Archives of American Art
Edgar Spier Cameron papers
Cameron, Edgar Spier, 1862-1944
AAA.cameedga
Archival Resource Key
2.8 Linear feet
circa 1868-1968
The papers of mural painter and art critic Edgar Spier Cameron measure 2.8 linear feet and date from circa 1868-1968. They detail Cameron's life and career through biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, printed material, photographic material, and artwork.
This collection is in English and French.
Biographical / Historical
Edgar Spier Cameron (1862-1944) was a muralist and art critic who worked primarily in Chicago. He was born in Ottawa, Illinois in 1862 and, while growing up, was heavily encouraged to become an artist by his stepmother. In 1882 he joined the Art Students League in New York where Thomas W. Dewing took him on as a student. Prior to 1890 Cameron became a student of renowned French painters Boulanger, Lefebvre, Laurens, and Benjamin Constant alongside his future wife Marie Gelon in Paris. In 1900 he returned to Paris for the Paris Exposition where he won the silver medal. Before dedicating his time strictly to art, Cameron was also an art critic for the Chicago Tribune. Cameron, among others, was commissioned to work on the cyclorama The Chicago Fire which started his path of painting murals, after which he became one of the most successful muralists in the Midwest.
Many buildings in Chicago as well as throughout the Midwest are decorated with Cameron's murals including an Oklahoma City bank and the Flint, Michigan Courthouse, Cameron's final project. Cameron died in Illinois in 1944.
Arrangement
This collection consists of six series.
- Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1925-1938 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1)
- Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1882-1947 (.9 Linear feet: Box 1)
- Series 3: Personal Business Records, circa 1900-1940 (.5 Linear feet: Box 2)
- Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1884-1968 (.4 Linear feet: Box 2)
- Series 5: Photographic Material, circa 1888-1941 (.4 Linear feet: Boxes 2-4)
- Series 6: Artwork, circa 1882-1940 (.5 Linear feet: Boxes 3-4, OV 5)
Scope and Contents
The Edgar Spier Cameron papers measure 2.8 linear feet and date from circa 1868-1968. Biographical materials include a genealogy report of Cameron's American lineage for The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy: The Standard Genealogical Encyclopedia of the First Families of America and membership cards for the Chicago Galleries Association for both Edgar and Marie Cameron. Correspondence is between Cameron and his wife Marie Gelon Cameron and with the United States Treasury Department regarding the Paris Exposition of 1900. Personal business records include permission slips for the Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934) also known as the Chicago World's Fair, a typescript of Cameron's autobiography The Cusp of Gemini (1940), and copyright records for Cameron's artwork issued by the Library of Congress Copyright Office. Printed material consists of exhibition announcements and catalogs, materials relating to Jean Paul Laurens, a yearbook for the Cliff Dwellers, and various scrapbooks of news clippings. Photographic material contains photographs of Edgar Spier and Marie Gelon Cameron, friends and family, travel, and artwork. Artwork includes sketches, oil sketches, a sketchbook, and various mural panels painted by Cameron.
Conditions Governing Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Edgar Spier Cameron microfilmed materials on reels 4290-4292 and papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Arthur B. Carpenter and Marjorie L. Kimberlin, Cameron's nephew and niece, in 1988.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels 4290-4292 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Preferred Citation
Edgar Spier Cameron papers, circa 1868-1968 Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Processing Information
This collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared, by Allessandra Liberati in 2023.
Sketchbooks
Muralists -- Illinois -- Chicago
Painters -- Illinois -- Chicago
Art critics -- Illinois -- Chicago
Scrapbooks
Cameron, Marie Gelon, 1872-1953
Biographical Material
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
.1 Linear feet
Box 1
circa 1925-1938
Scope and Contents
Biographical materials include a family genealogy created for The Abridged Compendium of American Genealogy: The Standard Genealogical Encyclopedia of the First Families of America and membership cards for the Chicago Galleries Association.
Family Genealogy
Archival Resource Key
circa 1928-1938
1
1
Chicago Galleries Association, Artist Membership Cards
Archival Resource Key
circa 1925
1
2
Correspondence
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
.9 Linear feet
Box 1
circa 1882-1947
Scope and Contents
Correspondence is between Cameron and his wife Marie Gelon Cameron and with the United States Treasury Department regarding the Paris Exposition of 1900. Also included is correspondence regarding commission and projects with various companies. The bulk of general correspondence is from Cameron to his parents.
Correspondence (1880s)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1882-1889
1
3-7
Correspondence (1890s)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1891-1899
1
8-10
Correspondence (1900s)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1900-1909
1
11-13
Correspondence (1910s)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1913-1919
1
14-15
Correspondence (1920s)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1921-1929
1
16
Correspondence (1930s)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1930-1939
1
17
Correspondence (1940s)
Archival Resource Key
circa 1940-1947
1
18
Undated Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
circa 1882-1947
1
19
Cameron, Marie Gelon
Archival Resource Key
circa 1904-1934
1
20-23
Deering Harvester Company
Archival Resource Key
circa 1900
1
24
Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition
Archival Resource Key
circa 1896
1
25
United States Treasury Department, Paris Exposition
Archival Resource Key
circa 1897-1900
1
26-27
Personal Business Records
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
.5 Linear feet
Box 2
circa 1900-1940
Scope and Contents
Personal business records include permission slips for the Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934) also known as the Chicago World's Fair to allow Cameron to paint portraits, a typescript of Cameron's autobiography The Cusp of Gemini (1940), and copyright records for Cameron's artwork issued by the Library of Congress Copyright Office. Also included are inventories, price lists, and sales records for artwork.
A Century of Progress International Exposition (1933-1934), Permission Slips
Archival Resource Key
circa 1934
2
1
The Cusp of Gemini (1940) by Edgar Spier Cameron, Typescript
Archival Resource Key
circa 1939-1940
2
2-7
Library of Congress Copyright Office, Copyright Records
Archival Resource Key
circa 1917
2
8
Artwork Sales Records
Archival Resource Key
circa 1900-1940
2
9
Inventory of Artwork, Exhibitions
Archival Resource Key
circa 1901-1927
2
10
Price Lists
Archival Resource Key
circa 1921
2
11
Miscellaneous Business Records
Archival Resource Key
circa 1900-1940
2
12
Printed Material
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
.4 Linear feet
Box 2
circa 1884-1968
Scope and Contents
Printed material consists of exhibition announcements and catalogs, materials relating to Jean Paul Laurens, a yearbook for the Cliff Dwellers, and various scrapbooks of news clippings. Also included are publications regarding Cameron's artwork and reproductions of his artwork.
Exhibition Announcements
Archival Resource Key
circa 1899-1929
2
13
Exhibition Catalogs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1899-1946
2
14-15
Cliff Dwellers, Yearbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1936-1938
2
16
Jean-Paul Laurens
Archival Resource Key
circa 1889-1910
2
17
Clippings
Archival Resource Key
circa 1888-1950
2
18-20
Prints of Sketches
Archival Resource Key
circa 1900-1929
2
21
Publications Regarding Artwork
Archival Resource Key
circa 1901-1017
2
22-24
Reproductions of Works of Art
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1940
2
25-27
Scrapbooks
Archival Resource Key
Edgar Cameron
Archival Resource Key
circa 1894-1968
2
28
Scrapbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1897-1922
2
29
Scrapbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1898-1942
2
30
Scrapbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1899-1923
2
31-33
Scrapbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1901-1927
2
34
Miscellaneous Booklets
Archival Resource Key
circa 1884-1917
2
35
Photographic Material
Series 5
Archival Resource Key
.4 Linear feet
Boxes 2-4
circa 1888-1941
Scope and Contents
Photographic materials include photographs of Cameron, Marie Gelon Cameron, friends and family, travel, and artwork. Also included are several group photographs and photographs of artwork by others.
Edgar Cameron
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1941
2
36
Marie Gelon Cameron
Archival Resource Key
circa 1888-1909
2
37-38
The Camerons with Family and Friends
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1918
3
1
Travel
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1900
3
2
Group Photographs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1899-1930
4
1
Photographs of Cameron's Artwork
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1940
3
3-6
Photographs of Others' Artwork
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1900
3
7
Miscellaneous Photographs
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1900
3
8
Artwork
Series 6
Archival Resource Key
.5 Linear feet
Boxes 3-4, OV 5
circa 1882-1940
Scope and Contents
Artwork includes several mural panels and sketches by Cameron, including a sketchbook. Also included are oil sketches.
Annotated Sketches
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1940
3
9
Oil Sketches
Archival Resource Key
circa 1899
3
10-11
Sketches
Archival Resource Key
circa 1918
3
12
Sketchbook
Archival Resource Key
circa 1882-1883
3
13
Mural Panels
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1935
4
2
Mural Panels
Archival Resource Key
circa 1890-1935
5
Sketches by Others
Archival Resource Key
circa 1918
3
14