Charles H. Morgan Papers on George W. Bellows, 1882-1979 (bulk 1960-1975)

Requests for permission to publish material from the Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

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Biographical Note

In 1965 Charles H. Morgan, professor of fine arts at Amherst College, published George Bellows: Painter of America, the first full-length biography of the well-known artist. Professor Morgan began work on his biography in 1962 and spent three years gathering information from Bellows' friends, relatives, and contemporaries, as well as from a number of institutions, in order to reconstruct the most complete portrait of the artist and his times as possible.

In 1973 Morgan followed up the biography with The Drawings of George Bellows (Alhambra, Calif.: Borden Publishing Co.; Master Draughtsman Series). Morgan wrote the introduction.

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1902, Charles Hill Morgan earned his bachelor's, master's, and PhD from Harvard University. He left Harvard in 1928 to attend the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. After lecturing at Bryn Mawr College from 1929-30, Morgan accepted an assistant professorship at Amherst College and the opportunity to direct the construction of the new Mead Art Museum and the acquisition of its collection.

Morgan served as director of the Mead Art Museum from its opening in 1949 to his retirement in 1969. The Amherst Fine Arts department grew during his career from one to eight faculty members. He also worked with Trinity College to establish and organize the Austin Center of Art in 1965-66.

Morgan's love of classical art was also expressed in his long-standing relationship with the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. He returned to the school in 1933 and 1952 as a professor and research fellow. Between 1936 and 1938 he directed both the school and the excavation of the Agora (a marketplace) of ancient Corinth.

Morgan served as an Air Intelligence officer in the European Theatre from 1942 to 1945. He was awarded the Allied Legion of Merit Award and the Belgian Croix de Guerre.

Morgan's articles were published in the American Journal of Archaeology, the Hesperia, The Archaelogike Ephemeris, and numerous other professional journals. In addition to his work on Bellows, Morgan published a biography of Michelangelo (1960) and a book on the development of the Art Collection at Amherst College.

In 1928 Morgan married the Rev. Janet Barton, who later became deacon at Grace Episcopal Church. They had a son and two daughters, George S.B. Morgan, Audrey Leaf, and Prudence Eppich. Morgan died in 1984.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

This collection documents the research and writing that Morgan undertook for the books George Bellows: Painter of America (1965) and The Drawings of George Bellows (1973). It includes Morgan's correspondence with individuals or institutions regarding Bellows, transcripts of letters between Bellows and other individuals, photographic reproductions of many of Bellows' drawings and paintings that were used in the books, catalogues of exhibitions of Bellows' work, several draft manuscripts of Morgan's biography and subsequent correspondence concerning its reception upon publication.

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into four series:

• Manuscripts, Illustrations and Galley Proofs for the Book George Bellows: Painter of America
• Background Material for George Bellows: Painter of America, 1882-1969 (bulk 1962-1965)
• Author's Files, Reviews and Other Post-Publication Material, 1962-1979
• The Drawings of George Bellows

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Series 1: Manuscripts, Illustrations and Galley Proofs for George Bellows - Painter of America

Series 1 contains the manuscript, in various drafts, of Professor Morgan's book George Bellows, Painter of America, published in 1965. No determination has been made as to the status -- preliminary, intermediate or final -- of the drafts. Chapter 9 is not included among the papers. One draft of Chapter 10 includes a letter to Professor Morgan from Anne Kearney, daughter of George Bellows. Galley proofs and the black and white photographs that were used for the illustrations are also included here.

Series 2: Background Material for George Bellows - Painter of America 1921-1969 (bulk 1962-1965)

Sub-series A: Children's Story, Biographical Data, and Genealogy

Contains extensive biographical information about Bellows and his family.

Sub-series B: Correspondence

This sub-series consists of Morgan's typed transcripts of George Bellows correspondence. (The originals of most of these are located in the George Bellows Papers.)

Sub-series C: Background Research Material Concerning George Bellows and Bellows Collections

This sub-series includes Morgan's research notes and many photographic reproductions of Bellows works acquired from various sources.

Organized loosely by subject area.

Sub-series D: Correspondence Concerning Bellows Between Charles H. Morgan and Individuals 1958-1969

Organized alphabetically by correspondent name.

Sub-series E: Correspondence Concerning Bellows Between Charles H. Morgan and Institutions 1962-1965

Organized alphabetically by institution name.

Sub-series F: Catalogues of Exhibitions Showing Bellows' Work 1921-1959

Organized alphabetically by institution name.

Series 3: Author's Files, Reviews and Other Post-Publication Material

Sub-series A: Correspondence concerning the book 1962-1978

CMorgan's administrative correspondence with publishers and rights holders.

Sub-series B: Miscellaneous material and correspondence concerning lectures, articles, advice, etc. after publication of book 1965-1979

Press releases, reviews and various correspondence related to George Bellows: Painter of America.

Series 4: The Drawings of George Bellows

Consists chiefly of administrative correspondence relating to the publication of the book in 1974.

Sub-Series A: Correspondence with Owning Institutions or Collectors

Organized alphabetically by the name of the owning institution or collector.

Sub-Series B: Other Materials Relating to The Drawings of George Bellows

Includes a mock-up of the book and a list of drawings.