The Papers of Michael Baxandall

The collection contains working notes and draft texts relating to lectures, conference papers, articles and books. A small number of personal documents are included, together with some correspondence, most of which is made up of letters to Baxandall confirming various appointments and roles or inviting him to present papers. There is very little personal correspondence

The papers have been arranged into eight series: Biographical; Appointments & Roles; Personal Correspondence; Lecture & Symposium Invitations; Lectures; Conferences & Symposiums; Publications; and Research Notes. The titles of files given by Baxandall have been retained

The collection is open for researchers using Cambridge University Library. Some items of personal correspondence have been closed.

The majority of the papers were presented by Mrs. K. Baxandall in July 2009. A further donation of papers from Mrs Baxandall was received in March 2013 and has been catalogued under the following catalogue reference numbers: 9843/1/14-18; 9843/2/6-7; 9843/5/3/7; 9843/5/16-18; 9843/7/1/10-11; 9843/7/2/4/4-5; 9843/7/2/5/4; 9843/7/2/6-7; 9843/7/3/1-2; 9843/8/13-18

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

Overall the collection is in good condition. However, some items of correspondence have been printed on thermal fax paper and the text is now so faint as to be barely readable despite a facsimile copy being made onto acid-free paper paper & photographs

Researchers wishing to publish excerpts from the papers must obtain prior permission from the copyright holders. Professor Svetlana Alpers, literary executor, will deal with requests to publish any Baxandall writings still in copyright; after her death, her role will pass to the Keeper of Manuscripts, Cambridge University Library

A collection of working photographs relating to three of Baxandall's books - 'Painting and Experience in Fifteenth Century Italy' (1972), 'The Limewood Sculptors of Renaissance Germany' (1980) and 'Patterns of Intention: On the historical explanation of Pictures' (1985) - and some other miscellaneous items are held in The Warburg Institute. Contact: http://warburg.sas.ac.uk/home/