Lincoln Kirstein (1907-1996), Photograph by Walker Evans ca. 1930 Kirstein, co-founder with George Balanchine of the School of American Ballet and the New York City Ballet (of which he was General Director from 1946-1989), is widely considered one of the most important American cultural figures of the 20th century. He served in World War II from 1943-1945, initially on a project identifying and documenting works of art by enlisted soldiers, and soon after as a member of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives section. |