Skip to main content My Account Off-Campus Access Give 24/7 Chat Meet with a Librarian Directory Library Services Technical Support Submit a Digital Sign Give Newsletters Social Media

Art and Architecture

  1. Home
  2. Collections
  3. Archives and Special Collections
  4. Our Collections
  5. Manuscripts
  6. Art and Architecture

125 linear feet of materials from 1764 to the present

Original art donated to the University of California at Davis is often entrusted to Archives and Special Collections, some of which hang on the Library’s walls. Private and university donations range the spectrum of artforms. Commercial artwork, design, printing, photography, and bookbinding are also areas of interest to the department. There are no geographical limitations in regard to artist or content, although the bulk of the materials pertain to California subjects. Collections particularly rich in artwork can be found under the Language and Literature and Performing Arts subject headings.

Collections

  • Amerson, Price Art Exhibition Catalog Collection

    (D-423)
    Catalogs from art exhibitions primarily in the United States, with strong holdings for the states of California and New York. Exhibition catalogs from Europe and Canada are also present in the collection. Creator and director of the Richard L. Nelson Gallery and The Fine Arts Collection at the University of California, Davis; art lecturer and an artist.

  • Amerson, Price Papers

    (D-338)
    Correspondence, course materials, art publications, publications by Amerson. Creator and director of the Richard L. Nelson Gallery and The Fine Arts Collection at the University of California, Davis; art lecturer and an artist.

  • Andrews, Michael Papers

    (D-577)
    The collection contains his works including manuscript and published editions as well as digital prints and mounted prints of his photography. Many of the images are taken in Southern California, specifically Hermosa Beach. Michael Andrews (1944- ) is a poet, book artist, and photographer whose works include: Machu Picchu, The Place Where I Will Die, and RiverRun.

  • Baird, Joseph A., Jr. Collection

    (D-231)
    Research files covering 19th and 20th century painting, drawing, graphic art, sculpture, and architecture in California and Mexico, including exhibition catalogs, photographs, clippings, and research indexes of Californian artists; flyers and exhibition catalogs from public and private museums and art galleries around the world, including material describing the holdings of these places as well as of foundations and private collections. Professor of Art, University of California, Davis (1953-1985). Curator and art consultant to the California Historical Society (1962-1963; 1967-1970), owner of the North Point Gallery in San Francisco.

  • Benson, Mary Foley Papers

    (MC043)
    Ten botanical lithographs. For examples of Benson's entomological illustrations, see the Howard Lester McKenzie Collection (D-309). Chief Scientific Illustrator for the Bureau of Entomology, USDA; Senior Scientific Illustrator at the University of California, Davis.

  • Blackwood Press Collection

    (D-058)
    Pamphlets and botanical prints used as examples of work commissioned to the Blackwood Press. Founded in 1956 by Edmund Simpson, M.D., of Placerville, California.

  • Botanical Prints Collection

    (D-042)
    Block prints made by Henry Evans and Edmund E. Simpson.

  • Campbell, Charles Papers

    (MC109)
    Correspondence and instructions regarding printing and dying materials and tool construction; examples of calico print designs and materials. Nineteenth century clothmaker and print designer.

  • Chinese Fan and Embroidery Collection

    (D-040)
    Two Chinese fans hand painted by Tung Kao, with poems in calligraphy by Juan Yuan and Chi Huang.

  • Corti, Count Egon Collection

    (D-010)
    Lithographs, drawings, books, and manuscript notes used for nineteenth century German pomological texts. Illustrations are primarily of apples and pears. Staff officer in the Imperial Royal Austrian Army; history student in Vienna; author of many popular historical works, mostly biographies. His most popular book, Elizabeth die seltsame Frau, was translated into ten languages and thirty three editions were published.

Many collections are stored offsite and should be requested at least 7 business days in advance of your visit.

How to Access Materials

First, submit a request:

To request an item, go to the Finding Aid linked on the item’s information page and select the “Request Items” button. This will initiate a request form for that item within the Aeon request system.

Then check your request status:

Before you visit us in person, please check your Aeon account to confirm that the item status is listed as “Available in Reading Room.”

Login to Aeon

New to Aeon? Create an account