BIRTHDAY EPHEMERA, 1994-2009

The Carol Hamoy Papers consist of approximately fifteen cubic feet of materials, comprising of fourteen record center cartons, three oversized tubular containers, and one oversized box spanning the period of circa 1970-2019. About ninety-five percent of the collection is in English, with the remaining five percent composed of Hebrew documents used for research and a German catalog featuring Hamoy's work. The collection is divided into nine series. The collection provides a detailed documentation of her artistic career.

The vast majority of the collection centers on Carol Hamoy's professional life as a visual artist. CORRESPONDENCE (1978-2019) is composed of emails and letters, mostly between Hamoy and museum professionals. It is interesting to note that a large portion of the files are query letters which were sent to various institutions asking if they would like to host a traveling exhibition featuring Hamoy's work. Included in these files is a letter from Senator Hillary Clinton office indicating regret in being unable to accept Hamoy's artwork entitled Hail to the Chief which portrayed Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president in 1867. Several of the series document her efforts to maintain financial stability in order to be able to create artwork. GRAPHIC WORK FILES (1986-2010) details Hamoy's interactions with artists seeking her help to create exhibition announcements and exhibition catalogs. Materials in this series include mock-ups, examples of type, and correspondence with various artists and printing companies. PROJECTS, GRANTS, AND MISCELLANEOUS FILES (circa 1990s-2019 and undated) partially document Hamoy's efforts to apply for grants and various funding. Also included are projects like the Feminist Art Base that were meant to promote and categorize her artwork..

Hamoy's documentation of her research and her exhibition history span several series as well. ARTWORK AND EXHIBITION FILES (1970s-2019, and undated) contain research files, exhibition announcements, mock-ups, exhibition details, and some correspondence. Of special interest are the examples of embroidery and the fortune cookie fortune collection. Meanwhile PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEGATIVES(1970s-2010s) document Hamoy's early paintings, as well as later sculptures and mixed media installations. Also included are images of exhibition openings. Almost all of the images are in black and white, and many are unlabeled.

PUBLICATIONS AND ESSAYS (1973-2010 and undated) contain clippings, exhibition reviews, unpublished essays, exhibition catalogs, and a few books owned by Hamoy. These publications cement Hamoy's work in a larger feminist and Jewish context. Of special interest are the Jewish feminist Esther Broner's essays on Hamoy's work. Similarly, JOURNALS, SKETCHBOOKS, AND MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS (circa 1970 - circa 2000, largely undated) cement the Hamoy's personal reflections into her art. Included in this series are several artist statements and journal entries that describe Hamoy's search for meaning.

Finally, AUDIO AND VISUAL FILES (1987-2016, and undated)contains VHS tapes, Beta tapes, and cassette tapes. The VHS and Beta tapes are short movies that played during various exhibitions, creating a multimedia environment for the viewer. The cassette tapes document panel discussions about art that Hamoy was a part of.

The remainder of the collection centers on Hamoy's personal life. . BIRTHDAY EPHEMERA (1994-2009) contains correspondence and photos related to Hamoy's 60th, 65th, 70th, and 75th birthdays. Of special interest are the script and correspondence related to Hamoy's 1994 "croning" ceremony. Additional personal materials are to be found in other series. CORRESPONDENCE includes letters from her family, PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEGATIVES contains images of her family, and PROJECTS, GRANTS, AND MISCELLANEOUS FILES contains various personal ephemera.