A Handbook to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Collection

269 pp. Published in the same year that Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural landmark opened its doors, A Handbook to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum provides a glimpse into the scope of the museum collection during a pivotal moment in the museum's history. The introduction, written by former Director James Johnson Sweeney, gives an account of recent acquisitions and a brief history of the Guggenheim collection. The handbook is organized into three sections: paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, such as watercolors and drawings. The sculpture collection, which had only begun being acquired by the museum in 1952, reveals a significant expansion and diversification of the permanent collection. The handbook also includes brief descriptions for each artist along with black-and-white photographs of important works, providing a broad cross section of the collection on the museum's opening day.