The Richard Murray research material regarding Abbot Handerson Thayer measures 9.0 linear feet and dates from 1948 to 2004, with the bulk of the material dating from 1994 to 2001. Project files primarily document Murray's work on the 1999 exhibition "Abbott Thayer: The Nature of Art" and subsequent Thayer book project. Also found are extensive research files on Abbott Handerson Thayer and his specific works of art as well as photographic materials depicting Thayer, his family, studio, house, and works of art.
Scope and Content Note:
The Richard Murray research material regarding Abbot Handerson Thayer measures 9.0 linear feet and dates from 1948 to 2004, with the bulk of the material dating from 1994 to 2001. Project files primarily document Murray's work on the 1999 exhibition "Abbott Thayer: The Nature of Art" and subsequent Thayer book project. Also found are extensive research files on Abbott Handerson Thayer and his specific works of art as well as photographic materials depicting Thayer, his family, studio, house, and works of art.
Project files document Richard Murray's research projects regarding Abbott Handerson Thayer. Found here is Murray's correspondence with fellow Thayer scholars, collectors, art museums, and Thayer family members. Also included are planning documents, loan forms, press clippings, conservation requests, checklists and other materials for the exhibition "Abbott Thayer: The Nature of Art" which Murray curated at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (formerly National Museum of American Art) in 1999. Additional project files are primarily for his proposed book on Abbott Thayer and include research grant applications, fundraising, photograph orders, and reviews of the initial manuscript.
Research files contain documentation on archival collections regarding Thayer, subject files on family members, models, and friends of Thayer, private and museum collections of his artwork, and other subject's relevant to Thayer's career as an artist. Files may include Murray's correspondence and notes. However, the bulk of the material consists of photocopies or microfilm print-outs of archival documents, newspaper clippings, and other printed material. Also found are files on specific works of art by Thayer. These files may contain catalog descriptions, provenance information, correspondence, and images of the work of art.
Photographs depict Thayer, his family, friends, studio, house, and his artwork. Also found are negatives, color transparencies, and slides of these photographs. Of note are photographs of x-rays of Thayer paintings. Researchers should note that all photographs of Thayer, his family, house, studio, and artwork are copy prints of original photographs which Richard Murray requested from the owners for his research.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 3 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Project Files, 1990-2004 (Box 1-2; 1.2 linear feet)
Series 2: Research Files, 1948-2004 (Box 2-8; 6.1 linear feet)
Series 3: Photographic Materials, 1961, circa 1990s-2001 (Box 8-9; 1.7 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Richard Murray (1942-2006) was a curator and art historian at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. Murray specialized in the works of Abbott Thayer and curated the 1999 exhibition, "Abbott Thayer: The Nature of Art." Before his death Murray was researching to write a book on Thayer's paintings and his involvement with conservation projects.
Related Material:
The Archives of American Art holds several collections related to Abbott Handerson Thayer. These include the Abbott Handerson Thayer and Thayer family papers, 1851-1999; research material on Abbott Handerson Thayer and other artists, 1895-1990, donated by Thomas B. Brumbaugh; the Abbott Handerson Thayer letter and drawings to Caroline Peddle Ball, circa 1890-1893; "The Drawings of Abbott Thayer", by Elizabeth Robins Pennell, circa 1921; and the Nelson and Henry C. White research material, 1898-1978, which includes many letters, photographs, and other material originally belonging to the Thayer family.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2011 by the Smithsonian American Art Museum via George Gurney, curator.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
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.
