Archives & Special Collections

Introduction

The archives and special collections of Massachusetts College of Art + Design are a significant resource for research and exhibition. Institutional records, personal papers, artworks, and realia that offer research opportunities in these areas: public art education in America, particularly its early development; artmaking in Boston; the evolution of the professional art school; the lives of artists, designers, and students and teachers of art; the changing relationships between government, industry, educators, and artists; the early development of the Munsell Color System. The collections are also a valuable resource for more general topics like painting, sculpture, crafts, design, art and design education, and public education.

History

As an administrative entity, the college's art collection is actually older than the college itself. In 1871 the Massachusetts Board of Education created a "traveling museum" of drawings, paintings, copies, and casts to support a statewide program of drawing education. Two years later, when the legislature created the college, the Board's traveling museum came under the college's stewardship. It is the first art collection in the United States created by a government body for the purpose of education in the visual arts.

Like its collection, the college was created to diffuse art skills and knowledge throughout the entire population, including the "industrial classes." Tuition fees, for half a century nonexistent, then for decades nominal, today remain relatively low. Ethnicities apparent in class rolls and photographs reflect the waves of immigration from abroad and within: Irish, Mediterranean, German, Eastern European, African, and Asian backgrounds are evident. Therefore this collection reflects a program which was designed for, and sought and utilized by, lower and middle-clas Americans,students whose access to professional art education has been limited.

Archives

Archives, personal papers, rare publications, and other textual materials totaling about 500 cubic feet, include records and publications of the college (1873-), the alumni association (1890-), and student groups (1903-), as well as student and faculty sketchbooks and notebooks (1875-), publications and devices created by alumnus and faculty member Albert Munsell (1901-1918), architectural plans and drawings (1880-), hundreds of photographs of student, faculty, studios, and art work (1880-), a 90,000-image pictorial reference file (1930-1970), the records of the Boston Lettering Arts Guild, newsclipping scrapbooks (1882-), fabric samples, films, videotapes, audiotapes.

Art

The college's collected works of art vary widely, including historical examples of student work, notably 109 examination drawings exhibited at the 1876 U.S. Centennial Exposition, plaster casts of classical sculpture, WPA-commissioned photographs, murals and stained glass windows, and works by well known American artists. Among those, many represent alumni/ae and faculty: a portrait of college founder Walter Smith by Robert Vonnoh, sculptures by Cyrus Dallin and Raymond Porter, drawings by Ernest L. Major, prints and paintings by Lawrence Kupferman, photographs by William Wegman, glass by Dan Dailey, and posters by Jacqueline Casey and members of Boston's Graphic Workshop. Other works include abuot 150 artists' books, a sculpture by Louise Nevelson, books and prints by Josef Albers, prints by Leonard Baskin, and photographs by Paul Strand, George Tice, Harold Edgerton, and James Nachtwey.

Access

Archives and Special Collection are open for appointments on Fridays only

Many books, serials, and pamplets are cataloged with the call number prefix ARCHIVES and are described in MassArt's computerized library catalog available at this web site. Most unpublished materials are described by finding aides available from the archives office. The office can sometimes respond to inquiries on a drop-in basis, but an appointment is recommended.

For more information, contact Library Director, Paul Dobbs phone at 617-879-7105 or by email at pauldobbs@massart.edu.