The collection is arranged as 6 series. Series 1: Biographical Material, 1936-1977 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet) Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1930-1978 (Box 1; 0.6 linear feet) Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1940s-1978 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet) Series 4: Professional Files, 1940s-1980 (Box 1-5, 8; 4.1 linear feet) Series 5: Printed Material, 1939-1976 (Box 6-7; 0.4 linear feet) Series 6: Photographs, 1949-1970s (Box 7; 0.2 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Summary:
The papers of painter and arts administrator Francis Sumner Merritt measure 5.7 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 1980. The bulk of the papers document his career as the founding director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Included are biographical materials, personal correspondence, writings and notes, professional files on Haystack and other institutions, printed material, and photographs.
Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The collection is available on 35 mm microfilm reels 5099-5106 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.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts records, 1950-1969, and an oral history interview of Francis Sumner Merritt conducted 1979 May 25-June 25, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Biography Note:
Francis Sumner Merritt (1913-2000) was a painter, designer, and arts administrator. He was the first director of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
Francis Sumner Merritt donated his papers in two accessions in 1980 and 1994.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
