The Dual Legacy of Romana Javitz

 

The Dual Legacy of Romana Javitz: Pictorial Documentation and Artistic Collaboration



photograph by Trude Fleischmann. ca. 1942.
Private Collection.


Romana Javitz’s tenure as head of the New York Public Library’s Picture Collection marked a pivotal moment in the history of visual archives. By promoting images as tools for research and documentation, she redefined their role within public libraries, challenging the traditional view that confined them to art alone. Through her efforts, the Picture Collection became a critical resource for artists, anthropologists, designers, and writers, fostering both practical and creative uses of visual material.


 Pictures as Documents


Javitz’s approach to the Picture Collection was shaped by her recognition of images as cultural and historical documents. During her travels in Europe, she observed how state organizations systematically documented folk traditions and everyday life through visual media. Inspired by these practices, Javitz expanded the Picture Collection to include a wide array of materials, from advertisements and postcards to photographs and book clippings. These images were organized by subject rather than by artist, making them accessible to a diverse audience and emphasizing their value as records of human experience.


This philosophy resonated with figures such as Franz Boas, whose work in anthropology often relied on visual documentation to study material culture. Javitz’s collection complemented such scholarly pursuits by providing a well-organized repository of images, enabling researchers to examine cultural practices through visual evidence. Similarly, Walker Evans utilized the Picture Collection to inform his documentary photography, which depicted the economic and social conditions of Depression-era America. While these figures were not exclusively dependent on the collection, its resources undeniably enriched their work and broadened their perspectives.


                                        

                                                        Index of American Design. New Jersey quilt. 1859. watercolor.

                                                        NYPL Wallach Print Collection.



 Pictures in Art: From Inspiration to Collaboration


Javitz’s work extended into the realm of art, where her collection served as a vital resource for creators. Joseph Cornell, known for his surrealist box constructions, frequently accessed the Picture Collection to source material for his collages and assemblages. While Cornell’s artistic output cannot be reduced to his use of the library’s resources, their influence is evident in his work. He and Javitz maintained a correspondence characterized by mutual respect and shared interests, highlighting the ways in which her curatorial sensibilities intersected with his artistic vision.


Ben Shahn’s socially conscious art was another example of the collection’s reach. Shahn’s work often engaged with political and social themes, drawing on visual references that aligned with Javitz’s belief in the documentary power of images. By providing access to materials that reflected the struggles and aspirations of marginalized communities, Javitz supported artists like Shahn in creating works that resonated deeply with their audiences.


Andy Warhol also had a long-standing relationship with the Picture Collection. As a commercial illustrator before achieving fame as a Pop artist, Warhol often borrowed clippings from the collection—over 2,000 of which are now preserved in his archives. The bold, graphic imagery that defined Warhol’s Pop Art aesthetic may well have been influenced by the advertising and commercial designs he encountered through the Picture Collection. While it would be reductive to attribute Warhol’s artistic innovations solely to this resource, it clearly provided a foundation for his visual vocabulary.


Andy Warhol’s relationship with the Picture Collection is particularly intriguing when considering the origins of Pop Art. His use of everyday commercial imagery—from Coca-cola bottles to soup cans to celebrity portraits—mirrors the kinds of materials cataloged by Javitz. The collection’s emphasis on accessible and vernacular imagery may have encouraged Warhol to explore the aesthetic potential of consumer culture. By borrowing clippings of advertisements, product designs, and photographs, Warhol gained exposure to the visual language of mass media, which he later re-contextualized in his art.


Andy Warhol advertisement. 1955. 
NYPL Wallach Picture Collection. #41,632.



 Balancing Utility and Creativity


Javitz’s work straddled the line between practicality and creativity. For her, the primary value of the Picture Collection lay in its ability to educate and inform. She viewed pictures as tools for understanding the past and present, organizing them to reflect the needs of researchers, educators, and students. Yet her collaborations with artists like Cornell and Warhol demonstrate that the collection also served as a springboard for artistic innovation. By providing access to a wide array of visual material, Javitz enabled users to reinterpret and transform these images, blurring the boundaries between document and art.


Romana Javitz’s stewardship of the New York Public Library’s Picture Collection exemplified a forward-thinking approach to visual archives. By treating pictures as both documents and creative resources, she expanded their relevance beyond traditional contexts. Her influence on figures like Joseph Cornell, Andy Warhol, and Ben Shahn underscores the collection’s versatility, shaping not only scholarly research but also modern artistic movements. While the Picture Collection was not the sole source of inspiration for these artists, its impact remains a testament to Javitz’s vision and the enduring power of images.



Walker Evans. Billboards. New Orleans, La. 
NYPL Wallach Picture Collection. 


Ben Shahn. The Untouchables. 1964. ink. 
NYPL Wallach Picture Collection. #13,235.



Envelope postmarked August 4, 1949 and initialed "rj" upper left, with dried leaves and flowers. 
Joseph Cornell archives, Smithsonian Archives of American Art. 1949. 

Get the book Words on Pictures. 


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