The John Ferguson Weir Papers contain many letters from persons prominent in the art world from the 1870s to the 1920s and a wealth of information about Weir's own life and beliefs. There is also material on the origin and development of art education in the United States and at Yale. Researchers interested in this aspect of the Weir Papers should also consult the Archives of the Yale School of the Fine Arts, located in Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library.
The John Ferguson Weir Papers are divided into four series: I. CORRESPONDENCE; II. ADDRESSES AND WRITINGS; III. PAPERS, PLANS, AND NOTES RE: YALE SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS; IV. PERSONAL PAPERS AND MEMORABILIA.
The CORRESPONDENCE series contains both Weir's personal and professional correspondence. He was familiar with most of the prominent artists and architects of his time, and as Director of the School of the Fine Arts, he frequently invited famous artists to lecture at Yale. This correspondence tends to be brief and businesslike. Some of the personal correspondence, however, is more expansive. Among the correspondents are: John W. Alexander (15 items), Charles Henry Caffin (11 items), John Merven Carrere (9 items), Kenyon Cox (10 items), Frank Miles Day (6 items), Sanford Robinson Gifford (26 items), William Henry Goodyear (14 items), James Mason Hoppin (14 items), Jervis McEntee (3 items), Donald Grant Mitchell (9 items), Frederic Remington (4 items), Paul Sabatier (1 item), Truman Seymour (8 items), Launt Thompson (3 items), and Peter Bonnett Wight (3 items). Filed at the end of this section are two folders of Mrs. Mary French Weir's correspondence and a folder of letters of Weir's daughter, Edith Weir Perry.
The second series, ADDRESSES AND WRITINGS, contains articles, lectures, and speeches by Weir. Included is a copy of Weir's partially completed memoirs. Some of the addresses and writings are in manuscript form; others have been printed.
The third series, PAPERS, PLANS, AND NOTES RE: YALE SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS, contains material relating to Weir's activities as Director of the School. This includes notes on the founding and organization of the School and on the development of the curriculum. There is also material on School finances, scholarships, and the like. Most of this material consists of notes or drafts of proposals in Weir's own hand. Also filed in this section are exhibition programs and lecture syllabi from the Yale School of the Fine Arts.
The fourth series, PERSONAL PAPERS AND MEMORABILIA, contains a wide variety of material relating to Weir's personal life, including several diaries and sketchbooks. In addition there are newspaper clippings collected by Weir, including reviews of his own books. There are also numerous photographs of Weir and his family and a folder of notes and writings by Mary French Weir.
Note: Additional Weir papers are in the possession of Rev. DeWolf Perry of Princeton, Massachusetts.