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A Guide to his papers at the Indiana University Archives

Finding aid prepared by Dina Kellams; revised by Amanda Harlan.

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
Hope, Henry R. (Henry Radford), 1905-1989

Collection No.
C169

Extent
6 cubic feet (6 boxes)

Language
Materials are in English, French

Abstract
Henry Radford Hope was an internationally acclaimed art critic and historian who joined the Indiana University faculty in 1941. His tenure included 27 years as the chair of the School of Fine Arts as well as ten years as the director of the Indiana University Art Museum from 1961 to 1971. The collection is comprised of publication and research files, correspondence, and teaching materials.

Access Restrictions

Select files closed to researchers. These are indicated in the folder list.

Biographical Note

Henry Radford Hope was born December 12, 1905, in Chelsea, Massachusetts. He began his studies at Columbia University in 1925, but left in 1927 to begin work in a cosmetics firm in New York. He married Dorothy ("Dotty") Weil on April 11, 1927 and in 1931 following his contraction of tuberculoses they traveled to Switzerland for him to recuperate.

While in Europe, Hope began to study foreign languages and visiting art galleries. He decided to move to Paris, where he studied at Ecole du Louvre (special school for curators funded by the Louvre Museum) in 1936 and at the Universite de Paris (Sorbonne) where he lectured on the history of art from 1937-1938 eventually earning the certificate d’histoire de l’art in 1938 specializing in Medieval art.

In 1938 he returned to the United States and began studying at Harvard, where he earned both his M.A. and Ph.D. in art history. In 1939 he was appointed Assistant in Fine Arts at Harvard and taught art history. He also taught Fine Arts at the Stuart School for Girls in Boston.

Hope came to Indiana University in 1941 when he accepted a position to chair the visual arts program in the Fine Arts Department. Under his guidance, the Fine Arts Department became the School of Fine Arts and moved from Mitchell Hall into its own building on Showalter Fountain Plaza. On June 3, 1944, he married for the second time to Sarahanne "Sally" Adams. In 1948, he and his second wife, Sally, established the Hope Fund to start a collection of prints, drawings, and water colors for Indiana University. He received the "Brown Derby" award in 1958, which is given annually to the most popular professor at Indiana University. Hope also helped to found the Society of the Friends of Art of Indiana University in 1965. He served as chairman of the School of Fine Arts for 27 years from 1941 to 1968.

With the help of then President Wells, Hope was able to achieve his "dream" for IU the establishment of the IU Art Museum in 1961. At that time, the galleries were located in the Fine Arts building, as the current Indiana University Art Museum was not dedicated until 1982. Hope served as Museum Director from 1961 to 1971.

Hope retired in 1971, and he and Sally moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. During a 1989 visit to IU for a dedication ceremony of the "Indiana Totem" in his and Sally's honor, Dr. Hope suffered a heart attack and died shortly thereafter.

Prof. Hope was an internationally acclaimed art critic and historian, and his book on Georges Braque is thought to be the definitive work on the artist. He curated important exhibitions on Braque (1949) and Lipchitz (1954) for the Museum of Modern Art and wrote biographical catalogues for both exhibits. In addition to his position as Chair of the Fine Arts Department, Hope also served as editor of the College Art Journal for 24 years (1945-1949; 1953-1973) and as a consulting editor for 6 years (1973-1979). He also served as chairman of the editorial board of the Magazine of Art (1950-1951 and 1958-1961). He was elected president of the Midwestern College Art Conference in 1949, 1951, and 1952, and was president of the College Art Association for 3 consecutive years (1949-1951). In 1951, he was appointed by the U.S. Department of State as a delegate on art activities to the U.S. Commission on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). He served the organization as adviser on cultural affairs from 1951 to 1963.

Henry Radford Hope is survived by four sons and two daughters: Peter McClennen, James McLennen, and Helen (McLennen) Miller from his first marriage and Roy Hope and William Ray Hope (twins), and Sarahjane (Hope) Chelminski from his second marriage.

Arrangement

The collection is organized into ten series: Classwork and Notes; Dissertation; Teaching; Writing; UNESCO; College Art Journal; Personal Correspondence; Day Planners; Public Speaking; and Research.

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Henry Radford Hope comprise six cubic feet and span from 1923 to 1999. The bulk of the collection is from the 1930's and 1940's. The papers are organized into ten series: Hope's Classwork and notes, Dissertation, Teaching, Writing, UNESCO, College Art Journal, Personal correspondence, Day planners, Public speaking, and Research.

Hope's Classwork and notes 1936-1940: Arranged chronologically, this series contains class notes and papers from Hope's days as a student. Most of the papers are from his time at Harvard, but there are a few early folders from his studies in Paris.

Dissertation 1941-1953: This series is arranged alphabetically by subject. It consists of research Hope conducted in preparation for his dissertation on "Art Nouveau," also known as "Decorative Art." Also included are several files of hand or typewritten drafts marked with corrections. There is not a final copy of the dissertation in the collection.

Teaching 1933-1965: Included in this series are exams, handouts, and handwritten lecture notes from classes Hope taught while at Harvard and IU, with the bulk being from IU. They are arranged chronologically and are not grouped by class, as Hope frequently just labeled the files by subject matter. Included are two files of papers and exams written by Hope's students, names have been redacted for privacy.

Writings 1932-1965: Arranged chronologically, this series consists of creative writing, notes, and typewritten or handwritten papers. A first draft of Hope's biography on the artist Georges Braque, which became known as the definitive work on the artist, can be found here. In addition, there is a first draft of his book on Jacques Lipchitz. There are no reprints or copies of published works; most are Hope's first drafts or handwritten notes for future papers.

UNESCO 1950-1951: Hope was chosen to be the Indiana delegate on art activities for the 9th meeting of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO. This series, arranged chronologically, includes correspondence about the appointment and papers and books for the meeting held in Washington, D.C.

College Art Journal 1943-1967: For several years Hope served as the editor of the College Art Journal. The majority of this series consists of correspondence from individuals hoping to have their work included in the Journal. This series is arranged chronologically.

Personal correspondence 1933-1967: These folders are arranged alphabetically by correspondent. It consists primarily of personal correspondence from the late 1930's and the 1940's and includes very few letters written by Hope himself. Prominently featured are Hope's mistress Helene Barland, friends George and Teddy Cummings, and first wife Dorothy "Dot" Hope. Also found here are the numerous letters Hope sent out in hopes of gaining war work during World War II. Because he had suffered from tuberculosis in the 1930's and his lack of qualifications, he was unable to secure war work.

Day planners 1938-1965: Dr. Hope kept one book per year with frequent entries about appointments, classes, meetings, and personal observations on everyday happenings in his life. Arranged chronologically.

Public speaking 1937-1967: This series contains handwritten notes of public speeches and lectures given or attended by Hope. The files containing notes on lectures given by Hope frequently contain correspondence and research. Included is correspondence regarding famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in preparation for a presentation to the Fine Arts faculty. Arranged chronologically.

Research 1923-1999: Chronologically arranged, this series contains handwritten notes and correspondence on a variety of topics. It is possible these were notes in preparation for papers, classes lectures, or Hope's dissertation. Some examples of files are "Art Nouveau," "Garden of Hephaistus," and "Musical Representation in Art." Also found here is a file of notecards, on which Hope wrote notes and citations for books, as well as publications which he collected or were sent to him by colleagues.

• 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
  • Hope, Henry R. (Henry Radford), 1905-1989 --Archives.
  • Hope, Henry R. (Henry Radford), 1905-1989 --Correspondence.
  • Indiana University, Bloomington. School of Fine Arts --Faculty --Archives.
• • Topics
  • Art critics --Indiana --Bloomington --Archives.
  • Art historians --Indiana --Bloomington --Archives.
  • Art teachers --Indiana --Bloomington --Archives.
  • Art --History --Study and teaching (Higher)

Separated Material

Loose photos removed from the Braque Catalog folder, the Oriot Orfevrerie folder, Hope’s Dissertation files, and College Art Journal Correpondence, as well as several loose unlabeled personal photos, and were transfered to the Photo Collection..

Administrative Information

Container List

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Series: Box 3 Writing, 1932-1963 

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Creative Writing and Drawings, 1932‑1943 

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Brimo, 1938  View item(s)

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"French Religious Architecture of the Sixteenth Century," c.1938 

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New England Genre Exhibit, 1938‑1939 

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Paper on Museum Philosophy, 1939 

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Baptistery, Ravenna, 1940 

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Artistic Currents in the Mid‑Century, 1943 

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Schmalenbach Review, 1943 

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Robsjohn‑Gibbins Review, 1947 

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Sullivan Paper, Jan. 1947 

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Braque Catalogue, 1948-1949 

(Photos Removed and Transferred to Photo Collection)

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Box 4 Article on Jacques Lipchitz, 1951 

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Lachaise Article for the Encyclopedia of World Art, 1958‑1963 

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"A Visit to the Exhibition," undated 

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Braque Biography ‑ First Draft, undated 

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C.J. Bulliet Review, undated 

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Chapter Two, Education of a Sculptor, undated 

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Chapter Three, Education of a Sculptor, undated 

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"Every Man's Art," undated 

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Lipchitz ‑ Chapter IV, undated 

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Lipchitz ‑ Chapter VIII ‑ Wartime Paris; Chapter IX ‑ Developed Cubist Sculpture, undated 

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Lipchitz: Part Two, undated 

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"Neue Sachlichkeit," undated 

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Paraphrase of Theodore Spencer's Analysis of Literary Criticism, undated 

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Reality and Photograph, undated 

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Series: Box 4 Personal correspondence, 1933-1967 

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Sarahanne ("Sally") Adams McClennon, 1940‑1943 

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Helene Barland, 1938‑1940 

(RESTRICTED)

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Michel Benisovich, undated 

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Ruth ("Berry") Berenson, 1942‑1943 

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George Boas, 1939 

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Louis W. Bonsib, 1941 

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Boston Traveler, People's Editor, 1940 

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C. Bowie, undated 

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Maurice Briges, 1941 

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George C. Brighs, 1941 

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Milton W. Brown, undated 

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Edwin Bry, 1941 

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Buchholz Gallery, 1941 

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H. Carter, 1942 

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Ralph F. Colin, 1964‑1967 

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W.G. Constable, 1940 

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John Coolidge, 1943 

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George Burton "B" Cummings, 1941‑1943 

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Teddy Cummings, 1943 

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Charles and Helen (Hope) Dibbell, 1933‑1942 

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Ivan Donovetsky, 1933‑1936 

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Albert Elsen, 1967 

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Henri Focillon, 1940‑1941 

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Marguerite Focillon, undated 

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Fogg Museum, undated 

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Sydney Freedberg, undated 

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Max E. Friedmann, 1943 

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Robert J. Goldwater, 1943 

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Lloyd Goodrich, 1940 

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Talbot Hamlin, 1940 

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J.D. Hatch, Jr., 1940‑1941 

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Bartlett H. Hayes, Jr., 1940 

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Henry‑Russell Hitchcock, 1942 

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Hope Collection, 1963-1967 

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Blanche Hope, 1942‑1943 

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Dorothy ("Dot") Hope, 1938‑1962 

(RESTRICTED)

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Florence Hope, 1942‑1943 

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Frank Hope, 1933‑1943 

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Quentin Hope, 1937‑1943 

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Frank E. Horack, Jr., 1943 

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Vincent Jones, 1936‑1943 

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W. Koehler, 1941 

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Misch Kohn, 1942 

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Richard Krautheimer, 1942‑1943 

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Jerry Lathrop, 1940 

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A.R. Lawton, Jr., 1940 

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M.W. Lippitt, 1940 

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Gloria Lipsky, 1943 

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Box 5 L. Mattler, 1943 

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Meriden Gravure Company, 1940 

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Ferdiere Michaux, 1940 

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Misc. Letters Saved, 1935‑1960 

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Misc. Letters Written by Hope, 1937‑1938 

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Ward Montague, 1937 

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C.R. Morey, 1939 

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M.N. Moyrichau, undated 

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New Yorker, 1941 

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John Northey, 1942‑1943 

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Augusto Parigi, 1935 

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Janet Perry, 1939‑1943 

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Harris King Prior, 1941 

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Elisabeth Puckett, 1942 

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Robert Rey, 1936 

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David M. Robb, 1942 

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Regine de Roehefort, 1934‑1935 

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Serge Rueff, undated 

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Paul J. Sachs, 1939‑43  View item(s)

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Paul H. "Boice" Sampliner, 1942 

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Charles Sawyer, 1939‑1940 

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Sculpture (Labels) ‑ Correspondence, 1941 

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Frank C. Smith, Jr., 1941 

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Betty Stearno, 1943 

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Stuart School for Girls, undated 

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Francis Henry Taylor, 1939‑1940 

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Touring Club de France, 1934 

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Walter Treuenfelo, undated 

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United States Civil Service Commission, 1940 

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University of Rochester, 1941 

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Curt Valentin, 1943 

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Henri Verne, 1936 

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May Vieillard, 1940‑1942 

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John and Ruth Vincent, 1942 

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Assia R. Visson, 1943 

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Manny and Dora Viviano, undated 

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War Work, 1941‑1943 

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Augusta Wittkowsky, 1942 

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Richard Waller, 1933 

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Series: Box 5 Public speaking, 1937-1967 

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Clovet ‑ Conference, Nov. 22, 1937 

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Architecture: Frank Lloyd Wright, 1943  View item(s)

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Lecture: English, Indiana ‑ Art Appreciation, 1943 

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Lectures: Vincent Van Gogh, 1943 

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Quatre maitres de la peinture francaise, 1943 

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Whitman and Sullivan, 1947 

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Fine Arts Series (Popular Lectures), 1948‑1950 

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Government and Art, 1948‑49 

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Homage to Georges Braque, 1962 

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Versailles, 1962 

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Lecture on Romanesque Art, 1964 

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Hope (Lectures ‑ Correspondence), 1966‑1967  

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Architecture: The Development of the American House, undated 

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North Africa and France Lecture, undated 

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Notes from Talk by Jules Romain, undated 

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Radio Talk, undated 

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Spirit and Matter in Modern Art, undated