Perry Nichols (1911 – 1992), a Dallas native, was initially associated with the Texas regionalist artists of the 1930s and 1940s, and was also multitalented in many areas of art. Taught by local Dallas artists, Nichols entered the art world at an early age and worked in various art mediums throughout his life, including painting, particularly the technique called “trompe l’oeil” (“trick the eye”) mural painting, printmaking, and woodworking. The collection includes artwork, clippings, correspondence documents, ephemera, photographs, publicity, published works, and scrapbooks.
The Nichols collection consists of 11 works of art on paper and archival materials that include clippings, correspondence, documents, ephemera, photographs, publicity, and published works. The Nichols scrapbook contained artwork and archival material relating to the artist’s life and career. The items were removed for preservation purposes and placed in archival folders and boxes. A digitized copy of the scrapbook is available for viewing in Bywaters Special Collections. The archival material reflects Nichols’s diverse and multifaceted art career which included painting, printmaking, woodworking, and teaching. Supporting material consists of invitations to gallery openings, photographs of his family and friends, including some from his military days in San Antonio, and images of his paintings, murals, and “trompe l’oeil” work.
Please take a look at the detailed finding aid available through Texas Archival Resources Online.
Image: Courtesy of Perry Nichols Collection, Bywaters Special Collections, Hamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist University