The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. Ludwig XV 1, fol. 7v. Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program
Oral history project
With the goal of preserving the unique stories and experiences of our longest-serving members and supporters, the ICMA Student Committee has launched the Oral History Project. Students interview members who have made significant contributions to the study of medieval art and the ICMA. In the interviews, these members reflect on their initiation into the field, their lifelong experiences as researchers, professionals, and peers, as well as their involvement in the organization. The recordings available here have been edited for clarity and length. Full recordings and transcripts are archived with the ICMA.
Interviews began in late 2020, conducted online due to restrictions on travel and face-to-face interaction. They continue to be recorded on a regular basis.
Interested in being an interviewer? Click *here* to sign up.
The current coordinators for the Oral History Project are Kristel Markus-Venäläinen (PhD candidate, University of Helsinki, EMAIL) and Emmaleigh Huston (PhD candidate, Florida State University, EMAIL).
Check back regularly for more!
These are informal conversations and are not to be taken as a definitive history of the International Center of Medieval Art. Some of the comments on policies and chronologies do not align with the record. Please contact the ICMA Executive Director if you seek clarification on issues raised.
Episode 1: Lucy Freeman Sandler interviewed by Christopher T. Richards
Lucy Freeman in 1958
Beginning – 23:00 Early Years and Queens College
23:00 – 54:10 Columbia University and Institute of Fine Arts
54:10 – 1:14:10 Early Years as Medieval Art Historian
1:14:10 – 1:18:58 Practicalities of Studying Manuscripts
1:18:59 – 1:23:30 Experience as a Woman in the Field
1:23:30 – End. Experiences with the International Center of Medieval Art and the Field at Large
Lucy Freeman Sandler
Episode 2: Dorothy F. Glass Interviewed by Cristina Aldrich
Dorothy F. Glass, 1968
0:00 Introduction
3:05 Early experiences
4:55 Graduate school
8:10 Early trips, finding your place, and being a young woman in the field
25:23 Italian Romanesque sculpture then, now, future
39:34 First experiences with the ICMA
41:40 Boston and Buffalo, teaching
48:25 ICMA career
57:22 Early memories
1:05:23 Reflections on the field
Dorothy F. Glass
Episode 3: Charles Little interviewed by Dustin Aaron
Charles Little, 1966
0:00 Introduction
1:30 Early experiences
4:57 Graduate school and early years at the Met
18:47 Early travels and memorable trips
23:07 ICMA and its early figures
29:40 Census of Medieval Sculpture
32:05 The Limestone Project
40:46 Other projects, Gesta, and the ICMA
1:03:30 Chartres, Set in Stone
1:08:28 The future of the ICMA
1:10:17 Turning points in the field
1:12:12 Quedlinburg and the Monuments “Men”
1:20:00 A favorite exhibition
Charles Little
Episode 4: We celebrate the memory of william wixom
Tributes from:
Gerhard Lutz
Charles Little
Christine Brennan
Helen Evans
Mary Shepard
Adam Cohen
Paula Gerson
Peggy Brown
Dorothy Glass
and Holger Klein
with special thanks to C. Griffith Mann for collaborating and serving as Master of Ceremonies.
William D. Wixom, who served as ICMA President from 1971-1974
Episode 5: elizabeth “Libby” Parker interviewed by britt Boler Hunter
Libby Parker with students in Rome, circa 1999
Libby Parker
0:00 Introduction
1:52 Early interest and study of medieval art
9:25 Early scholarship, collaborations, and research
14:03 Doctoral work under Harry Bober at the Institute of Fine Arts
17:03 Overview of the field, teaching, and research travel
29:53 Work with the ICMA and the organization’s growth in the 80s and 90s
36:28 Experience as a woman, married, with children in early career
42:21 ICMA Friendships and colleagues
46:02 75th Birthday/Gesta Fundraiser
47:46 ICMA present and future
53:33 Reflection and advice
Episode 6: Stephen K. Scher interviewed by Rachel M. Carlisle
0:00 Introduction, schooling, and lunch with Oppenheimer
19:17 Becoming a medievalist
26:20 Collecting and collections
36:30 A remarkable find and a triumph
47:37 Blowing the fuse at Bourges and the lost sculpture from Issoudun
51:16 The early years of the ICMA, François Bucher, Brown University
1:04:35 Notable ICMA achievements
1:06:56 Future directions
Episode 7: Madeline H. Caviness interviewed by Alexa Sue Amore
On the flyers of Canterbury Cathedral, by Verne S. Caviness, 1969.
0:00 Introduction, education, and training
14:15 Mentors, being a woman, and the state of the field and the ICMA
44:25 Path-breakers and developments in the field
1:00:50 Today
1:07:30 Feminism, the role of gender, ICMA memories
1:17:00 Anecdotes, “et à quoi ça sert?”
1:28:00 The future
c. 2015
Episode 8: Mary B. Shepard Interviewed by Abby Armstrong Check
Mary B. Shepard conducting fieldwork
Beginning – 1:00: Introduction of Mary B. Shepard by Abby Armstrong Check
1:00 – 11:10: Early years, Grinnell College, the University of Virginia, and Columbia University
11:10 – 13:35: Early years as a medieval art historian, first presentation at the International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo, Michigan
13:35 – 16:20: Time at The Cloisters
16:20 – 20:30: Research trips: Time abroad in France, dissertation research at the Bibliothèque nationale de France
20:30 – 23:20: Hinge moments in the field of medieval art history
23:30 – 26:15: Experiences with the International Center of Medieval Art
26:15 – 30:10: Experience as a woman in the field
30:10 – 32:45: Relationships with ICMA colleagues
32:45 – 37:15: Memorable ICMA events and initiatives, connections with other scholarly organizations
37:15 – 40:00: Role of the ICMA in Dr. Shepard’s career
40:00 – end: Future of the ICMA
Mary B. Shepard
Episode 9: Lawrence “Larry” Nees interviewed by Sarah Slingluff
Larry Nees
00:00 to 03:05: Introduction
03:06 to 04:06: Early interest in art history
04:06 to 08:29: Early mentors and formative experiences
08:30 to 12:02: Anecdotes
12:03 to 16:06: General impressions of the field early on
16:07 to 20:50: Other directions of the field
20:51 to 26:18: Experience with the ICMA
26:19 to 32:27: Initiatives with the ICMA
32:28 to 33:04: Graduate student inclusion
33:05 to 37:24: Unsung contributors to the ICMA
37:25 to 44:48: ICMA and changes in the field
44:49 to 46:38: ICMA special events
46:39 to 49:46: Hopes for the ICMA
49:47 to 51:38: Closing remarks
Larry Nees at the Bibliothèque nationale de France
Episode 10: Paula Gerson interviewed by Sarah Mathiesen
Paula Gerson, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, April 2019
0:00:00 Introduction
0:03:46 Early Interest in Art
0:05:49 College and Graduate School
0:22:12 Stories from the Field Pt. 1: Early Career and Archival Work
0:33:50 Changes to Art History and "Hinge" Moments
0:48:41 Stories from the Field Pt. 2: Santiago de Compostela
0:54:06 Teaching
0:56:07 The ICMA: Memories, the Future, and the Community
1:31:41 Final comments
Paula Gerson
Episode 11: Annemarie Weyl Carr interviewed by Caitlin Mims
00:00 Introduction
01:44 Early interest and study of medieval art
14:55 Overview of the field and research travel
24:05 Work with the ICMA
36:04 Work with other organizations
38:04 Interests of the ICMA and significant events
45:01 Personal experience and hopes for the future in the field
Episode 12: Joan Holladay interviewed by Holley Ledbetter
Cologne, September 1981
0:00 Introduction
3:05 Early Interest and Studies in Medieval Art
10:32 Graduate School
30:22 Early Career Work, State of the Field
54:28 Feeling Like an Art Historian
58:03 Changes to Art History
1:09:08 Stories from The Field
1:15:46 Experiences with the ICMA
1:23:28 Women in/Women and The Field
1:31:12 Work with the ICMA
1:36:42 Future of The ICMA Pt. 1: New Directions
1:39:35 Legacy
1:45:33 Future of The ICMA Pt. 2: Census of Gothic Sculpture
Episode 13: Herbert Kessler interviewed by LAUREN VAN NEST
Herbert Kessler, early 1970s
0:00 Introduction
2:15 Initial interest in art history and medieval art
6:58 Anecdotes
18:12 Shifts in archival practice
29:29 Work with Weitzmann
35:52 Early career
41:02 ICMA and other scholarly organizations
45:10 Teaching and recent archival experience
51:11 Hinge moments in the field
56:28 Experiences with Gesta
59:20 Publication, editing, and collaboration
1:05:28 Unrecognized but significant individuals
1:13:27 Advice for current students
1:19:56 Final thoughts
1:29:39 Conclusion
Herbert Kessler
Episode 14: Jane Rosenthal Interviewed By Luke Fidler
Jane Rosenthal making slides with Robert Branner, 1957
0:00 Introduction 0:51 First encounters with Medieval art 13:25 Experience as a female Medievalist at Columbia 29:06 The dissertation experience. 30:04 Early teaching career 33:24 The field of Medieval art history in Rosenthal’s early career 38:18 Political activity in Rosenthal’s early career 39:20 Political activity among Medievalists in Rosenthal’s early career. 39:42 The continued impact of Meyer Schapiro 40:31 Meyer Schapiro’s lectures 43:15 Early interest in manuscripts 44:03 Re-encountering Schapiro’s lectures 45:45 Language of Forms project. 48:27 Work on early English material 49:32 Relationship with the ICMA 57:47 Pioneering women at Columbia 1:06:28 Team teaching 1:11:11 Rosenthal’s relationship with Robert Branner 1:15:10 Creating slides, photographing manuscripts, and thoughts on digitized manuscripts 1:26:21 Archival material for the ICMA 1:27:43 Conclusion
Jane Rosenthal