art + objets d'arts + photography

Kirstein (1907-1996) was born in Rochester, NY, and educated at Harvard (B.A. 1929, M.A. 1930). He invited George Balanchine to America in 1933 and then co- founded the School of American Ballet with Balanchine and Edward M.M. Warburg in 1934. He participated in the founding and/or direction of several ballet companies, including American Ballet in 1935, Ballet Caravan 1936-41, Ballet Society in 1946, and became general director of the succeeding company, New York City Ballet in 1948, He retired from New York City Ballet and School of American Ballet in 1989. In addition, Kirstein was also a major scholar of modern dance, a novelist, and poet. Kirstein’s bisexuality was widely known in New York circles, and he was a close associate of noted gay artists such as Paul Cadmus and George Platt Lynes.

Lincoln Kirstein was a frequent user, friend and supporter of The New York Public Library’s dance collection from its founding, expanding the Library’s service through donations of rare books, prints and designs, and endowments for preservation and conservation. The Lincoln Kirstein Collection includes more than 3,000 items, among which are rare books, prints, and personal correspondence. In addition to his indefatigable work on behalf of dance, Kirstein also supported visual artists and was a sponsor (1959-60) of Japanese theater in the United States. He was the recipient of many distinguished awards, including the Medal of Freedom; the Capezio Award; the Distinguished Service Award of the National Institute of Arts and Letters; New York City’s Handel Medallion; the National Medal of Arts; the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Fourth Class, Government of Japan; the Brandeis University Notable Achievement Award; the Benjamin Franklin Medal of Britain’s Royal Society of Arts; and, with George Balanchine, the National Gold Medal of Merit Award of the National Society of Arts and Letters.