Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Glassell, Alfred C. (Alfred Curry), 1913-2008
| title | Oral history interview with Alfred C. Glassell, Jr., 2002. | repository | Smithsonian Institution Archives |
| description | The interview of Glassell, conducted by Judy Terry Smith and Clyde F. E. Roper of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, covers his background and early career in the petroleum industry; his adventures in sport fishing; the scientific expedition to the Indian Ocean aboard his ship, the Argosy; the capture of the world record, 1,560 pound black marlin; his donation of the grander, also known as Mighty Marlin, for a new hall titled Life in the Sea at the National Museum of Natural History; his induction into the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Hall of Fame; the formation of the Smithsonian National Baord; and the scientific expedition with the University of Miami Marine Institute (Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences). The interview also includes reminiscences of S. Dillon Ripley, Thomas J. Watson, Jr., Clyde F. E. Roper, Leonard P. Schultz, F. G. Walton Smith, and angler friends Julio Sanchez and Ted Williams. Bio / His Notes: Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. (1913- ), a leader in the petroleum industry, and an advocate for marine biology research, has been a generous supporter of the Smithsonian Institution. He received a B.A. from Louisiana State University in 1934; and in 1945, after serving three and a half years in the U.S. Army, he moved to Houston, Texas. He organized scientific expeditions around the world aboard his vessel the Argosy for Yale University in 1957 and in 1961 for the University of Miami, where a research laboratory bears his name. As an accomplished sport fisherman, he was inducted into the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame in 2001. Glassell secured the world record title for hooking a 1,560 pound black marlin off the coast of Cabo Blano, Peru, on August 4, 1953. He was named an Honorary Member of the Smithsonian National Board of which he was a founding member; and in 1990, the Smithsonian Benefactors' Circle recognized him for a lifetime of patronage and dedication to the Smithsonian Institution. He founded the Glassell School of Art, a teaching wing at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), where his world-renowned collection of gold is housed, and he served as Chairman Emeritus of the MFAH board of trustees. |
| extent | 3 mini-audiotapes (Originals). |
| formats | Sound Recording |
| access | Restricted (Tapes and transcripts). The Alfred C. Glassell, Jr., oral history interview may not be used without the written permission of Alfred C. Glassell, Jr., or his heirs or assigns. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| finding aid | (1) Description in control file; (2) name index to transcript; (3) fully processed. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:46 |
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| title | Anne Tucker correspondence files, 1974-1999. | repository | Museum of Fine Arts, Houston |
| description | The files contain letters to and from artists, galleries which represent artists, and institutions with photographic collections. Also included is information on exhibitions, the development of the MFAH photography collection, the Museum Collectors Group, and the Photo Accessions Subcommittee. The contents of the files reflect the core activities of the department -- acquisitions and exhibitions -- as well as fundraising. Bio/History: The photography department was created in 1976 with Anne Wilkes Tucker as the consultant in charge. In 1978 she was named curator and in 1984 she was named the Gus and Lyndall Wortham Curator. Preferred citation: Records of the curatorial department (RG04:06:01.2.1 or RG04:06:01.2.2). The corresondence files of Anne Tucker, 1974-1999. Archives, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. (Series 1.2.1: alphabetical correspondence; Series 1.2.2: interdepartmental correspondence.) Location: Archives Call Number: RG 6 : 1 : 2 |
| extent | 27.75 linear ft. |
| formats | Administrative Records Correspondence Exhibition Catalogs |
| access | Restrictions vary according to the nature of materials. The bulk of the materials are open for public research after fifteen years. Consult the Archives for particulars. |
| record link | https://hirsch.mfah.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=124491 |
| record source | http://www.hirsch.mfah.org/ |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aid available in repository and electronic finding aid available on Web site. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:47 |
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| title | Anne Tucker subject files, 1976-1999. | repository | Museum of Fine Arts, Houston |
| description | The files include research, memoranda and correspondence, art object photography and slides, meeting agenda and notes, and information on conferences and events. Included is information on the formation of the African American Art Advisory Association (Five A) in 1993, the Oracle conference for photography curators held in Houston in 1992, and the history of the department of photography at the MFAH. Bio/History: The photography department was created in 1976 with Anne Wilkes Tucker as the consultant in charge. In 1978 she was named curator and in 1984 she was named the Gus and Lyndall Wortham Curator. Preferred citation: Records of the curatorial department (RG04:06:01.3), the subject files of Anne Tucker, 1976-1999. Archives, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston./ Location: Archives Call Number: RG 4 : 6 : 1.3 |
| extent | 3 linear ft. |
| formats | Business Papers Research Files Ephemera Correspondence Photographs |
| access | Restrictions vary according to the nature of materials. The bulk of the materials are open for public research after fifteen years. Consult the Archives for particulars |
| record link | https://hirsch.mfah.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=124507 |
| record source | http://www.hirsch.mfah.org/ |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aid available in repository and electronic finding aid available on Web site. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:47 |
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| title | Ephemera file. Glassell, Alfred C. (Alfred Curry), 1914- | repository | Museum of Fine Arts, Houston |
| description | May include magazine or newspaper articles, resumes, reproductions of art works, or other information. Location: Ephemera Files |
| extent | 1 folder. |
| formats | Ephemera |
| record link | https://hirsch.mfah.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=56970 |
| record source | http://www.hirsch.mfah.org/ |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:47 |
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| title | Anne Tucker photography subgroup, 1976-1998 | repository | Museum of Fine Arts, Houston |
| description | In 1976, Anne Wilkes Tucker was named consultant in charge of the newly created photography department. The records in this series reflect the development of the department from its founding, its collection development policy, and the collection itself. Although the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Photography department was not established until 1976, photography was exhibited early in the museum’s history. Early one-man shows included those for Edward Weston (1930) and Frantisek Drtikol (1932). In May, 1926, the museum held its first photography exhibition, a juried exhibition of Texas photographers. From then until 1953, annual juried exhibitions of regional photographers were held. Annual exhibitions of the Houston Camera Club were held at the MFAH from 1941 to 1954. Thereafter until the founding of the Photography department, there were infrequent but important exhibitions such as "A Photographic Corpus of African Art -- Walker Evans" (1964); Geoff Winningham: Photographs (1974); and solo exhibitions for Diane Arbus, Edward Weston and Roy de Carava in 1975. In 1965, the first large collection of photographs was acquired, commissioned from Henri Cartier-Bresson and Ezra Stoller for the project, "The Galveston That Was", and exhibited that year. Target Stores, Inc. made its first donation in February 1976 to begin the Target Collection of American Photography and the MFAH Photography department was established that December when Anne Wilkes Tucker was hired as a consultant to act as curator of photography. In 1978 she was named curator and in 1984 she was named the Gus and Lyndall Wortham Curator. In 2001 TIME magazine honored Tucker as "America’s Best Curator". In 2006, Tucker received the Life Time Achievement award, a Focus Award from the Griffin Museum of Photography, recognizing individuals who have made critical contributions to the promotion of photography. She has also received an Alumnae Achievement award from Randolph Macon Women’s college; fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Getty Center, the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin and the Dora Maar House in Macnerbes, France; and has consistently been voted as one of the top 50 most influential people in America by the American Photo magazine. As of the end of 2008, the MFAH has mounted over 250 exhibitions relating to photography. Significant exhibitions organized by the Photography department include: Sidney Grossman: Photographs 1936-1955 (1981); Unknown Territory: Photographs by Ray K. Metzker, 1957-1983 (1984); Robert Frank: New York to Nova Scotia (1986); Czech Modernism: 1900-1945 (1989); Money Matters: A Critical Look at Bank Architecture (1990); Contemporary Mexican Photography (1992); Tradition and the Unpredictable: The Allan Chasanoff Photographic Collection (1994); Crimes and Splendors: The Desert Cantos of Richard Misrach (1996); and Brassaai: The Eye of Paris (1998); Louis Faurer Retrospective (2002); The History of Japanese Photography (2003); and The Great Wall of China: Photographs by Chen Changfen (2007). The MFAH Photography collection now consists of over 24,000 works by approximately 4,000 artists. Among the major artists represented in the collection are: Ansel Adams, Diane Arbus, Eugene Atget, John Baldessari, Gay Block, Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Eggleston, Walker Evans, Louis Faurer, Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Sidney Grossman, Ishimoto Yasuhiro, Andre Kertesz, George Krause, Man Ray, Richard Misrach, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Irving Penn, Edward Steichen; Alfred Stieglitz, Josef Sudek, Edward Weston, and Geoff Winningham. The department has developed important bodies of work from Japan, Argentina and the former Czechoslovakia. In addition to the Target Collection of American Photography, the department has also acquired many substantial collections since its founding. Among these are the Anthony G. Cronin Memorial Collection (1978-1997); the Willour Collection (1978-); the Mundy Companies Collection and gifts of Joe, Marion E. and David Mundy (1979-); the Sonia and Kaye Marvins Portrait Collection (1984-); the Morgenstern Collection (1986-); Allan Chasanoff Photographic Collection (1991-1993); Songs of My People (1995); Robert Frank’s Collection of photographs by other artists (2002) and "here is new york" (2005). Additionally, in the early 1980’s the department acquired 284 Robert Frank photographs created in conjunction with "The Americans" as well as all of Robert Frank’s films and videos, the original maquettes for "The Americans" and "The Lines of My Hand", and an additional 50 photos by Frank. In early 2002, the MFAH acquired nearly 4,000 photographs from the renowned collector Manfred Heiting. Assembled over the last thirty years, the collection includes a comprehensive selection of major photographers’ works as well as examples of photographic processes dating to photography’s invention in 1839. It is considered one of the finest photography collections in the world. In English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Japanese. |
| extent | 43.25 linear ft. |
| formats | Administrative Records |
| access | Restrictions vary according to the nature of materials. The bulk of the materials are open for public research after fifteen years. Consult the Archives for particulars. |
| record link | https://hirsch.mfah.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=130438 |
| record source | http://www.hirsch.mfah.org/ |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aids available in repository. Electronic finding aids available on Web site. |
| acquisition information | Files were transferred to Archives by the curatorial office. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:47 |
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| title | Peter C. Marzio, Subject Files, 1982-1999. | repository | Museum of Fine Arts, Houston |
| description | All photographs of artists, trustees, staff and patrons were removed and placed in the Archives Photograph Collection. Oversize items were removed and placed in Archives Oversize Storage. The Subject Files document Dr. Marzio’s leadership of the MFAH, his participation in several national arts organizations, as well as a general interest in Houston and the arts. Files are divided by decade. The first 31 boxes contain files from the 1980s, while boxes 31-34 contain files from the 1990s. In addition, subseries files document the design and construction of the Cullen Sculpture Garden in the mid-80s as well as museum expansion that includes the addition of the Central Administration and Glassell Junior School of Art building; the renovation of the Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. (Adult) School of Art; and plans for the Audrey Jones Beck building during the 1990s. Subjects of note in the 1980s include: The American Association of Museums (AAM); Dr. Marzio’s extensive involvement with the Association of Art Museum Directors; Expansion notes; the Glassell Gold Collection; the Glassell School of Art; Long Range Plan; the Masterpiece Book (A permanent legacy : 150 works from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston); the National Endowment for the Arts (1983 - 1989); notes, contracts and legal documents on the various properties purchased or under consideration during this period; and the Ruth K. Shartle Symposium (1984 - 1989). Subjects from the 1990s include: The Association of Art Museum Directors, Blaffer Foundation, the Dubuffet restoration, The Economic Summit of Industrial Nations, the Minority Internship Program, NEA Challenge Grant III, and the historic San Sabá painting, lent to the MFAH for display and safekeeping during a U.S. Customs case. Subseries 6.1: Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden contains correspondence, notes and contracts leading up to and after the opening of the garden in 1986. This includes interviews and press packets, news clippings, parking agreements with First Presbyterian Church, plan lists, sculpture considered and purchased, drawings and photos and a statement of purpose. Subseries 6.2: Master Plan contains information on the museum expansion in the 1990s. Files include information on candidates for architect for the Beck building, internal discussion on space allocation and other needs, and files on the involvement of Hines Interest, Rafael Moneo (architect), and Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates. Information is also included on plans and construction for the Montrose administration building, Glassell and the Junior School. Long-range plan and master plan documents give insight into the reasons for expansion and goals for the future of the MFAH. Biographical and Historical Note: Peter C. Marzio has been Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston since 1982, the longest tenure of the museum’s full-time directors. Location: Archives Call Number: RG 2 : 7 : 2 |
| extent | 19.75 linear ft. |
| formats | Subject Files Legal Papers Notes Interviews Clippings |
| access | Restrictions vary according to nature of materials. The bulk of the materials are open for public research after twenty years. Consult the Archives for particulars. |
| record link | https://hirsch.mfah.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=111808 |
| record source | http://www.hirsch.mfah.org/ |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aid available in repository. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:47 |
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