Scope and Contents

The papers of Jerry Bywaters measure 1.0 linear feet and date from 1936 to 1978. The papers document Bywaters' career as a painter and art historian through a resume, interviews, and other professional activity material; artist files consisting of interviews, resumes, clippings, and photographs of works for various artists; and exhibition announcements, catalogs, and other printed material.

Professional activity consists of a resume, an interview with Maria Redelsperger, two interviews which are mostly an account of Bywaters' life than actual interviews, and photographs of Bywaters and his artwork.

Artist files consist of files on various artists Bywaters researched during his career. Materials include, resumes, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, interviews, and photographs of the artists or some of their works. Also included are two oral interviews with architect John Staub and Nina Cullinan who was associated with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Bywaters did not conduct these interviews.

Printed material consists of exhibition announcements, exhibition catalogs, and and the article, "Art Museums: Repositories, or Creative Centers?" written by Bywaters.

Scope and Contents

REELS 1512-1513: Correspondence, ca. 1950-1979, with artists, museum personnel, writers, and others; biographical data; a 20 p. transcript of an interview of Bywaters by Marla Redelsperger, October 3, 1975; a 2 part "Autobiographical Sketch With Slides of Works" delivered June 18, 1975, in Dallas; a monograph by Bywaters, ART MUSEUMS: REPOSITORIES OR CREATIVE CENTERS; exhibition catalogs of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts; printed material about Bywaters; a personal photograph and photos of his works. Among the correspondents are Ivan Le Lorraine Albright, Alfred Barr, Mrs. George Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, John Canaday, Jose Cisneros, René d'Harnacourt, J. Frank Dobie, Lloyd Goodrich, Carl Hertzog, Peter Hurd, Fiske Kimball, Tom Lea, A. Hyatt Mayor, Ben Nicholson, Georgia O'Keeffe, Andrew Wyeth, and William Zorach.

Scope and Contents

REELS 1648-1649: Files on 55 Texas artists, containing biographical material, photographs, and catalogs. The files were the result of Bywaters' solicitation of information as director of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts and as a field worker for the Archives of American Art's Texas Documentation Pilot Project. Artists include: Jose Arpa, Henri Bert Bartscht, Keveau Bassett, John Biggers, Son Bradley, Milesio Casas, Cecil Long Casebier, Pat Colville, Ben L. Culwell, George Dahl, Otis Dozier, Edward G. Eisenlohr, Philip Hohn Evett, Xavier Gonzales, Wilfred Higgons, Dorothy Hood, DeForrest Judd, Chapman Kelly, Edmund D. Kinzinger, Tom Lea, Amy Freeman Lee, William Lester, Jim Love, Keith McIntyre, David McManaway, Octavio Medellin, Perry Nichols, Eleanor Onderdonk, Julian Onderdonk, Robert J. Onderdonk, Robert Preusser, Stephen T. Rascoe, Frank Reaugh, William Reily, Herbert Rogalla, E. M. Schiwetz, Lawrence Scholder, Vera Simons, Everett Spruce, Tom Stell, Robert Tiemann, Allie Tennant, Chester Toney, Olin H. Travis, Charles Unlauf, Wilbert Verhelst, Donald Vogel, Donald Weismann, Ralph White, Charles T. Williams, Bill Wiman, Dan Wingren, and Roger Winter.

Scope and Contents

REELS 3752-3753: Transcripts of oral history interviews with art patron Nina Cullinan (17 p.; reel 3752), and architect John F. Staub (31 p.; reel 3753), both conducted by Susan Bodin October 23, 1975. [Original cassette tapes are with the collection: Cullinan (1); Staub (2).

Scope and Contents

UNMICROFILMED: Three photographs relating to Bywaters' book Seventy-Five Years of Art in Dallas," 1978. One taken by Rogers, ca. 1918, is annotated "early art patron, Dallas," is of a woman inspecting possible purchases. Two taken by C.E. Arnold show the Dallas Fine Arts Building (destroyed in 1957) exterior, and an interior view, 1920, showing the Dallas Art Association permanent collection.

Biographical / Historical

Jerry Bywaters (1906-1989) was an American artist, university professor, museum director, art critic and a historian of the Texas region. Based in Dallas, Bywaters worked to elevate the quality of Texas art, attracting national recognition to the art of the region. Bywaters was born in Paris, Texas in 1906, and he studied English at Southern Methodist University. In 1927 he began studying art While traveling through Europe, and he went on to study at Old Lyme Art Colony in Connecticut and at the Art Students League in New York City. Bywaters became known for producing landscapes, still lifes and portrait paintings, as well as lithographic prints and murals. In addition, Bywaters worked as an art and art history professor at Southern Methodist University, and he served as director of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts from 1943 to 1964. Bywaters died in 1989.