Jacques Seligmann & Co. Records are one of the richest resources for provenance research at the Archives of American Art. Jacques Seligmann & Co. were international art galleries established in 1880 in Paris, France, and had a second location in New York which opened in 1904. Having had two international locations and a focus on collecting international art, the company kept in communication with foreign governments and embassies regarding regulation of art shipments across borders, as well as other miscellaneous inquiries surrounding specific art pieces.
Jacques Seligmann & Co. Records are one of the richest resources for provenance research at the Archives of American Art. Jacques Seligmann & Co. were international art galleries established in 1880 in Paris, France, and had a second location in New York which opened in 1904. Having had two international locations and a focus on collecting international art, the company kept in communication with foreign governments and embassies regarding regulation of art shipments across borders, as well as other miscellaneous inquiries surrounding specific art pieces.
As Jacques Seligmann & Co. had dealings with many international art galleries, there were many instances of art shipments that required to abide by customs regulation and procedure. The company's correspondence with foreign government departments and embassies predominately allude to inquiries regarding taxation and management of shipments across borders, as well as some letters requesting assistance in identifying items, membership fees, and payment for art.
To learn more about the Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, and to explore the fully digitized collection, visit the finding aid at the Archives of American Art website. Gain insight into how provenance researchers use the collection by reading A Guide to Provenance Research at the Archives of American Art.