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Art History Collections

Browse short descriptions of art history collections in our holdings.
Some descriptions include a link to a collection's finding aid, which lists the contents of the collection.

MS-43 MIAMI VALLEY ARTS COUNCIL.
Records, 1960-1970. l.5 lin. ft.
Founded in 1960, the purpose of the Miami Valley Arts Council was to facilitate communication between local arts organizations and to promote cummunity support for cultural activities. The bulk of records in this collection fall in the late 1960's and include minutes of the board meetings, correspondence, clippings and news releases, membership lists, calendars of events, and information on the various groups associated with the Council. Finding aid available.
MS-48 DAYTON BALLET COMPANY.
Records, 1920-1990. 22 lin. ft.
Records consist of organizational papers, annual reports, financial records, and performance programs for two early dance groups that predated the Dayton Ballet Company. Dayton Ballet Company records start in 1958 and include a constitution, minutes of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, officers and membership lists, annual reports, newsletters, financial records, an extensive collection of performance records and programs, correspondence, records of the Friends of the Dayton Ballet, press releases, clippings, and materials relating to the Dayton Ballet's membership in national and regional dance organizations. Also included are scrapbooks containing clippings, photographs, and programs which highlight the early careers of Dayton Ballet founders, Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, as well as the activities and performances of the Company. Finding aid available.
MS-95 OHIO THEATER ALLIANCE.
Records, 1972-1980. 4 lin. ft.
The Ohio Theater Alliance was founded in 1972 to bring together all levels of theater - professional, community, college, and school - to promote communications and take action on matters of concern. The records in this collection include organizational papers, meeting minutes, membership records, committee reports, conference records, financial records, and correspondence. Finding aid available.
MS-102 KATZ, PAUL (1907-1987).
Papers, 1917-1980. 5 lin. ft.
Consists of materials relating to Katz' long career as a musician, composer, teacher, and conductor. Katz organized the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra in 1933 and held the post of Musical Director until he retired in 1975. Papers in this collection include personal correspondence, a complete set of Dayton Philharmonic concert programs for 1933-1975, conductor scores, photographs, clippings, speeches, and articles by Katz. Also included are audio tapes of DPO performances and an interview with Katz. Finding aid available. See also MFM-19.
MS-145 BAHNSEN, AXEL. (1907-1978).
Photographs and papers, 1935-1977. 10 lin. ft.
Includes photographic prints, negatives, exhibit catalogues, and correspondence for an internationally known Yellow Springs photographer. Finding aid available.
MS-151 REECE, JANE. (1868-1961).
Photographs, 1903-1944. 63 lin. ft.
Consists of the glass plate and film negatives of an internationally known Dayton photographer, an associate of Steiglitz and Steichen, and one of the first professional female photographers in the United States. Collection contains over 10,000 images and is roughly divided into two portions: the portraits, many of prominent individuals, by which Reece made her living; and the creative photographs of her salon. Finding aid available.
MS-185 FULLERTON JANE REECE COLLECTION.
Photographs, 1924-1961. 127 items.
Richard Fullerton was a local photograph historian and collector. His Jane Reece collection consists primarily of images which document the renovation of Reece's home and studio, an old firehouse on 834 Riverside Drive in Dayton, and photographs and information about the surrounding neighborhood. Also included are interior and exterior photographs of Reece's studio and a few examples of her artistic photography. Finding aid available.
MS-193 SCHWARZ' JANE REECE COLLECTION.
Photographs, 1912-1937. 89 items.
Collection consists of 89 photographs of Dayton photographer, Jane Reece, owned by Josephine Schwarz. Included are images of Dayton Ballet founders, Josephine and Hermene Schwarz, the Schwarz Family, Reece self-portraits, and nature photographs. Finding aid available.
MS-213 RICHARD FULLERTON PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION.
Photographs and papers, ca. 1870-1989. 5 lin. ft.
Richard Fullerton was a local collector of historic photographs and materials about the history of photography. His collection contains prints, negatives, tintypes, carte de viste, and cabinet photos. There is also a collection of carte de viste images specifically by Dayton photographers with the name and address of each photographer stamped on the back. In addition, Fullerton collected photographs and other materials related to various local history subjects including Dayton railroad stations and traction lines, street scenes of Dayton, the Montgomery County Courthouse, the Dayton Fire Department, and the 1913 Dayton Flood. Finding aid available.
MS-218 SCHWARZ, JOSEPHINE. (1907-2004).
Papers, 1920-2004. 26 lin. ft.
The Josephine Schwarz Papers consist of a collection of the personal correspondence, photographs, writings, and memorabilia of Josephine and, to a lesser extent, the personal papers of her sister Hermene Schwarz. The collection encompasses a wide range of topics, including the Schwarz School of Dance, the Dayton Ballet, correspondence concerning dance and ballet-related issues, personal correspondence with family, friends, and students, her journals, diaries, and scrapbooks, ballet and family photographs, and memorabilia. Finding aid available.
MS-229 DAYTON AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS CLUB.
Records, 1943-1976. 1 lin. ft.
Formed in 1943 by a group of local film makers, the Dayton Amateur Movie Makers Club's records consist of meeting minutes, membership lists, newsletters containing club programs, correspondence, and several films produced by club members. Finding aid available.
MS-252 SEBASTIAN, STUART. (1950-1990).
Papers, 1966-1991. 7 lin. ft.
Sebastian, a dancer and nationally known choreographer, was the Artistic Director of the Dayton Ballet Company during the 1980's. His papers include correspondence, both personal and professional from colleagues in the dance world, Dayton Ballet administrative materials and performance records, photographs, clippings, materials pertaining to his dance teaching activities, and personal items including diplomas and school papers. Finding aid available.
MS-260 ARTBEAT COLLECTION.
Tapes and transcripts, 1986-1993.
160 cassette tapes, 1 lin. ft. transcripts.
Artbeat was a bi-monthly half- hour radio program about the visual arts in the Miami Valley. Hosted by Dayton artist, Susan Zurcher, the show consisted of an interview with either a local artist or an artist who was showing in the Miami Valley. The program aired on several local Public Radio stations. The collection consists of tapes and transcripts of the broadcasts. Finding aid available.
MS-269 WILLIAM PRESTON MAYFIELD / CAPORALE PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION.
Photographs, ca. 1880-1979.
Contains 356 photographs collected by Michael Caporale. The collection is close in provenance to MS 271, the Peerless Mayfield Collection. The collection consists of three series contained in three boxes. Inclusive dates are approximately 1880 to 1979. Finding aid available.
MS-273 DAYTON CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY.
Records, 1964-2002. 48.5 lin. ft.
Founded in 1968 by Jeraldyn Blunden, DCDC is a modern dance company rooted in the African American experience. DCDC performs locally, tours nationally and internationally, and provides educational programs in the Miami Valley. Throughout its history, the company has built a collection of dances by the most significant modern dance creators and holds the largest collection in the world of classic works by African American choreographers.The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company records document the administrative functions, finances and performances of this important modern dance company. Finding aid available.
MS-279 AMERICAN SOCIETY OF AVIATION ARTISTS.
Aviation Art, 1929-1996. 1.5 lin.ft.
The American Society of Aviation Artists collection consists of nearly 300 separate pieces of aviation art, including posters, paintings, drawings, photographs and aviation magazine covers. Finding aid available.
MS-287 DAYTON CIVIC MUSIC ASSOCIATION.
Records, 1940-1998. 2 lin. ft.
The Dayton Civic Music Association was founded in 1940 and presented twenty-eight concert seasons before its demise in 1968. The collection includes administrative records, newspaper clippings, programs, pamphlets, correspondence, photographs, and scrapbooks. Finding aid available.
MS-301 ELLEN JANE LORENZ PORTER COLLECTION.
Records, 1931-1995. 6 lin. ft.
The Ellen Jane Lorenz Porter Collection is rich in information on church music, especially handbells and hymnology. In addition, it contains many of her original literary writings such as poetry, essays, plays, and short stories. Finding aid available.
MS-307 THE LIVING ARTS CENTER COLLECTION.
Records, 1964-1972. 2.5 lin. ft
In 1967, the Dayton Board of Education received a grant to promote the creativity and self-expression of its students (grades five through twelve) through creative writing, drama, dance, music and visual arts. The collection consists of administration papers, newspaper and magazine articles, publicity pamphlets, and photographs . Finding aid available.
MS-314 DAYTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA.
Records, 1978-2001. 11 lin. ft.
The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra was founded by Paul Katz in 1933. It is recognized as one of Dayton's oldest and longest standing cultural institutions. The records of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra document the organization's history from founding to the recent past. Emphasis is on the 1970's and 1980's. This is an ongoing collection. The collection is rich in brochures and photographs, programs, administrative records, and marketing material. Finding aid available.
MS-348 WILLIAM PRESTON MAYFIELD PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION – EGBERT.
Photographs, 1910-1960.
Contains approximately 1638 photographs, post cards, and first days. The photographs consist of photos of the Wright Brothers first flights, other first pilots, early planes and helicopters, photos taken by F. Hermes, photos of Dayton area businesses, homes, churches, and monuments, as well as aerial shots of the Miami valley, downtown Columbus, and the Ohio State University. Postcards are of early flights, the Wright Flyer, The Wright Brothers Celebration, flights in Europe, other early pilots, European postcards, advertisements, museum exhibits, and Wright Brothers monuments. First Days are from all over the world. The collection also contains an oversized photograph of the Wright Flyer and a drawing of the flyer which are housed in the archives map case. Finding aid available.
MS-360 VICTORIA THEATRE PLAYBILL COLLECTION.
Collection, 1910-1927. .25 lin ft.
The collection includes playbills containing information about events, performances and performers dating from 1910-1927. Finding aid available.
MS-380 SIDNEY PEERLESS PHOTO COLLECTION.
Collection, 1898-1950s (bulk 1900-1940). 2.08 lin ft. (574 photographs)
The collection contains 574 photographs that were collected by Dr. Sidney Peerless. The collection contaings photographs from five different photographers: Nancy Ford Cones, Cecil Carey, Richard Tepe, Fritz Henle, and U.S. Navy and Air Force photographers of aircraft. Finding aid available.
MS-384 AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS, DAYTON CHAPTER RECORDS.
Records, 1951-2008 (bulk 1980-2000). 2 lin ft.
The collection documents the activities and administrative records of the Dayton Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. The collection includes scrapbooks, member directories, programs, monthly newsletters, meeting minutes, and treasurers' reports. Finding aid available.
MS-386 CHARLOTTE GRAY COLLECTION.
Collection, 1941-1970. 2 lin ft.
The collection provides documentation about Dayton area choirs and choir music. It contains William Albert and Charlotte Gray's papers created during their careers as choir director and church organist at two Dayton area churches. It also holds documents from and relating to labor agreements between Delco/GM and Local 755 International Union Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, AFL-CIO-CLC. It also holds employee directories and benefits packages from Delco/GM. Finding aid available.
SC-67 KIRK, ANN.
Diary, 1933-1934. 1 volume.
A diary detailing the founding and early development of the Dayton Chamber Orchestra, a forerunner of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Kirk was a harpist with the orchestra and one of its key organizers and advocates. The diary gives much detail about finances, personnel, organization, and programs.
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