James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
880 Madison DriveMSC 1704
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
Telephone: (540) 568-3612
library-special@jmu.edu
URL: https://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/
Renessa Rabenda
Administrative Information
Use Restrictions
The artist would like to be contacted about individual publication requests and requests related to commercial use of these materials. Other copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
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.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Carol Barton Papers, 1973-2015, 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.
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
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.
Bio/Historical Note
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 Content
The Carol Barton Papers, 1973-2015, 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 three series. All series are arranged chronologically. All folders and boxes are arranged chronologically. Location irregularities are documented in the container list. Exceptions to this arrangement were made in order to group like materials together. 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, 1979-2013Related 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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Artists' books
- Barton, Carol June, 1954-
- Barton, Carol June, 1954-
- Cut-out craft
- Letters (correspondence)
- Manuscripts (documents)
- Movable books
- Newspaper clippings
- Paper work
- Pop-up books
- Printed Ephemera
- Promotional materials
- Prototypes (object genre)
- Toy and movable books
- exhibition catalogs
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.
Container List
Series 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 .
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Exhibition catalogs
- Mixed Materials [1000886379] box: 1 folder: 1 1973-1984
- Mixed Materials [1000886379] box: 1 folder: 2 1986-1987
- Mixed Materials [1000886379] box: 1 folder: 3 1988
- Mixed Materials [1000886379] box: 1 folder: 4 1990
- Mixed Materials [1000886379] box: 1 folder: 5 1991-1992
- Mixed Materials [1000886379] box: 1 folder: 6 1993
- Mixed Materials [1000886379] box: 1 folder: 7 1993
- Mixed Materials [1000886380] box: 2 folder: 1 1994
- Mixed Materials [1000886380] box: 2 folder: 2 1995
- Mixed Materials [1000886380] box: 2 folder: 3 1996
- Mixed Materials [1000886380] box: 2 folder: 4 1997
- Mixed Materials [1000886381] box: 3 folder: 1 1998
- Mixed Materials [1000886381] box: 3 folder: 2 1999
- Mixed Materials [1000886381] box: 3 folder: 3 1999
- Mixed Materials [1000886381] box: 3 folder: 4 1999
- Mixed Materials [1000886381] box: 3 folder: 5 2000
- Mixed Materials [1000886381] box: 3 folder: 6 2001
- Mixed Materials [1000886381] box: 3 folder: 7 2002
- Mixed Materials [1000886382] box: 4 folder: 1 2003
- Mixed Materials [1000886382] box: 4 folder: 2 2004-2005
- Mixed Materials [1000886382] box: 4 folder: 3 2007
- Mixed Materials [1000886382] box: 4 folder: 4 2008
- Mixed Materials [1000886382] box: 4 folder: 5 2009
- Mixed Materials [1000886382] box: 4 folder: 6 2010
- Mixed Materials [1000886382] box: 4 folder: 7 2014-2015
- Mixed Materials [1000886382] box: 4 folder: 8 undated
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Book catalogs
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 1 1982-1997
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 2 1988
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 3 1996-2000
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 4 1998
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 5 1999-2000
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 6 2007
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 7 undated
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 8 undated
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Promotional materials
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 9 1992-2010
- Mixed Materials [1000886383] box: 5 folder: 10-14
Undated5 folders
- Mixed Materials [1000886385] box: 7 folder: 5
Newspaper articles, online publications, and reviews1981-2012
- Mixed Materials [1000886385] box: 7 folder: 6
Newspaper and article reviews, Cooper-Hewitt1987-1988
- Mixed Materials [1000886384] box: 6 folder: 1
Artist statements1988-2014
- Mixed Materials [1000886385] box: 7 folder: 7
"Playful Readings: A History of Children's Movable Books" article reviews1990-1995
- Mixed Materials [1000886384] box: 6 folder: 2
Journals1992-2013
- Mixed Materials [1000886385] box: 7 folder: 8
Teaching workshop publications1996-2003
- Mixed Materials [1000886384] box: 6 folder: 3
Pocket Paper Engineer workbook volume 1-3 extra card set2005-2012
- Mixed Materials [1000886384] box: 6 folder: 4
Pocket Paper Engineer volume 1 extra card set2005
- Mixed Materials [1000886384] box: 6 folder: 5
Interviews2008-2010
Series 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 .
- Mixed Materials [1000886385] box: 7 folder: 1
Project research1975-2006
- Mixed Materials [1000886385] box: 7 folder: 2
Inspirational research1975-2014
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Beyond the Page
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 4a 1981
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 4a
Beyond the Page and Loom project plans, and unplated aluminum lithograph19811989
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Everyday Road Signs
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Cover1988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Page 11988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Page 2 separations1988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Page 3 separations1988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Page 4 separations1988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Page 6 separations1988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Binding separations1988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Book cover1988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Negatives1988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
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Tunnel Map
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Cover plans1988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 3a
Map films, designs for pages 2-61988
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
-
Loom
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 4a 1989
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 4a
Unplated aluminum lithographs1989
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Instructions for Assembly: Three How-To Projects That Will Improve Your Life
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 1
Plans1993
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 2a
Book instructions1993
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 1
- Mixed Materials [1000886385] box: 7 folder: 3
Artists' books Women's Studio Workshop1991
- Mixed Materials [1000886387] box: 9 folder: 1
A Pop-up Workbook: How to Make Your Own prototype1993
- Mixed Materials [1000886387] box: 9 folder: 2
Paper Mechanics: A History of Pop-up & Movable Books prototype1993
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 2
Inspiration, A Step-by-Step Guide1995
- Mixed Materials [1000886385] box: 7 folder: 4
Science and the Artist's Book1995
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Vision Shifts
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 3
Plans1997
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 4
Unplated aluminum lithographs1998
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 5
Photographic research1998
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 6-8
Plans3 folders1998
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 9
Promotional materials1998
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 3
-
Five Luminous Towers: A Book to Read in the Dark
- Mixed Materials [1000886387] box: 9 folder: 3
Process/project plans2001
- Mixed Materials [1000886387] box: 9 folder: 4
Sample pieces2001
- Mixed Materials [1000886387] box: 9 folder: 5
Templates for The Lookout2001
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 5a
Project plans2001
- Mixed Materials [1000898273] Flat File: 1
Oversize aluminum plate and transparency paper2001
- Mixed Materials [1000886387] box: 9 folder: 3
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 16
Promotional information2001-2004
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The Pocket Paper Engineer, Volume I: Basic Forms: How to Make Pop-Ups Step-by-Step
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 10-11
Plans2 folders2005
- Mixed Materials [1000886387] box: 9 folder: 6
Cover prototype2005
- Mixed Materials [1000886389] box: 11 folder: 1-10
Book prototypes10 folders
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 10-11
- Mixed Materials [1000886387] box: 9 folder: 7
It's Only a Paper Moon2005
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 12
A Pop-Up Inauguration Celebration! plans and prototype2008
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Pocket Paper Engineer Volume 22008
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 1
Cover prototype2008
- Mixed Materials [1000886390] box: 12 folder: 1-15
Project plans and prototypes15 folders2008
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 1
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Pocket Paper Engineer Volume 2 and 3
- Mixed Materials [1000886391] box: 13 folder: 3
Book prototypes20082012
- Mixed Materials [1000886392] box: 14 folder: 1-13
Project plans and prototypes13 folders20082012
- Mixed Materials [1000886391] box: 13 folder: 3
-
Pocket Paper Engineer Volume 3
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 14-18
Pop-up design prototypes5 folders2012
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 2
Cover prototype2012
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 3
Instruction diagrams, chapters 1-52012
- Mixed Materials [1000886393] box: 15 folder: 1-15
Project plans and prototypes15 folders2012
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1
Oversized prototypes2012
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 14-18
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 13
A Pop-Up Inauguration Celebration! newspaper version2009
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 4
Torii Gate and teahouse cards2012
- Mixed Materials [1000886386] box: 8 folder: 19
Pop Your Candidate Into the White Houseundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 17
Untitled project notesundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 5
Practice pop-up card sets prototypesundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 6-8
Pocket Paper Engineer planning notes3 foldersundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 9
Pocket Paper Engineer promotional prototypesundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 10
Pocket Paper Engineer 'Ideas' process plansundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 11
Pocket Paper Engineer 'Ideas'undated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 12
Instructions for Assembly patentsundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 13
Treehouseundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 14
A Guide to the History of Movable & Pop-up Books prototypeundated
- Mixed Materials [1000898419] box: OV 1 folder: 1a
Promotional posterundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886388] box: 10 folder: 15
Personal statements and questionsundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886393] box: 15 folder: 11-12
Untitled pop-up prototypes2 foldersundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886394] box: 16 folder: 1-6
Untitled pop-up prototypes6 foldersundated
Series 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.
- Mixed Materials [1000886394] box: 16 folder: 7
Correspondence1979-1992
- Mixed Materials [1000886394] box: 16 folder: 8
Moveable Beasts, Melanie Runcie finals dissertation1991
- Mixed Materials [1000886394] box: 16 folder: 9
Book publication ephemera1992-2001
- Mixed Materials [1000886394] box: 16 folder: 10
Correspondence1993-1999
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 1
Ker-Bloom! ephemera1996-2003
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 2
Marketplace audio tapes1996
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 3
10th Hands On Pop-up & Movable Book Exhibit with signature1998
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 4
Comics1999, undated
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 5
Correspondence2000-2010
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 6
Honors and awards2008-2013
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 7
Letter from President Barack Obama and inauguration of President Obama pin2009-2012
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 8
National Geographic photographs and pressundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 9
Frankfurt Fair proposal slidesundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 10
Cyanotype pop-upundated
- Mixed Materials [1000886395] box: 17 folder: 11
Photographsundated