Monroe Wheeler
Monroe Wheeler was a notable American book publisher and art historian, recognized for his influential contributions to the art book publishing world during the mid-twentieth century. Born on February 13, 1900, in Evanston, Illinois, Wheeler pursued his education at the University of Chicago and furthered his studies in Europe, where he developed an interest in typographical design and book production. He began his publishing career in the 1920s with the release of the Manikin poetry series and established a publishing house, Harrison of Paris, in the 1930s, which gained acclaim for its limited edition art books.
After relocating to New York in 1934, Wheeler took on a pivotal role at the Museum of Modern Art in 1935, eventually becoming the head of exhibitions and publications. Over his extensive career at the museum, he was instrumental in publishing over 350 works on visual art, covering a range of subjects including textiles, sculpture, and notable artists such as Henri Matisse. Wheeler’s impact on the art community was further exemplified through his compilation of various art collections and his involvement with the International Art Council. He continued to influence the field until his passing in 1988 in New York.
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Monroe Wheeler
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- Born: February 13, 1900
- Birthplace: Evanston, Illinois
- Died: August 14, 1988
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
Over the course of his career, Monroe Wheeler published many art books in the mid-twentieth century, beginning in Paris during the 1930’s and then at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Wheeler was born in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb just north of Chicago, on February 13, 1900. He was educated at the prestigious University of Chicago, and he studied abroad in England, France, and Germany between 1922 and 1923. Traveling with his friend, Glenway Wescott, Wheeler began to study typographical design and book production. He began publishing books in the 1920’s such as the three-book Manikin series of poetry by William Carlos Williams, Marianne Moore, and Janet Lewis. Wheeler also published works by his friend Wescott.
During the 1930’s, he established a home in Paris where, along with Barbara Harrison, he opened the publishing company Harrison of Paris. Harrison supplied the financial backing and Wheeler provided the expertise in book publishing. The form became well known for producing limited edition art books at modest prices, which brought him critical recognition in Parisian literary circles. During its years of operation, the firm published books by Bret Harte, an English translation of the works of Thomas Mann, Katherine Ann Porter’s Hacienda, and Wheeler’s compilation of type faces entitled A Typographical Commonplace-Book, among others. In 1934, the firm moved its headquarters from Paris to New York, but high overhead and inadequate facilities forced the firm to cease publication later that year.
In 1935, Wheeler joined the staff of the Museum of Modern Art. By 1941, he had become the head of the department of exhibitions and publications. During his long career at the museum he helped publish more than 350 books on visual art. Some of the topics he wrote about included Indian textiles, illustration, drawing and portraiture, sculpture, and a volume on the works of Henri Matisse. In 1954 he directed the publication of his friend Wescott’s Twelve Fables of Aesop. He compiled a collection of more than one hundred paintings, drawings, photographs, cartoons, and posters for Britain at War. The collection also featured a poem by T. S. Eliot and biographical notes on the represented artists. The collection was published in the Saturday Review of Literature on June 21, 1941. In addition to his books on artists such as Matisse and his volumes on modern drawing and twentieth century portraiture, Wheeler was also a member of the International (art) Council. Wheeler died in New York in 1988.