Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1963 - 1985 (Creation)
Extent
3 document boxes (1.5 linear feet); 2 flat storage boxes (2 linear feet)
Name of creator
Biographical history
William Arthur ("Bill") Bristow was born on February 1, 1937, in San Antonio, Texas to Edgar Allen and Sue Agnes (Wood) Bristow. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin in 1958 before receiving a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in 1960. He married his wife, embroidery artist Wilanna Bristow, in 1958. Shortly thereafter, they had their first and only daughter, Elizabeth Ann Bristow.
Bristow came to Trinity as an Assistant Professor of Art in 1960. He swiftly rose the ranks, becoming Department Chairman by 1965. Bristow appears to have retired from Trinity in 1999, over 30 years after he came to the University.
During his time at Trinity, Bristow continued to create art of his own. His works were showcased across San Antonio; one of his sculptures was even featured in the 1968 Hemisfair. Bristow is an honorary lifetime member of the Coppini Academy and San Antonio Watercolor Group.
As of 2021, Bristow still resides in San Antonio. More of his papers, in addition to those of his wife, Wilanna, can be found in the Archives of American Art in Washington, D.C.
Name of creator
Biographical history
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
The Bill Bristow Art Department Files include correspondence, records, scrapbooks, and photographs from Bristow's tenure as Art Department Chair, spanning from 1963-1985. The bulk of this collection dates to the 1960s and 1970s.
System of arrangement
Series 1: Students
Series 2: Faculty
Series 3: Department Files
Series 4: Scrapbooks
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
This collection is open and available to the public for research in the Special Collections & Archives reading room. The materials are non-circulating.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
The materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The materials are available for personal, educational, and scholarly use. It is the responsibility of the researcher to locate and obtain permission from the copyright owner or his or her heirs for any other use, such as reproduction and publication.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
These papers were donated by Bill Bristow following his departure from Trinity University.
Immediate source of acquisition
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
- Citation: Bill Bristow Art Department Files. UA 0147. Coates Library Special Collections and Archives, Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas).
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Archivist's note
Finding aid created by student assistant Alden Eckman, February 2021.
Collection processed by student assistant Alden Eckman, February 2021.
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Bristow, Bill, 1937 - (Subject)