Archives of American Art

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston records

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.musefaht
Creators:
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Dates:
1924-1981
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
17.2 Linear feet
(microfilmed on 18 reels)
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Correspondence; scrapbooks; a report; financial statements; and blueprints and architectural plans.
Scope and Contents
REELS 1579-1594: Correspondence, 1961-1967, of the director, James Johnson Sweeney, concerning the operation and exhibitions of the Museum. Sweeney's correspondence as President of the McDowell Association, and correspondence, financial statements, artist information sheets, photos, and printed miscellany relating to Sweeney's position as a member of the Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Inc. are also included.
Scope and Contents
REELS 3315-A & 3367: A scrapbook, ca. 1950-1970, containing exhibition announcements, catalogs and invitations, clippings, photographs of works of art and biographical data on Texas artists John Squire Adams, David Adickes, John T. Biggers, Bill Bomar, James W. Boynton, Joe Coulter, Otis Dozier, Kelly Fearing, Seymour Fogel, Michael Frary, Henry Gadbois, Herbert Mears, Robert Preusser, Frances Taylor Royston, Everett Spruce, Charles Umlauf and others. Also includes 3 public information scrapbooks, 1924-1958, containing newspaper clippings, magazine articles, exhibition catalogs, correspondence, printed material and photographs of works of art.
Scope and Contents
REEL 3475: An undated report "Is Houston Lagging in the Fine Arts?" outlining the need for a new wing for the Museum of Fine Arts, a permanent fund for operation and donations for acquisitions; correspondence, 1967-1968, between MFA Director James Johnson Sweeney and Bruno P. Conterato, David Fix, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, Andrew W. Morgan, S. I. Morris, Hugo Neuhaus, Jr., Arthur Salzman, Francois Stahly, George Tsutakawa, and others regarding a proposed fountain sculpture for Houston and the new addition to the MFA designed by Mies Van Der Rohe; and architectural plans and blueprints, 1954 and 1973, for the new addition.

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies
35mm microfilm reels 1579-1594 available for use at Archives of American Art offices; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and through interlibrary loan.
Existence and Location of Copies
35mm microfilm reels 3315-A, 3367, and 3475 available only at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and through interlibrary loan.
Existence and Location of Originals
Reels 1579-1594(except business correspondence), 3315-A & 3367: Originals returned to Museum of Fine Arts, Houston after microfilming.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Microfilmed as part of the Archives of American Art's Texas project.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Material on reels 1579-1594 lent for microfilming (except business correspondence) 1979 by Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; business correspondence on reels 1579-1594 donated 1979 by Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; material on reels 3315-A & 3367 lent for microfilming 1983 and 1985 by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; material on reel 3475 donated 1981 by Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Artists -- Texas Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art directors -- Texas -- Houston Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art museums -- Texas Function Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig, 1886-1969 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sweeney, James Johnson, 1900- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tamarind Lithography Workshop Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
McDowell Association Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives of American Art
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