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Camfield papers, 1925-1997 (MS 495)

The papers of art historian William "Bill" Camfield include correspondence concerning Rice University Cullinan Visiting Professors, gift of Mrs. George R. Brown for sculpture for Rice University Campus, photographs and slides, newspaper clippings and brochures of Rice exhibits and sculpture. (5 boxes)

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Collection Summary

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series I : Meetings, 1982-1993

Series II: Craig Francis Cullinan Visiting Chair in Fine Arts, Architecture and Urban Planning program, 1984-1995

Series III: Brown Family Sculpture Gift, 1978-1984

Series IV: General Correspondence, 1925-1997

Series V: Slides, Photographs, and Lectures, 1988

Series VI: Rice Institute for the Arts, 1968-1976

Guide to the William “Bill” Camfield papers, 1925-1997, bulk dates 1982-1990


Collection Summary

Repository: Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University, Houston, TX
Creator: Camfield, William
Title: William “Bill” Camfield papers
Dates: 1925-1997, bulk dates 1982-1990
Quantity: 2.5 cubic feet
Abstract: The papers of art historian William Camfield include correspondence concerning Rice University Cullinan Visiting Professors, gift of Mrs. George R. Brown for sculpture for Rice University Campus, photographs and slides, newspaper clippings and brochures of Rice exhibits and sculpture. Also included is material concerning the Rice Institute for the Arts. There are also tapes of lectures by Robert Irwin, Cullinan Lecturer.
Identification: MS 495

Biographical Note

William “Bill” Camfield came to Rice University in 1969 as an Associate Professor of Art History. Prior to coming to Rice, he taught at the University of St. Thomas (1964-69) and came to Rice when Dominique and John deMenil left the sponsorship at St. Thomas and proposed moving those activities to Rice University.

He served as acting chairman of the Rice University Art Department in 1970-72 and again in 1999-2001. He became a full professor in 1977 and became the Joseph and Joanna Nazro Mullen Professor of Art History in 1980. He taught courses on European and American art and art history, Cubism, Dada and Surrealism. He has received grants and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the NEH, American Philosophical Society and ACLS.

Dr. Camfield originated the internship course that sends a number of Rice students to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston each semester. As a surprise at his retirement, the William A. Camfield Fellowship was announced. It will provide support to allow one Rice undergraduate per year to spend two semesters in a working internship at the museum.

He has published books on Frank Freed, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia and numerous articles. He received his B.A. in Art History in 1957 from Princeton University, and his MA (1961) and Ph.D. (1964) from Yale University.

Dr. Camfield retired from his teaching position at Rice in 2002.

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Scope and Contents

The William Camfield papers include correspondence concerning Visiting Professors from the Craig Francis Cullinan Visiting Chair in Fine Arts, Architecture and Urban Planning program, a gift of Mrs. George R. Brown for sculpture for Rice University Campus, photographs and slides, newspaper clippings and brochures of Rice exhibits and sculpture. Correspondents include Mrs.Geogre R. Brown, Robert Irwin, Michael Heizer, Ellsworth Kelly, David Parsons, William McVey, John Angel, Isamu Noguchi, and others. Also included are material concerning the Rice Institute for the Arts and tapes of lectures by Robert Irwin, Cullinan Lecturer.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

This material is open for research.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from the William “Bill” Camfield papers, 1925-1997, MS 495, must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

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Related Material

See also Information Files for Camfield, William and for Art and Art History Department.

See also (Department of) Fine Arts Record Group.

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Index Terms

Subjects (Persons)

Angel, John - correspondence
Brown, Mrs. George R. - correspondence
Camfield, William
Heizer, Michael - correspondence
Irwin, Robert - correspondence
Kelly, Ellsworth - correspondence
McVey, William - correspondence
Noguchi, Isamu - correspondence
Parsons, David - correspondence

Subjects (Organizations)

Rice University - sculpture
Rice University. Art Department

Formats

Correspondence
Lectures
Newsclippings
Photographs
Slides

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

William “Bill” Camfield Papers, MS 495, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

Provenance

This collection was received from Dr. William Camfield after his retirement, 2002-2003.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Series I : Meetings, 1982-1993
Box Folder
1 1 Documents/Meetings; 1982-1993
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Series II: Craig Francis Cullinan Visiting Chair in Fine Arts, Architecture and Urban Planning program, 1984-1995
Subseries A: Cullinan Visiting Professors; 1984-1991:
Box Folder
1 2 Frampton [Kenneth], 1984-85
3 Jackson [John B.], 1985-86
4 Kostoff [Spiro], 1986-1987
5 Irwin [Robert], 1987-1988
6 Rowe [Colin], 1989-1990
7 Steinberg [Leo], 1990-1991
8 Steinberg – Correspondence, 1990-1992
9 Koolhaas [Rem], 1991-1992
Subseries B: General Correspondence, 1986-1995
Box Folder
1 10 Irwin [Robert]; Correspondence, 1986
11 Irwin [Robert]; Correspondence, 1987
12 Irwin [Robert]; Correspondence, 1988
13 Irwin [Robert]; Photographs of scrim exhibit
14 Paul Hester – Proof sheets: photos of Irwin installation
Box Folder
2 1 Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1990-96
2 Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1991
3 Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1993
4 Irwin – Adcock texts; correspondence, 1995
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Series III: Brown Family Sculpture Gift, 1978-1984
Box Folder
2 5 Mrs. Brown/Heizer Sculpture; correspondence, 1982-84
6 Miscellaneous Correspondence [Heizer files]; 1982-84
7 Proposal [for choice of Michael Heizer as sculptor for Brown Family’s gift to Rice]; March 13, 1984
8 Heizer [Michael]; correspondence, 1983-84
9 Heizer [Michael]; correspondence, 1985-88
Box Folder
3 1 Pelli [Cesar]; correspondence, 1983
2 Christo [Javacheff[; correspondence, 1983-84
3 di Suvero [Mark]; correspondence, 1983-84
4 Kelly [Ellsworth]; correspondence, 1983-84
5 Noguchi [Isamu]; correspondence, 1983-84
6 Snelson [Kenneth]; correspondence, 1983
7 Parsons [David]; correspondence, 1978-84
8 Notes, Lists, Etc. [pertaining to Brown sculpture]; 1982-83
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Series IV: General Correspondence, 1925-1997
Box Folder
3 9 Gillis [Pres. Malcolm] – Portraitists; correspondence, 1993
10 Institute for the Arts, Rice [University]; correspondence, 1969-77
11 Willy’s Statue/John Angel; correspondence, 1925-1963
12 Parsons [David]; correspondence, 1942-1982
13 McVey [William] – Sculpture Project; correspondence, 1983-84
14 Milles [Carl] Sculpture at Rice; undated notes
15 Dorothy Hood/Fondren Library Rice; correspondence, 1991-97
16 Brick Row Book Shop, Private French Collection; correspondence, 1971
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Series V: Slides, Photographs, and Lectures, 1988
Box Folder
4 1 Slides of Robert Irwin scrim exhibit; March 1988
2 Robert Irwin – Scrim Exhibit, 1988; photograph negatives (Paul Hester, photographer)
3 Cullinan Lectures – Robert Irwin, tapes of lectures, March 1988
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Series VI: Rice Institute for the Arts, 1968-1976
Box Folder
5 1 Flyers – Announcements, 1969-76
2 Clippings – 1969-74
3 Moser Scrapbook – 1968-70
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