Byam, John, (1929-2013)

Abstract

The John Byam Papers contain drafts of letters, notes, and drawings written by John Byam, mostly during the time he lived at the Hearthstone Home for Adults in Hobart, New York. The bulk of the materials is letters that Byam wrote to his extended family, which he usually copied over several times. Other material includes several composition books with Byam's notes, drawings, and lists in them.

Scope and Contents From the Collection: Like the “Topical Subject” files, the “People” files have two constituent parts, one deriving from materials donated to the library by Dr. Bishop, the other originating in the library and developed by Edith Wise during the last few years [c. 1988]. Both consist of folders devoted to individual persons but, whereas the “Wise” files are concerned wholly with prominent folk artists past and present, the “Bishop” segment is wide-ranging in coverage: a significant portion relates to contemporary...