Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Hermann Dudley Murphy Papers, circa 1878-1982, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.murpherm
Creators:
Murphy, Hermann Dudley, 1867-1945
Dates:
circa 1878-1982
Languages:
The collection is in English
Physical Description:
2.8 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of painter and frame maker Hermann Dudley Murphy measure 2.8 linear feet and date from circa 1878-1982. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, personal business records, printed materials, a scrapbook, photographs, and original artworks, including sketchbooks.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of painter and frame maker Hermann Dudley Murphy measure 2.8 linear feet and date from circa 1878-1982. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, personal business records, printed materials, a scrapbook, photographs, and original artworks, including sketchbooks.
The bulk of the papers focus on the later part of Herman Dudley Murphy's career. Specifically, correspondence focuses on the sale of still-life paintings and sketches and sketchbooks are mostly from Murphy's travels through Europe and Mexico from the 1920s to the 1930s. Correspondents include Mary Ogden Abbott, Edwin S. Barrie, Maurice Prendergast, Chauncey Ryder, Theodore Sizer, Edmund Tarbell, Alexander Trowbridge, and Vose Gallery among others. Personal business records comment on the sale of works of art from 1897 until 1944. Printed materials include clippings and exhibition catalogs spanning Murphy's career. One scrapbook contains photos and printed materials. Photographs and snapshots are of Hermann Dudley Murphey and family, family travels, and works of art and frames. Artwork consists of loose sketches, prints, and sketchbooks.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is arranged as 8 series.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1887-circa 1940 (Box 1; 7 folders)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1890-1962 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)
  • Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1900-1942 (Box 1; 7 folders)
  • Series 4: Personal Business and Financial Records, 1897-1944 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
  • Series 5: Printed Material, 1889-1982 (Box 1-2; 0.9 linear feet)
  • Series 6: Scrapbook, circa 1910 (Box 2; 1 folder)
  • Series 7: Photographs, circa 1878-circa 1950 (Box 2; 0.2 linear feet)
  • Series 8: Artwork, 1892-circa 1940 (Box 2-4; 0.8 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Hermann Dudley Murphy (1867-1945) was a painter and frame maker active in Boston, Massachusetts.
Hermann Dudley Murphy was born in Massachusetts in 1867. He studied art under Edmund Tarbell at the Boston Museum School and later in Paris at the Académie Julian. His early career focused on portraiture and landscape painting. While in Paris, Murphy learned to make frames for artworks. After exhibiting at the 1913 Armory Show, Murphy rejected Modernism and painted still-life. He was known for his Tonalist style and his floral still-life paintings which included objects d'art such as Chinese ceramics, bronze statues, and textiles. Additionally, Murphy taught art classes at the Harvard School of Architecture and the Worcester Art Museum School.
Murphy married Caroline Bowles Murphy with whom he had two children, Carlene and Dudley Murphy. After Caroline died, he married artist Nellie Littlehale. With Nellie, he shared an interest in deck-seat canoeing. Murphy died in 1945.

Administration

Author
Jayna M. Josefson
Sponsor
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Processing Information
The Hermann Dudley Murphy papers were arranged upon receipt and microfilmed onto reels 4038-4039. In 2013, the papers were minimally processed and described by Jayna Josefson with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated in 1985 by Alexander B. and Dudley D. B. Samoiloff, grandsons of Hermann Dudley Murphy.
Existence and Location of Originals
Several letters from Caroline Bowles Murphy to Hermann Dudley Murphy are photocopies. The original materials stayed with the donor, Alexander Samoiloff.
Existence and Location of Copies
The collection is available on 35 mm microfilm reels 4038-4039 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Hermann Dudley Murphy papers, circa 1878-1982. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Terms of Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scrapbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Prints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketches Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mexico -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketchbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Picture frames and framing -- Massachusetts Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Abbott, Mary Ogden, 1894-1981 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Prendergast, Maurice Brazil, 1858-1924 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Barrie, Erwin S., 1886-1983 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ryder, Chauncey F., 1868-1949 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sizer, Theodore, 1892-1967 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trowbridge, Alexander Buell, 1868-1950 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tarbell, Edmund Charles, 1862-1938 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Vose Galleries of Boston Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions