Yavapai Heritage Roundup

Phippen Museum


The Phippen Museum, located at 4701 Highway 89 North between Prescott and Chino Valley, Arizona, features art of the American West, which covers the area from the Mississippi River to the California Coast. Although many people associate the American West with images of the "cowboy," the Phippen Museum collects and exhibits works that depict diverse Western subjects and landscapes.

The Phippen Museum was opened in 1984 with the intention of enhancing the quality of cultural life in Central Arizona and fostering an appreciation and understanding of the art of the American West for area residents and visitors. Its mission is to present exhibits and educational programs featuring the art and history of the American West and to collect and preserve fine art and artifacts to enhance the Museum. Its aim is to tell the continuing story of the natural, cultural and economic development of the American West and to foster an appreciation and understanding of that development through visual arts and artifacts, educational programs and events. The Phippen Museum is a not for profit entity that is not connected with any enterprises of the late George Phippen or his family.

Although the Museum concentrates on mounting exhibitions, it has materials in its facilities that could be of use to those doing research. Museum members and serious researchers can access Museum archives, comprised primarily of books and magazines; however, they should call in advance to set up an appointment. Contact Sue Willoughby, Director, 520-778-4524.


Books
The Museum has a sizable collection of non-circulating books on art with a special emphasis on artists who depict the American West and Southwest. There is also an interesting selection of novels and histories of the West and Southwest, many dating back to the early twentieth century.

The following is a list of books with pertinent information on Yavapai County history; they are infrequently found at other local museums and/or libraries.

Books on History
Browne, J. Ross. A Tour through Arizona 1864 or Adventures in the Apache Country. Tucson: Arizona Silhouettes, 1951.

Dobie, J. Frank. Coronado's Children: Tales of Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of the Southwest. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 1930.

Dusard, Jay. Open Country. Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, 1994. This has photos, including those of the Prescott Area.

Farish, Thomas Edwin. (Arizona Historian) History of Arizona, volumes 1, 2 and 4. Phoenix, The Fiomer Brothers Electrotype Company, 1915. [Printed and published by the Direction of the Second Legislature of the State of Arizona, Governor the Honorable George W. P. Hunt (Legislators from Yavapai County-Senators: Mrs. Frances W. Munds, Morris Goldwater; Representatives: A.A. Johns, O.F. Orthel, J. J. Sweeney, J.E. Leeper)]

James, Will. Cow Country. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1945.

Williams, J.R. The Bull of the Woods and Out Our Way: A Book of Cartoons. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951.

Williams, J.R. Cowboys Out Our Way: A Book of Cartoons. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1951.

Collection: Arizona Pioneer Ranch Histories: Volumes I-IX. Phoenix: Arizona National Livestock Show, Phoenix, Arizona Pioneer Stockmen, 1978-1987.

Books on Art pertinent to Central Arizona

Various Catalogues for Phippen Collection Exhibits as well as catalogues for other Western Art exhibitions

Ainsworth, Ed. The Cowboy in Art. New York: Bonanza Books, 1968.

Davies, A. Mervyn. Solon H. Borglum: "A Man who Stands Alone." Chester, Conn: Pequot Press, 1974.

Harmsen, Dorothy. Harmsen's Western Americana: A Collection of one hundred western paintings with biographical profiles of the artists. Flagstaff: Northland Press, 1971.

Huckel, J.F., Ed. American Indians: First Families of the Southwest. Kansas City, Mo.: Published for Fred Harvey, 1920.

Phippen, Louise. George Phippen, the man, the artist. Prescott: Ralph Tanner Associates, Inc. 1983.

Phippen, Louise. The Life of A Cowboy Told through the Drawings, Paintings, and Bronzes of George Phippen. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1969.

Russell, Charles M. Forty Pen and Ink Drawings. Pasadena: Trail's End Publishing Co., Inc., 1947

The Great Southwest along the Santa Fe. Kansas City, Mo. No author or editor listed. Published by Fred Harvey (not dated, but probably around 1920).


Magazines
The Museum maintains a large collection of magazines that focus on art, especially art of the West and Southwest

Scrapbooks
One large scrapbook contains approximately 200 colored snapshots of the 1992 Memorial Day Show.

Photos
The Museum has approximately 275 photos, many of which are photo reproductions with the originals housed at the Sharlot Hall Museum. They can roughly be categorized as:

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