Curry, John Steuart, b. 1897 d. 1946

John Steuart Curry and Curry family papers, 1848-1999

9.2 linear ft.

Papers document his career and family history through certificates, correspondence, photographs, clippings, contracts, receipts, inventories, writings, notes, and other materials. The papers contain particularly rich documentation of Curry's period as artist-in-residence at the University of Wisconsin, from 1936 to 1946. Mural projects in Kansas, Washington, DC, and Wisconsin are also documented.

Biographical Materials include chronologies, biographical narratives, genealogical notes, certificates and awards, and other ephemera related to Curry and his family. Family Correspondence includes the earliest records created by Curry himself, including letters home from art school and from the East Coast during his early career.

Correspondence and Project files document mural projects, appearances, gallery relationships, and other activities from the early 1930s until his death in 1946 with correspondence, photographs, clippings, contracts, writings, and other miscellany. Subject files include pictorial reference and research files created by Curry for subjects depicted in his murals and paintings. Curry's writings include essays, lectures, interviews, and notes related to his technical and philosophical approach to art, as well as notes from his various travels, and essays by others about Curry. Personal Business Records contain records of artwork, business transactions, and personal finances.

Print Materials include print copies of published artwork by Curry, including magazine illustrations from Curry's early career. Extensive clippings, exhibition catalogs, and a scrapbook created by Curry as a youth are also found. Photographs depict Curry throughout his life in formal portraits, candid snapshots, and publicity photographs, with a significant number of photographs depicting Curry creating and posing with his artwork. The Artwork series contains a few sketches by Curry and seven canvases used for testing art materials. Additional sketches are found in Subject Files and scrapbooks.

Estate Papers contain materials dated after Curry's death in 1946 and mainly document the activities of Kathleen Curry in managing her husband's estate from 1946 until her death in 2001. Estate papers contain writings about Curry, correspondence, inventories of artwork, and alphabetical files documenting sales, exhibitions, and other projects.

A 1992 loan by Kathleen Curry included 98 Sketchbooks of Curry's, dated from 1919-1942; a ledger, 1938-1946, of expenses with four loose letters to Curry in italian and spanish; a notebook, 1932-1938, titled "Account and records of works, etc."; a notebook, undated, of drafts of poems, and approximately 50 sketches. Materials in this loan were microfilmed on reels 4574-4576 and sealed under Mrs. Curry's death in 2001. Originals of loaned material were returned to the donor after microfilming. Curry memorabilia received with the Kathleen Curry's donation in 1979 (baby cup, baby dress, overalls, medals, paint box, wat

Location of Originals: Materials loaned by Mrs. Curry in 1971 for microfilming were returned to the donor, who later donated the sketchbooks to the Worcester Museum of Art in 1999.

Material on reels 164-168 lent for microfilming 1971 by Curry's widow, Kathleen Curry; in 1979 she subsequently donated portions of the material lent, along with additional material (filmed on reels 2746-2748). Curry memorabilia received with the papers (baby cup, baby dress, overalls, medals, paint box, watercolor box, 2 photographs) were transferred to Spencer Museum of Art. Material on reel 2714 donated 1972 and 1975 by Mildred Curry Fike, Curry's sister; and material on reel 2743 donated 1975 by R. Eugene Curry, a brother. The home movies were donated in 1973 by Ellen Schuster, Curry's daughter. Unmicrofilmed material donated in 1991 by Daniel Schuster, Curry's son-in-law, in 1992, 1995, 1999, and 2000 by Kathleen Curry, as well as a group in 1993 by R. Eugene Curry. Additions received from Kathleen Curry between 1992 and 1999 may contain more material previously filmed as a loan on reels 164-168.

How to Use this Collection

• The bulk of the collection has been digitized and is available on the Archives of American Art's website. Use of materials not digitized requires an appointment.
• The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2007 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website. Types of materials not digitized or partially digitized include published books and pamphlets, personal financial records unrelated to artwork, photographs of works of art, estate files related to projects and exhibitions dated after 1985, duplicate items, and copies.
• This Collection is available online.
• Please read the Finding Aid for more detailed information on this collection.
• Selected images of documents in this collection are online.
• For more information on using resources at the Archives of American Art, please visit our Ask Us page

Also in the Archives:

• John Steuart Curry printed material, 1919-1963