Clifford Amyx papers

Abstract

The Clifford Amyx papers (dated 1957-1997, undated; 6.37 cubic feet; 17 boxes, 3 flat boxes, 1 wrapped item) comprise correspondence, collected works, research materials, stamp collection, slides, and artworks that document the work of Amyx as a professor of art and art history in the University of Kentucky Art Department; his work to index and analyze the portraiture of Henry Clay and the imagery of Daniel Boone; and his work as an artist.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Clifford Amyx papers
Date
1957-1997, undated (inclusive)
Creator
Amyx, Clifford, 1909-1997
Extent
6.37 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Art -- Kentucky.
Art -- Study and teaching
Art -- History
Prints
Artists -- Kentucky.
Stamp collecting
Stamp collections
Printing -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Artists' preparatory studies
Portraits.
Arrangement
Collection is arranged by format into 5 series: Research Files, Personal Documents, Personal Art, Stamp Collection, and Slides.
Finding Aid Author
Melissa Coulston
Preferred Citation
1999ua082 : [identification of item], Clifford Amyx papers, 1957-1997, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
University of Kentucky professor of art Clifford Amyx was born in Jackson County, Kentucky, in 1909 and studied at the University of Kentucky, the California School of Fine Arts, and University of California, Berkeley. After working for five years as assistant state supervisor of the Federal Art Project in California (1936-1941), Amyx returned to Kentucky in 1946 to teach art and art history, retiring in 1974. Amyx received a Ford Fellowship for the study of aesthetics and interrelations of the arts at the University of California in 1953. While at UK, Amyx worked alongside Edward Rannells, Raymond Barnhart, and others to develop an Art Department that emphasized both the creation of art and the study of its history in its curriculum. As such, Amyx taught studio courses in drawing and painting as well as seminar courses in art history for undergraduates and graduates. Amyx exhibited his own artworks at UK and throughout the region. After retirement, Amyx began and continued work researching the portraits of Henry Clay and Daniel Boone, among other topics. His articles on theory and criticism were published in many professional publications including the Kenyon Review, Western Review, the Journal of Aesthetics and Criticism, and the College Art Journal. A bibliography of his published work can be found in the Art History and Theory subseries of the Research Files Series (box 10). Amyx also continued to create art after retirement, focusing on small scale printmaking projects, including those held in this collection. Amyx died in 1997 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Sources: "Amyx, Clifford," University Archives faculty/staff reference file, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Scope and Content
The Clifford Amyx papers (dated 1957-1997, undated; 6.37 cubic feet; 17 boxes, 3 flat boxes, 1 wrapped item) comprise correspondence, collected works, research materials, stamp collection, slides, and artworks that document the work of Amyx as a professor of art and art history in the University of Kentucky Art Department; his work to index and analyze the portraiture of Henry Clay and the imagery of Daniel Boone; and his work as an artist. The majority of the collection comprises records relating to Amyx's professional work as an art educator and art historian, including research materials on Henry Clay, Daniel Boone, Joel T. Hart, the Lexington Opera House, art and artists in Kentucky, the Civil War in Kentucky, and other topics. Also included is Amyx's stamp collection, which features stamps from around the world that illustrate artists and artworks. Other materials document Amyx's research into proverbs from Tuscany and Spain, the series of woodcuts he created featuring the phrases, preparatory sketches, and his personal slide collection.
Processing Info
This collection is fully processed to the sub-series level. Folders are listed in the order in which they were received.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Use Restrictions
Property rights reside with the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky holds the copyright for materials created in the course of business by University of Kentucky employees. Copyright for all other materials has not been assigned to the University of Kentucky. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Research files, 1957-1993

Henry Clay, 1957-1993

Correspondence related to Henry Clay portraiture, Alabama-New York, 1957-1991

  • Box 1, folder 1
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Correspondence related to Henry Clay portraiture, New York-Wisconsin, 1981-1991

  • Box 1, folder 2
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Correspondence related to Henry Clay portraiture, Kentucky, 1979-1993

  • Box 1, folder 3
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Correspondence related to Henry Clay portraiture, 1981-1991

  • Box 1, folder 4
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Correspondence related to Henry Clay manuscript, 1987-1992

  • Box 1, folder 5
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Clay artists index, undated

  • Box 1, folder 6
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Clay portraits index, undated

  • Box 1, folder 7
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Henry Clay chronology and bibliography, undated

  • Box 1, folder 8
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Notes on Clay portraits, undated

  • Box 2, folder 1
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Notes on Jouett portrait of Henry Clay, undated

  • Box 2, folder 2
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Henry Clay sources: Gibert, 1982

  • Box 2, folder 3
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"Henry Clay and the Cincinnati Sculptors" and related materials, undated

  • Box 2, folder 4
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"Portraits of Henry Clay", original proposal, undated

  • Box 2, folder 5
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"The Portraits of Henry Clay: a Catalogue", manuscript, 1991 Nov.

  • Box 2, folder 6
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1805, undated

  • Box 2, folder 7
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1825, undated

  • Box 2, folder 8
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1830, undated

  • Box 2, folder 9
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1838, undated

  • Box 2, folder 10
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1840, undated

  • Box 3, folder 1
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1818, undated

  • Box 3, folder 2
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1843, undated

  • Box 3, folder 3
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1845, undated

  • Box 3, folder 4
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1848, undated

  • Box 3, folder 5
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Henry Clay notebooks: Clay B, undated

  • Box 3, folder 6
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Henry Clay notebooks: Clay A, Portraits of Henry Clay catalogue, 1987

  • Box 4, folder 1
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1852, undated

  • Box 4, folder 2
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Henry Clay notebooks: Clay and the campaign of 1844, undated

  • Box 4, folder 3
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Henry Clay notebooks: daguerreotypes I, undated

  • Box 4, folder 4
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Henry Clay notebooks: daguerreotypes II, undated

  • Box 4, folder 5
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1853, undated

  • Box 4, folder 6
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Henry Clay notebooks: R1860, undated

  • Box 4, folder 7
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Spines for Henry Clay Portraits, undated

  • Box 4, folder 8
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Joel T. Hart, 1987-1991

Hart works, undated

  • Box 5, folder 1
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Hart file, undated

  • Box 5, folder 2
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Notes on Hart sources, undated

  • Box 5, folder 3
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Notes on the letters of J.T. Hart, undated

  • Box 5, folder 4
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Correspondence related to Hart's executors, 1991

  • Box 5, folder 5
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Joel T. Hart's Executors draft and correspondence, 1991

  • Box 5, folder 6
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Sources for Hart's executors, 1989-1990

  • Box 5, folder 7
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"Joel T. Hart's Executors: George Saul and Edward Silsbee", 1991

  • Box 5, folder 8
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Hart manuscript, part I and IV, undated

  • Box 5, folder 9
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Hart manuscript sections, undated

  • Box 5, folder 10
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Hart bibliography, undated

  • Box 5, folder 11
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"Joel T. Hart's Dual Obsessions: The Machine and the Ideal", undated

  • Box 6, folder 1
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Original "Machine" manuscript correspondence, 1987

  • Box 6, folder 2
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"Joel T. Hart's Pointing Machine and 'Imputations of Laziness'", undated

  • Box 6, folder 3
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Daniel Boone, 1981-1990

Boone references I, undated

  • Box 6, folder 4
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Boone references II, undated

  • Box 6, folder 5
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Boone chronology and bibliography, undated

  • Box 6, folder 6
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"The Authentic Image of Daniel Boone", undated

  • Box 6, folder 7
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Boone correspondence, 1990

  • Box 6, folder 8
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Boone sources (4 folders), undated

  • Box 6, folder 9-12
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Filson Club correspondence regarding Ranney article, 1992

  • Box 7, folder 2
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"William T. Ranney, the Boones, and the Shirttail Men", 1991

  • Box 7, folder 3
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Notes and correspondence related to Ranney painting of Boone, 1981-1990

  • Box 7, folder 4
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Frontiersman imagery, research, and notes, undated

  • Box 7, folder 5
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Civil War in Kentucky, undated

Civil War in Kentucky notes, images, and resources, undated

  • Box 7, folder 6
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Civil War in Kentucky resources (3 folders), undated

  • Box 7, folder 7-9
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Art and artists in Kentucky, undated

Kentucky bibliography A-K, undated

  • Box 8, folder 1
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Kentucky bibliography L-Z, undated

  • Box 8, folder 2
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Kentucky sources, undated

  • Box 8, folder 3
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List of Kentucky pictures, undated

  • Box 8, folder 4
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Kentucky arts II, undated

  • Box 8, folder 5
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Hiram Powers sources, undated

  • Box 8, folder 6
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Smaller research projects, 1983-1990

Geoffrey Household sources, undated

  • Box 8, folder 7
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Inessa Armand sources, undated

  • Box 8, folder 8
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Lexington Opera House notes, undated

  • Box 8, folder 9
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Lexington Opera House draft and correspondence, 1990

  • Box 9, folder 1
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Lexington Opera House chronology to 1900, undated

  • Box 9, folder 2
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Lexington Opera House chronology from 1856-1929, undated

  • Box 9, folder 3
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Lex-II, undated

  • Box 9, folder 4
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Weaver documents and correspondence, 1983-1987

  • Box 9, folder 5
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Berta/Berkeley, 1988

  • Box 9, folder 6
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Bass Otis sources, undated

  • Box 9, folder 7
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Lincoln's Security Advisor draft, undated

  • Box 9, folder 8
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Art history and theory, 1964-1991

Assorted writing on aesthetics and art history, undated

  • Box 9, folder 9
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Contemporary Method in Art History (3 folders), undated

  • Box 9, folder 10-12
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A in A topics and bibliography, undated

  • Box 10, folder 3
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Natural Philosophy: a Handbook, 1989

  • Box 10, folder 4
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"Homage to Chekov", 1991

  • Box 10, folder 5
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"Aesthetics: a Topical Bibliography", undated

  • Box 10, folder 6
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Notes on Derrain, undated

  • Box 10, folder 7
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"Protocols, patterns, and judgment", undated

  • Box 10, folder 8
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"Some Problems in the Classification of 'Junk Object'", 1964

  • Box 10, folder 9
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"Limited Editions and the Age of Collectibles", undated

  • Box 10, folder 10
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Bibliography of Amyx published work and list of books and other printed material from the collection that are cataloged separately, 2017 April 20

  • Box 10, folder 11
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Personal documents, 1965-1997

Uncle John notes, draft, and resources, undated

  • Box 10, folder 12
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Photo history index, undated

  • Box 10, folder 13
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Bob Herndon prints, 1995

  • Box 10, folder 14
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Graphics '65 catalogue with correspondence regarding Frederick Thursz, 1992

  • Box 11, folder 1
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Victor Hammer exhibition catalogue with Amyx bookplate, 1965

  • Box 11, folder 2
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Short stories, undated

  • Box 11, folder 3
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Correspondence, especially related to UK (3 folders), 1982-1997

  • Box 11, folder 4-6
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Personal art, 1977-1984

Sketches, undated

California: landscape, nature, undated

  • Box 11, folder 7
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California: sea, undated

  • Box 11, folder 8
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Carolina/South, undated

  • Box 11, folder 9
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Italy: landscape and sea, undated

  • Box 11, folder 10
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Pastoral, undated

  • Box 11, folder 11
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Holland: landscape details, undated

  • Box 11, folder 12
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Artists, undated

  • Box 11, folder 13
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Figures CA early, undated

  • Box 11, folder 14
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Seated figures, cafes, etc., undated

  • Box 11, folder 15
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Figures: Europe, undated

  • Box 11, folder 16
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Kentucky: genre, undated

  • Box 11, folder 17
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Faces: expression types, undated

  • Box 11, folder 18
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Figural, undated

  • Box 11, folder 19
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Figures: general, undated

  • Box 11, folder 20
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Italy: figures, undated

  • Box 11, folder 21
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CA self portrait. Hikers., undated

  • Box 12, folder 1
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Amyx, undated

  • Box 12, folder 2
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"Notes" to an autobiography, undated

  • Box 12, folder 3
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"Automatic" phrases, undated

  • Box 12, folder 4
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Prints and printmaking, 1978-1984

Supplement to "Chance and Choice", undated

  • Box 12, folder 5
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"Printmakers", 1979

  • Box 12, folder 6
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"Little People", 1984

  • Box 12, folder 7
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Printmaking process, a handbook, undated

  • Box 12, folder 8
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Italian proverbs research, notes, draft woodcuts, undated

  • Box 12, folder 9
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Spanish proverbs research and notes, undated

  • Box 12, folder 10
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Hokusai manga subject index, undated

  • Box 12, folder 11
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"Printmaking", undated

  • Box 13, folder 1
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"The Human Condition, Book II", 1984

  • Box 13, folder 2
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Types, undated

  • Box 13, folder 3
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Types: Clifford Amyx and others, undated

  • Box 13, folder 4
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"Chance & Choice", 1978

  • Box 14, box 1
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"Conceits" and handmade cardboard box for "Conceits", undated

  • Item 1
  • Box 15
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Exhibition records, 1977-1982

Exhibitions, 1977-1978

  • Box 13, folder 5
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Exhibition: Morehead, 1981

  • Box 13, folder 6
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Morristown exhibition, 1982

  • Box 13, folder 7
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Stamp collection, 1991-1993

Scope and Contents

Includes stamps primarily featuring images of art and artist portraits organized by country of origin. Most of the stamps in the collection were issued in the 1960s and 1970s. Some commentary is included, which may have been in preparation for a catalog similar to those Amyx created for Henry Clay portraits and images of Daniel Boone.

Notes regarding stamp collection sale, 1991-1993

  • Box 13, folder 8
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Introduction and Alpine countries, undated

  • Box 13, folder 9
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Great Britain, undated

  • Box 16, folder 1
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Iberia, undated

  • Box 16, folder 2
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Italy (4 folders), undated

  • Box 16, folder 3-6
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France (2 folders), undated

  • Box 17, folder 1-2
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Germany, undated

  • Box 17, folder 3
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Germany covers, undated

  • Box 17, folder 4
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Lowlands, undated

  • Box 17, folder 5
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Poland, undated

  • Box 17, folder 6
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Czechoslovakia, undated

  • Box 18, folder 1
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C2 stock (Czechoslovakia), undated

  • Box 18, folder 2
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Hungary and Yugoslavia, undated

  • Box 18, folder 3
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Romania, undated

  • Box 18, folder 4
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Albania and Bulgaria, undated

  • Box 18, folder 5
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Russia A, undated

  • Box 18, folder 6
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Russia B, C, undated

  • Box 19, folder 1
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Russia lists, undated

  • Box 19, folder 2
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USA (United States of America) stock, undated

  • Box 19, folder 3
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USA (2 folders), undated

  • Box 19, folder 4-5
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Japan, undated

  • Box 19, folder 6
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Lists: France, Germany, Czech, Lowlands, Spain, undated

  • Box 19, folder 7
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Biglietti, undated

  • Box 19, folder 8
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Slides, undated

Scope and Contents

The majority of the Slide series depicts the Amyx and Livingston families and ancestors as well as local artist portraits and self-portraits. Includes portraits of Edward Rannells, Raymond Barnhart, Ay-O, Richard O'Hanlon, and Frederick Thursz.

Amyx and Livingston family photos (4 carousels), undated

  • Box 20
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Bocce, animal and pastoral studies, undated

  • Box 20
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Self-portraits, undated

  • Box 20
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Self-portraits and Venice, undated

  • Box 20
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Biglietti and stamps, undated

  • Box 20
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Biglietti, undated

  • Box 20
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Tuscan proverbs (3 carousels), undated

  • Box 20
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Artists 17-25 (6 carousels), undated

  • Box 20
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Figure studies (2 carousels), undated

  • Box 20
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Kentuckiana, undated

  • Box 20
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Crayon resist watercolors (2 carousels), undated

  • Box 20
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Typefaces (2 carousels), undated

  • Box 20
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UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.

UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.

Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.

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Submit a request for SCRC materials.




You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.