William E. L. Bunn papers
name: label: Creator
content: Bunn, William E. L., 1910-2009
label: Names
content: United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts
label: Names
content: United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Painting and Sculpture
label: Names
content: United States. General Services Administration
label: Names
content: W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company
label: Names
content: Allen, Lee, 1910-2006
label: Names
content: Wood, Grant, 1891-1942
topic: label: Topic
content: Designers -- Iowa
label: Topic
content: Federal aid to the arts
label: Topic
content: Muralists -- Iowa
label: Topic
content: Mural painting and decoration -- Middle West
label: Topic
content: New Deal, 1933-1939
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated by William E. L. Bunn in 1989 and in 2010 by Bunn's daughter, Chari Petrowski. In 1986 two sketchbooks and sketches were transferred with Bunn's permssion from the General Services Administration, which had received them from Bunn.
creator: label: Creator
content: Bunn, William E. L., 1910-2009
setName: label: See more items in
content: William E. L. Bunn papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The papers of painter, muralist, and designer William E. L. Bunn measure 13.4 linear feet and date from 1863-2009. The collection documents Bunn's career as a painter, industrial designer, and his work on Treasury Department post office mural commissions through biographical material, scattered correspondence, project files, industrial design records, diaries and journals, writings and notes, printed material, photographs, and artwork. Also found are Bunn's papers regarding Grant Wood.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: William E. L. Bunn (1910-2009) was a designer, muralist, and painter in Ft. Madison, Iowa and Ojai, California. Bunn was born in Muscatine, Iowa and received his B.A. in Graphic and Plastic Arts and an M.A. in Theater Design, both from the University of Iowa. In 1937 he was awarded a one-year post-graduate fellowship as an art intern for Grant Wood. From 1938 to 1942 he won four commissions from the Treasury Department to produce murals for Federal buildings. He also exhibited paintings, primarily depicting Mississippi River steamboats, at the National Academy of Design, Art Institute of Chicago, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and other group shows. Beginning in 1943 Bunn worked as an industrial designer at several companies including Sheaffer Pen Company (1946-1967) and Cuckler Steele Span Company (1967-1977). After his retirement, he and his wife, Annavene, moved to California, and he continued to paint. Bunn was also active in the Theosophical Society and had an interest in aviation.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 13.4 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1863-2009
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.bunnwill
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Blueprints
label: Type
content: Sketchbooks
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Transcriptions
label: Type
content: Watercolors
label: Type
content: Sketches
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Designs
label: Type
content: Diaries
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged as 10 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1910-2009 (Box 1, 12, FC 33; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1927-2006 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Project Files, circa 1925-2002 (Box 1-3, 12, OV 15-19, RD 31; 2.2 linear feet)

Series 4: Industrial Design Records, circa 1944-1977 (Box 3, 12, OV 20; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 5: Papers Relating to Grant Wood, 1935-2006 (Box 3-4, 12; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 6: Diaries and Journals, 1929-2003 (Box 4-6; 2.2 linear feet)

Series 7: Writings and Notes, circa 1928-2004 (Box 6-7; 1.0 linear foot)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1896-2009 (Box 7-8, 12, OV 21; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 9: Photographs, 1863-1990s (Box 8-9, 13; 1.6 linear feet)

Series 10: Artwork, circa 1926-2004 (Box 9-11, 14, OVs 22-30, RD 32; 2.3 linear feet)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed in 2011 by Erin Kinhart. Motion picture film reels were inspected and re-housed in 2017 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund.
altformavail: label: Alternative Forms Available
content: Sketchbooks 4 and 5 are available on 35 mm microfilm reel 3813 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Blueprints
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketchbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Transcriptions
label: Genre/Form
content: Watercolors
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketches
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Designs
label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
scopecontent: label: Scope and Content Note
content: The papers of painter, muralist, and designer William E. L. Bunn measure 13.4 linear feet and date from 1863-2009. The collection documents Bunn's career as a painter, industrial designer, and his work on Treasury Department post office mural commissions through biographical material, scattered correspondence, project files, industrial design records, diaries and journals, writings and notes, printed material, photographs, and artwork. Also found are Bunn's papers regarding Grant Wood.

 Biographical material consists of certificates, school records, Bunn family genealogy records, an interview transcript, and an autobiographical file maintained by Bunn containing professional summaries, lists of works, one motion picture film reel of home movies, and other records. Correspondence documents exhibitions, awards, mural projects, and other commissions. Of note is correspondence with the General Services Administration, friend and fellow artist Lee Allen, and illustrated envelopes Bunn sent to his wife Annavene.

 Project files contain photographs, notes, sketches, correspondence, and news clippings. Included is Bunn's notebook "Index to Projects" which provides additional information. Industrial design records include drawings and blueprints, employment records, photographs and publications, primarily from his work at Sheaffer Pen Company and Cuckler Steele Span Company.

 Bunn's papers relating to Grant Wood include documentation from the Grant Wood Art Festival, as well as printed material, notes, and correspondence about Wood. Also found are photographs, including two photographs of Wood and photographs of his residence in Iowa City. Forty-one diaries and journals date from 1929-1951 and 1969-2003. Early diaries document art projects and school activities while he was a student at University of Iowa. Later journals document his work, travel, expenditures, and goals. Writings and notes include to-do lists, documentation on people Bunn knew, his artworks, lists of personal belongings, and topics of interest, such as astrology and steamboats. Also found are five notebooks on various subjects.

 Printed material consists of exhibition catalogs, magazines, news clippings, and Treasury Department bulletins. Also found are announcements of mural competitions, postcards, and published images of steamboats. Photographs depict Bunn, his family, friends, and artwork. Additional photographs depict various subjects that were of interest to Bunn, including nature scenes, steamboats, airplanes, and bridges.

 Artwork includes costume and theater designs created as part of William Bunn's thesis at University of Iowa. Also included are drawings and watercolors for potential art projects, as well as preliminary drawings and studies or technical drawings from his work as an industrial designer. Additionally, there are four sketchbooks, two of which include sketches and notes for the post office murals in Minden, Nebraska, and Hamburg, Iowa.