James Byrnes papers
name: label: Creator
content: Byrnes, James B.
label: Names
content: Isaac Delgado Museum of Art
label: Names
content: North Carolina Museum of Art
label: Names
content: Ray, Man, 1890-1976
label: Names
content: Valentiner, Wilhelm Reinhold, 1880-1958
topic: label: Occupation
content: Museum directors -- United States
label: Occupation
content: Art appraisers -- United States
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated 2003 and 2005 by James and Barbara Byrnes.
creator: label: Creator
content: Byrnes, James B.
setName: label: See more items in
content: James Byrnes papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of museum director and art appraiser James Byrnes measure 6.7 linear feet and date from 1911 to 2004. The papers document Byrnes's career through personal and professional correspondence, writings, records of professional activity and research files, and appraisals. Also included are personal and legal documents related to Byrne's friend and mentor William Valentiner, and Byrnes's role as executor of Valentiner's estate.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: James Byrnes (1917-2011) was a museum director and fine arts appraiser who worked in Los Angeles, California, Raleigh, North Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Byrnes also served as executor of the estate of renowned art historian and museum director William Valentiner (1880-1958). 

Byrnes served as the first curator of modern art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from 1946 to 1953. In 1956 he became director of the North Carolina Museum of Art and served until 1960. From 1961 to 1972 he was director of the New Orleans Museum of Art, and subsequently directed the Newport Harbor Art Center from 1973 to 1974. In addition to his museum work, Byrnes was also a fine arts appraiser until the late 1990s. Byrnes died in 2011. 

William Valentiner was Byrne's friend and mentor and they enjoyed a significant professional relationship as art historians and museum administrators. Valentiner also served as director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, while Byrnes later worked as his associate director at the North Carolina Museum of Art, ultimately succeeding him as director.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 6.7 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1911-2004
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.byrnjame
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into six series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1940-2002 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, OV 9)

Series 2: Writings, circa 1951-1975 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 3: Professional Activity Files, 1940-2004 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 2-4, OV 9)

Series 4: Research Files, 1948-1999 (0.6 linear feet; Box 4)

Series 5: Appraisals, 1938-1995 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)

Series 6: William R. Valentiner papers, 1911-1999 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 5-8)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2025.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The papers of museum director and art appraiser James Byrnes measure 6.7 linear feet and date from 1911 to 2004. The papers document Byrnes's career through personal and professional correspondence, writings, records of professional activity and research files, and appraisals. Also included are personal and legal documents related to Byrne's friend and mentor William Valentiner, and Byrnes's role as executor of Valentiner's estate.

Correspondence consists of personal correspondence with friends and family members, business correspondence and inquiries about appraisals, and correspondence with artists, art historians, and others, including Richard Diebenkorn, Ynez Johnson, Paul Wescher and others.

Writings consists of the manuscript "The Artist Collectors and Their Collections," an article on contemporary painting in the United States, and lectures on 19th Century American Art.

Professional activity files include resumes, photographs of Byrnes, some clippings and exhibition announcements and catalogs from institutions at which he worked, and files related to his work at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Newport Harbor Art Museum. Also included are subseries related to his careers at North Carolina Museum of Art and the Isaac Delgado Museum of Art/New Orleans Museum of Art. Records include meeting minutes, exhibition lists, business correspondence, and printed materials.

Research files document research Byrnes conducted on artists Man Ray and Gloria de Herrera and include correspondence, photographs, clippings and other printed material, and notes.

Appraisals consist of research and reports on works by Salvador Dali, Sanford Roth, and Alfredo Ramos Martinez. Material includes correspondence, photographs, clippings, and notes. Also included are some individual requests for appraisals.

William Valentiner papers include personal and business correspondence. Records include documentation of Byrnes's role as executor of Valentiner's estate.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Wilhelm Reinhold Valentiner papers, 1853-1977.