George Grey Barnard papers, circa 1860-1969, bulk 1880-1938

Collection Information

Size: 11.8 linear feet

Summary: The papers of New York sculptor, collector, and dealer George Grey Barnard measure 11.8 linear feet and date from 1860 to 1969, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1880-1938. These papers document his life and work as an artist, as well as his activities as a collector and dealer of medieval art, through correspondence, collecting notebooks, diaries and daily journals, ephemera, inventories, business and financial records, exhibition catalogs, newspaper clippings, reference materials, publications, photographs, and a small number of sketches.

Biographical/Historical Note

George Grey Barnard (1863-1938) was an American sculptor, collector, and dealer, whose collection of medieval art formed the nucleus of the Cloisters, the branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the art of the middle ages.

Provenance

The bulk of the George Grey Barnard papers was transferred from the Smithsonian American Art Museum (formerly the National Collection of Fine Arts) in 1975 and 2003, where it had been given by the artist's son Monroe in 1970. In 1971, Monroe Barnard donated additional papers. In 1976, the Pennsylvania State University Archives donated 2.0 linear feet of papers.

Related Materials

Additional George Grey Barnard papers are available at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 1985 the museum loaned approximately 4.0 linear feet of correspondence, exhibition files, and sketches to the Archives for microfilming on reels 3658-3664.

Location of Originals

• Many duplicate photographs of Lincoln sculpture, and additional photographs of Lincoln sculpture found in 2003 transfer that were not microfilmed. Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art

Digitization Note

This site provides access to the papers of George Grey Barnard in the Archives of American Art that were digitized in 2012. The bulk of the papers have been scanned, and total 5,708 images. Selected financial records, photographs of works of art, some business records, and printed materials have not been scanned.

Funding Note

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.