ARTH 501 640 MUSEUM METHODS CHARLES AND RAY EAMES AND MID CENTURY MODERN DESIGN Instructor George H Marcus Adjunct Assistant Professor of the History of Art Tuesdays 6 00 to 8 50 Jaffe 113 Tuesdays 4 30 to 5 30 and by appointment Jaffe 304 215 573 9702 Tuesdays gmarcus sas upenn edu Class hours Office hours Telephone e mail This two semester course combines a research seminar on the work of Charles 1907 1978 and Ray 1912 1988 Eames focusing on the Eames Office archives at the Library of Congress and the collection of Eames photographs also housed there with the creation of an exhibition drawn mainly from those holdings Students will use the first semester to acquaint themselves with the work of the Eames office writing an extended research paper and sharing their methodology and their findings with the class Using their knowledge of the Eames accomplishments and the holdings of the Library of Congress students will propose an exhibition that will introduce aspects of the Eamses work to the public and then collaborate on its planning and execution The exhibition is scheduled to open at the University s Ross Gallery on July 22 2005 Course Requirements First Semester 1 Class Students should be prepared for class by having completed the required reading and video assignments Attendance and participation in class discussion and critiques are important and what will make the exhibition collaboration successful 35 2 Paper A 6 000 to 7 000 word paper on an aspect of the Eamses work chosen by the student with the approval of the professor is the principal project of the semester 50 Goals for the paper will be discussed in class and an instruction sheet will be distributed 3 Class presentation Students will prepare an oral presentation for the class sharing their methodology discussing their sources and presenting a pr cis of their research and conclusions These presentations will contribute to our ability to assess possible themes for the exhibition 15 Required Texts Eames Demetrios An Eames Primer New York Universe 2001 John Neuhart Marilyn Neuhart and Ray Eames Eames Design The Work of the Office of Charles and Ray Eames New York Abrams 1989 These are available at the Campus Book Store on Walnut Street Course Pack Additional readings and source materials are included in the Course Pack which is sold at the Campus Copy Center 3907 Walnut Street 1 Class Schedule and Syllabus Schedule of class meetings is subject to change Note Read relevant discussions in the Neuhart text in advance of each class Articles listed for class meetings are in the Course Pack videos are on reserve in Fisher Fine Arts Library Additional readings may be assigned September 14 Introduction The Work of Charles and Ray Eames Seminar and Exhibition September 21 Charles and Ray Eames and Mid Century Modern Design Goals for research papers and discussion of preliminary paper topics Preparation Eames Demetrios An Eames Primer New York Universe 2001 September 28 Introduction to the Eames collections at the Library of Congress Washington D C Departure time of van from Philadelphia to be announced 10 15 Registration 11 00 Introduction to the Eames archives Archivist Margaret H McAleer organizer of Eames papers Archivist Jeffrey M Flannery Research in archives 2 00 Introduction to the Eames photograph collection Department of Prints and Photographs Mary Ison Head Reference Section Review of Eames photographs Preparation Submit via e mail to gmarcus sas upenn edu up to four archival box numbers you wish to see in Washington from Library of Congress Finding Aid http lcweb2 loc gov cgibin query r faid faid field DOCID ms998024 Review Photograph Finding Aid in Course Pack October 5 NO CLASS Use this period for assessment of your research topic and for research discussion and approval of topics can be undertaken by e mail October 12 NO CLASS October 19 Planning and Curating the Exhibition PAPER PROPOSAL DUE Tour of Ross Gallery with Dilys Winegrad Ross Gallery Director and Curator Introduction to installation with the exhibition s designer Donna Sink AIA Associate Atkin Olshin Lawson Bell Architects Meet at Ross Gallery in the Fisher Fine Arts building at 6 00 Preparation Elaine Heumann Gurian Noodling Around with Exhibition Opportunities In Ivan Karp and Steven D Lavine eds Exhibiting Cultures The Poetics and Politics of Museum Display pp 176 90 Washington D C Smithsonian Institution Press 1991 Sally Rousham Interpretation In Mike Sixsmith ed Touring Exhibitions pp 92 95 Oxford Butterworth Heinemann Ltd 1995 2 John Nicks Curatorship in the Exhibition Planning Process In Barry Lord and Gail Dexter Lord eds The Manual of Museum Exhibitions pp 345 66 Walnut Creek Ca Altamira Press 2002 October 26 FALL BREAK November 2 Eames Furniture Products and Exhibitions Preparation Eliot F Noyes Organic Design in Home Furnishings pp 10 17 26 29 New York Museum of Modern Art 1941 Owen Gingerich A Conversation with Charles Eames American Scholar 46 part 3 1977 pp 326 37 George Nelson Art X The Georgia Experiment In Problems of Design pp 14 26 2nd ed New York Whitney Publications 1965 Films Fiberglass Chairs IBM at the Fair The World of Franklin and Jefferson The Franklin and Jefferson Proposal Film The Opening of an Exhibition November 9 NO CLASS November 16 Eames Films and Photography Preparation films Paul Schrader Poetry of Ideas The Films of Charles Eames Film Quarterly Spring 1970 pp 2 16 Films Blacktop Bread A Communications Primer Toccata for Toy Trains Polyorchis Haplus Mathematics Peep Shows Powers of Ten Powers of Ten A Rough Sketch for a Proposed Film Preparation photography Carl Sandburg Prologue The Family of Man pp 2 3 New York The Museum of Modern Art 1955 Ansel Adams A Personal Credo In Vicki Goldberg ed Photography in Print pp 377 80 New York Simon and Schuster 1981 Henri Cartier Bresson The Decisive Moment In Vicki Goldberg ed Photography in Print pp 384 86 New York Simon and Schuster 1981 John Berger Understanding a Photograph In Alan Trachtenberg ed Classic Essays on Photography pp 291 93 New Haven Leete s Island Books 1980 Films SX 70 Something about Photography November 23 Class presentations and discussion November 30 Class presentations and discussion December 7 Review of Possible Exhibition Themes RESEARCH PAPER DUE Spring Class Schedule Advance Planning for Second Semester 3 Schedule of class meetings is subject to change January 11 Selection of Exhibition Themes for Gallery Proposal January 18 Proposal presentation