Articles by wilso952

Museology

Prior to the University’s current Museum Studies graduate minor, a museology program was offered through the Department of Art History. The program, as well as a discussion of the field of museum work, is described in a July 3, 1975 article in the MN Daily titled, “Art interns: learning in a crowded field” (pg. 9).

From a folder of records documenting a course in museology at the University Art Museum in Spring 1985, a chart detailing The Planning, Designing, Construction, and Installation of Exhibitions:

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Happy Anniversary!

MNDaily_4.4.11.pngSeventy-seven years ago, on April 5, 1934, the experiment in fine arts, the “Little Gallery” opened at the University of Minnesota in a few rooms on the top floor of Northrop Auditorium. The front page of the MN Daily for April 5th announces the opening convocation that was held to commemorate the opening, and advertises that Mr. Russell A. Plimpton, of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, would be giving a speech titled, “Who Started Museums Anyhow?,” to include a slide presentation of, in Plimpton’s regard, “some of the most interesting museums in the world.”

The following day, April 6, the MN Daily front-page headline reads, “Museum Head Converts Students to Art, Culture.” Another article, placed near the bottom of the page, titled, “Art Finds Home In New Gallery Over Auditorium,” vividly describes the activity in Northrop Auditorium with the addition of the new gallery:

“While several hundred students and faculty members wandered through the University’s ‘Little Gallery’ on the third floor, viewing the work of famous European and American artists, a typist on the floor below blended the staccato notes of her machines with opening chords of Beethoven’s fifth symphony, as interpreted by the orchestra on the stage of the auditorium.

An unnamed workman, oblivious of the great event which was transpiring upstairs, found the necessity to grasp a hammer firmly and contribute to the booming of the drummer, practicing in the University band rehearsal room.

Upstairs, a professor gazed at the exhibits hung along the wall of the improvised gallery, ‘Those are the first original pieces by Corot and Henner that I have ever seen,” he declared to no one in particular. And that was the general impression as the University contributed a full-fledged art gallery to its courses in culture.”

(The Plimpton speech article continues onto page 3. Also on page 3, don’t miss the advertisements for Rice Krispies cereal or Arrow Underwear. “Nothing tries my patience like creeping underwear.”)


Questionnaire

Questionnaire1.JPGAs I reached to pull the folder titled, “Victorian Questionnaire” out of the box and opened the front flap to transfer the contents, to my surprise, there were no loosely assembled papers or correspondence, research, or exhibit checklists (as per usual), but rather a stiff and tightly packed manila envelope.

A peak inside the envelope revealed a stack of ¼ sheet questionnaires, completed by those that attended the campus-wide festival, “The Art & Mind of Victorian England” held September 28-November 8, 1974, and included public balloon ascensions, Victorian music performances, production of the operetta, ‘Patience,’ library display of 19th century boys magazines, and a lecture series. A University Gallery exhibition titled, “The Art and Mind of Victorian: England: Paintings from the Forbes Magazine Collection,” was also part of the festival. From an August 20, 1974 U of M News Release (Digital Conservancy):

“Included are 47 paintings, spanning the reign of Queen Victoria, and furniture and decorative objects from the period. This will be the first time the paintings, assembled by Christopher Forbes as part of the Forbes Magazine Collection, have been publicly displayed.”

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I wonder who was tasked with tallying all of the submitted answers?


Candid Revisited

Through supplementary research on the history of the University Gallery, my tired eyes have scanned download after download from the PDF Archive collection of the MN Daily, the University’s student newspaper. The Daily’s PDF Archives provide access to PDFs of the paper dating back to 1900.

I came across the published MN Daily PDF for June 17, 1957, which contained an edition of the “Ivory Tower.” On page 11, continued on page 20, the feature story titled, “The Artist in The Gallery,” highlights Ruth Lawrence, the “quick-moving little woman with a ready smile,” at her retirement. The article includes an accompanying photograph, a candid of the artist in her gallery… a print of which resides in Box 3 of the WAM Archives.

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The article, which contains personal memories and career accomplishments, also reveals Lawrence’s thoughts on retirement and her prophecy for the future of the Gallery:

It’s high time someone else took over. Saying goodbye to things you’ve loved is always hard. But I think you have to look ahead – and I’m sure everything will be as interesting as my earlier years have been.

The MN Daily recently featured the University Archives in a March 9, 2011 article and mentioned the Weisman Art Museum’s WAM Files archives project. Elisabeth Kaplan, University Archivist, gives a wonderful overview of the resources available in the Archives in “Following the U’s paper trail”.


Draft Description

Found amongst the files was a draft of a brief history of the University Gallery. No author is identified, and while the tattered edges and coloring of the paper can give clue to its age, the final paragraph draws attention to the tentative list of exhibitions scheduled for the 1959-1960 season, providing an indication of when the draft may have been created.

The draft identifies the major contributors to the development of the Gallery, to include President Lotus Coffman, Hudson Walker, and Ruth Lawrence. A description of the scope and size of the permanent collection and mention of key works is included.

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UniversityGallery-Description_1959-60.pdf


Simons says…

Simon.jpgFollowing Ruth Lawrence’s retirement in 1957, Sidney Simon, assistant professor of art, was hired as the next director of the University Art Gallery.

Meeting Minutes of the Board of Regents from Nov. 7-8, 1958 (Digital Conservancy) record the details of his appointment:

Sidney Simon appointed as Assistant Professor and Art Gallery Director Sept. 16, 1958 to June 15, 1960 at the rate of $6,235 Term B to read Nov. 16, 1958 to June 15, 1960

Due to Lawrence’s efforts in building the Gallery’s permanent collection over the course of her directorship (1934-1957), Simon would have ample opportunity to feature the University’s collection. A January 3 1961, U of M News Service release (Digital Conservancy) announces the Gallery’s annual permanent collection exhibition,

The choicest jewels of the University of Minnesota gallery – oils by Georgia O’Keeffe, B.J.O. Nordfeldt, Dove, Hartley and Feininger, water colors by Marin and Gross, Picasso prints, Kaethe Kollwitz drawings – will be put on public display in Northrop Memorial auditorium Thursday, January 12…

Following the permanent collection exhibition, a January 17th news release (Digital Conservancy) announces the Gallery’s “big show” of the year, “The Eighteenth Century – One Hundred Drawings by One Hundred Artists,” to open on January 23,

Outstanding 18th Century artists whose original works have been borrowed from museums throughout the world include Watteau, Fragonard and Boucher from France; Gainsborough and Romney from England; and Canaletto and Guardi, from Italy as well as numerous works from Germany, Switzerland and Holland… The show, which will hang in the galleries until March 7, is planned as a feature of the 49th annual meetings, in Minneapolis on Jan. 27, 28 and 29, of the College Art Association of America and the 14th annual meeting of the Society of Architectural Historians…

The works were assembled by University art department faculty, Professor Lorenz E.A. Eitner and Associate Professor Hylton A. Thomas, and were exhibited in the fourth floor gallery of Northrop:

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Materials and Tools of Archives

Inspired by the photographs found of the 1947 exhibit, “Materials and Tools of Art” I thought it would be of interest to share the Materials and Tools of Archives – as related to the WAM Files project.

First, the location. Processing occurs in a secure subbasement workroom of Elmer L. Andersen Library on the West Bank campus at the University. The workroom is shared by the many archives and special collections units that comprise the library. In a front corner of the room, the “materials and tools” are kept amongst three large tables which combine to form a U-shaped work station.

Let’s start with a few vocabulary words.

Thumbnail image for FolderBox4.JPGBox – Container for folders.
Folder – container for materials (correspondence, exhibit catalogues, exhibition checklists, photos, slides, etc.)

Processing began with replacing several of the first set of boxes that had ripped tops or torn corners/edges. Simply put, contents from old boxes are moved to new boxes. Propping the box allows for folders to be neatly and orderly stacked on top of each other while transferring contents from one box to another. Another tool, a sponge, acts as a placeholder, keeping folders upright and ensuring they don’t collapse or fold over as other folders are removed. Folders that are ripped, weak, or colored are replaced so that the folder will reinforce or adequately hold the contents within.

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Pencil – Each folder is labeled with the collection number, folder title, and the date. Whether you like an old school #2 or a high-tech mechanical, it’s the processors choice – just never use a pen.

Eraser – We’re not perfect!

Stapler, staples – Labeled folders that do not need replacing are stapled on the label. Due to the humidity levels of the environment in which the collection is stored, the adhesive on the labels will give way over time resulting in a label free fall.

Staple remover – During the creation of the record (based on the administrative flair of the creator) notes, business cards, and other miscellaneous items were often stapled to the inside of folders. The staples are removed and the newly-free, formerly-attached items join the remaining folder contents.

Post-It Notes – To make notes!

Reference.JPGReference materials – In addition to the University Archives processing guidelines document, our project adviser has shared with us several standard references for archival processing.

Computer – The collection series, folder title, and date is recorded on a spreadsheet to make a record of the contents of the collection, which will later be converted to encoded archival description (EAD) which will be used to create a finding aid.

But before we get ahead of ourselves with talk of finding aids (we have completed processing just short of 30 boxes thus far), there is one final and and important material that is of paramount use in the archives – cotton, wool, polyester, whatever variety of fabric blend preferred by the processor that will provide an extra layer of warmth in the cool, cavernous, temperature controlled environment.


Appraisal

In the 1950-1952 Biennial President’s Report (Digital Conservancy), Ruth Lawrence shares an appraisal of how the concepts of museums and art have changed since becoming Director in 1934:

The concepts of museums, the methods of teaching art, and the attitudes of art have changed completely since WWI. Our 19th century patterns were deliberate and unhurried; speed is today’s yardstick. Therefore, what is presented must meet the demands of rapid appraisal, coupled with maximum interest.

From Box 3, “Staff Photographs, Resumes,” Ruth in the gallery…

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Materials & Tools of Art

Amongst the files that were kept on exhibitions held at the University Gallery, an occasional treat is provided to the processor by the inclusion of photographs of the installation and final appearance of the exhibit. Often intermixed with correspondence and checklists of artwork, these photographs offer us prime examples of exhibit design from the era in which the exhibition was held.

“Materials and Tools of Art,” prepared by Gallery staff, was held from September 29 to October 29, 1947.

A September 16, 1947 news release from the U of M News Service (Digital Conservancy) offers this statement:

 

“The exhibition will show the materials and tools from which an artist works and will explain how his choice of materials and tools plus his inventiveness and creativeness go into the making of a work of art.”

 

Fresco
Watercolor, Stone
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Mysterious Media

Though a majority of processing has consisted of rhythmic re-foldering, several boxes have also contained mysterious miscellany found amongst the folder sets…

After removing each of the two folders containing materials for the Grace Hartigan Exhibition, (held at the University Gallery from Sept. 23 – Nov. 4, 1963), an item, which had been shoved underneath the folders, was revealed at the bottom of the box: a smaller cardboard box!

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Labeled with “Hartigan” and the dates of the exhibition, the box was obviously intended to be included with this folder set. The contents of the box create further intrigue…

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A small note that states, “Joanne – this is the Hartigan tape recording – please ‘file; (ex: folder), 63-64, Sept. 23 – Nov. 3,” covered the small reel of tape that rested inside. After consulting with the advising archivist, the box was made note of and set aside for further investigation.

What is this mysterious media?