The collection is arranged as 7 series. Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1944-1996 (5 folders; Box 1) Series 2: Correspondence, 1943-2003 (7 folders; Box 1) Series 3: Writings, circa 1944-1991 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1) Series 4: Personal Business Records, circa 1950s-1984 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1) Series 5: Printed Material, 1939-1998 (5 folders; Box 1) Series 6: Photographic Material, 1936-1994 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 2-3, 5-6) Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1939-1956 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 3-4, 6)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Summary:
The papers of painter and teacher Morton Traylor measure 3.4 linear feet and date from 1936 to 2003. The papers document his career as an artist and administrator of the Virginia Art Institute through biographical material, correspondence, writings, personal business records, printed material, photographs, and scrapbooks. The bulk of the collection consists of photographs, slides, and albums of artwork by Traylor. Three scrapbooks document his education and early career through clippings, photographs, exhibition materials, and letters.
Citation:
Morton Traylor papers, 1936-2003. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Use Note:
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.
Biography Note:
Morton Traylor (1918-1996) was a painter and teacher in Los Angeles, California, and Charlottesville, Virginia. Traylor founded and taught at the Virginia Art Institute.
Morton Traylor was born in Petersburg, Virginia, and studied art at Los Angeles City College, Chouinard Art Institute, and Jepson Art Institute. He also attended the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1947. From 1942 to 1946 he served in the U.S. Navy as a Radio and Radar man, spending time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1950 he worked as the personal assistant to artist Rico Lebrun, and during the 1950s worked in commercial art at several companies in California. After moving to Virginia with his wife in 1960, he taught at the Holden School of Fine and Applied Arts, and in 1966 opened the Virginia Art Institute in Charlottesville. The school closed in 1975. Traylor regularly exhibited his work throughout his career and won several awards. In 1985 Traylor and his wife moved to Days Creek, Oregon, where he continued to paint and exhibit his work until his death in 1996.
Language Note:
The collection is in English.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2012 by Nathan Simon, Morton Traylor's friend.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
