Addie Herder

Addie Herder (1920-2009)

Adeline Herder (neé Olkes) was born on August 30, 1920 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Olney High School, Philadelphia, in 1939. In high school, Herder supplemented her studies with summer art classes at Crouse College, Syracuse University, in 1936 and 1938. After completing high school, she enrolled in the Tyler School of Fine Art, Temple University, where she attended classes from 1939-1941. In 1941 she married Milton Herder.

Herder resumed her studies in 1945 when she enrolled at the Philadelphia Museum School. There she made the acquaintance of Roy Davis who would later represent her, first in his gallery Davis & Long Company, and then at Davis & Langdale Company. In 1950, Herder moved to New York City and enrolled in the New School for Social Research. She held her first public show of collages and constructions in 1961 at the Bodley Gallery. Herder remained in New York City until 1962.

In 1963 Herder relocated to Paris, where she resided until 1973, and continued to work on collage constructions. She also worked with the Paris Theatre Workshop and the Studio Theatre of Paris and made masks and costumes for productions including J.B. and The Skin of Our Teeth!. Herder was acquainted with other artists and writers in Paris at the time including Beauford Delaney, James Jones, and Paul Jenkins. In 1972, Joseph Hirshhorn purchased four of Herder's works, Klosters '64, Beckoning Night City, Pink Circus, and Paris (French Box) through the intermediary Marjorie Jacobson,