Scrapbook #1, 1875-1878, 1884-1889

Scrapbooks #1 through #5 consist of clippings that record the establishment of a permanent museum at Memorial Hall and its programs and progress into the early years of the 20th century. All of these scrapbooks were microfilmed by Archives of American Art in 1954.

The final scrapbook (#6) in this series consists almost entirely of ephemera produced over a 30-year period, with much of the material pertaining to the School of Industrial Art. The material spans the tenures of Dalton Dorr and Edwin AtLee Barber, who served as two of the Museum's earliest directors (even though they carried out these duties for many years under the title of "Curator"). Invitations in the scrapbook addressed personally to Dorr and Barber suggest that both men compiled this material, with Barber continuing Dorr's efforts after the latter's death in 1901. The scrapbook opens with various ephemera pertaining to the Museum's 1889 exhibition and competition in pottery, tiles, mosaics and other industrial arts. Documentation includes the exhibition catalogue, poster and broadside of rules and regulations. The progress made by the School of Industrial Art and each of its fields of study (each designated as a school) is best documented by the annual circulars, which are similar to school catalogs. Other material includes commencement invitations and programs, school brochures, and announcements of alumni events, as well as an alumni newsletter. In addition to fund-raising invitations on behalf of the School, there are several souvenir programs of an annual "costume ball, pageant and fantasy" held to benefit both the Museum and School. The few newspaper clippings pertain to various special exhibitions at the Museum, and a 1918 invitation announces the opening of a children's museum in Memorial Hall. Postcards and membership solicitations are other museum-related material. Reprints of lectures, addresses and writings, particularly by Barber, are also included, as well as signage and letterhead for both the Museum and School.