James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
Carol Barton papers
Barton, Carol June, 1954-
Barton, Carol June, 1954-
SC 0274
/repositories/4/resources/638
7.47 cubic feet
20 boxes, 1 flat file
1973-2020
The Carol Barton Papers contain printed materials, letters, brochures, and primary materials as well as items that document professional endeavors, artistic processes, and personal items of book artist, paper engineer, teacher, and curator, Carol Barton.
English
Access Restrictions
Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Carol Barton Papers, 1973-2020, SC 0274, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
Acquisition Information
The collection was donated by Carol Barton on March 23, 2017. Manuscript material was also received as part of a 2015 acquisition of Carol Barton's personal and teaching collection of pop-up and artists' books. That material was incorporated into this collection. Barton made an additional donation of materials in October 2022 (accessioned in 2023).
Appraisal Note
In addition to analog manuscript material, Carol Barton transferred three digital audio files of podcasts on which she had been a guest including Santa Fe Radio Café (March 17, 2008), Book Artists and Poets (July 15, 2009), and Beyond the Page: Carol Barton's Art and Influence: a podcast with Carol Barton and the Nashville Public Library. These files were not retained and not incorporated into the collection. Select items were discarded from the collection due to preservation concerns, deterioration, duplicates, or preexisting damage.
Processing Information
The papers were originally stored in 14 boxes and 2 oversize file folders. Upon acquisition the collection did not have a specified arrangement. The collection is arranged based on like materials and topics. Items that were not pertinent to the collection such as duplicates or papers not pertaining to Carol Barton were discarded. In some cases only representative samples of materials were retained that best exemplify Barton's work
Biographical / Historical
Carol Barton, born on June 3, 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri, is an accomplished book artist, paper engineer, educator, and curator who has exhibited internationally (The Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, Museum of Modern Art, Victoria and Albert Museum in London) and has curated shows such as Books & Bookends: Science and the Artist's Book (Smithsonian). Inspired by reading, historical references, functional objects, architecture, and other artists' book, Barton is best known for her interactive workbooks, The Pocket Paper Engineer. Five Luminous Towers: Books to Read in the Dark, which was awarded the Bogliasco Fellowship in 2000, Vision Shifts, Instructions for Assembly, and Tunnel Map are other major works. A graduate of Washington University School of Fine Arts (1976), Barton has served as a faculty member at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and the Corcoran College of Art & Design and has taught at the elementary and high school level. In 1977, Barton moved to Washington D.C. to work for the Glen Echo Park Arts Center. Through her time there and through the promotion of artists' books by local art group, The Writer's Center, Barton learned pre-press skills that allowed her to print her own work. She was later offered a small grant to produce her own artists' books. Having grown up as the daughter of a diesel engine mechanic, Barton's love for structural and mechanical elements was formed as she grew up building and playing with construction games and tinker toys. Movable books, better known as pop-ups, were not a part of her childhood. However, after the success of her first book, Beyond the Page (1981), Barton began a two year study of pop-up and movable books at the Dibner Rare Book Library and the Library of Congress to find early examples of dimensional and movable books. This research most likely resulted in her 1988 publication of her tunnel book, Everyday Road Signs.
In 1992, Barton served as James Madison University's first Wampler Visiting Professor of Fine Art and has intermittently served as a visiting artist and professor. JMU Libraries acquired Barton's collection of artists' and movable books in 2015, and in March 2017 Barton returned to JMU as a guest lecturer for the Carrier Library Special Collections Speaker Series. The event was marked with Barton discussing her career and work; as well as, facilitating a book arts workshop with the Intermediate book arts students, and ending with a public lecture and reception in the Duke Hall Gallery Court.
Scope and Contents
The Carol Barton Papers, 1973-2020, include catalogues, letters, printed materials, journals, special publications, interviews, artist statements, artist projects, and project plans throughout the donor's career. The collection includes teaching tools, personal research, practice and planning, and commemoration of events in which Barton participated.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into four series. In the 'Exhibition Catalogs, 1993 (folder 2 of 2)', a digital floppy disk of Barton's exhibition, Miliseconds to Milennia: The Art of Time, Hand Workshop, has been placed in this folder. The floppy disk is a copy of an old Word Perfect file.
- Printed Materials, 1973-2015
- Projects and Research, 1975-2012
- Ephemera and Personal Papers, 1979-2013
- 2023-0404 Accession, 2009-2020
Related Material
Carol Barton's personal and teaching collection of movable books and artists' books, which were acquired separately from her papers, are cataloged individually and are housed in the James Madison University's Special Collections.
Separated Material
Numerous books, artists' books, toys, and publications were pulled from the collection, cataloged individually, and added to Special Collections' rare book holdings. Ker-Bloom!, a series of art publications, were also separated and cataloged.
Bibliography
Grace Barth, Liana Bayne, and Caroline Hamby. "History of Pop-up and Movable Books, About This Exhibit." Carol Barton Collection, JMU Special Collections. Accessed September, 2018, https://omeka.lib.jmu.edu/specialcollections/exhibits/show/carol-barton/about.
Barton, Carol. "Popular Kinetics Press." Accessed September, 2018. https://www.popularkinetics.com/.
National Museum of Women. "About the Artist, Carol Barton". Accessed September 2018. https://nmwa.org/explore/artist-profiles/carol-june-barton.
Manuscripts (documents)
Letters (correspondence)
exhibition catalogs
Printed Ephemera
Promotional materials
Newspaper clippings
Prototypes (object genre)
Movable books
Artists' books
Pop-up books
Toy and movable books
Paper work
Cut-out craft
Barton, Carol June, 1954-
Barton, Carol June, 1954-
Printed materials1/repositories/4/archival_objects/247761973-2015Scope and ContentSeries 1: Printed Materials, 1973-2015, comprises various exhibition catalogs, book catalogs, gallery cards, articles, journals, interviews, artist statements and pamphlets for workshops that Barton taught.
Throughout her career, Carol Barton has been celebrated in numerous articles and journals: The Bone Folder (2000 & 2009), "Surface: New Form/New Function" (review by Carol Barton), The Smithsonian Associates (August 2001), "Ancient Sichuan's Artistic Treasures", Valley Art Association Newsletter (May-June 1999), and The Washington Print Club Quarterly (Barton is featured on pages 6-9) are examples included within the Carol Barton Papers.
Barton has also been referenced in newspaper articles, online publications, and reviews such as The Washington Times, New York Times, Smithsonian Associates, and Boston Globe.
Exhibition catalogs/repositories/4/archival_objects/26285/repositories/4/archival_objects/247791973-198411/repositories/4/archival_objects/247801986-198712/repositories/4/archival_objects/24781198813/repositories/4/archival_objects/24782199014/repositories/4/archival_objects/247831991-199215/repositories/4/archival_objects/247842 folders199316-7/repositories/4/archival_objects/24786199421/repositories/4/archival_objects/24787199522/repositories/4/archival_objects/24788199623/repositories/4/archival_objects/24789199724/repositories/4/archival_objects/24790199831/repositories/4/archival_objects/247913 folders199932-4/repositories/4/archival_objects/24794200035/repositories/4/archival_objects/24795200136/repositories/4/archival_objects/24796200237/repositories/4/archival_objects/24797200341/repositories/4/archival_objects/247982004-200542/repositories/4/archival_objects/24799200743/repositories/4/archival_objects/24800200844/repositories/4/archival_objects/24801200945/repositories/4/archival_objects/24802201046/repositories/4/archival_objects/248032014-201547/repositories/4/archival_objects/24804undated48Book catalogs/repositories/4/archival_objects/26286/repositories/4/archival_objects/248051982-199751/repositories/4/archival_objects/24806198852/repositories/4/archival_objects/248071996-200053/repositories/4/archival_objects/24808199854/repositories/4/archival_objects/248091999-200055/repositories/4/archival_objects/24810200756/repositories/4/archival_objects/248112 foldersundated57-8Promotional materials/repositories/4/archival_objects/26299/repositories/4/archival_objects/248131992-201059Undated/repositories/4/archival_objects/248145 folders510-14Newspaper articles, online publications, and reviews/repositories/4/archival_objects/248191981-201275Newspaper and article reviews, Cooper-Hewitt/repositories/4/archival_objects/248201987-198876Artist statements/repositories/4/archival_objects/248211988-201461"Playful Readings: A History of Children's Movable Books" article reviews/repositories/4/archival_objects/248221990-199577Journals/repositories/4/archival_objects/248231992-201362Teaching workshop publications/repositories/4/archival_objects/248241996-200378Pocket Paper Engineer workbook volume 1-3 extra card set/repositories/4/archival_objects/248252005-201263Pocket Paper Engineer volume 1 extra card set/repositories/4/archival_objects/24826200564Interviews/repositories/4/archival_objects/248272008-201065Projects and research2/repositories/4/archival_objects/247771975-2012Scope and ContentSeries 2: Projects and Research, 1975-2012, contains Barton's professional projects, project planning, and items used for project research. Instructions for Assembly (1993) contains process plans, mock-ups, instructions, patents used for inspiration, and process materials. Vision Shifts (1998) contains process plans, mock-ups, large scale prints, and photographs. Five Luminous Towers: A Book to Read in the Dark (2001) includes sample pieces, planning materials, and templates for The Lookout. As well, the book La Torre e le Carceri di Palazzo Ducale served as direct inspiration for Five Luminous Towers: A Book to Read in the Dark. Barton's first book, Beyond the Page (1981), contains hand cut master sheets. Everyday Road Signs (1988) contains a prototype of the book's binding, planning for the first five pages of Separations, sample material for page six, negatives, text copy for the opening page, and print prototypes for a page. Loom (1989) contains design prototypes, steel plates, and text copy and print. Tunnel Map (1988) contains planning for Map #1 Europe/Africa/Asia in a blue separation, page design plans, book cover design plans, and the first set of unused map film originals. Page design plans for Tunnel Map include: page 2 for North/South America, page 3 for Africa/Europe, page 4 for North/South America, page 5 for North/South America and Africa/Europe, and page 6 for Africa/Europe and North/South America.
Researchers should note that dates for Carol Barton's plans/prototypes are approximate and based on the year the specific project was published.
Prototypes of Pocket Paper Engineer Volume 3 are housed with a related promotional poster. The poster is for "a visiting artist lecture sponsored by the MFA Book Arts/Printmaking Program at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia)."
Barton has also been referenced in promotional materials regarding her work in: Visual Icons, Small Works: The Gallery at Studio B, Art on the Page: A Selection of Artists' Books, Orihon & More: Books By Artists, Under Cover: Book Arts, Beyond Reading, [Book] Art: Handmade Books, Book For[u]ms, The Pocket Paper Engineer, Washington University Libraries Special Collections, and Mining the Lloyd.
Project research/repositories/4/archival_objects/248281975-200671Inspirational research/repositories/4/archival_objects/248291975-201472 Beyond the Page/repositories/4/archival_objects/26298/repositories/4/archival_objects/248301981OV 14a Beyond the Page and Loom project plans, and unplated aluminum lithograph/repositories/4/archival_objects/2483119811989OV 14aEveryday Road Signs/repositories/4/archival_objects/26287Cover/repositories/4/archival_objects/248321988OV 11aPage 1/repositories/4/archival_objects/248331988OV 11aPage 2 separations/repositories/4/archival_objects/248341988OV 11aPage 3 separations/repositories/4/archival_objects/248351988OV 11aPage 4 separations/repositories/4/archival_objects/248361988OV 11aPage 6 separations /repositories/4/archival_objects/248371988OV 11aBinding separations/repositories/4/archival_objects/248381988OV 11aBook cover/repositories/4/archival_objects/248391988OV 11aNegatives/repositories/4/archival_objects/248401988OV 11a Tunnel Map/repositories/4/archival_objects/26295Cover plans/repositories/4/archival_objects/248411988OV 11aMap films, designs for pages 2-6/repositories/4/archival_objects/248421988OV 13a Loom/repositories/4/archival_objects/26296/repositories/4/archival_objects/248431989OV 14aUnplated aluminum lithographs/repositories/4/archival_objects/248441989OV 14a Instructions for Assembly: Three How-To Projects That Will Improve Your Life/repositories/4/archival_objects/26297Plans/repositories/4/archival_objects/24846199381Book instructions/repositories/4/archival_objects/248491993OV 12aArtists' books Women's Studio Workshop/repositories/4/archival_objects/24845199173A Pop-up Workbook: How to Make Your Own prototype/repositories/4/archival_objects/24847199391Paper Mechanics: A History of Pop-up & Movable Books prototype/repositories/4/archival_objects/24848199392Inspiration, A Step-by-Step Guide/repositories/4/archival_objects/24850199582Science and the Artist's Book/repositories/4/archival_objects/24851199574Vision Shifts/repositories/4/archival_objects/26288Plans/repositories/4/archival_objects/24852199783Unplated aluminum lithographs/repositories/4/archival_objects/24853199884Photographic research/repositories/4/archival_objects/24854199885Plans/repositories/4/archival_objects/248553 folders199886-8Promotional materials/repositories/4/archival_objects/24858199889Five Luminous Towers: A Book to Read in the Dark/repositories/4/archival_objects/26289Process/project plans/repositories/4/archival_objects/24859200193Sample pieces/repositories/4/archival_objects/24860200194Templates for The Lookout/repositories/4/archival_objects/24861200195Project plans/repositories/4/archival_objects/248622001OV 15aOversize aluminum plate and transparency paper/repositories/4/archival_objects/2486320011Promotional information/repositories/4/archival_objects/248642001-20041016 The Pocket Paper Engineer, Volume I: Basic Forms: How to Make Pop-Ups Step-by-Step/repositories/4/archival_objects/26290Plans/repositories/4/archival_objects/248652 folders2005810-11Cover prototype/repositories/4/archival_objects/24867200596Book prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/2486810 folders111-10It's Only a Paper Moon/repositories/4/archival_objects/24878200597A Pop-Up Inauguration Celebration! plans and prototype/repositories/4/archival_objects/248792008812Pocket Paper Engineer Volume 2/repositories/4/archival_objects/262922008Cover prototype/repositories/4/archival_objects/248802008101Project plans and prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/2488115 folders2008121-15Pocket Paper Engineer Volume 2 and 3/repositories/4/archival_objects/26293Book prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/2489620082012133Project plans and prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/2489713 folders20082012141-13Pocket Paper Engineer Volume 3/repositories/4/archival_objects/26294Pop-up design prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/249115 folders2012814-18Cover prototype/repositories/4/archival_objects/249162012102Instruction diagrams, chapters 1-5/repositories/4/archival_objects/249172012103Project plans and prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/2491815 folders2012151-15Oversized prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/249292012OV 1A Pop-Up Inauguration Celebration! newspaper version/repositories/4/archival_objects/249102009813Torii Gate and teahouse cards/repositories/4/archival_objects/249282012104Pop Your Candidate Into the White House/repositories/4/archival_objects/24930undated819Untitled project notes/repositories/4/archival_objects/24931undated1017Practice pop-up card sets prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/24932undated105Pocket Paper Engineer planning notes
/repositories/4/archival_objects/249333 foldersundated106-8Pocket Paper Engineer promotional prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/24936undated109Pocket Paper Engineer 'Ideas' process plans/repositories/4/archival_objects/24937undated1010Pocket Paper Engineer 'Ideas'/repositories/4/archival_objects/24938undated1011 Instructions for Assembly patents/repositories/4/archival_objects/24939undated1012Treehouse/repositories/4/archival_objects/24940undated1013A Guide to the History of Movable & Pop-up Books prototype/repositories/4/archival_objects/24941undated1014Promotional poster/repositories/4/archival_objects/24942undatedOV 11aPersonal statements and questions/repositories/4/archival_objects/24943undated1015Untitled pop-up prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/249442 foldersundated1511-12Untitled pop-up prototypes/repositories/4/archival_objects/249466 foldersundated161-6Ephemera and personal papers3/repositories/4/archival_objects/247781979-2013Scope and ContentSeries 3: Ephemera and Personal Papers, 1979-2013, contains personal papers and ephemera Barton received and collected over the course of her career. Her personal papers include correspondence between friends, colleagues, students, and galleries. The ephemeral items include awards and items of personal interests such as flip-books, magnets, promotional pop-ups, etc.
Correspondence/repositories/4/archival_objects/249521979-1992167Moveable Beasts, Melanie Runcie finals dissertation/repositories/4/archival_objects/249531991168Book publication ephemera/repositories/4/archival_objects/249541992-2001169Correspondence/repositories/4/archival_objects/249551993-19991610Ker-Bloom! ephemera/repositories/4/archival_objects/249561996-2003171Marketplace audio tapes/repositories/4/archival_objects/24957199617210th Hands On Pop-up & Movable Book Exhibit with signature/repositories/4/archival_objects/249581998173Comics/repositories/4/archival_objects/249591999, undated174Correspondence/repositories/4/archival_objects/249602000-2010175Honors and awards/repositories/4/archival_objects/249612008-2013176Letter from President Barack Obama and inauguration of President Obama pin/repositories/4/archival_objects/249622009-2012177National Geographic photographs and press/repositories/4/archival_objects/24963undated178Frankfurt Fair proposal slides/repositories/4/archival_objects/24964undated179Cyanotype pop-up/repositories/4/archival_objects/24965undated1710Photographs/repositories/4/archival_objects/24966undated17112023-0404 Accession4/repositories/4/archival_objects/326442009-2020Processing InformationMaterial groupings and the bulk of the folder titles were supplied by the donor.
Duplicate copies of printed materials already held by Special Collections were not retained.
Scope and ContentsThe series primarily comprises proofs, prototypes, draft components, and pre-production materials for Barton's 2014 artists' book Land Forms and Air Currents.
"Land Forms and Air Currents' was produced over the course of the years 2012 through 2014. Original artworks were done in gouache and watercolor, then scanned and adjusted in Adobe Photoshop. Layout was done using Adobe InDesign, and an edition of 25 copies was produced on an Epson Photo R2880 printer. Pop-up forms were cut using a Silhouette Cameo cutter and were hand-assembled by the artist. Fonts in the book are Verlag Book and Bell MT. Papers are Strathmore acid-free 100 lb. bristol and Strathmore acid-free 80 lb. drawing"--Colophon
Land Forms and Air Currents/repositories/4/archival_objects/326452012-2014Frontispiece, cover template/repositories/4/archival_objects/32651181Volcano I/repositories/4/archival_objects/32652182Volcano II/repositories/4/archival_objects/32653183Hills/repositories/4/archival_objects/32654184Storm/repositories/4/archival_objects/32655185Red Desert/repositories/4/archival_objects/32656186Seashore/repositories/4/archival_objects/32657187Snow/repositories/4/archival_objects/32658188Rocks/repositories/4/archival_objects/32659189Pond/repositories/4/archival_objects/326601810Night Sky/repositories/4/archival_objects/326611811Original poems/repositories/4/archival_objects/326621812Original paintings/repositories/4/archival_objects/326631813OV 11Draft components and pages/repositories/4/archival_objects/326641814Manuscript draft/repositories/4/archival_objects/32665191Extra pages/repositories/4/archival_objects/32666192Proofs/repositories/4/archival_objects/32667OV 12Cutout watercolor components/repositories/4/archival_objects/32668193Unused parts/repositories/4/archival_objects/32669194-5OV 13Notes/repositories/4/archival_objects/32670196Assorted Carol Barton articles and news items/repositories/4/archival_objects/326712009-2020197Carol Barton broadside/repositories/4/archival_objects/32672undatedOV 14Scope and ContentsNumbered 5/26.