Robert Emerson Curtis papers

MLMSS 11742/Boxes 1-6
MLMSS 11742/Boxes 7X-10X

fonds

1915-1990

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Drawings, Clippings, Ephemera

9581117

3.31 metres of textual material, includes photographs and drawings (6 boxes and 4 outsize boxes)

Robert Emerson Curtis (1898-1996) was born in England and arrived in NSW in 1924. He established himself primarily as a commercial artist, who specialised in documentary illustration. He drew, for example, the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, worked for B.H.P. and also documented projects such as the Sydney Opera House and the Gladesville Bridge. He was also commissioned to design murals and posters.

Artwork and papers regarding the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, and mining and industry, including copies of prints, photographs, published books and magazines, book outlines and drafts

Box 1
Spare prints of Robert Emerson Curtis’ work
Booklet of Malley’s history and operations (illustrations by R. Emerson Curtis)
Rough material for articles mixed, manuscripts
Copies of letters from Melbourne 1938,1940
News articles referring to Wartime history Australia and New Guinea 1940-1945
Letters from Ruth to Robert Emerson Curtis North Queensland
Personal mail 1968 and Curtis Family Tree by Ellie 1969
Letters from New Guinea, Northern Territory, Darwin, Cairns etc

Box 2
Business and personal letters 1931-1932,1934-1941,1946,1948,1956,1958,1960-1968,1979
Personal letters 1915,1921,1924-1925,1930-1934,1936-1938,1940-1941,1943-1946,1948-1953,1957-1968
The B.H.P. Review Jubilee Number June 1935 (illustrations by R. Emerson Curtis)
Newcastle city coal collection history and works 1930s-1985
Australia at work proposed book 1930-1990

Box 3
Opera House Trust correspondence 1964-1969 , includes lists of pictures etc and licence agreement between R. Emerson Curtis and Sydney Opera House 1973
Opera House cartoons and comments 1961,1963,1965-1968,1977,1986
Opera House diagrams notes 1963
Sydney Opera House Publicity Clips on book “A vision takes form” R. Emerson Curtis published January 1968
Birth of a miracle the Sydney Opera House story notes 1983
Birth of a miracle the Sydney Opera House -scrapbook of drawings
Scrapbook of Sydney Opera House 1958-1973 news clippings and personal comments
News pictures Sydney Opera House from Feb 1957 The [Utzon] winning design
Selected negatives of the Sydney Opera House for reprints

Box 4
Opera House articles news items 1957,1959,1963,1965-1966,1968,1970,1973,1983,1986,1989
News articles 1964-1975
News articles early stages 1960s
Utzon resigns March 1966
Cartoons – Brisbane Mail – “Cabby” 1921-1923
“Walkabout” – published articles 1941-1947 by Ruth and Robert E. Curtis
Steel works -prints-photos Port Kembla etc Varied – workers etc
Sketches small-mixed-Australia
Order and account books for commissions 1947-1975
Commissions for mural for Holden etc- sketches and photographs

Box 5
Scrapbook of news articles on Robert Emerson Curtis 1932-1954
War artist negatives of work by R.E.C.
Robert Emerson Curtis (REC) war artist correspondence, mostly official and contacts
Robert Emerson Curtis’ notebook
Robert Emerson Curtis’ Royal Australian Air Force medical records
Manuscript of AUSN story: “They spread white wings”
Phrenology
Snowy Mountains Scheme
Biographical exhibition catalogues 1966-1968,1971,1973-1974,1979,1982-1983,1985-1989,1991-1993
Canberra exhibition notes, articles and drawings 1936,1942,1946
News articles on Robert Emerson Curtis’ exhibition 1924,1940,1946,1952,1967-1968 ,1979,1982-1983,1987,1989-1990
Exhibition photographs 1990 and publicity photographs 1967,1976, 1979 (one photo taken by Max Dupain)

Box 6
Sydney Harbour Bridge odd sketches
Sydney Harbour Bridge news clippings 1930,1932,1937,1960,1976,1982
Bridge Data – facts and history detail
Bridge Data – prints – odds and ends- historical
Bridge – block (colour) – (colour supplement) -incomplete in colour

Box 7X
Sydney Opera House design development
Drawings - roughs - Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House sketch detail
Sydney Opera House large prints (56 sketches)

Box 8X
War artist (includes 15 sketches)
Early work proofs P.O. The Sydney Mail 1932,1934-1935
Prints large and small (All States) (Drawings): includes sketches, photographs and notes
Bridge book lithographs (spare)
Australia at work- impressions in word and picture by R. Emerson Curtis (‘published’- news- series- all states Sunday Sun and Guardian) 1936
Various advertising and cover prints 1930-1946 (14 drawings)
Kodak prints 1939 (13 drawings)

Box 9X
Prints of overseas drawings 1969-1970 (8 prints)
Building the Bridge: scrapbook of sketches, photographs and articles on Sydney Harbour Bridge 1977-1981
Final drafts of Birth of a Miracle
Photographic records of some murals done by R. Emerson Curtis
Forestry W.A. Qld N.S.W. Farm Work, timber – mills and cutters- original sketches and notes 1935-1938,1973,1976,1980-1981
Railways- original sketches and notes
Proof prints, articles and illustrations 1930’s by Robert Emerson Curtis (REC) and Ruth Curtis (RAC) 1930-1942,1947

Box 10X
The Nation Australia (This is a mock-up for a publication proposed in early post-war Times that did not go into publication).
Maritime services mural (commission for Museum of Contemporary Art (M.C.A.))
Prints of early to post-war and some Opera House. General-schemes- or industrial workplaces. Negatives mostly. (approx. 90 prints and sketches)

Copyright restrictions may apply