
Online finding aid | Print version (PDF)
Catalog record (FRESCO)
Series III: Voucher Files, 1892–1929
Online finding aid | Print version (PDF)
Catalog record (FRESCO)
Series IV: Receipts, 1900–1926
Online finding aid | Print version (PDF)
Catalog record (FRESCO) |
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Adelaide H. C. Frick Papers, 1874–1931
Consists of correspondence, calendars, notes and notebooks, inventories, travel-related documents, stationery, and printed material documenting the life of Adelaide H. C. Frick, wife of Henry Clay Frick. |
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Childs Frick Papers, circa 1890s–1905
Chiefly contains correspondence and school-related materials (notebooks, yearbooks, report cards, etc.) documenting the youth and education of Henry Clay Frick’s eldest son.
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Helen Clay Frick Papers, circa 1890s–1985
Consists of correspondence, diaries, notebooks, legal and financial papers, and printed matter pertaining to Helen Clay Frick’s youth and education, personal interests, and philanthropic activities, notably her founding of the Frick Art Reference Library, the Frick Art Museum in Pittsburgh, and the Iron Rail Vacation Home.
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Clayton Papers, 1884–1982
Consists of correspondence, estimates, bills, receipts, contracts, printed material, inventories, and appraisals pertaining to the Frick family’s Pittsburgh residence. These papers document two generations of ownership by the family, and include materials on alterations and improvements to the house, furnishings and redecoration, staff, and daily operation of the house and grounds. |
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Eagle Rock Papers, 1903–1955
Contains proposals, specifications, estimates, and contracts relating to the construction of Eagle Rock, Henry Clay Frick's country residence in Prides Crossing, Mass. Also includes files on furnishings, alterations to the house in the 1930s, inventories and appraisals, insurance, and financial records documenting household expenses. |
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One East 70th Street Papers, 1911–1924
Consists of correspondence, estimates, contracts, construction specifications, bills, vouchers, and inventories chiefly detailing the construction and furnishing of the Frick residence at One East 70th Street in New York. Post-construction materials relate to daily life in the house, proposed alterations to the residence, and contents of the house on the death of Henry Clay Frick.
Online finding aid | Print version (PDF)
Catalog record (FRESCO) |
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Frick Family Photographs, 1860s–1980s
Includes albums, scrapbooks, prints, and negatives depicting family members, friends and other acquaintances, travel, pets, residences, artwork, furnishings, and building projects in New York, Pittsburgh, and Massachusetts. Encompasses a range of photographic formats and processes, including cartes de visites, cabinet cards, tintypes, cyanotypes, and albumen prints, as well as the work of many prominent studio photographers. |
Browse Frick Collection and Frick Art Reference Library Records
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