Floyd D. Hopper Artwork and Papers
L463, OBE5, OBF1
1929-1980
9 mss boxes, 2 oversized folders

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Processed by: Jill E. Costill, October 2003

Biographical Note:

Floyd Hopper was born in 1909 in Martin County, Indiana. In 1929, after graduating from West Baden High School, he attended the John Herron Art School in Indianapolis, graduating in 1933. Mr. Hopper spent his career as the founder of the Noblesville Casting Company as well as an artist, painting watercolor landscapes, commissioned portraits and his favorite subjects; the backyards, alleyways, city streets, and workers of the American Scene

Scope and Content Note:

The collection is unique in that it includes his early works from his time at the John Herron Art School as well as personal journals Mr. Hopper kept listing the sales, exhibits, and loans of his artwork during a large portion of his career. The collection also includes exhibit programs and photographs of some of his later works.

Box and Folder Listing:

Box 1.

1. Exhibit programs, 1935-1980
2. Photographs of artwork and Hopper
3. Promotional materials
4. Art school sketch book, 1930-31
5. The Hoppers by Lydia Jane Brothers & Annabelle Toliver
6. Exhibit programs & literature, 1973-1987
7. Christmas cards
8. Family snapshots and postcards

9. Negatives

Box 2.

1. Misc. receipts and papers from journal
2. Journal of picture sales, prizes, loans, and exhibits, 1931-1940
3. Journal of picture sales and loans, 1963-1978
4. Journal of picture sales and loans, 1978-1985
5. Album of photographs of portrait paintings
6. Album of photographs of paintings
7. Plaque of appreciation for Floyd Hopper from the Indianapolis Art League, 1984

Box 3.    Artwork - Pencil and ink drawings

1. Chair design, pencil
2. Horse head, pencil
3. Winter scene with sleigh, pencil
4. Town view with water in background, ink
5. Country lane with houses and hill in background, pencil
6. Woman sitting on chair reading, ink
7. Rear view of woman sitting, 1931, ink
8. Man sitting in suit, 1930, ink
9. Man standing in spurs, 1931, ink
10. Log and stone building, 1930, pencil
11. Landscape view of lane and farm house, pencil
12. West Baden Springs, June 7, 1931, pencil
13. Man seated in thoughtful pose, 1931, ink
14. Man standing with one foot on stool, 1931, pencil
15. Hand holding a pocket knife, March 9, 1932, pencil
16. Old Saw Mill, Oct. 4, 1933, pencil
17. White spruce and hickory trees, pencil
18. Part of a building with a cornucopia, 1931, pencil
19. Man seated on stool with feet propped up, 1931, ink
20. Old woman seated resting hand on umbrella, 1930, ink
21. Fruit study, pencil
22. Scene of an industry, pencil
23. View of a stone bridge, 1932, pencil
24. Portrait (side view of head) of a man wearing a tie, 1930, pencil

Box 4.  Artwork - Watercolor, ink and pencil drawings

1. The Arrival, 1931
2. Design Man Made Dominance, pencil
3. Design, pencil
4. Design, Sept. 12, 1929, pencil
5. Gene, pencil
6. Color Harmony, watercolor
7. Fairy with water and sailboats in background, watercolor
8. Outline of tree, pencil
9. Eureka Hotel in the Alleghenies!, watercolor
10. Wildflowers, ink
11. Roosters inside circle, ink
12. Outline of tree, pencil
13. Interior Decoration, 1931, pencil
14. Triangular image of speedboat in the water, b & w watercolor
15. Cruising in the Caribbean in the Wake of Pirates…United Fruit Company, ink
16. Farm scene with horse, watercolor
17. Church, ink
18. Industrial view of roofs, pencil
19. Wildflowers, ink sketches on both side of the paper

Box 5.  Artwork - Ink drawings

1. Geometric designs, Oct. 7, 1929
2. Geometric designs, Oct. 14, 1929
3. Geometric design, Oct. 15, 1929
4. Geometric oval designs, Nov. 4, 1929
5. Geometric swirl design, Oct. 7, 1929
6. Stretcher, Dec. 3, 1929
7. Geometric shapes, Nov. 12, 1929
8. Geometric design, Nov. 11, 1929
9. Classic Curves, Oct. 18, [1929]
10. Geometric shapes, Oct. 12, 1929
11. Geometric swirl design, Oct. 7, 1929
12. Geometric design, Oct. 21, 1929
13. Geometric shapes, Oct. 20, 1929
14. Geometric shape
15. Geometric designs
16. Geometric designs, Oct. 8, 1929
17. Geometric shape, Sept. 23, 1929
18. Geometric designs, Sept. 23, 1929
19. Geometric shapes, Oct. 1, 1929
20. Geometric shape, Nov. 19, 1929
21. Geometric shapes, Nov. 12, 1929

Box 6.  Artwork - Watercolor, ink, and pencil posters

1. Vogue Fall Number, watercolor
2. Prehistoric, pencil
3. Interior view of a table and chairs, 1932, watercolor
4. India, watercolor
5. Renaissance, watercolor
6. Primitive, ink
7. Gothic, watercolor
8. Egypt, watercolor
9. Egyptian, watercolor
10. Persian, watercolor

Box 7.  Certificates

1.  Lost River Township, Martin County Public School Diploma, July 22, 1925 
2.  West Baden Public School Roll of Honor certificate, April 19, 1929 
3.  West Baden High School Diploma, April 19, 1929
4.  John Herron Art Institute Fine Arts Certificate, June 7, 1933
5.  John Herron Art Institute Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, June 11, 1940
6.  Indiana Sesquicentennial Advisory Committee appointment certificate, Sept. 23, 1964
7.  Hoosier Salon Patrons Association certificate of appreciation, April 29, 1979

Box 8.  35 mm color slides

1-52 slides of people
53-57  slides of paintings

Box 9.  2"x 2" color slides

1-55 slides of people
56  Robert Brackman painting
57  Guy Pene DuBois painting
58  Don Freeman painting
59  Don Freeman painting
60  George Grosz painting
61  Edward Hopper painting
62  Doris Lee painting
63  Doris Lee painting
64  Jonas Lie and William C. Palmer paintings
65  Reginald Marsh painting
66  Georgia O'Keeffe painting
67  Andree Ruellan painting
68  Charles Sheeler painting
69  John Sloan painting
70  Frederic Taubes painting
71  Grant Wood paintings
72  Grant Wood paintings
73  Grant Wood painting
74  Grant Wood paintings
75  Grant Wood paintings
76  N. C. Wyeth painting
77  John Sloan painting
78  Thomas H. Benton painting
79  Robert Brackman painting
80  Guy Pene DuBois painting
81  Alexander Hogue painting
82  Doris Lee painting
83  Reginald Marsh painting
84  Reginald Marsh painting
85  Georgia O'Keeffe painting
86  Millard Sheets painting
87  Grant Wood painting

OBE5.

1. Design for a stained glass window to be placed in a modern library
2. Design for a library room
3. Charcoal drawing of men working
4. Design for a department store decoration
5. Design for a department store decoration

OBF1.

1. Color drawing of a man with 3 children (rolled item)

Collection Information:

Size of Collection:

9 manuscript boxes, 2 oversized folders

Collection Dates:

1929-1980

Provenance:

Hopper estate, July 2003
Access: This collection is open for research.

Restrictions:

None

Reproduction Rights:

Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library.  Possession of a reproduction from an Indiana State Library collection does not constitute permission for use.
Language Materials are entirely in English

Alternate Formats:

None

Related Holdings:

 

Notes:

 

Photocopying Policy:

Manuscript materials CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in their entirety. Photocopies and/or digital images cannot exceed 25% of a collection or a folder within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Check with a Manuscript Librarian for other options.