Collection inventory

Special Collections home page

Hiram Williams Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: -
Date: 6 Jan 1994

Biographical History

Hiram Williams (1917-2003) was an American painter and art educator, known for his abstract figures and portrait work.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Hiram Williams Papers comprises biographical material, correspondence, artwork, writings and memorabilia of the American painter and educator. Focusing on the 1950s and 1960s, the collection -- which is occasionally interspersed with annotations supplied by Williams -- illuminates his artistic career and, to a lesser extent, his personal life.

Correspondence-subject files (Box 1) consists of incoming letter and outgoing carbons, as well as other material pertaining to art, from 1960 through 1966. Correspondence includes that of artists (Luis Eades, Hobson Pittman, William Stephens), patron Mildred Hawn, art galleries and museums (Atelier Chapman Kelley, Beaumont Art Museum, Carlin Galleries, Cushman Galleries, Museum of Modern Art, and others), the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and publisher Prentice-Hall.

Artwork (Box 2) encompasses original book illustrations for Williams' Notes for a Young Painter, an original painting of his parents, and numerous reproductions of his work, including photographs and negatives of several exhibitions, a mural and paintings.

An original handwritten manuscript of an unpublished novel and miscellaneous statements on art constitute Writings.

Memorabilia (Boxes 3 and 4) comprises family mementos, financial and legal material, lists of Williams' paintings (some with prices), photographs, printed material, and teaching-related items. Family memorabilia includes Williams' baby book, his father's diary from 1938, two newspaper clippings about his parents, and incoming correspondence from his mother. Financial and legal material consists of miscellaneous contracts, receipts and bank statements. Among the Photographs are some of Williams teaching at the University of Florida and miscellaneous pictures of the artist, his family and friends. Printed material contains articles, reviews, newspaper clippings, and exhibition catalogs and invitations.

Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence-subject files are arranged alphabetically by correspondence. Artwork, Writings and Memorabilia are each arranged alphabetically by type of material.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Eades, Luis.
Pittman, Hobson, 1900-
Williams, Hiram.

Subjects

Art, American -- 20th century.
Art, American.
Painters -- United States.
Painting, American -- 20th century.
Painting, American.

Genres and Forms

Articles.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Exhibition catalogs.
Illustrations.
Photographs.

Occupations

Artists.
Painters.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Hiram Williams Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Hiram Williams, 1967.

Table of Contents

Correspondence-subject files

Artwork

Writings

Memorabilia

Inventory