Arthur G. Barnett photograph collection

Arthur G. Barnett photograph collection, 1930-1976

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Barnett, Arthur G., 1907-
Title: Arthur G. Barnett photograph collection
Dates: 1930-1976 (inclusive)
19301976
Quantity: 103 photographs, 15 negatives (1 box, 2 folders) ; sizes vary
Collection Number: PH1523
Summary: Images of the painter, Mark Tobey, both alone and with Arthur Barnett, Mime Jacobsen, and unidentified individuals
Repository: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions: Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collection website. Permission of Visual Materials curator is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Arthur G. Barnett (1907-2003) was a lawyer and civic leader in Seattle, Washington. Barnett was a supporter of the Japanese Americans during WWII evacuation, chairman of Seattle Council of Churches and Christian Education's Japanese American Emergency Committee, board member and chairman of Seattle's Civic Unity Committee, and field worker for the Warren Avenue Project in 1936. Barnett chaired the Gordon Hirabayashi Defense Committee, representing Hirabayashi in his trial for violating curfew during World War II. He also represented Hirabayashi during his court appeals in the 1980's. Barnett also served as an attorney for Mark Tobey, beginning in the 1940's and continuing until Tobey's death in 1976; he then served as executor for Tobey's estate.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Images of the painter, Mark Tobey, both alone and with Arthur Barnett, Mime Jacobsen and with others. Also images of the Federal Transient Service Camp which was part of the FERA program in the 1930s.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from the collection in digital format

Restrictions on Use

Arthur G. Barnett's rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries; Mark Tobey's rights retained by Seattle Art Museum. [Mark Tobey did not make any of the photographs]

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of Virginia Bartlett, December 3, 2003.

Processing Note

Processed by Anthony McGough, March 2018 and Abbey Maynard, 2019. Revised by Melody Smith, 2019.

Accessioned as PH2004-081.

The current photograph collection, Photo Acc. 2004-081, was received together with the materials that form Accession No. 1598-014 in the Manuscripts Collection on December 3, 2003. The photographs were transferred to the Visual Materials Collection on April 1, 2004.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Interior of Mark Tobey's StudioReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/1	1	Arthur Barnett in the doorway of Mark Tobey's studio	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	2	Arthur Barnett in the doorway facing interior of Mark Tobey's studio	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	3	Arthur Barnett with an umbrella inside Mark Tobey's studio	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	4-8	Interior of Mark Tobey's studio	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	9-14	Table with bowls	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	15-16	Decorative curule seat	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	17	Desk with possible portrait of Subh-i-Azal mounted on the wall on the left side of the desk Subh-i-Azal (1831–1912) was a Persian religious leader who founded Azali Babism-- a monotheistic religion that split from what is now known as Bahai.	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	18	Two wooden carvings against a wall near desk	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	19	Long table with wire sculptures	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	20-23	Bowl in front of painted canvas	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	24-25	Painted canvas	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	26-28	Paint brushes and bowls in front of canvas	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	29-32	A wooden ladder back chair	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	33	Baskets and a pair of shoes on top of a trunk	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	34	Wire and mixed material sculptures beside a desk covered in papers	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	35-36	White abstract statue on top of a radiator	between 1950 and 1969?
1/1	37	Two sculptures on top of chest of drawers	between 1950 and 1969?

Artifacts in Mark Tobey's StudioReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
½	38	Mask with pointed nose mounted on a pink wall	1972?
½	39	Mixed material sculpture of a man with brown hair and beard	1972?
½	40	Square shaped metal piece of art mounted on a blue wall	1972?
½	41	Large rectangular art work of a red streak mounted on an off-white wall	1972?
½	42	Framed abstract art mounted on a pink wall	1972?
½	43	Sienna-colored rectangular carving mounted on a blue wall	1972?
½	44	Possibly piece of petrified wood on a bench	1972
½	45	Wooden sculpture of Biblical figures possibly for a liturgical processional pole	1972?
½	46	Wreath-shaped wooden carving	1972?
½	47	Carved wooden head on a table	1972
½	48	Wooden cup with a hand carved on the cup's exterior	1972?
½	49-50	Ceramic cups and bowls on a dresser	1972?
½	51	Small white statuette of a person with arms outstretched	1972?
½	52	Light blue glazed ceramic container	1972?
½	53	Woven basket with animal design	1972?

1972 Interior of Mark Tobey's StudioReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/3	54	Ceramic cups and bowls on a chest of drawers	1972
1/3	55	Arthur Barnett standing at desk in Mark Tobey's studio, facing window	1972
1/3	56	Interior of studio with easel, chair, and tables	1972
1/3	57	Cluttered metal desk with portrait of Subh-i-Azal hanging above desk	1972
1/3	58	Frames of varying sizes leaning against wall	1972
1/3	59	Wire and mixed media sculpture of a man with brown hair on a cluttered desk	1972
1/3	60	Woven baskets and a pair of shoes on top of a trunk	1972
1/3	61-62	White abstract sculpture sitting on a radiator beside a painting area and two artifacts on a dresser	1972
1/3	63	Mask with pointed nose mounted on a pink wall with frames and wooden objects below	1972
1/3	64	Desk, dresser, and cabinet stacked and full of books	1972
1/3	65	Glass door cabinet full of books with horse sculpture, chest of drawers, and box on top	1972
1/3	66	Cabinet full of books and papers with cabinet doors open	1972

Mark Tobey Studio Contact SheetsReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/4	67-70	Contact sheets showing views of Mark Tobey's studio	1951

Portraits of Mark TobeyReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/5	71	Portrait of Mark Tobey in Seattle	1938
1/5	72	Mark Tobey seated in a hat, scarf, and coat	Between 1940 and 1950?
1/5	73	Mark Tobey seated with hand to his brow	Between 1940 and 1950?
1/5	74	Proitem of Mark Tobey seated with hand on his cheek	Between 1940 and 1950?
1/5	75-76	Mark Tobey and man seated on an ivy-covered porch while the man smokes	Between 1940 and 1950?
1/5	77	Mark Tobey standing between trees holding a pole Mary Willis (Randlett) (Photographer) Written on verso: at Momres	1949
1/5	78	Mark Tobey and Barnard Leach seated in double Adirondack chairs	Between 1950 and 1960?
1/5	79	Mark Tobey wearing glasses and holding lit cigarette looking at a woman in the foreground	Between 1950 and 1960?
1/5	80	Mark Tobey seated on couch with Berte Jacobsen and woman seated on chair arm	Between 1950 and 1960?
1/5	81	Mark Tobey holding a flower facing man in a garden	Between 1955 and 1960?
1/5	82	Mark Tobey seated in chair holding a rose for his 73rd birthday	December 1963
1/5	83	Mark Tobey and Arthur Barnett standing in dried corn stalks on Bainbridge Island	Between 1965 and 1970?
1/5	84	Mark Tobey seated looking through small book with a cigarette in his mouth	Between 1965 and 1970?
box-folder:oversize
OS7	84a	Ernst Beyeler, Pehr Hallsten and Mark Tobey in yard outside Tobey's house in Basel Comet, Zurich Ernst Beyeler was a Swiss art collector, and a prominent dealer in modern art. Swedish scholar Pehr Hallsten was Tobey's companion from 1940 until Hallsten's death 1966.	Between 1960 and 1966
Box/Folder
1/5	85	Mark Tobey and Arthur Barnett outside Tobey's house in Basel	1972?
1/5	86	Mark Tobey and Mark Ritter in front of their home in Basel Arthur L. Dahl (Photographer)	March 1975

Arthur BarnettReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/6	87	Portrait of Arthur Barnett	1943
1/6	88-89	Arthur Barnett looking at objects and art in a bedroom	Between 1960 and 1970?

Mark Tobey Funeral and CemeteryReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/7	90	Mark Tobey's house in Basel, Switzerland Written on verso: 69 St. Alban Vorstadt, Basel, Switzerland.	1976?
1/7	91	Outside church following Tobey's funeral service	1976
1/7	92	People gathered in the cemetery following Mark Tobey's funeral service	1976
1/7	93	People standing beside flower arrangements beside graves at the cemetery following Mark Tobey's funeral service	1976
1/7	94	Mark Tobey's grave at the cemetery following the funeral service	1976
1/7	95	Arthur Barnett beside Tobey's grave after the funeral service	1976

Mark Tobey in JapanReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/8	96	Mark Tobey holding a cigarette and sitting with others all dressed in kimonos, Japan	Between 1930 and 1939?
1/8	97	Mark Tobey with man sitting outside, Japan	Between 1930 and 1939?

Federal Transient Service CampReturn to Top

Arthur G. Barnett worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the early 1930s after his service in the army and before he began his law practice in 1935. The WPA replaced the Federal Emergency Relief Administration program (FERA). Federal Transient Service camps were part of the FERA program. These camps provided transient people with food, shelter, and occasionally work. They were often on the outskirts of large cities. These photos of the camp groups are possibly related to Barnett's time in the WPA.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/9	98	Adolescent boys sitting on the front steps of a cabin	Between 1930 and 1940?
1/9	99	Aerial view of buildings and trees beside a lake	Between 1930 and 1940?
1/9	100	Aerial view of building surrounded by forest	Between 1930 and 1940?
1/9	101	Aerial view of buildings surrounded by trees and clear cut land	Between 1930 and 1940?
1/9	102-103	Aerial view of camp buildings	Between 1930 and 1940?

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Artists' materials--Photographs
Artists' studios--Photographs
Public housing--Photographs
Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Personal Names

Barnett, Arthur G., 1907- --Photographs
Barnett, Arthur G., 1907---Archives
Barnett, Arthur--Photographs
Tobey, Mark
Tobey, Mark--Photographs

Corporate Names

United States. Federal Transient Service--Photographs

Other Creators

Personal Names
- Randlett, Mary, 1924- (photographer)

Archives West Finding Aid

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