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A Guide to the Papers at the Indiana University Archives

Electronic finding aid encoded by Donald C. Force

Summary Information

Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives

Creator
Burke, Robert Elisha, 1884-1957.

Title
Robert Elisha Burke papers, 1904-1957,  bulk 1907-1949

Collection No.
C94

Extent
1 cubic foot
(1 box)

Language
Materials are in English.

Abstract
This collection contains material created and collected by Robert Elisha Burke. Burke became a professor at Indiana University shortly after his graduation from the Pratt Institute in New York. He completed work for his A.B. and M.A. while teaching. In 1921 he became the head of the Fine Arts Department and held that position until 1941. Included are lecture notes, travel notes, some personal information, three bound volumes consisting of lectures, paintings, and other representations of his work, and an album containing photos and postcards of his U.S. travels. The majority of the materials relate to his teaching career at I.U.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Advance notice is required.

Biographical Note

Robert Elisha Burke (1884-1957), artist and professor of Fine Arts at Indiana University, was born on September 10, 1884, in Winsted, CT. He graduated from the Pratt Institute of New York in 1907, and that same year joined the Indiana University Fine Arts Department as an instructor. While fulfilling his duties as teacher, Burke completed work at Indiana University in 1913 for the A.B. degree and in 1914 for the M.A.

In 1911 Burke advanced from instructor to assistant professor, in 1921 to associate professor, and in 1926 to professor. During this time, he married Avis Adalaide Tarrant (1886-1984) of Bloomington on August 31, 1916. In 1921 Professor Burke replaced retiring Alfred M. Brooks as head of the Fine Arts Department. He held that position until 1941, at which time he resumed teaching. Professor Burke's tenure at IU spanned forty-two years, and he retired in 1949. From 1949 until his death in 1957 Burke was Professor Emeritus of Fine Arts.

Professionally, Professor Burke was a member of the Brown County Art Gallery Association, the College Art Association, and the American Association of University Professors. Burke also enjoyed spending his spare time painting. He was highly regarded as a watercolorist and traveled throughout the Southwest and other parts of the United States painting landscapes.

Robert E. Burke died in Bloomington on May 11, 1957, at the age seventy-two. Upon his death, Burke’s wife Avis endowed the department of the History of Art for the purpose of bringing distinguished scholars to Bloomington, which later culminated into the Robert and Avis Burke Lecture Series. This lecture series continues to run on the IU-Bloomington campus.

Arrangement

Collection is organized into four series: Research, Lectures, Writings, and Personal materials.

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains material created and collected by Robert E. Burke, a professor of fine arts at Indiana University, and spans the years from 1904 to 1957. The collection is arranged into four series: Research, Lectures, Writings, and Personal materials.

The Research series, 1904-1939, consists mostly of typed manuscripts of research notes on various aspects of art created by Burke. The topics of research range from architecture, paintings, artists, and symmetry. Also included are notes on European art written while Burke was traveling in Italy, France, and England.

The Lectures series, 1908-1948, consists of lecture notes for different courses Burke taught at Indiana University. Most of these are typed, but some include hand-written notes. The majority of the notes were for his courses on the "History and Theory of Painting." These lecture notes were eventually abridged and bound, and donated by Avis Burke to Indiana University after Burke’s death. A copy of this bound, abridged version of the "History and Theory of Painting" is included in this series.

The Writings series, undated, include two works by Burke. The first is a two- volume bound text entitled “Representative Paintings of Western Europe," with the first volume including text and the second including plates. The other writing of Burke’s represented is an unbound manuscript entitled, "Short Introduction to the Various Schools of Painting," which was written for the Extension Division of Indiana University.

The final series is the Personal materials series, which spans the years from 1915 to 1957. This series consists of records that relate to Burke’s personal life. Records included in this series are awards and certificates, original designs of Christmas cards by Burke, a short autobiographical sketch of his childhood, and a folder containing information on exhibits and portfolios of his paintings. The printed Christmas card designs were likely from the carved wood blocks that were removed from the collection. Of particular note in the correspondence folder is a letter written in 1927 to Burke from Dr. William Lowe Bryan, former president of IU.

• Indexing Terms

• The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the catalog using these terms.

• • Names
  • Indiana University. Dept. of Fine Arts --History --20th century --Sources.
  • Burke, Robert Elisha, 1884-1957 --Archives.
  • Burke, Robert Elisha, 1884-1957 --Correspondence.
• • Topics
  • Painting --Study and teaching (Higher) --Indiana --Bloomington.
  • Painters --Indiana --Bloomington --Archives.
  • Painters --Indiana --Bloomington --Correspondence.
  • Artists as teachers --Indiana --Bloomington --Archives.
  • Artists as teachers --Indiana --Bloomington --Correspondence.

Separated Material

Carved wood blocks and art tools and supplies were removed from the collection.

Photographs transferred to Archives Photographs Collection.
Photographs pulled include: One photo ID card dated 1925, an albumen print of a young girl (subject unknown), and an album containing photos and postcards of Professor Burke’s U.S. travels. On the verso of the albumen print is the possible inscription: "Subject unknown? Fantastic. An example of over crowding in a photograph. Amusing?"

Administrative Information

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