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Collection Overview

Creator:
Morey, Charles Rufus (1877-1955)
Title:
Charles Rufus Morey Papers
Repository:
Manuscripts Division
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/r207tp35x
Dates:
1895-1955 (mostly 1924-1945)
Size:
20 boxes, 3 oversize folders, and 22.4 linear feet
Storage Note:
  • This is stored in multiple locations.
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Boxes 1-18; 8A
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Box 19
Language:
English

Abstract

American art historian Charles Rufus Morey (1877-1955) served as professor in the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University from 1918-1945 and as chairman from 1924-1945. The collection includes Morey's drafts for catalogues, mainly at the Museo Sacro and Museo Cristiano; photographs; professional papers, lecture and course notes; and drafts, extracts and contents of vertical files.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of professional papers, catalogues, notes, card files, photographs, and other printed matter of American art historian Charles Rufus Morey.

Arrangement

The collection has been organized into four series by material type, but were not physically arranged according to this scheme. During 2022 processing, the order of materials at the time of their transfer in 2019 was retained but intellectually incorporated into the collection's organizational scheme.

Collection Creator Biography:

Morey

Charles Rufus Morey (1877-1955) was an American art historian and chairman of the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University from 1924 to 1945. Born in Hastings, Michigan in 1877, Morey later went on to earn a BA from the University of Michigan in 1899. The following year, he received his MA from the University of Michigan studying classical languages and literature and spent three years at the American School of Classical Studies in Rome. In 1903, Morey came to Princeton as a fellow in Classics. Three years later, he accepted from Allan Marquand the position of Wilson-appointed preceptor in art history at Princeton until 1918 when he was appointed the rank of full professor. Morey taught renaissance and modern art as well as his specialties in early Christian and medieval art, practicing his own belief that his faculty should be knowledgeable in all fields. In 1917, Morey founded the Index of Christian Art, which was the first thematic and iconographic index of Early Christian and medieval art objects.

While at Princeton, Morey worked tirelessly in educating students, faculty, and countless members of the academic community. Morey had a prolific publishing career, his first essay, "The Christian Sarcophagus in S. Maria Antiqua" was published in 1905 and his celebrated volumes Early Christian Art and Medieval Art were both published in 1942. Among countless other articles, reviews, chapters and contributions over his professorship, Morey also directed the Vatican's Museo Sacro catalogue of Christian art, which first appeared in 1936. For seven years he guided a group of five institutions (including Princeton) in a joint excavation of Antioch, and he supervised the ensuing publications. He helped found and cultivate the College Art Association and its publication, The Art Bulletin. In addition to teaching at Princeton, Morey similarly helped develop the art history curriculum at New York University's Institute of Fine Arts and the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Humanities.

Throughout his professional career, not limited to the time he was at Princeton, Morey helped establish the budding art history discipline as a respected field of learning. He has been partly credited with making the profession one which students would be encouraged to follow. At the end of his tenure at Princeton, there were the five years (1945-1950) that Morey spent as Cultural Affairs Officer at the United States Embassy in Rome. Morey died in 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey.


Morey

Charles Rufus Morey (1877-1955) was an American art historian and chairman of the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University from 1924 to 1945. Born in Hastings, Michigan in 1877, Morey later went on to earn a BA from the University of Michigan in 1899. The following year, he received his MA from the University of Michigan studying classical languages and literature and spent three years at the American School of Classical Studies in Rome. In 1903, Morey came to Princeton as a fellow in Classics. Three years later, he accepted from Allan Marquand the position of Wilson-appointed preceptor in art history at Princeton until 1918 when he was appointed the rank of full professor. Morey taught renaissance and modern art as well as his specialties in early Christian and medieval art, practicing his own belief that his faculty should be knowledgeable in all fields. In 1917, Morey founded the Index of Christian Art, which was the first thematic and iconographic index of Early Christian and medieval art objects.

While at Princeton, Morey worked tirelessly in educating students, faculty, and countless members of the academic community. Morey had a prolific publishing career, his first essay, "The Christian Sarcophagus in S. Maria Antiqua" was published in 1905 and his celebrated volumes Early Christian Art and Medieval Art were both published in 1942. Among countless other articles, reviews, chapters and contributions over his professorship, Morey also directed the Vatican's Museo Sacro catalogue of Christian art, which first appeared in 1936. For seven years he guided a group of five institutions (including Princeton) in a joint excavation of Antioch, and he supervised the ensuing publications. He helped found and cultivate the College Art Association and its publication, The Art Bulletin. In addition to teaching at Princeton, Morey similarly helped develop the art history curriculum at New York University's Institute of Fine Arts and the Institute for Advanced Study's School of Humanities.

Throughout his professional career, not limited to the time he was at Princeton, Morey helped establish the budding art history discipline as a respected field of learning. He has been partly credited with making the profession one which students would be encouraged to follow. At the end of his tenure at Princeton, there were the five years (1945-1950) that Morey spent as Cultural Affairs Officer at the United States Embassy in Rome. Morey died in 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Gift of Mrs. Charles Rufus Morey (AM 17732). Lecture notes are a gift of Sally Floody. Materials from Sally Floody's circa 2007 donation were transferred to Firestone Library in 2019 (AM 2021-42).

Appraisal

No items were removed during 2013 or 2022 processing.

The following nitrate photograph negatives were deaccessioned in 2019: nos. 23-34, depicting Parentino Battle piece, Diana, Perino del Vaga, 'Head of Youth,' Giulio Romano, 'Satyr and Boy,' S. Nicholas of Myra, Cain and Abel, Three Apostles, and Cornelis de Wael as well as 24 photo negatives of plates from German art historical publication, and approximately 105 photo negatives on subjects of Attic vase painting, Greek and Roman sculpture, engraved medals, architectural monuments and plans.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Rachel Jordan in 2004. Finding aid written by Rachel Jordan in 2004. This collection was reprocessed by Jessica Savage in 2013. Materials transferred in 2019 were added in 2022 by Amy C. Vo. Description that came with the collection during transfer was retained with minor revisions during processing in 2022.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Charles Rufus Morey Papers; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/r207tp35x
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • This is stored in multiple locations.
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Boxes 1-18; 8A
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Box 19