Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Bussell, Conrad T., b. 1891
| title | The Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell Papers | repository | Baltimore Museum of Art |
| description | Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell Papers - Page 6 - The Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell papers measure .02 linear feet with the bulk of material dating between 1923-1929 while the Bussells lived in Monrovia, Liberia. The papers are comprised of correspondence, ephemera, and photographs of the Bussells and contains letters from the President of Liberia and his brother to Conrad Bussell; letters from Pauline Bussell to her family in the United States detailing their activities; ephemera related to Liberia; and photographs detailing Monrovian life, topography, local costumes, and customs of various tribal peoples. The Papers are housed in one box and consist of three series: Correspondence, Ephemera, and Photographs. The material came to The Baltimore Museum of Art by the bequest of Catherine O'Carroll Bussell and Robert Bruce Bussell in 1998 of the African Art Collection and Papers of Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell. The materials are arranged by subject and then by date. Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell Papers - Page 6 - The Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell papers measure .02 linear feet with the bulk of material dating between 1923-1929 while the Bussells lived in Monrovia, Liberia. The papers are comprised of correspondence, ephemera, and photographs of the Bussells and contains letters from the President of Liberia and his brother to Conrad Bussell; letters from Pauline Bussell to her family in the United States detailing their activities; ephemera related to Liberia; and photographs detailing Monrovian life, topography, local costumes, and customs of various tribal peoples. The Papers are housed in one box and consist of three series: Correspondence, Ephemera, and Photographs. The material came to The Baltimore Museum of Art by the bequest of Catherine O'Carroll Bussell and Robert Bruce Bussell in 1998 of the African Art Collection and Papers of Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell. The materials are arranged by subject and then by date. Biographical Information: Conrad Turner Bussell (1891 – unknown) was born in Irvington, VA to Captain A. W. Bussell and graduated from Randolph-Macon Academy at Bedford City and the University of Virginia. Upon graduation, Lieutenant Bussell was appointed to the Coast and Geodetic Survey as a Junior Hydrographic and Geodetic Engineer by President Wilson. After the war, Bussell worked as a navigator for the Venetia after it was returned to civilian service whereupon he met his future wife, Pauline Winterstein (1901-unknown) of Bristol, PA. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge sent Bussell to survey the boundaries of the Republic of Liberia, then an African-American experiment in state-building. Bussell never completed the survey but was appointed General Receiver of Customs in the country’s capital, Monrovia, and later became Deputy Financial Officer to Liberian President Charles Dunbar Burgess King. Bussell’s then fiancée, Pauline Winterstein, joined him in Monrovia where they were married on February 25, 1926. While in Liberia, Conrad Bussell helped to negotiate an agreement between Liberian President King, Harvey S. Firestone, Jr. of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Sidney de la Rue of the Liberian government, the Finance Corporation of America, and the U.S. government to establish a large rubber plantation in Liberia to sustain the rapid growth of the United States automobile industry. Previous to this agreement, all Liberian rubber supplies had been controlled by British-run plantations. Before returning to the United States in 1929, the couple accumulated a distinguished collection of works by indigenous artists from ethnic groups in the interior of the country such as the Gola, Vai, Dan, Kpelle, and Mende- before they were heavily influenced by Western culture through the colonial government based in Monrovia. Upon returning to the United States in 1929, Conrad Bussell held several positions including Assistant Regional Representative of the United States Bureau of Unemployment Compensation and lived in Richmond, VA, Washington, D.C. and Birmingham, AL. In 1988, Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell’s son, Robert Bruce Bussell of Arlington, VA, and wife, Catherine O’Carroll Bussell, transferred forty-six works of African Art collected by Conrad and Pauline while living in Liberia to The Baltimore Museum of Art (forty-one objects accepted as gifts and five purchased). Of exceptional quality, the acquisition is extremely important because few collections from this part of Africa exist in America that were assembled before the 1930s. Preferred Citation: Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell Papers, Archives and Manuscripts Collection, The Baltimore Museum of Art. |
| extent | 0.2 Linear feet . Contains 1 box consisting of 7 folders: 5 folders of correspondence, 1 folder ephemera (3 items), 1 folder of photographs (20 items) |
| formats | Correspondence Ephemera Photographs |
| access | The Conrad T. and Pauline Bussell Papers are the physical property of the Manuscripts Collections, Baltimore Museum of Art. Copyright, except in cases where material has passed into the public domain, belongs to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult a Library staff member. |
| record source | https://artbma.org/documents/findingAids/BussellPapers.pdf |
| finding aid | found on the repository's web site. |
| acquisition information | Gift of Catherine O'Carroll Bussell and Robert Bruce Bussell, Arlington, VA in 1998. Transferred to the Archives from the Department of The Arts of Africa, the Americas, Asia & the Pacific Islands (AAAPI) in 2008. |
| updated | 03/16/2023 10:30:07 |
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