Collection ID: C621
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Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Eikerman, Alma
Abstract:
Alma Eikerman (1908-1995) was a metalsmith and professor at Indiana University (1947-1978), where she developed the Department of Fine Arts metals program. This collection spans most of her lifetime, providing documentation of her artwork, teaching career, travels, family, friends, and students.
Extent:
15.4 cubic feet (18 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Item], Alma Eikerman papers, Collection C621, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

Alma Eikerman was born in 1909 in Pratt, Kansas. She earned her B.S. at Kansas State College in Emporia, Kansas, after which she taught art and music in public schools in Pratt and Winfield, Kansas from 1934 to 1940. She began her graduate studies at the University of Kansas and eventually transferred to Columbia University in New York, where she graduated with an M.S. in 1942. During World War II, she was stationed with the American Red Cross in Italy from 1944 to 1945.

In 1947, Eikerman came to Indiana University as an Assistant Professor, where she developed the Department of Fine Arts metals program. Besides teaching, Eikerman traveled extensively to study with other artists in Europe and she was also a well-recognized and respected metalsmith whose works appeared in many exhibitions. In 1978, she retired from Indiana University with the rank of Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Fine Arts. Eikerman passed away in 1995.

Scope and Content:

This collection spans most of Alma Eikerman's lifetime, providing documentation of her artwork, teaching career, travels, family, friends, and students. The collection is organized into eight series: Biographical, Correspondence, Teaching and Students, Publications, Research, and Art, Travel, Professional, Exhibitions, and Photographs.

The Biographical series (1915-1995) includes resumes, biographical publications, a folder relating to her education, time spent in the American Red Cross and her career before IU, information relating to her personal art collection as well as from 1950 to 1991, which not only include the usual scheduling notes but also some entries that read more like a journal. This series also includes a folder that includes documents from the house she designed, including drawings and magazine clippings with notes of inspiration. Relating to her professional career, the files relating to Indiana University include contracts, end of year reviews, documentation about her research and awards received.

The Correspondence series (1916-1995) includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence. It includes professional correspondence and many personal letters, such as the post cards she sent to her parents while she was working for the American Red Cross and a letter from her grandfather from around 1916. This series also includes the newsletters that she sent out to her students to keep everyone updated on what everyone else was doing and lists of contacts.

The Teaching and Students series (1946-1993) includes Eikerman's teaching materials, slide lists and assignments. This also includes materials relating to the careers of her students such as exhibition information and publications.

The Publications, Research, and Art series (1936-1993) contains items such as papers written by Alma Eikerman, her research, notes, and notebooks. Notably, this series contains papers related to her artwork, such as sketches, notes, and price sheets.

The Travel series (1942-1991) documents Eikerman's travels over the years and includes passports, tickets, maps, notes she took while on trips, itineraries, and brochures. Because she travelled a lot for research, if one is not finding the information they want in the previous research folders, this series would be the next best place to look.

Organized by decade, the Exhibition series (1947-1993) includes exhibition catalogs and loan agreements spanning her prolific career.

The Professional series (1947-1992) contains papers pertaining to professional associations she belonged to, conferences and workshops she attended or led, and exhibitions she juried.

Lastly, the Photographs series (1910s-1990s) contains slides, negatives and prints of Eikerman spanning from her childhood to adulthood, personal photographs, and photographs of art, whether it is hers, others, or a pieces she was studying.

Acquisition information:
Accessions 7078 and 2015/079
Appraisal information:

Duplicates as well as publications unrelated to Eikerman or her collection were discarded.

Custodial history:

After Alma Eikerman's death in 1995, the archival collection was in possession of Susan Streich, Alma's niece. The collection was then given to Paulette Myers, Professor of Metals and Jewelry at the University of Illinois at Edwardsville, IL for research. The collection then transferred to Glen Brown from Kansas State University, Manhattan. In the summer of 2015, the collection was transferred to the Indiana University Archives (Accn. 2015/079). Accn. 7078 was transferred in 1956 by Alma Eikerman.

Processing information:

Processed by Kristen White.

Completed in 2016

Correspondence series reorganized in June 2018 by Katie Morrison. No material was removed or added as a result of the changes.

Arrangement:

This collection was transferred to the IU Archives with no discernable order and has been rearranged in order to provide better access.

The collection is organized into eight series: Biographical, Correspondence, Teaching and Students, Publications, Research, and Art, Travel, Professional, Exhibitions, and Photographs.

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Select files closed to researchers. These are indicated in the folder list.

Advance notice required for access to collection.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

The donor(s) of this collection have transferred their copyrights for the materials to the Trustees of Indiana University through a Deed of Gift. 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.

Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[Item], Alma Eikerman papers, Collection C621, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
Herman B Wells Library E460
1320 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
812-855-1127
archives@indiana.edu