Considering in depth the origins of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum when it was first known as the Museum of Non-Objective Painting, this volume reveals for the first time the museums complex and sometimes twisted architectural history and the ambitious exhibition programme organized by Hilla Rebay, the museums founding Director and Curator from 1939 to 1952. Through the extensive correspondence between Rebay and Rudolf Bauer the artist whose work Guggenheim collected exhaustively Karol Vail reveals the important role Bauer played in envisioning the collection and the museum. Fully illustrated throughout, and featuring extensive previously unpublished archival materials, this book provides essential reading and a rich reference of the Guggenheims multifaceted and fascinating history.