Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts
- Abstract:
- Founded in 1895 as the Department of Freehand and Mechanical Drawing, the present day Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts was at the time only the third art department in the United States. Today it consists of over 40 full-time faculty members between the Studio and History of Art Departments with several of its programs listed among the most respected in the county. The Director's records consist of Fine Arts faculty meeting notes, materials relating to program development, and correspondence.
- Extent:
- .4 cubic feet (1 box)
- Language:
- Materials are in English
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts Director's records, Collection C439, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Founded in 1895 as the Department of Freehand and Mechanical Drawing, the present day Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts was at the time only the third art department in the United States. Prior to the arrival of Henry Hope in 1941, only two other individuals had served as chairs of the Department: Alfred Mansfield Brooks from 1895-1920, and Robert E. Burke from 1920-1941. That year, upon the request of President Herman B Wells, Hope joined as chair of the then department of Fine Arts which employed only two faculty members and was housed in several rooms of the old library (now Franklin Hall). Within a few months, he added three faculty members, and the department moved into a newly renovated space in Mitchell Hall.
In 1948, Henry Hope established the Hope Fund with the help of a few major donors to create a collection of prints, photographs, drawings and watercolors for the university which would lay the foundation for the permanent collection of the IU Art Museum. By late 1956 the department had expanded to include sixteen full-time faculty members, was spread across four additional buildings on campus, and lacked a secure gallery space to exhibit art work. Because of this vast expansion in 1962 the department in its entirely moved to its new present day facility near the center of campus on Showalter Plaza, and in 1982 the separate I.M. Pei designed IU Art Museum was dedicated to house the art collections.
In 1967, Henry Hope stepped down as chair of the department, and in 1971 he officially retired from his university duties. Following his death in 1989, the School of Fine Arts was named in his honor as the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts. Today the School consists of over 40 full-time faculty members between the Studio and History of Art Departments with several of its programs listed among the most respected in the county.
- Scope and Content:
The Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts Director's records (1941-1968) cover the period of Henry Hope's tenure as Chair of School of Fine Arts. The bulk of the collection consists of records from the late 1950s until 1968. The collection is organized into two series: Administrative files (1943-1967) and Correspondence (1941-1968). Of particular note among the Administrative Files are notes from Fine Arts faculty meetings – primarily focusing upon the establishment of a major program in Art Education, departmental lectures, the status of M.F.A. programs in the United States, and records relating to the proposed establishment of a state School of Architecture. The Correspondence series consists primarily of exchanges with various Indiana University administrators and faculty – of particular note is the correspondence with other Fine Arts faculty such as Alma Eikerman, Albert Elsen, and Harry Engel. Also, of interest is a file containing a minimal amount of correspondence covering Hope's tenure as the Director the Indiana University Art Museum from 1961-1971.
- Acquisition information:
- Accession numbers: 0763, 2003/067, 2012/035A
- Appraisal information:
Detailed financial records such as Statements of Account and travel reimbursement forms were removed and destroyed from the "Hope Fund" file.
- Custodial history:
Transferred from the Indiana University Art Museum on October 20, 1998.
- Processing information:
Processed by Carrie Schwier.
Completed in 2011.
- Arrangement:
The collection is organized into two series: Administrative files and Correspondence.
Online content
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Copyrights for records originating with Indiana University administrative units, departments, and other offices are held by the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials. Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.
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- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts Director's records, Collection C439, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
Herman B Wells Library E4601320 East Tenth StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
812-855-1127archives@indiana.edu