George F. Barber Collection
Scope and Contents
George F. Barber Collection Inventory, available. Scope: Personal and business papers, correspondence, photographs, patent documents, and writings of George F. Barber and his architectural firms. Collection contains original drawings, sketches, studies, scrapbooks, artifacts, house plans, original illustrated catalogues published by George F. Barber and Co., Barber & Kluttz, and Barber & Boardman, original letterhead and related papers, and information about Barber Houses, collectibles, fan clubs, honors and tributes, and artwork inspired by the houses of George F. Barber. This collection contains a few folders of genealogy and a collection of envelopes received from many other states and foreign countries. Subjects: George F. Barber, Charles I. Barber, Laura Barber, Barber houses, DeKalb, Illinois, architectural plans, architectural firms, home tours, Old House Fair, Michael Tomlan lectures, Shelia's Collectibles, Grand Lodge, Order of the Templars, a personal account of the Cincinnati Southern Railway train wreck near Oakdale (clipping), postcards, Tyson House, W. H. Cheney, Fort Scott, Kansas, photographs, Alice Barber Whitmore, Barbara Whitmore Thomas, scrapbooks, patent documents, Palliser's American Cottage Homes, illustrated catalogues, Barber family residence, Jeremiah Nunan Mansion, Greg Fox, historic preservation, Barber & Boardman, The Cottage Souvenir, Modern Dwellings, Artistic Homes, Modern American Homes, Thomas A. Edison, Jr., Barber & Kluttz, American Homes Publishing Co., Dora M. Gill, Barrett family, Manly DeWitt Barber journal (photocopy). Also an untitled student thesis, author is unclear.
Dates
- 1874 - 1913
Conditions Governing Access
Material is available for research. Prior arrangement MUST be made by contacting the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection at mcclung-archivist@knoxlib.org
Biographical / Historical
George Franklin Barber (1854-1915) was a remarkably successful practitioner of American domestic architecture in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Much of his success was due to his early and enthusiastic adoption of national promotion of his sales catalogues for his architectural plans for houses and cottages, with a complete willingness to customize the plans for any customer. Barber was born in De Kalb, Illinois. He lived in rural Illinois and later near Marmaton, Kansas. His rural upbringing prevented him from receiving anything more than a nominal education. Barber had an early interest in horticulture and farming, but his work as a carpenter and builder, in partnership with his brother Manley DeWitt Barber, seems to have led him to a career in carpentry, building, and finally architecture. In 1888 Barber moved to Knoxville, Tenn. for health reasons. He flourished as an architect in the rapidly growing postwar southern city. Barber published over a dozen mail order catalogs for residential architectural plans between 1888 and 1908. A sudden illness led to his untimely death in 1915.
Extent
11 boxes
2 pc. (framed)
5 oversize folder
Language of Materials
English
General
Gift of Mrs. George F. Barber, Jr.
- American Homes Publishing Company Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Architectural drawings and plans Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Architectural firms Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Artistic Homes Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Barber & Boardman Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Barber & Kluttz Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Barber family residence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Barber houses Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Barber, Charles I. (Charles Irving), 1887-1962 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Barber, George F. (George Franklin), 1854-1915 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Barber, Laura Alice Cheney, 1855-1915 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Barrett family Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Cheney, W. H. (Willoughby Hood), 1886-1929 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Cincinnati Southern Railway Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- DeKalb (Ill.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Edison, Thomas A. (Thomas Alva) Jr., 1876-1935 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fort Scott (Kans.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fox, Greg Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Gill, Dora M. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Grand Lodge Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Historic preservation Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Jeremiah Nunan Mansion Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Manly DeWitt Barber journal Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Modern American Homes Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Modern Dwellings Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Oakdale Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Old House Fair Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Order of the Templars Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Palliser's American Cottage Homes Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Patent documents Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Postcards Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Scrapbooks Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Shelia's Collectibles Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- The Cottage Souvenir Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Thomas, Barbara Whitmore Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Tomlan, Michael Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Train wreck Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Tyson house Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Whitmore, Alice Barber Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection Repository
601 S Gay Street
3rd floor
Knoxville Tennessee 37902 United States
865.215.8814
mcclung-archivist@knoxlib.org