TABLE OF CONTENTS
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Contents
Restrictions
Administrative Information
Sources:
Description of Series
Series I. Frederic Allen Williams,
1915-1957 (bulk 1940-1956), 1,893 slides
Series II. Sculpture/World Art Studies,
2,652 slides
Series III. Native Americans, 593
slides
Series IV. New York City, 1930s-1957, 875
slides
Series V. Washington, D.C. and vicinity,
ca. 1920s-1930s, 73 slides
|
Frederic Allen Williams:
An Inventory of His Lantern Slide Collection at the Harry
Ransom Humanities Research Center
| | |
|
| Creator: | Williams, Frederic Allen,
1898-1958 |
| Title: | Frederic Allen Williams
Lantern Slide Collection
|
| Dates: | 1915-1957 |
| Abstract: | The collection documents the life and
work of this American sculptor. Among the subjects represented in Williams'
work are horses, cowboys, rodeos and round-ups, the American West, Native
Americans, and aviators and aviation. Slides of images representing art and
architecture from around the world, particulary the American Southwest, are
present, as well as slides representing Williams' life in New York
City. |
| Extent: | 6,086 lantern slides (13
filing cabinet drawers) |
| Repository: | Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center,
University of Texas at Austin |
Frederic Allen Williams, the American sculptor, was born April 10,
1898 in West Newton, Massachusetts, to Dr. Frederic Allen Williams, Sr. and
Elizabeth Williams (née Paine). Williams' father was both an
ophthalmologist and lawyer in Boston, so Williams grew up in a privileged and
proper household, spending his spare time with the family horses. He received
his secondary education at the Boston Latin School (1913-1917) where he was
taught both Latin and Greek. In 1917 Williams' education was interrupted when
the United States entered World War I. Williams joined the United States Army
and was stationed on Manhattan Island for the duration of the war. Following
the war Williams stayed in New York City, and enrolled in Columbia University
(1918-1920), the Beaux Art Institute of Design (1921-1923), and the National
Academy of Design (1921-1929).
Williams' move to New York was instrumental in shaping his artistic
vision. During the 1910s the New York art scene was filled with images of the
West. And, while Williams saw the works of Charles Russell and Frederic
Remington, he became quite influenced by a group of artists who, beginning in
1898, began summering in Taos, New Mexico, returning each winter to New York
with their latest works in hand. This group of artists, who in 1915 had founded
the Taos Society of Artists, included Joseph Henry Sharp, Bert Geer Phillips,
E. Irving Couse, and Ernest L. Blumenschein among others. In 1925 Williams made
his first documented trip to New Mexico and Arizona. He returned again in 1926
with his first commission, to sculpt a Native American. As a result Williams
returned to Taos nearly every year thereafter, and by the 1950s he was spending
summers in Taos and winters in New York.
Another reason Williams' move to New York was so influential was that
he saw his first rodeo at Madison Square Garden. From that point on Williams
was in love with the rodeo. Rodeo participants became some of his closest
friends, and many of his travels were to see rodeos and round-ups not only in
the west but also along the East Coast. It was perhaps at the rodeo that
Williams met a man named Dan Frost. Frost, an importer and trader of beads with
Native Americans, was responsible for getting Williams his first job as a
ranch-hand, from a Pendleton (Oregon) saddle-maker named John Hamley. Williams'
ranch experience further solidified his love of the West and his respect for
the cowboy.
Williams embraced all aspects of the American West, from cowboys to
the Taos lifestyle, and the growing trend of interest in the arts of Native
Americans. However, unlike many of his contemporaries who went on to adapt a
more Modernist approach to their art, Williams became a student of Native
American art. In 1940 he expanded his fields of study and took an extensive
tour of Mexico, spending time in many states including the
Yucatán, Oaxaca, Michoacán, and Mexico State.
Here he documented ruins, artwork, costumes, and fiestas both with still
photography and 16mm motion pictures. From his studies of the arts of North,
Central, and South American Native Americans, Williams began to incorporate
their imagery, designs, and symbolism into his own works, culminating in his
design for the outdoor sculpture titled
Shrine of the Americas (1939).
While recognized primarily as a sculptor of Native Americans and
Western imagery, Williams is also known for his portrait heads of early
aviators, authors, musicians, and jurists who were known to him and his family.
Prominent subjects include Augustus Post, Alan Hawley, Will Rogers, Charles
Russell, Edwin Markham, and Percy MacKaye. These portraits, along with his
other works, were not for private consumption only, and Williams had the
pleasure of seeing his work exhibited at The National Academy of Design, The
American Federation of Arts, The National Sculpture Society, The San Francisco
Sculpture Exposition, The Brooklyn Museum, the Santa Fe Museum, and the
American Veterans Society of Artists, Inc. annual exhibitions, among other
venues.
In addition to his talents as a sculptor, Williams was also a teacher,
lecturer, writer, and amateur photographer. One of his main concerns was that
art be made accessible to the public at large. With this goal in mind, he
produced a number of albums designed to instruct laymen of the value of the
arts, function as guide books, and provide historical information. In addition,
the albums also served as the basis for a series of lectures Williams gave over
a period of at least ten years. A published brochure advertised the following
lectures: 1. Mexico, 2. Arts of Mexico, 3. Indian Arts of the United States, 4.
Indian Arts of the Americas, 5. The Arts of Peru, 6. Pottery, 7. Polychrome
Sculpture, 8. The Sculptures of New York, and 9. New York World's Fair. The
lectures were illustrated with Williams' own lantern slides and, in some cases,
with the 16mm movies he made during his 1940 trip to Mexico. The audiences
which received these lectures included art clubs such as the Newport Art
Association, Masonic groups, and members of patriotic organizations such as the
American Legion.
Williams did not limit himself to presenting lectures to societies, he
was also an active member of a number of societies including the American
Veterans Society of Artists, Inc. (President, 1943-1949), the American Rough
Riders, Inc. (Vice President, 1948), the New York Ceramic Society, the American
Artists Professional League, the Artist Guild, the Sons of the American
Revolution, the Rodeo Cowboys Association, and the Trail Riders of the Canadian
Rockies.
Williams continued to sculpt in his New York studio, located at 58
West 57th Street, until his death on 6 December, 1958.
Return to the Table of Contents
The Frederic Allen Williams Lantern Slide Collection is comprised of
6,086 lantern slides, dating from 1915 to 1957, and it features a wide variety
of subject matter which documents the life and work of Frederic Allen Williams.
The Collection is arranged in the following manner: Series I. Frederic Allen
Williams, 1915-1957 (bulk 1940-1956), 1,893 slides; Series II. Sculpture/World
Art Studies, 2,652 slides; Series III. Native Americans, 593 slides; Series IV.
New York City, 1930s-1957, 875 slides; and Series V. Washington, D.C. and
vicinity, ca. 1920s-1930s, 73 slides.
When possible, sub-headings were assigned based on Williams' slide and
box labels. Primary areas of interest, which were often the subjects of
Williams' artwork, include horses, cowboys, rodeos and round-ups, the American
West, Native Americans, and aviation. Other areas of interest include window
displays, flowers and foliage, and world art and architecture. Various
processes were used to create the images including gelatin silver glass-and
film-based slides (2,489), color glass-and film-based slides (3,364),
autochrome glass-based slides (169), hand-colored gelatin silver glass-based
slides (57), and a group of Paget process glass-based slides (7). Examples of
different processes can be located using the container list.
Approximately half of the slides are of art and architecture from
around the world and were made from book plates. Williams used these not only
as studies for his own works but also to illustrate a series of lectures. Of
particular interest are images of early aviation and aviators. The aviation
material consists primarily of slides made from earlier materials, but there
are also a number of slides purchased by Williams. Much of the aviation
material is related to August Post. Post was a close friend of Williams and
appears in a number of images not only within the aviation slides, but also
amongst a group of slides of the Honorable Artillery Company of Britain.
Slides of Williams' travels make up approximately one-sixth of the
collection. The majority of slides were made in the United States between 1944
and 1954, but included also are slides from his 1940 trip to Mexico, and
several trips to Canada. During his travels Williams photographed the art and
architecture of each region (especially in the American Southwest), so that the
images might serve as studies for his own artwork. Highlights include: the 1915
Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco; the Mayan ruins of
Chichén Itzá in the Yucatán, the
Mixtec-Zapotec ruins of Oaxaca, and the ruins of Teotihuacán;
rodeos in Pendleton (Oregon) and Calgary (Canada); and Native Americans and the
artist colony at Taos (New Mexico) during the 1920s and 1930s.
Williams' personal life is documented by slides made from early family
photographs (ca. 1890s-1910s), slides of his mother, his friends both from the
rodeo circuit and the Taos art colony, and slides of his own artworks, studio,
and collection of equestrian art. Because Williams lived in New York City for
most of his life, his slides documenting window displays from the 1940s and
1950s, architecture and sculpture, the Madison Square Garden annual rodeo, the
1939 World's Fair, and other public events, are quite notable.
Return to the Table of Contents
Access:
Open for research
Return to the Table of Contents
Transfer, 1976
Mary Alice Harper, 1999
Return to the Table of Contents
| | |
|
The information in this Biographical Sketch was
taken from several unpublished sources in the Frederic Allen Williams
Collection in the Photography & Film Department. Photocopies of these
source materials have been placed in the Department's Biographical file on
Williams, and they are available upon request.
|
Return to the Table of Contents
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
Series I. Frederic Allen Williams,
1915-1957 (bulk 1940-1956), 1,893 slides
|
| The slides in this series are, with a few exceptions,
original photographs which relate to aspects of Williams' life other than his
studies of world art, Native Americans, and New York City. This series is
arranged into seven subseries: A. Art Works, ca. 1929-1956, B. Family and
Friends, ca. 1920s?-1954, C. Horse Collection, D.
Horse Story Lecture Slides, E.
Interests, 1934-1956 (bulk 1940s-1956), F. Portraits of Williams, 1928-1946,
and G. Trips, 1915-1957 (bulk 1940-1956). |
| | | Subseries A. Art Works, ca. 1929-1956,
80 slides |
| | This group of slides documents Williams' own works of
art, the various media in which he worked, and the wide variety of his
subjects. The bulk of the slides are of sculpture of Native Americans, Western
imagery, animals, and portrait busts, as well as aviation trophies and awards.
Williams' paintings are also represented with landscape paintings of Taos, New
Mexico (2 slides) and Arizona (2 slides of the same painting at different
stages), and one landscape painting of a Taxco, Mexico cityscape. Williams'
fruit and flower displays are poorly represented with just three slides. This
subseries also includes five slides of Williams' studio in New York City taken
in 1929, 1940, and again in 1956. Williams appears in four of the five studio
shots. |
| Cabinet | Drawer |
| 14 | 1 | | | Flower/fruit displays
Extent (3 color) |
| | | | Paintings
Extent (5 color) |
| | | | Sculptures
Extent (19 b&w; 48 color) |
| | | | Studio,
1929, 1940, 1956
Extent (2 b&w; 3 color) |
| | | Subseries B. Family and Friends, ca.
1920s-1954, 70 slides |
| | This subseries is divided nearly equally between
images of Williams' family and friends. A group of 32 black and white slides
were made from early family portraits dating from the turn of the century.
These slides are not labeled, but at least two of them show Williams as a
child. Many of these family photographs were made in a tropical locale, most
likely Florida since also present are two slides made from early photographic
postcards from Florida. In addition to this group of early photographs are
seven portraits of Williams' mother, Elizabeth Williams (née Paine), probably
taken during the 1930s and 1940s. In two slides she appears alone, and in five
slides she is posed with several unidentified friends. |
| | Williams' fascination with the American West brought him
into close contact with cowgirls and cowboys, many of whom performed in the
annual Madison Square Garden Rodeo during the years 1944 to 1947. The Friends
sub-subseries is comprised primarily of formal and informal portraits of rodeo
personalities. Sitters include Pat Henry and his horse, Gold Tony, June and
Buck Alexander, Bill Francisco, Tex Hobgood, Fay Kirkwood, "Bronco" Charlie
Miller, Shorty Sutton and Peggy Lee, Bill Uhlein, and Fay Ward. Other friends
and colleagues of Williams' appear in his travel slides (see Series I,
Subseries G), his slides of Native Americans in Taos, New Mexico (see Series
III, Subseries A), and in his slides of New York City (see Series IV, Subseries
C). |
| | Included also in this subseries are slides of pets,
although it is unclear if these were Williams' pets or not. Two slides are of a
samoyed dog named Yasha, and one slide is of a large gray persian cat. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Family |
| | | | | Elizabeth Williams with her friends,
1930s-1940s
Extent (3 autochrome; 4 color) |
| | | | | Unidentified early family photos,
ca. 1920s
Extent (32 b&w) |
| | | | Friends |
| | | | | Pat Henry and his horse Gold Tony,
1947
Extent (6 color) |
| | | | | Various cowboys and cowgirls,
1944-1947
Extent (22 color) |
| | | | Pets |
| | | | | Yasha, a samoyed dog,
1954
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | | Unidentified gray persian cat,
1940s
Extent (1 color) |
| | | Subseries C. Horse Collection, 10
slides |
| | This group of slides depicts various works of art
featuring horses, which were part of Williams' personal art collection. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Works of art from Williams' personal collection
depicting horses
Extent (10 color) |
| | |
Subseries D.
Horse Story Lecture Slides, 42
slides |
| | Williams had a great love of horses, evident not only
in the subjects of his own art and pieces of his art collection, but also in
this group of slides which he used to illustrate his lecture titled
Horse Story. Through
photographs, works of art, and diagrams, Williams documented the history of the
horse from prehistoric times to the twentieth century. Of the original 100
slides used in the lecture, only 42 remain intact as a group. It is possible
the remaining slides are now part of a group of 147 slides of horses and
equestrian art (see Series II, Subseries G). |
| Cabinet | Drawer |
| 14 | 1 | | | Images used by Williams to depict the history of the
horse in his lecture titled
Horse Story
Extent (42 color) |
| | | Subseries E. Interests, 1934-1956 (bulk
1940s-1956), 252 slides |
| | This subseries encompasses various topics, other than
horses, in which Williams was interested. The majority of the slides fall into
two sub-subseries: Flower and fruit study (147 slides), and plant and
architecture study (59 slides). The remainder of the slides fall into the
following sub-subseries: Buckskin Men, who appear to re-enact frontier days (13
slides); the Honorable Artillery Company (England), painted and photographic
portraits of members (6 slides); Metropolitan Opera costumes (7 slides); and
Mrs. Margaret Campbell Goodman and her historic underwater diving expedition in
Lake Huron in 1934 (20 slides, most likely made from copy prints). |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Buckskin Men,
1938-195?
Extent (1 autochrome; 12 color) |
| | | | Flower and fruit study
Extent (4 autochrome; 143 color) |
| | | | Honorable Artillery Co.,
1956
Extent (6 color) |
| | | | Metropolitan Opera costumes
Extent (7 color) |
| | | | Mrs. Goodman's underwater trip,
1934
Extent (20 b&w) |
| | | | Plant and architecture study
Extent (59 color) |
| | | Subseries F. Portraits of Williams,
1928-1946, 18 slides |
| | This group of 18 slides is a mixture of candid and
studio portraits of Williams. The majority of the portraits, taken in 1928 and
between 1940 and 1946, show Williams dressed in a variety of costumes including
that of an Eskimo, a Mexico vaquero, a Mexican charro, a cowboy, and a Native
American (Plains) chief. Another five images, from ca. 1930s, show Williams
dressed in a fancy military uniform. Additionally, there is one slide with
three candid portraits of Williams at work. Each portrait is on a separate
frame of 35mm black and white film which are pressed between two pieces of
cover glass. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | At work, sculpting,
n.d.
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | In costume,
1928, 1940-1946
Extent (1 b&w; 11 color) |
| | | | In uniform,
ca.
1920s-1930s
Extent (5 autochrome) |
| | | Subseries G. Trips, 1915-1957 (bulk
1940-1956), 1,421 slides |
| | Williams traveled extensively around the United States
(996 slides), Canada (252 slides), and Mexico (168 slides), and made a short
trip to Cuba (5 slides), and this subseries contains slides from his travels.
Prior to processing the slides were grouped by location, but were scattered
amongst other groups of slides. During processing the travel slides were
arranged alphabetically by the above-listed countries, and then, within each
country, alphabetically first by state, province, or region, and second by
city. Of the four countries, the United States is best represented in terms of
sheer quantity, but Mexico is the most thoroughly and methodically documented.
It is possible that Williams' trip to Cuba was made as a side trip during his
extensive tour of Mexico. This explanation would account for the five,
seemingly random, slides of Havana. |
| | Williams' slides of the United States are a mixture of
landscapes and cityscapes, and studies of vernacular architecture and
sculpture. Recurring themes include equestrian sculpture in both "high" and
"low" art, Native Americans and their arts and culture, rodeos, and plant
studies. Slides of New York City are the only deliberate gap in this
sub-subseries. Because Williams lived in New York City, and because he
extensively documented a variety of aspects of city life, architecture, and
sculpture, a whole series is dedicated to New York City (see Series IV). |
| | A large portion of the slides in the United States
sub-subseries are of the Southwest, primarily Arizona (59 slides) and New
Mexico (72 slides). Because Williams wintered in Taos, New Mexico, the slides
from this city contain several candid portraits of Williams' friends, other
artists and their artwork, and Williams himself. Notable subjects include Bert
Geer Phillips and Joseph Henry Sharp. Williams' interest in Native Americans is
manifested in images of various tribes taking part in daily activities
(Shiprock, New Mexico) and in ceremonies (Gallup, New Mexico), as well as in
images of the ruins at Canyon de Chelly, Chaco Canyon, and the Hopi ruins at
First and Second Mesa. Williams also made a number of images of sweeping
landscapes (the Grand Canyon), and landmarks of the old West (Tombstone,
Arizona). |
| | When Williams was living in New York, his proximity to New
Jersey and the New England states allowed for numerous excursions to these
locales during the 1940s and 1950s. While many of the slides are of landscapes
and seascapes (Maine, Massachusetts), the regional architecture (primarily of
Massachusetts, but also Oyster Bay, Long Island) and flora (New York) is also
captured. Williams' love of horses is seen in slides of equestrian statues
(Boston, Hartford), rodeos (East Haven, Trenton, Union City, Sussex), and
Morgan horse farms (Vermont). A number of images show Williams and his friends
in costume. Five images taken at Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey show Williams and
his friend Tom Dorsey dressed as Native Americans in various poses. Another
group of images taken at Crown Point, New York show another friend, Ed Barker,
with a horse, dressed in Williams' cowboy, charro, and gaucho costumes. |
| | Other heavily documented trips were to Oregon and South
Carolina. Most of the Oregon slides are of the Porter Ranch in Long Creek, and
of the Pendleton Round-Ups of 1944, 1945, and 1952. The slides of South
Carolina are specifically of Brookgreen Gardens, a large sculpture garden.
These slides contain a few broad views of the garden, but generally document
individual sculptures and are labeled with the title and artist of the
work. |
| | Williams' first documented visit to Canada was in 1945. On
this trip he stayed primarily in Alberta Province, taking a long trail ride
through the Rocky Mountains, and traveling to Banff and Calgary. In Calgary he
photographed the annual rodeo, round-up, and stampede. Nearly half of the
slides from this trip cover the Calgary events. Williams returned to Canada in
1947, this time traveling around Quebec Province. The majority of the slides
from this trip are landscapes, focused most heavily on Isle d'Orleans, Percé,
and Quebec city. Other subjects include architecture, and the arts and crafts
of the region. |
| | In the spring of 1940 Williams took an extensive tour of
Mexico. Approximately one third of the slides are of the Yucatán, and
specifically the ruins at Chichén Itzá. The states of Guererro, Mexico,
Michoacán, Oaxaca, and Puebla also figure prominently. The slides focus on
aspects of daily life including fiestas and costumes, vegetation (primarily in
bloom), and architecture (specifically cathedrals and ruins). The ruins
depicted are Chichén Itzá, Mitla, Monte Albán, Teotihuacán, and Uxmal. Also
included are a variety of landscapes ranging from deserts to coastlines. |
| | The five slides which document Williams' trip to Cuba in
circa 1940 are of architecture in Havana, specifically the Capitolio Nacional,
the Catedral de San Christóbal de La Habana, and Castillo del Morro. |
| Cabinet | Drawer |
| 14 | 1-2 | | | Canada |
| | | | | Maps
Extent (1 color) |
| | | | | Rocky Mountain Trail Ride,
1945
Extent (36 color) |
| 1-2 | | | | Alberta Province,
1945
Extent (79 color) |
| 2 | | | | Quebec Province,
1947
Extent (136 color) |
| | | | Cuba,
1940?
Extent (5 color) |
| 2 | | | Mexico,
1940 |
| | | | | Maps
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | | Distrito Federál (Mexico
City)
Extent (12 color) |
| | | | | Guerrero
Extent (10 color) |
| 2 | | | | Jalisco
Extent (8 color) |
| | | | | Mexico State
Extent (14 color) |
| | | | | Michoacán
Extent (18 color) |
| | | | | Morelos
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | | Oaxaca
Extent (34 color) |
| | | | | Puebla
Extent (12 color) |
| | | | | Veracruz
Extent (3 color) |
| | | | | Yucatán
Extent (50 color) |
| | | | | Unidentified
Extent (3 color) |
| 3-4 | | | United States |
| | | | | Arizona,
1944, 1952
Extent (59 color) |
| | | | | California,
1915-1920s, 1940
Extent (27 handcolored b&w; 7 Paget
process; 7 color) |
| | | | | Colorado,
1953
Extent (9 color) |
| | | | | Connecticut,
1940s-1954
Extent (20 color) |
| | | | | Idaho,
1952
Extent (5 color) |
| | | | | Illinois--Chicago,
1953, 1955
Extent (6 color) |
| 3 | | | | Maine,
1952-1953
Extent (6 color) |
| | | | | Maryland--Baltimore,
1940s
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | | Massachusetts,
1950s
Extent (74 color) |
| | | | | Michigan--Detroit,
1955
Extent (4 color) |
| | | | | Montana,
ca. 1940s
Extent (4 color) |
| | | | | Nebraska,
1955
Extent (1 color) |
| | | | | New Hampshire,
1951, 1955
Extent (7 color) |
| | | | | New Jersey,
1944-1956
Extent (38 color) |
| | | | | New Mexico,
1934-1954, bulk 1952-1953
Extent (29 autochrome; 43 color) |
| | | | | New York State (excludes New York City),
1939?-1956
Extent (81 color) |
| | | | | North Carolina,
1940s?
Extent (3 color) |
| | | | | North Dakota,
1945
Extent (3 color) |
| | | | | Oregon,
1925, 1940-1955
Extent (8 b&w; 136 color) |
| | | | | Pennsylvania,
1946, 1957
Extent (15 color) |
| | | | | Rhode Island,
1956
Extent (7 color) |
| 4 | | | | South Carolina--Brookgreen Gardens,
1956
Extent (104 color) |
| 4 | | | | South Dakota,
1945
Extent (38 color) |
| | | | | Texas,
1944
Extent (7 color) |
| | | | | Utah,
194?, 1952
Extent (20 color) |
| | | | | Vermont,
1953, 1955-1956
Extent (38 color) |
| | | | | Virginia,
1952
Extent (34 color) |
| | | | | Washington,
1945
Extent (1 color) |
| | | | | Washington, D.C.,
1952
Extent (4 color) |
| | | | | Wyoming,
194?, 1955
Extent (4 color) |
| | | | | Unidentified,
1930s-1940s
Extent (2 b&w; 143 color) |
Return to the Table of Contents
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
Series II. Sculpture/World Art Studies,
2,652 slides
|
| This series is arranged into twelve subseries which
represent the scope of Williams' artistic influences. The subseries are: A.
General, B. American Veterans' Society of Artists, C. Animal Study, D. Armor
Study, E. Art of the American West, F. Aviation Study, G. Horse Study, H. Icons
(religious), I. Landscapes/Gardens, J. Mask Study, K. Medals, awards, etc., and
L. Metalwork. Within each subseries slides are sorted by country. However, when
appropriate, slides are sorted by previous country name (e.g., Czechoslovakia),
region (e.g., Polynesia), ancient kingdom (e.g., Sumer), or style (e.g.,
Greco-Roman). |
| | | Subseries A. General, 1,734
slides |
| | Prior to processing, the majority of Williams' slides
were pre-grouped, and they were identifiable as given groups by their labels or
subject matter (e.g., aviation, metalwork, etc.). One group of slides did not
share a specific theme aside from all being studies of world art, most of which
were made from book plates. As a result this catch-all subseries is simply
titled "General." For the most part the slides were pre-sorted by country
requiring only minor adjustments during processing. The majority of the slides
depict European works of art from, but not limited to, Italy (276 slides),
France (243 slides), Germany (85 slides), Spain (75 slides), Greece (70
slides), and England (64 slides). Of the remaining slides, the majority depict
arts of the Americas from, but not limited to, Peru (168 slides), Mexico (160
slides), and the United States (106 slides). Moderately well represented are
the arts of China (73 slides) and Egypt (63 slides). Slides of works which are
of unknown origin are divided into the following five categories: Architecture,
Metalwork, Paintings/Drawings, Sculpture, and Textiles. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Africa
Extent (24 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Assyria & Babylon
Extent (10 b&w; 3 color) |
| | | | Austria
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Bali
Extent (2 b&w; 2 color) |
| | | | Belgium
Extent (9 b&w) |
| | | | Bolivia
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Brazil
Extent (1 color) |
| | | | Byzantia
Extent (17 b&w; 1 autochrome) |
| 5 | | | China
Extent (39 b&w; 7 autochrome; 27
color) |
| | | | Crete
Extent (3 b&w; 2 color) |
| | | | Cyprus
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Czechoslovakia
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Denmark
Extent (4 color) |
| | | | Egypt
Extent (35 b&w; 5 autochrome; 23
color) |
| | | | England
Extent (47 b&w; 1 autochrome; 16
color) |
| | | | Etruria
Extent (10 b&w; 1 autochrome; 2
color) |
| | | | France
Extent (218 b&w; 6 autochrome; 19
color) |
| 5-6 | | | Germany
Extent (74 b&w; 2 autochrome; 9
color) |
| 6 | | | Greece
Extent (64 b&w; 6 color) |
| | | | Greenland
Extent (10 color) |
| | | | Guatemala
Extent (1 b&w; 2 autochrome; 13
color) |
| | | | Guyana
Extent (1 color) |
| 6 | | | India
Extent (11 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Ireland
Extent (1 b&w; 2 color) |
| | | | Italy
Extent (237 b&w; 9 autochrome; 30
color) |
| | | | Japan
Extent (13 b&w; 1 autochrome; 2
color) |
| | | | Java
Extent (5 b&w) |
| | | | Mesopotamia
Extent (7 b&w) |
| 6-7 | | | Mexico
Extent (50 b&w; 5 autochrome; 105
color) |
| 7 | | | Netherlands
Extent (3 b&w; 18 color) |
| | | | Panama
Extent (1 autochrome; 1 color) |
| | | | Persia
Extent (11 b&w; 3 autochrome; 10
color) |
| | | | Peru
Extent (27 b&w; 28 autochrome; 113
color) |
| | | | Phoenicia
Extent (1 color) |
| | | | Poland
Extent (1 color) |
| | | | Polynesia
Extent (7 b&w; 1 autochrome) |
| | | | Roman/Greco-Roman
Extent (26 b&w; 1 autochrome; 2
color) |
| | | | Russia
Extent (1 b&w; 2 color) |
| | | | Spain
Extent (57 b&w; 5 autochrome; 13
color) |
| | | | Sumer
Extent (4 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Sweden
Extent (7 b&w) |
| | | | Switzerland
Extent (1 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Syria
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Thailand
Extent (1 b&w; 3 color) |
| 7-8 | | | United States
Extent (79 b&w; 2 autochrome; 25
color) |
| 8 | | | Unidentified
Extent (34 b&w; 39 color) |
| | | Subseries B. American Veterans' Society
of Artists, 15 slides |
| | Williams served for a time as the President of the
American Veterans' Society of Artists, and this subseries contains 15 color
slides of works made by American Veterans during 1944-1946, and 1956. Most
slides are of individual works, but a few slides show various works on display
in 1944 at the 6th Annual American Veterans' Show and in 1945 at the National
Arts Club exhibition. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Art works produced by members of the American
Veterans' Society of Artists,
1944-1946, 1956
Extent (15 color) |
| | | Subseries C. Animal Study, 95
slides |
| | This subseries consists of slides of works of art,
primarily sculpture, which depict animals both real and imaginary. Works
include free-standing sculptures of animals, animals as part of larger works
(e.g., details on the Arch of Constantine), animals in architecture (e.g.,
gates of the Bronx Zoo), and animals incorporated into everyday objects (e.g.,
coins of the Irish Free State). Although global in coverage, works from France
(18 slides) and Italy (14 slides) predominate. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Africa
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Austria
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | China
Extent (4 b&w) |
| | | | Egypt
Extent (5 b&w) |
| 8 | | | England
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Etruria
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | France
Extent (18 b&w) |
| | | | Germany
Extent (8 b&w) |
| | | | Greece
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | India
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Ireland
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Italy
Extent (14 b&w) |
| | | | Japan
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Persia
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Polynesia
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Roman/Greco-Roman
Extent (5 b&w) |
| | | | Spain
Extent (4 b&w) |
| | | | Sweden
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Thailand
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | United States
Extent (8 b&w) |
| | | | Unidentified
Extent (11 b&w) |
| | | Subseries D. Armor Study, 93
slides |
| | Comprised primarily of slides of sculpture depicting
knights in armor, this subseries also contains images of armor (England) and
helmets (France, Italy, Portugal, Unidentified), along with several drawings of
armor and knights in armor (France, Italy). |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Austria
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Belgium
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | England
Extent (3 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Etruria
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | France
Extent (15 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Germany
Extent (6 b&w) |
| | | | Greece
Extent (4 b&w) |
| | | | Italy
Extent (23 b&w) |
| | | | Japan
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Portugal
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Roman/Greco-Roman
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | | Spain
Extent (5 b&w) |
| | | | Switzerland
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Unidentified
Extent (25 b&w) |
| | | Subseries E. Art of the American West,
40 slides |
| | Growing up during the turn of the century Williams was
undoubtedly exposed to, and influenced by, images of the American West that
dominated both fine art and popular culture. This group of slides is comprised
of just such images. It includes nine paintings of horse-drawn carriages by
Albert Turner Reid (1873-1955), five paintings of desert landscapes by Albert
Lorey Groll (1866-1952), four landscape paintings by Jack van Ryder, and two
movie posters for early Westerns starring Tom Mix (1880-1940) and Buck Jones
(1889-1942). |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Art works of the American West
Extent (40 color) |
| | | Subseries F. Aviation Study, 255
slides |
| | Among Williams' better known works are several medals
and monuments related to aviation. They include the A. Leo Stevens bronze
memorial medal awarded yearly to a contributor to air safety measures, the
Eckener-Zeppelin medal, and the Alan R. Hawley and August Post trophy. This
group of slides, divided into two sub-subseries, documents the art works,
people, and events from which Williams drew inspiration, and it includes
examples of Williams' own works. |
| | The first sub-subseries, Aviation Sculpture Study, is
comprised of images of art from around the globe which relate to flight.
Included are animal statues such as hawks of the Egyptian god Horus, mythical
figures like Mercury, Daedalus, and Icharus, mythical beasts such as Persian
sphinxes and Greek Nikes, as well as modern monuments, including five by
Williams, to pioneer aviators. |
| | The second sub-subseries, Early Aviation, is comprised of
slides made from photographs of early aviation and aviators. The slides are
divided into the following categories: Aircraft carriers, Airplanes (1910
gliders; post-1910 gliders; interiors), Aviators, Hot air balloons, and
Zeppelins. Hot air balloon images make up the majority of images (54 slides).
Of particular interest are a series of slides which document the 1910 race from
St. Louis to Lake Tchotogama in Quebec, including the crash of Augustus Post's
and Alan R. Hawley's balloon (the America II), and the recovery of Post and
Hawley in which Williams took part. A large portion of the slides documenting
this saga (many of which are hand-colored) were purchased by Williams from
Charles Beseler Company, Geo. J. Goldthorpe & Co., J.W. & Geo. H. Hahn
Opticians, and Edward Van Altena (all of New York City), and Chicago
Transparency Co. and McIntosh Stereoptician Co. (of Chicago). |
| Cabinet | Drawer |
| 14 | 8 | | | Aviation sculpture study |
| 8 | | | | Assyria/Babylonia
Extent (2 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Austria
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Bali
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | China
Extent (2 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Egypt
Extent (2 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | England
Extent (3 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Etruria
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | France
Extent (27 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Germany
Extent (5 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Greece
Extent (7 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | India
Extent (2 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Italy
Extent (15 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Japan
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Mexico
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Norway
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Persia
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Poland
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Roman
Extent (3 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Sweden
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | United States
Extent (23 b&w) |
| 8 | | | | Unidentified
Extent (11 b&w) |
| 9 | | | Early aviation,
1910-1949 |
| 9 | | | | Aircraft carriers
Extent (5 b&w) |
| 9 | | | | Airplanes |
| 9 | | | | | 1910 gliders
Extent (18 b&w; 6 handcolored
b&w) |
| 9 | | | | | Post-1910
Extent (20 b&w; 9 handcolored b&w;
1 color) |
| 9 | | | | | Instruments
Extent (5 b&w) |
| 9 | | | | | Interiors
Extent (6 b&w) |
| 9 | | | | Aviators
Extent (9 b&w; 1 color) |
| 9 | | | | Hot air balloons
Extent (44 b&w; 10 handcolored b&w; 1
color) |
| 9 | | | | Zeppelins
Extent (4 b&w; 5 handcolored
b&w) |
| | | Subseries G. Horse Study, 157
slides |
| | The slides which make up Williams' horse studies are
not dissimilar from the slides which complimented his
Horse Story lecture, and it is
possible some of the missing slides for that lecture are located in this group.
The slides in this subseries are divided into two sub-subseries: Equestrian art
(137 slides), and Equestrian gear (20 slides). |
| | The slides of equestrian art document the horse as seen in
art from across the globe, from all ages, and in all media. The equestrian art
of England and France make up the majority of images, with additional emphasis
on art from Germany, Italy, and the United States. Media represented include
pottery, sculpture, metalwork, painting, textile, and glass. |
| | The equestrian gear pictured comes mainly from the
American Southwest, Peru, and Mexico. Both "cowboy" and Native American
(primarily Navajo) examples of saddles, bridles, halters, stirrups, and spurs
are represented. |
| Cabinet | Drawer |
| 14 | 9 | | | Equestrian art |
| 9 | | | | China
Extent (3 b&w; 2 color) |
| 9 | | | | Egypt
Extent (1 b&w; 1 color) |
| 9 | | | | England
Extent (1 b&w; 18 color) |
| 9 | | | | France
Extent (1 b&w; 29 color) |
| 9 | | | | Germany
Extent (12 color) |
| 9 | | | | Greece
Extent (2 color) |
| 9 | | | | Guatemala
Extent (1 color) |
| 9 | | | | Hungary
Extent (1 color) |
| 9 | | | | India
Extent (2 color) |
| 9 | | | | Italy
Extent (3 b&w; 8 color) |
| 9 | | | | Japan
Extent (1 color) |
| 9 | | | | Mexico
Extent (1 color) |
| 9 | | | | Native American
Extent (1 color) |
| 9 | | | | Netherlands
Extent (4 color) |
| 9 | | | | Persia
Extent (5 color) |
| 9 | | | | Russia
Extent (2 color) |
| 9 | | | | Sicily
Extent (1 color) |
| 9 | | | | Spain
Extent (7 color) |
| 9 | | | | Sumer
Extent (1 color) |
| 9 | | | | United States
Extent (1 b&w; 17 color) |
| 9 | | | | Unidentified
Extent (2 b&w; 9 color) |
| 9 | | | | Equestrian gear
Extent (20 color) |
| | | Subseries H. Icons (religious), 6
slides |
| | The Icon subseries is a small group of slides
comprised of three Madonna and child statues of unknown origin, and three
statues of individual saints of Spanish origin. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Spain
Extent (3 color) |
| | | | Unidentified
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | Subseries I. Landscapes/Gardens, 99
slides |
| | Unlike most of Williams' slides of art and
architecture, this group of slides focuses on the role of sculpture and
architecture within the context of gardens and landscapes. The slides are a
mixture of broad views of gardens with and without architecture and/or
sculpture (e.g., the Taj Mahal in India), and close-up views of garden
sculpture or fountains (e.g., urns from Versailles in France). England, France,
India, and the United States are the best represented, with additional
emphasis, although to a lesser degree, on China, Italy, and Spain. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Austria
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | China
Extent (7 b&w) |
| | | | Egypt
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | England
Extent (12 b&w) |
| | | | France
Extent (13 b&w) |
| | | | Germany
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | | Greece
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | | India
Extent (16 b&w) |
| 9 | | | Italy
Extent (9 b&w) |
| | | | Japan
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Java
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Persia
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Peru
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Spain
Extent (7 b&w) |
| | | | Sweden
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Switzerland
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Thailand
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | United States
Extent (13 b&w) |
| | | | Unidentified
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | Subseries J. Mask Study, 105
slides |
| | To facilitate searches and retrieval, this group of
slides was divided into three sub-subseries. The first sub-subseries, Masks,
makes up over half of the group (57 slides). It is comprised of images of
individual masks from around the world, created for a variety of purposes from
ceremonies, to dramas, to death. Masks of Mexico, Japan, and Africa are best
represented. The second sub-subseries, Masks in use, is the smallest group (17
slides). It contains portraits of people wearing masks as well as scenes of
ceremonies in which masks are used. Of particular interest are images of Native
Americans from the Pacific Northwest. The third subseries, Masks, Sculpture of,
is comprised of images of art in which masks, or simply heads and/or faces are
depicted (31 slides). The majority of these works are from Italy and Greece,
both from the Roman Empire and later periods. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Masks |
| | | | | Africa
Extent (7 b&w) |
| | | | | Austria
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | | China
Extent (1 autochrome) |
| | | | | Egypt
Extent (5 b&w) |
| | | | | England
Extent (5 b&w) |
| | | | | France
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | | Greece
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | | | India
Extent (2 autochrome) |
| | | | | Italy
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | | | Japan
Extent (8 b&w) |
| | | | | Java
Extent (1 autochrome) |
| | | | | Mexico
Extent (11 b&w) |
| | | | | Papua New Guinea
Extent (1 autochrome) |
| | | | | Phoenicia
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | | United States
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | | Unidentified
Extent (4 b&w) |
| 9 | | | Masks in use |
| | | | | Africa
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | | Bali
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | | India
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | | Mexico
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | | Native American
Extent (5 b&w) |
| | | | | Russia
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | | Switzerland
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 9 | | | | Thailand
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | | Unidentified
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Masks, sculpture of |
| | | | | England
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | | | France
Extent (4 b&w) |
| | | | | Greece
Extent (5 b&w) |
| | | | | Italy
Extent (8 b&w) |
| | | | | Java
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | | Mexico
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | | Peru
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | | Roman
Extent (6 b&w) |
| | | | | Spain
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | | Unidentified
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | Subseries K. Medals, awards, etc., 2
slides |
| | This is the smallest subseries, comprised of only two
slides. One slide is a display of cruciform medals possibly of English origin.
The other slide is a display of 10 coins from various countries, including the
United States and Great Britain, commemorating royalty, inventors, events, and
institutions. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Medals, awards, etc.
Extent (2 color) |
| | | Subseries L. Metalwork, 51
slides |
| | Although global in scope, the majority of metalwork
depicted is from South and Central America with emphasis on Peru (13 slides)
and Mexico (10). Most of the images are of jewelry (both ceremonial and for
daily wear) including brooches, rings, and necklaces. Also included are
religious objects like reliquaries, chalices, crosses, and crosiers (Ireland,
Italy, Mexico). |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Chile
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | Columbia
Extent (5 color) |
| | | | Egypt
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | Ireland
Extent (6 color) |
| | | | Italy
Extent (5 color) |
| | | | Mexico
Extent (1 b&w; 9 color) |
| | | | Norway
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | Panama
Extent (1 color) |
| | | | Peru
Extent (13 color) |
| | | | Spain
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | Unidentified
Extent (3 color) |
Return to the Table of Contents
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
Series III. Native Americans, 593
slides
|
| This series is divided into three subseries: A.
Photographs, 1925-1953, B. Works by Native Americans, and C. Works depicting
Native Americans. These divisions were created during processing to facilitate
searches and retrieval. This group of slides reveals Williams' deep interest in
all aspects of Native American culture. Depicted are scenes from daily life and
ceremonies, as well as artwork by and of Native Americans. However, not all
images are of Native Americans; also included are landscapes, cityscapes, and
architecture of the American Southwest that Williams filed amongst the other
slides. |
| | | Subseries A. Photographs, 1925-1953,
223 slides
|
| | Williams labeled the slides in this group as either
"N.M.", for New Mexico, or as "S.W.", for the Southwest. These divisions define
two of the three sub-subseries; the third sub-subseries, "Plains," contains
only one slide, a portrait of a Native American named Crazy Bull (d. 1952). |
| | Slides in the New Mexico sub-subseries are divided by
place name (e.g., Gallup, Taos, etc.). Of the 115 slides, 57 are from Taos.
Other locales include Peñasco (8 slides), San Idelfonso Pueblo (8 slides),
Santa Fe (10 slides), and Tesugue Pueblo (9 slides). Subjects depicted include
individual portraits, ceremonies (Gallup, San Juan, Santa Clara, Santa Fe),
rodeos, and missions (Conchiti Pueblo, San Felipe, Taos). The slides of Taos
will be of interest to scholars studying the Taos art colony. Within the Taos
sub-subseries are a portrait of Ernest Blumenschein with two Native American
models in his studio (1934?), four portraits of a Native American woman and her
child taken in Bert Geer Phillips' studio, courtyard and patio (1934), and a
group portrait of Victor Higgins, Ernest Blumenschein, Eanger Irving Couse,
Oscar E. Berninghaus, Bert Geer Phillips, and Herbert Dunton (1934?). |
| | Slides in the Southwest sub-subseries are divided by tribe
name, specifically Apache (11 slides), Hopi (17 slides), Navajo (72 slides),
and Zuni (5 slides). The Navajo are best represented through portraits of
individuals, scenes of ceremonies and sweat baths, and works of art. Most of
the Navajo images were taken at Gallup, Ganado, and Canyon de Chelly. |
| Cabinet | Drawer |
| 14 | 10 | | | New Mexico,
1925-1940s
Extent (112 b&w; 2 autochrome; 3
color) |
| 10 | | | | Maps
Extent (2 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | Cimarron Canyon
Extent (3 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | Conchiti Pueblo
Extent (2 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | Gallup,
1940, 1953
Extent (3 color) |
| 10 | | | | Isleta
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | Peñasco
Extent (8 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | San Felipe
Extent (3 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | San Idelfonso Pueblo
Extent (8 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | San Juan
Extent (4 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | Santa Clara
Extent (4 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | Santa Cruz
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | Santa Fe,
1928
Extent (10 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | Santo Domingo Pueblo
Extent (2 b&w) |
| 10 | | | | Taos,
1928-1929, 1934
Extent (55 b&w; 2 autochrome) |
| 10 | | | | Tesugue Pueblo,
1926
Extent (9 b&w) |
| | | | Plains,
1940s
Extent (1 color) |
| | | | Southwest,
1925-1940s
Extent (102 b&w; 2 autochrome; 1
color) |
| | | | | Apache,
1925, 1927
Extent (11 b&w) |
| | | | | Hopi,
1926
Extent (17 b&w) |
| | | | | Navajo,
1926, 1927
Extent (69 b&w; 2 autochrome; 1
color) |
| | | | | Zuni
Extent (5 b&w) |
| | | Subseries B. Works by Native Americans,
251 slides |
| | Divided into six stylistic categories, these slides
are of works produced by Native Americans. The six divisions are:
Mound-builders/Prehistoric (13 slides), Northeast (1 slide), Northwest (73
slides), Plains (69 slides), Southeast (6 slides), and Southwest (89 slides).
With the exception of architecture and earth monuments, most media are
represented. |
| | The Southwest sub-subseries contains the largest group of
slides. The best represented tribe is the Navajo, with many examples of silver,
textiles, woven baskets, and pottery, and a few examples of paintings,
katchinas, and miscellaneous objects. Other tribes included are the Acoma (1
slide), Apache (1 slide), Hopi (7 slides), Jemez (1 slide), Pomo (5 slides),
San Blas (3 slides), and Zuni (8 slides). Additionally there are 32 slides of
unidentified works by Southwest tribes. |
| | The Plains tribes are poorly represented with the
exception of the Sioux (25 slides). Nearly all of the slides show the quill and
bead work as used on clothing, moccasins, saddle bags, and other portable
goods. Also included are several slides of paintings on sheets and skins
showing equestrian figures hunting or at war. Other tribes represented are the
Blackfoot (1 slide), Mandan (1 slide), Osage (2 slides), and Slokomish/Wasco (1
slide). An additional 39 slides of works by Plains tribes are unidentified. |
| | The slides from the Northwest are grouped by tribe as
identified by Williams. The majority of works come from the Tlingit
(specifically the Chilkat) and the Haida. Many of the slides are of masks, but
also included are examples of textiles, carvings, totem poles, grass baskets,
scrimshaw, and carved utilitarian scopecontents. |
| | The works of the Mound builders/Prehistoric peoples and
the tribes of the Northeast and Southeast are poorly represented, especially
when compared to the other three groups. From the Northeast only the Iroquois
(1 slide) are represented, and from the Southeast only the Calusa (2 slides),
Cherokee (1 slide), and Seminole (3 slides) are represented. |
| Cabinet |
| 14 | | | | Mound-builders/Prehistoric
Extent (2 b&w; 11 color) |
| | | | Northeast
Extent (1 color) |
| | | | Northwest
Extent (19 b&w; 8 autochrome; 46
color) |
| | | | Plains
Extent (2 autochrome; 67 color) |
| | | | Southeast
Extent (6 color) |
| | | | Southwest
Extent (1 b&w; 15 autochrome; 73
color) |
| | | Subseries C. Works depicting Native
Americans, 119 slides |
| | The slides in this subseries are of works of art
(primarily sculpture) which depict Native Americans. Nearly all of the works
are by American artists (100 slides). Artists whose work is best represented
include: Cyrus Edwin Dallin, 1861-1944 (12 slides), Paul Manship, 1885-1966 (7
slides), Edwin Willard Deming, 1860-1942 (6 slides), Hermon Atkins MacNeil,
1866-1947 (6 slides), and Lee Oskar Lawrie, 1877-1961 (4 slides). |
| Cabinet | Drawer |
| 13 | 1 | | | England
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | | France
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Serbia
Extent (1 b&w) |
| | | | Spain
Extent (1 b&w) |
| 1 | | | United States
Extent (93 b&w; 7 color) |
| | | | Unidentified
Extent (3 b&w; 8 autochrome; 2
color) |
Return to the Table of Contents
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
Series IV. New York City, 1930s-1957, 875
slides
|
| Williams moved from Boston to New York City in 1918, and
he lived there until his death in 1958. Beginning at least as early as 1934,
Williams began documenting various aspects of the city, the result being this
series of slides. During processing the slides in this series were divided into
the following six subseries which identify his areas of interest and reflect
Williams' headings on most slides: A. Architecture/Sculpture, B. Cityscapes,
1937?-1956, C. Events, 1934-1956, D. Flowers and Gardens, 1946-1949, E. Window
Displays, 1937-1957, and F. 1939 World's Fair, 1939-1940. |
| | | Subseries A. Architecture/Sculpture,
ca. 1930s-1957, 439 slides
|
| | This subseries comprises nearly half of all the slides
in the New York City series. During processing these slides were organized
alphabetically by building or place name (e.g., Metropolitan Museum of Art, the
Bowery, etc.), as identified by Williams, to facilitate searches and retrieval.
The majority of the slides are of sculpture both free-standing and incorporated
into buildings and architectural elements. Also included are a few broad views
down various streets and avenues (e.g., looking north up Broadway from Bowling
Green). The sculpture in Central Park is best represented (66 slides), with
additional emphasis on Radio City (38 slides), Columbia University (20 slides),
and the New York Public Library (20 slides). |
| Cabinet |
| 13 | | | | American Museum of Natural History,
1930s-1950s
Extent (4 b&w; 4 color) |
| | | | ASPCA Building,
1954
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | Battery Park,
1938?-1955
Extent (3 b&w; 6 color) |
| | | | The Bowery/St. Marks,
1938?-1950s?
Extent (11 b&w; 3 color) |
| | | | Bowling Green,
1930s-1940s?
Extent (3 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | The Bronx,
1939-1946
Extent (12 color) |
| | | | Brooklyn,
1938-1954
Extent (1 b&w; 8 color) |
| | | | Bryant Park,
1940s
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | Central Park,
1930s-1940s
Extent (30 b&w; 1 autochrome; 35
color) |
| | | | City Hall,
1930s-1940s
Extent (5 b&w; 6 color) |
| | | | Columbia University,
1930s-1950s
Extent (12 b&w; 8 color) |
| | | | Columbus Circle,
1930s-1940s
Extent (8 b&w; 5 color) |
| | | | Court House,
1930s
Extent (3 b&w) |
| | | | Cunard Building,
1956
Extent (2 color) |
| | | | Exchange Court,
1930s
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Farmers Bank,
1930s-1940s
Extent (1 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Federal Building,
1940s-1950s
Extent (3 color) |
| | | | Grace Church,
1930s-1940s
Extent (2 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Gramercy Park,
1930s-1950s
Extent (1 b&w; 2 color) |
| | | | Grand Central Station,
1930s-1940s
Extent (1 b&w; 2 color) |
| | | | Hall of Records,
1930s-1940s
Extent (5 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Herald Square,
1940s
Extent (3 color) |
| | | | Hispanic Square,
1940s
Extent (3 color) |
| 1 | | | Madison Square,
1930s-1950s
Extent (1 b&w; 5 color) |
| | | | Manhattan Bridge,
1930s-1940s
Extent (1 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Metropolitan Museum of Art,
1930s-1940s
Extent (2 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Morningside Drive,
1930s-1940s
Extent (6 b&w; 3 color) |
| | | | Municipal Building,
1930s-1940s
Extent (2 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Museum of the City,
1940s
Extent (3 color) |
| | | | New York Harbor,
1946-1950s
Extent (9 color) |
| | | | New York Public Library,
1930s-1950s
Extent (12 b&w; 8 color) |
| | | | New York Stock Exchange,
1930s-1950s
Extent (1 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Queens,
1945-1954
Extent (3 color) |
| 2 | | | Radio City,
1930s-1956
Extent (17 b&w; 2 autochrome; 19
color) |
| | | | Riverside Drive,
1930s-1950s
Extent (11 b&w; 6 color) |
| | | | St. John's Cathedral,
1930s-1940s
Extent (11 b&w; 2 color) |
| | | | St. Patrick's Cathedral,
1930s-1950s
Extent (1 b&w; 2 color) |
| | | | St. Paul's Cathedral,
1930s-1940s
Extent (4 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Statue of Liberty,
1930s-1940s
Extent (1 b&w; 6 color) |
| | | | Sub-Treasury,
1930s-1945
Extent (3 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Todhunter Building,
1930s
Extent (2 b&w) |
| | | | Union Square,
1930s-1950s
Extent (6 b&w; 6 color) |
| | | | U.S. Customs House,
1930s-1956
Extent (4 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Wall Street,
1930s-1940s
Extent (1 b&w; 2 color) |
| | | | Washington Square,
1930s-1940s
Extent (3 b&w; 1 color) |
| | | | Williamsburg Bridge/Plaza,
1930s
Extent (4 b&w) |
| 2 | | | Miscellaneous |
| 2 | | | | Identified architecture,
1930s-1950s
Extent (14 b&w; 9 color) |
| 2 | | | | Identified sculpture,
1930s-1950s
Extent (10 b&w; 17 color) |
| 2 | | | | Unidentified architecture and sculpture,
1930s, 1950s
Extent (1 b&w; 1 autochrome; 7
color) |
| | | Subseries B. Cityscapes, 1937?-1956, 7
slides
|
| | Seven different cityscapes make up this subseries.
Three are skyline views taken at dusk or at night (1949, 1956). Four views are
from high vantage points, with one from the 82nd floor of the Empire State
Building (ca. 1930s), and three from the 30th floor of Radio City (1956). |
| Cabinet |
| 13 | | | | Cityscapes,
1937?-1956
Extent (1 b&w; 6 color) |
| | | Subseries C. Events, 1934-1956, 103
slides |
| | As a resident of New York City, Williams was witness
to a number of annual as well as one-time events. These events are captured in
this group of slides which are divided into four sub-subseries that reflect
Williams' labels. The divisions are: Christmas, City Hall Rededication, Madison
Square Garden Rodeo, and Parades. |
| | Slides of the Madison Square Garden Rodeos of 1934,
1946-1948, and 1952-1955 (bulk 1953) comprise nearly half of the slides in this
subseries. The subjects of most slides are various cowboys and cowgirls on or
with their horses. There are also a number of candid and posed portraits of
other rodeo participants (e.g., clowns, Western personalities, etc.), and three
slides of longhorn cattle. While many of the slides were taken inside the
arena, a number of slides were made outside of City Hall and Bellevue Hospital.
Individuals pictured include the folksinger Peter La Farge (1931-1965), the
aviator Augustus Post (1873- ), the singing cowboy Gene Autry (1907- ), the
photographer Jimmy (James H.) Hare (1856-1946), the artist Edwin Willard Deming
(1860-1942), and the rodeo performers George Mills (1906- ), Fay Kirkwood,
Byron Hendricks, and Carolyn and Everett Colborn. |
| | Slides of Christmas in the City, taken between 1937 and
1956, make up approximately one quarter of the slides in the Events subseries.
These slides are nearly all night views of Christmas trees, lights, and
decorations. The bulk of the Christmas slides are of Radio City and were taken
between 1955 and 1956. |
| | Ten slides (nearly all unidentified) document the
rededication of City Hall in July of 1956. The slides show various moments
during the festivities, including a parade, and various groups posed on the
steps of City Hall. In addition there are close-up views of various speakers
including the great public-works planner Robert Moses (1888-1981). |
| | The last sub-subseries, Parades, contains only a few
slides of various parades, none of which are particularly well documented.
Circus parades, specifically one from 1950, make up about half of the slides,
with Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades comprising most of the others. |
| Cabinet |
| 13 | | | | Christmas,
1937-1956, bulk 1956
Extent (1 b&w; 26 color) |
| | | | City Hall Rededication,
1956
Extent (10 color) |
| | | | Madison Square Gardens Rodeo,
1934, 1946-1948, 1952-1955, bulk
1953
Extent (3 b&w; 46 color) |
| | | | Parades,
1937-1951, bulk 1950
Extent (4 b&w; 13 color) |
| | | Subseries D. Flowers and Gardens,
1946-1949, 12 slides
|
| | The majority of slides in this subseries depict large
beds of flowers (e.g., tulips, irises, etc.) at the Van Cortland Mansion (5
slides) and the Bronx Botanical Garden (3 slides). |
| Cabinet |
| 13 | | | | Flowers and gardens,
1946-1949
Extent (12 color) |
| | | Subseries E. Window Displays,
1937-1957, 180 slides |
| | Williams had a great interest in window displays,
particularly of "upscale" stores. The slides in this series are divided into
three sub-subseries which reflect Williams' label headings. The sub-subseries
are: General (51 slides), Easter (33 slides), and Christmas (96 slides), and
they are divided chronologically within each sub-subseries. Scopecontents in the
displays include clothing, jewelry and metalwork, anything horse-related, and
art work. Stores represented include Tiffany, Bonwit-Teller, Bergdorf-Goodman,
Steuben Glass, Graceline, and Abercrombie and Fitch. |
| Cabinet |
| 13 | | | | General,
1937?-1957, bulk 1950s
Extent (2 b&w; 49 color) |
| | | | Christmas,
1937-1956, bulk 1955-1956
Extent (5 b&w; 91 color) |
| Cabinet | Drawer |
| 13 | 3 | | | Easter,
1955-1957
Extent (33 color) |
| 3 | | Subseries F. 1939 Worlds' Fair,
1939-1940, 134 slides |
| | This subseries is divided into five sub-subseries
which reflect the subject matter on which Williams focused. The sub-subseries
are: Architecture, Costumes, Fountains, Gardens, and Sculpture. |
| | The slides in the Architecture sub-subseries are divided
between two categories: General (22 slides), and Pavilions (41 slides). The
General category includes all buildings and their architectural details, other
than pavilions, on the fairgrounds, with specific emphasis on the Federal
Building (5 slides). Most slides were made during the day (20 slides) but there
are also three night views. The Pavilions category is comprised of 35 day views
and 6 night views of the pavilions representing different countries and states.
In some cases the pavilion is represented by a day and a night view (e.g.,
Italian Pavilion); in other cases both the exterior and the interior of the
pavilion are represented (e.g., Poland). Pavilions best documented are that of
the Netherlands (5 slides), Russia (5 slides), Poland (6 slides), and Florida
(5 slides). |
| | The Sculpture sub-subseries (32 slides) is dominated by
twelve views of Henry Dreyfus' Trylon and Perisphere. Although approximately
two thirds of the slides are day views, of particular interest are several
night views documenting the variety of ways in which the Perisphere was
lighted. One slide shows the Perisphere lit with red, white, and blue stripes,
presumably for the Fourth of July. And in two slides the Perisphere is
illuminated as a giant jack-o-lantern for Halloween. |
| | Fountains, the third sub-subseries, is comprised nearly
entirely of night views of various fountains on the fairgrounds (17 slides),
with only a few day views (4 slides). The Costumes sub-subseries (10 slides),
focuses primarily on the costumes of the Americas with slides of a Oaxacan
woman, a Venezuelan woman, an Argentinian Gaucho, Eskimos, and a Royal Canadian
Mounted Policeman. The fourth sub-subseries, Gardens, is the smallest with just
seven views of different flower beds, most containing sculpture. |
| 3 | | | Architecture |
| 3 | | | | General,
1939
Extent (23 color) |
| 3 | | | | Pavillions,
1939-1940
Extent (41 color) |
| | | | Costumes,
1939-1940
Extent (10 color) |
| | | | Fountains,
1939-1940
Extent (21 color) |
| | | | Gardens,
1939
Extent (7 color) |
| | | | Sculpture,
1939-1940
Extent (32 color) |
Return to the Table of Contents
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| |
Series V. Washington, D.C. and vicinity,
ca. 1920s-1930s, 73 slides
|
| Dating from the late 1920s or early 1930s, the slides in
this series show Williams' interest in sculpture and particularly its
relationship with architecture. The images are a mixture of monuments,
architecture, free-standing sculpture, and sculpture as part of architecture.
The slides were arranged alphabetically by building or monument name (e.g.,
National Cathedral, John Paul Jones monument, etc.), as identified by Williams,
to facilitate searches and retrieval. They focus on works by the American
sculptors Thomas Crawford (1814-1857), John Gregory (1879-1958), Charles Henry
Niehaus (1855-1935), Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), and Henry Marvin
Shrady (1871-1922). Examples of architecture featured in whole or in part
include the Capitol, the National Archives, the Folger Library, the Supreme
Court, and the Lincoln Memorial. Works which are represented by one slide only
are filed under "Miscellaneous architecture" or "Miscellaneous sculpture" as
appropriate. |
| Cabinet |
| 13 | | | Folger Shakespeare Library
Extent (4 slides) |
| | | General Grant statue
Extent (2 slides) |
| | | John Marshall statue
Extent (2 slides) |
| | | John Paul Jones monument
Extent (4 slides) |
| | | National Archives
Extent (2 slides) |
| | | National Cathedral
Extent (3 slides) |
| | | Pan-American building
Extent (2 slides) |
| | | Rock Creek Cemetery
Extent (3 slides) |
| | | Rock Creek Zoo
Extent (2 slides) |
| | | U.S. Capitol
Extent (13 slides) |
| | | U.S. Naval Academy
Extent (3 slides) |
| | | U.S. Supreme Court
Extent (2 slides) |
| | | Miscellaneous architecture
Extent (3 slides) |
| | | Miscellaneous sculpture
Extent (28 slides) |
Return to the Table of Contents
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