Byers Family Art Collection Inventories

Contains a handwritten volume, circa 1900, listing works in the A.M. Byers art collection, a 1935 typed inventory of the Byers family collection, and some loose documents. "Summary of the Collection of Paintings & Miniatures of A. M. Byers Esq. Allegheny PA," the handwritten volume, contains entries for 84 paintings and seven miniatures. Entries include the artist's name and biographical information, title and description of the work, and some provenance information. This volume contains no purchase information. The volume lists works by Bonheur, Constable, Corot, Daubigny, Delacroix, Gainsborough, Guardi, Hals, Rubens, Raeburn, Rembrandt, Romney, Reynolds, Turner, and van Dyck, among others. Entries are grouped alphabetically by artist name.

The 1935 inventory includes the 84 paintings listed in the A.M. Byers inventory, as well as approximately 15 works purchased after Mr. Byers' death. Entries may include purchase information (from whom purchased, date, and price); up to eight appraisals by Knoedler, Lorenz, Harshe, Hyett, Henschel and Bernet dated from 1914 to 1935; narrative assessments made by Royal Cortissoz for the majority of the paintings in 1925, and five made by Knoedler in 1914; date of copyright; insurance cost; and sales results of other works by each artist, 1931-1935. Entries are grouped alphabetically by artist name. Typed pages were removed from a small binder and rehoused in folders. A 1935 letter to Mrs. J.D. Lyons from Frank G. Love indicates the book was prepared to detail the division of the collection between Mrs. Lyons and Mr. Byers; works are coded with their initials. Loose documents, dated 1935-1977, also list works and their valuations.