Progressive Era Politics and Art Eleanor Roosevelt Provenance Stettheimer Catalog 1946 Linking Feminism and Cultural Patronage

Eleanor Roosevelt

First Edition

McBride, Henry. Florine Stettheimer Exhibition Catalog, 1946, documents the critical reception of a modern American artist whose work intersected with progressive political and cultural circles closely associated with Eleanor Roosevelt. Stettheimer’s paintings, including Cathedrals of Wall Street (1939), engaged themes of social life, economic power, and public identity, often incorporating figures aligned with reformist politics. Eleanor Roosevelt’s documented association with Stettheimer’s work situates the catalog within a network of mid-twentieth-century cultural production shaped by advocacy for women’s rights, racial equality, and social welfare. The volume supports research into American modernist art, political patronage, and the intersection of cultural and reform movements in the New Deal and postwar periods.

McBride, Henry. Florine Stettheimer Exhibition Catalog. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1946. First edition. Quarto volume measuring approximately 7.75" x 10.25", 56 pages, illustrated with 36 black and white plates and 4 color plates. Retains original pink dust jacket. Copy from the personal library of Eleanor Roosevelt, bearing her bookplate and an estate label reading “Estate of Eleanor Roosevelt No. 2943, Hyde Park, NY.” Signed by her son John A. Roosevelt. The catalog includes reproductions of Stettheimer’s works, including Cathedrals of Wall Street, which features a representation of Roosevelt, underscoring the connection between artist and subject.

Published shortly after Stettheimer’s death, the catalog reflects a moment when American modernist artists were increasingly recognized within institutional and public contexts, while also preserving the social networks that linked artists, patrons, and political figures. Stettheimer’s engagement with themes of gender, class, and urban life paralleled Roosevelt’s public advocacy, situating the volume within a broader cultural milieu that bridged art and progressive reform. Provenance linking the book to Roosevelt’s personal library strengthens its relevance for studies of collecting practices, cultural influence, and the role of political figures in shaping artistic reception. Dust jacket chipped with tear at spine; light sunning; minor wear to binding; bookplate detached but present; pages clean; overall in very good condition.

Item #17221

Price: $550.00