The collection was donated by Francis Faulkner, Barry Faulkner's nephew, in 1974. An addition to the collection was donated by Jocelyn Faulkner Bolle in 2014.
Found in the Nancy Douglas Bowditch papers at the Archives of American Art is correspondence, photographs, and printed materials related to Barry Faulkner. The Library of Congress, Manuscript Division also holds a small collection of Barry Faulkner's papers. Additional correspondence from Faulkner is found in the papers of Witter Bynner at the University of New Mexico and at Harvard University.
The papers of
Materials which have not been scanned include photographs of artwork, a few essays and writings by others, oversized architectural drawings, and several publications not related to Faulkner's art or life.
The 1974 donation of this collection was originally processed for microfilming on reels 5031-5033. The rest of the collection received a preliminary level of processing at some point after donation. The entire collection was merged and processed by Michael Yates in 2008 and digitized in 2009 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Barry Faulkner papers, circa 1858-1973. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The bulk of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
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
Francis Barrett Faulkner was born on July 12, 1881 in Keene, New Hampshire. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy and went on to study at Harvard College. Around this same time, Faulkner began an apprenticeship with his cousin and painter Abbott Handerson Thayer and painter George de Forest Brush. He also met sculptors James Earle Fraser and Augustus Saint-Gaudens, both of whom became Faulkner's lifelong friends.
In 1901, Faulkner traveled to Italy for the first time with Thayer and his family. He returned to New York in 1902 and studied at the Art Students League and Chase School. He also completed illustration work for
In 1907, Faulkner won the Rome Prize Fellowship from the American Academy in Rome. shortly thereafter, he left to study in Italy for three years, studying with George de Forest Brush and befriending sculptor Paul Manship. Upon his return in 1910, he started working on his first mural, commissioned by the wife of railroad executive E.H. Harriman. Having found his niche, Faulkner continued taking mural commissions until his career was interrupted by World War I and his service in the camouflage section of the army. Shortly after the war, he completed a mural for the marine headquarters in Quantico, Virginia.
Between 1923-1924, Faulkner worked in collaboration with Eric Gugler and Paul Manship to create the American Academy in Rome war memorial. Also following the war, Faulkner completed murals for the Eastman School of Music in 1922, the Rockefeller Center in 1932, and the National Archives in 1936. That same year, Faulkner bought and refurbished a house named "The Bounty" in Keene, New Hampshire, and built a studio nearby. In 1930, he was elected as a trustee of the American Academy in Rome.
During the 1940s, Faulkner created murals for numerous public buildings and sites around New Hampshire including the Senate Chambers in Concord, the Elliot Community Hospital, Keene National Bank, and the Cheshire County Savings Bank in Keene. During his final decades, Faulkner wrote an unpublished manuscript on the history of art in the Connecticut River Valley entitled
The papers of muralist, painter, and teacher Barry Faulkner measure 2.82 linear feet and date from circa 1858-1973. Faulkner's career; his relationships with family, friends, and fellow-artists; and his thoughts on art and artists are documented in biographical materials, correspondence, writings, sketchbooks, five diaries, photograph albums and photographs, and one scrapbook. An unprocessed addition to the collection dating 1942 includes a one page letter mounted on board from Maxfield Parrish to Barry Faulkner.
Biographical materials include biographical sketches, awards, and records documenting Faulkner's military service. Also found are a list of medications, a list of Faulkner's writings, party guest lists, an address book, a calendar, and materials related to the posthumous publication of
Correspondence includes letters from Faulkner's friends, family, fellow artists, and art organizations and institutions. Faulkner's correspondence with his parents document his 1900-1901 trip to Italy with the Thayer family. Of special interest is his correspondence with writer Witter Bynner about Faulkner's daily life in New Hampshire, his travels through Europe, his artistic practice and career, Bynner's writings, his opinions on artistic and literary works, and his service in World War One. Many of the letters to Bynner include sketches by Faulkner of Abbott Handerson Thayer, Rockwell Kent, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Homer Saint-Gaudens, George de Forest Brush, Kahlil Gibran, and Mark Twain. Additional correspondents include sculptor Frances Grimes, architect Eric Gugler, painter Leon Kroll, and museum director James Johnson Sweeney.
Faulkner's writings are about art, artists, and the New Hampshire art community. Found are essays on Gifford Beal, George de Forest Brush, James Earle Fraser, Harriet Hosmer, Paul Manship, Charles Adams Platt, Hiram Powers, Edward Willis Redfield, Joseph Lindon Smith, Mary Lawrence Tonetti, Mark Twain, Lawrence Grant White, and Mahonri Young. Other writings discuss Faulkner's mural commissions, various aspects of New Hampshire history, and the history of the Dublin and Cornish art colonies whose inhabitants included George de Forest Brush, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and Abbott Handerson Thayer. Of special interest is a manuscript for Faulkner's posthumously published memoir
Four sketchbooks by Faulkner contain drawings of landscapes, city scenes, architecture, people, nature, and studies of artwork by others. Also found are two loose sketches.
Five diaries document Faulkner's 1922-1924 trip through Europe, Africa, and Asia including stops in France, Italy, Egypt, and Turkey. Diaries record Faulkner's thoughts on architecture, tourist sites, and travel amenities. Found is one diary from 1956 that discusses social events, the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, the MacDowell Colony of artists, and various artists including Gifford Beal, Maxfield Parrish, Paul Manship, and Eric Gugler.
The bulk of printed material consists of clippings which document published writings by Faulkner, obituaries and published rememberances of Faulkner, local events in Keene, New Hampshire, and reproductions of Faulkner's artwork. Also found are exhibition catalogs of other artists, an announcement of Faulklner's death from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and a publication illustrated with reproductions of Faulkner's murals for the National Archives.
Photographs include formal and informal images of Faulkner throughout his life, and photographs of his family and friends, his studio, and reproductions of his artwork. Also included are two photograph albums, one of which contains photographs of Faulkner during his youth and one that contains photographs primarily from the 1930s of Faulkner's Keene, New Hampshire house, himself, and his friends and family.
The collection also includes a scrapbook prepared for Faulkner's seventieth birthday containing photographs, cards, telegrams, and placecards with hand drawn illustrations which show the "taste and characteristics" of Faulkner.
The collection is arranged into 8 series:
Found here are biographical sketches, an address book, a list of Faulkner's writings, an award from the Architectural League of New York, and a calendar listing social events and medical appointments. Military records from World War I include an identification card, officer's record book, awards, discharge papers, and other records. Also found here are oversized architectural drawings by Eric Gugler for Faulkner's home in Keene, New Hampshire. Materials related to the publication of
The bulk of this series has been scanned, except for the address book and the oversized archictectural drawings.
Address List
Appointment Calendar
Awards
Architectural League of New York
Biographical Sketches
Guest Lists
List of Writings
Military Records
Oversized material housed in Box 3, Folder 1
Notes
Scanned with Box 1, Folder 9
Drawn by Eric Gugler for Faulkner's house in Keene, N.H.
Correspondence includes letters from Faulkner's friends, family, fellow artists, and art organizations and institutions. Faulkner's letters with his parents document his 1900-1901 trip to Italy with the Thayer family. Additional family correspondence includes letters from Faulkner's brother Philip, his niece Jocelyn, his nephew Francis, and his cousin Ellen. Topics include daily activities, Faulkner's health, and family affairs and gossip. The letters also discuss other artists, such as August Saint-Gaudens, Abbott Handerson Thayer, Paul Manship, as well as the Cornish Art Colony.
Of special interest are nine folders of correspondence with close friend and writer Witter Bynner about Faulkner's daily life in New Hampshire, travels through Europe, his artistic practice and career, opinions on artistic and literary works, his service in World War I, and Bynner's writings. Included within the correspondence with Bynner are sketches of Abbott Handerson Thayer, Rockwell Kent, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Homer Saint-Gaudens, George de Forest Brush, Kahlil Gibran, and Mark Twain.
Additional correspondents in this series include sculptor Frances Grimes, architect Eric Gugler, painter Leon Kroll, and museum director James Johnson Sweeney, as well as friends Elizabeth Hare, Elsie King, and Milly Knox. The letters discuss Faulkner's career, social events, family, health concerns, travel, and common friends.
Of special interest are two postcards sent by Faulkner to "Maraine[?]" which are illustrated with pictures of Faulkner during World War I.
Also found are letters from publishers about publishing
Some of the letters are typed transcripts and photocopies. Content has been cut out of some of the transcripts, and a few letters are annotated in pencil by an unknown hand.
This series has been digitized. One letter to Barry Faulkner from Maxfield Parrish, donated in 2014, has not been digitized.
A-C
William L. Bauhan
Witter Bynner
Witter Bynner
Witter Bynner
Witter Bynner
Witter Bynner
Witter Bynner
Witter Bynner
Witter Bynner
Witter Bynner
Condolence Letters
F-K
Francis Faulkner
Francis Faulkner
Francis Faulkner
Jocelyn Faulkner
Jocelyn Faulkner
Philip Faulkner
Philip Faulkner
Frances Grimes
Frances Grimes
Frances Grimes
Frances Grimes
Ann and Eric Gugler
Ann and Eric Gugler
Elizabeth Hare
Elizabeth Hare
Elizabeth Hare
Epsie King
Epsie King
Epsie King
Fred King
Milly Knox
Milly Knox
Leon Kroll
L-O
Library of Congress
Isabel Manship
P-S
One letter to Barry Faulkner from Maxfield Parrish, donated in 2014, has not been digitized.
Parents
Also contains letter by Emma Thayer
Parents
Parents
Parents
Rosamund Putnam
Betty and James Kellum Smith
James Johnson Sweeney
James Johnson Sweeney
Laura Sweeney
T-W
Most of this series consists of writings by Faulkner about other artists and writers who were friends and contemporaries. There are writings on Gifford Beal, George de Forest Brush, James Earle Fraser, Harriet Hosmer, Paul Manship, Charles Adams Platt, Hiram Powers, Edward Willis Redfield, Joseph Lindon Smith, Mary Lawrence Tonetti, Mark Twain, Lawrence Grant White, and Mahonri Young.
Other writings are about the history of New Hampshire and the Connecticut River Valley, including essays on the towns of Cornish, Walpole, and Chesterfield in New Hamphire, New Hampshire captivity narratives, stories of the Revolutionary War, and historic sites around Keene, New Hampshire. Two long essays document the history of the Dublin and Cornish art colonies, whose inhabitants included George de Forest Brush, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and Abbott Handerson Thayer. Another essay is a history of the American Academy in Rome.
Of special interest is an unpublished manuscript called
There is a manuscript of Faulkner's memoir
Other writings are about Faulkner's mural commissions including his works for the Elliot Community Hospital in Keene, New Hampshire, the National Archives, the New Hampshire Senate Chambers, and the Oregon State Capitol. Also found are essays on Amherst College, camouflage, the Hopewell Furnace in Pennsylvania, the explorer John Ledyard, walking, and witchcraft.
Writings by others include essays about Faulkner by Leon Kroll and Paul Manship. Also found are miscellaneous essays on the camouflage section in World War I, the history of herb gardens and gardener Margaret Fitch Brewster, the scholar Olivia Rodham, mural paintings in Pennsylvania and the Villa Bosco Parasio in Rome, both written by Eric Gugler. Of special interest is a 1966 interview with Faulkner by John Bond about Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
This series has been scanned in its entirety, except for 3 folders containing writings by others that are unrelated to art.
An American Sculptor: James Earle Fraser
Archives
[Art in New Hampshire]
[Artists in the Connecticut River Valley]
Camouflage
The Captivity of Mrs. Johnson
Central Square
Century Talk
Charles Adams Platt
Charles Adams Platt
Col. Francis Faulkner and the Battle of Lexington
Commemorative Tribute to James Earle Fraser
Cornish [Draft One]
Cornish [Draft Two]
Dublin [Draft One]
Dublin [Draft Two]
Dublin [Draft Three]
Early History of Keene and the Attack On the Fort
Early Years of the American Academy in Rome
Edward Willis Redfield
[Elliot Community Hospital Murals]
Fasnacloich
George De Forest Brush
Gifford Beal
Hopewell
The Humble Petition of Abagail Faulkner
James Earle Fraser
James Earle Fraser
John Ledyard
Joseph Lindon Smith
Kilburn's Defense 1755
[Lecture to Rotary Club]
Mark Twain in Dublin
Mary Lawrence Tonetti
Morelands
Mountain Day at Amherst College
Mrs. Howe: the Fair Captive of Hinsdale
My Early Education
Nathan Blake
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter One]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Two]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Three; Draft One]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Three; Draft Two]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Six]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Eight; Draft One]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Eight; Draft Two]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Nine]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Ten]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Eleven]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Chapter Twelve]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Unknown Chapter]
A Neighborhood of Artists [Notes and Outline]
A Neighborhood of Artists
Notable Figures in New Hampshire History
[Notes on Dublin]
[Notes Towards Memoirs]
Objects Of Historic Interest Easily Reached From Keene
Octomania
Octomania [Draft and Notes]
[On Art]
[On Hiram Powers]
[On Mahouri Young]
[On Paul Manship]
[On Paul Manship (Notes)]
Paul Manship
Paul Manship, 1885-1966
The Problems of a Mural Painter
Research on the Murals For the Oregon State Capitol
Royall Tyler
Salma Hale
Sketches From an Artist's Life [Chapters 1-2, 4]
Sketches From an Artist's Life [Chapters 5-6]
Sketches From an Artist's Life [Chapters 8,l0, 12]
Sketches From an Artist's Life [Chapters 14, Fragments of Chapter 14, and 15]
Sketches From an Artist's Life [Fragments of Chapters 15-16, and Chapter 17]
Sketches From an Artist's Life [Fragments]
Sketches From an Artist's Life [Outline and Drafts]
Stephen Burroughs
Talk Before the Lions Club of Keene, New Hamphire
Three Dublin Artists
Two Towns
The Uncrowned Poet Laureate of Vermont
A Visit to Keene in 1803
Walking For Pleasure
Wax-Works and Coronets
Wax-Works and Diadems [Draft One]
Wax-Works and Diadems [Draft Two]
[Writings on George De Forest Brush]
After the Artists Were Gone by H.S. Bennion
[Interview With Barry Faulkner Regarding Augustus Saint-Gaudens] by John Bond
Mural Paintings in the Forum of the Education Building For the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at Harrisburg by Eric Gugler
Villa Bosco Parasio by Eric Gugler
Barry Faulkner, 1881-1966 by Leon Kroll
Bosco Parrasio, Rome by Edward Lawson
[On Faulkner] by Paul Manship
Olivia Rodham by Robbins Milbank
History and Ideal of American Art [excerpt] by Eugene Neuhaus
[Quotation of Christopher Marlowe]
Pluperfect Progressive by Sidney Waugh
Murals of Old Keene by [unknown]
Four sketchbooks by Faulkner contain pencil and ink drawings of landscapes, city scenes, architecture, figures, faces, animals, trees, and water. Also included are drawn copies of artwork by others including murals, sculptures, mosaics, Asian art, Egyptian art, Greek art, and objects such as furniture and clothing. The first sketchbook contains notes on the relationship between the body, color, and the zodiac; notes on astrology; and detailed notes about where sketches were copied. Also found in this series are a small pencil sketch of a foot and a large pastel sketch of a landscape.
Artwork by others includes two sketches by Margaret Platt including one of Faulkner's studio from 1922, and three drawings which are similar stylistically but whose creator is unknown.
This series has been scanned in its entirety.
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketchbook
Sketches
Margaret Platt
Unknown Artist(s)
Five travel diaries from 1922 to 1924 document Faulkner's trips to Europe, Africa, and Asia including stops in France, Italy, Egypt, and Turkey. Entries describe Faulkner's impressions of places, architecture, artwork, tourist sites, restaurants, and accomodations. Topics include French churches, the artwork of Andrea Mantegna and Piero della Francesca, the tombs of Luxor, and Turkish marketplaces. Also found with the diaries are a few sketches, a list of expenses, and a chronology for March and April of 1924.
There is also a diary Faulkner kept during the summer of 1956 documenting general social, artistic, and daily events. Topics include Gifford Beal, Maxfield Parrish, Paul Manship, Eric Gugler, Saint-Gaudens Memorial trustee meetings, and gardening. Also found in this diary is a short biographical sketch of Faulkner and a list of works gifted to friends.
This series has been scanned in its entirety.
New Hampshire Diary
Travel Diary
Travel Diary
Travel Diary
Travel Diary
Travel Diary
Clippings are of published writings by Faulkner, obituaries and published remembrances of Faulkner, local events in Keene, New Hampshire, and reproductions of Faulkner's artwork. Also found here are exhibition catalogs for various other artists, a reproduction of an engraving of spectactors looking at Hiram Powers' sculpture "The Greek Slave," and an announcement of Faulkner's death by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Other publications include Lawrence Grant White's translation of the first canto of Dante's
A portion of this series has been scanned. Materials not scanned are exhibition catalogs of other artists, the printed reproduction of the Greek Slave, and the translation of Dante's
Announcement from the American Academy of Arts and Letters
Clippings
Oversized material housed in Box 3, Folder 4
Clippings
Jane Canfield, Frances Grimes, Alexander James, and Paul Manship
Photographs include portraits and photographs of Faulkner, of Faulkner with his dog Slipper, and a photograph of Faulkner with Paul Manship. Also found are portraits of James Earle Fraser and Paul Manship, a photograph of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' studio, a landscape in Dublin, New Hampshire, and a photograph of Faulkner's studio.
There are many photographs of Faulkner's artwork, including drawings, paintings, and murals for the Eastman School of Music, the National Archives, the Oregon State Capitol, and the New Hampshire Capitol Building. Photographs of artwork by others includes pieces by Gifford Beal, George Bellows, Paul Manship, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and Abbott Handerson Thayer.
Also found is one photograph album from Faulkner's adolescence and twenties, and another album of photographs primarily from the mid to late 1930s. The first album contains photographs of Faulkner, pictures of Keene, New Hampshire, landscapes, leisure activities, family photographs, and informal pictures of unidentified people. Of special interest are photographs of Faulkner fencing and camping with a person who appears to be Witter Bynner. The bulk of the photographs in the second album are of Faulkner's New Hampshire home "The Bounty." Also found are pictures of social events, the landscape around the house, Faulkner at work and with his dog Slipper, and locations in New England.
The bulk of this series has been scanned, except for photographs of works of art.
Barry Faulkner
Barry Faulkner With Others
Artists
Family and Friends
New Hampshire
Dismantled Photo Albums
Studio
Scanned with Box 2, Folder 80
Found here is a scrapbook of Faulkner's 70th birthday in 1951 that includes photographs of Faulkner with friends, photographs from his birthday party, telegrams with birthday greetings, birthday cards, and letters. Of special interest is a drawing and poem by Nick and Frederika James, a song by the Platts, a poem by Lawrence Grant White, and placecards with hand drawn illustrations depicting the "taste and characteristics" of Faulkner.
This series has been scanned in its entirety.
Scrapbook For 70th Birthday
Scrapbook For 70th Birthday