Archives of American Art

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston records

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.musefabr
Creators:
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Dates:
1870-1973
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
79 Microfilm reels
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Correspondence, minutes, accession records, building records, and records of the Department of Prints and Drawings.
Scope and Contents
REELS 536-565: Archives of the Museum, 1875-1954, including: correspondence of the President, Gardiner M. Lane, 1910-1914 (8 letterpress books and 1,256 items); correspondence of the Director, Charles Greely Loring, 1876-1901 (6 vols. and 11,355 items); correspondence of the Assistant Director, Benjamin Ives Gilman, 1894-1902 (6 vols. and 272 items); minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1870-1954 (17 vols.); minutes of the Committee on the Museum, 1875-1954 (25 vols.); minutes of the Executive Committee, 1876-1946 (5 vols.); and Visiting Committee records, 1906-1949 (1 loose leaf binder).
Scope and Contents
REELS 584-587: Records of the Department of Prints and Drawings, including 2 vols. of correspondence, 1904-1915, 14 accession books, 1872-1946, and 14 record books. Record books include the following: The Sylvester Rosa Koehler Collection, 1893 (3 vols.); the Harvey D. Parker-Henry F. Sewell Collection, 1897-1900 (4 vols.); Objects Entering the Department of Prints and Drawings, 1935-1947; Prices of Prints, 1877-1885; Engravings and Photographs Purchased in Europe, 1886-1887; Visitors to the Gray Collection, 1872-1889; Vistors Register, 1890-1915; and a register of books.
Scope and Contents
REEL 588 (SEALED): Accession records, 1967-1973.
Scope and Contents
REELS 589-590: Accession records, 1870-1951.
Scope and Contents
REELS 2436-2496: Directors' correspondence, 1901-1954.
Scope and Contents
REELS 2493-2497: Building records, including: records of the Copley Square Building with correspondence, 1870-1901, reports, minutes of the Executive Committee, financial records, and a prospectus and subscription list for the William Morris Hunt Memorial Exhibition, 1879; records of the Huntington Avenue Building, with reports, correspondence and financial records related to its personnel, departments, collections, and competitions; and clippings.
Scope and Contents
REEL 2715: Papers of the print department, ca. 1841-1901, including: letters from Sylvester R. Koehler, curator of the print department, to Charles G. Loring, director of the museum; letters to Koehler concerning printmaking techniques from W. H. Dougal, John M. Falconer, Henry Farrar, Thomas Moran, Walter Rowlands, Walter Shirlaw, James David Smillie, Frederick T. Stuart and Charles A. Walker; a report by Koehler on the print department, January 10, 1888; correspondence regarding the acquisition of the Henry F. Sewall print collection; a handwritten catalog of the Sewall collection, ca. 1880, including printmaker, title, catalog number, collector's mark and value, 463 p.; notes by Koehler; and printed material.

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies
35mm microfilm reels 536-565, 584-587, 589-590, and 2715 available for use at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Existence and Location of Copies
35mm microfilm reels 2436-2497 available for use only at the Boston Public Library and through Archives of American Art's interlibrary loan service.
Existence and Location of Originals
Originals in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Lent for microfilming 1973-1983 by Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Conditions Governing Access
REEL 588: SEALED; no access.

More Information

Other Finding Aids

Other Finding Aids
Microfilm inventory available at all Archives of American Art offices.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Prints -- Technique Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum curators -- Massachusetts Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum directors -- Massachusetts Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art museums -- Massachusetts -- Boston Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Koehler, S. R. (Sylvester Rosa), 1837-1900 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Loring, Charles Greely, 1828-1902 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sewall, Henry F., 1816-1896 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rowlands, Walter, b. 1855 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Shirlaw, Walter, 1838-1909 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Smillie, James David, 1833-1909 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stuart, Frederick T., 1837-1913 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Walker, Charles Alvah, 1848-1920 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dougal, William H., 1822-1895 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Falconer, John Mackie, 1820-1903 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Farrer, Henry, 1843-1903 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Moran, Thomas, 1837-1926 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives of American Art
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Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
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