Archives Collection Highlights
Manuscripts and Records
Architectural Records
The architectural collection documents the construction history of the MFAH campus, including the two house museums: Bayou Bend and Rienzi. In addition to architectural drawings in a variety of formats, the collection contains account statements, architectural specifications, project histories, and correspondence. Among the highlights are a 1922 rendering of the south facade of the original MFAH building by William Ward Watkin; plans for Cullinan Hall, Brown Pavilion, and a never-executed sculpture garden by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; a drawing of the Beck Building by Rafael Moneo; a preliminary sketch of the Kinder Building by Steven Holl; and alternate renderings of Bayou Bend’s dining room by William Mackay.
Photographs
The MFAH Archives photograph collection contains 185,000 images that document the history of exhibitions, architecture, and programming at the MFAH. The collection is composed primarily of exhibition installation views, photographs of Museum openings and events with members of the art community and Museum staff, and interior and exterior views of the MFAH campus and its environs. An additional 52,000 photographic images reside in manuscript collections, documenting subjects such as prominent Houston artists and families.
Audio-Visual Materials
The audio-visual collection consists of more than 5,000 audio recordings and moving images—primarily interviews, lectures, symposia, classes, training, and other events held at the MFAH. In these recordings, scholars, educators, curators, and artists address topics relating to exhibitions, collections, and art education.