Alexander Troup Collection of Dallas Art History Research
Scope and Contents
The Alexander Troup Collection of Dallas Art History Research was compiled by Alexander Troup, a lifelong Dallas resident and art historian. Troup's parents, Clarence and Barbara Troup (formerly Gepp), were involved significantly in the Dallas arts community, first as collectors then as the owners and operators of Gallery Trohafole, later C. Troup Gallery. The Troup family and their gallery primarily dealt in folk art and objects from the ancient Americas. Troup's research consists of typed introductions, summaries, recollections, and other narratives and photocopies of newspaper articles, book chapters, and other printed material.
The Early North Texas Art history series evidences Troup's research into history of art and material culture in the early days of North Texas settlement. Beginning with early art institutions and figures of the 1850s into the 1920s, Troup has compiled and photocopied clippings, books, and other printed material about Adolphe Gouhenant and his Art Salon/Saloon and the W.L. Crawford Gallery.
The 20th Century Dallas Arts Community series compiles Troup's personal recollections of events, artists, galleries, and other institutions paired with clippings on the associated topics. There are multiple folders relating to the Troup Galery, which includes clippings about the gallery itself, recollections about events that happened in or around the gallery, and clippings about artists at the gallery. Other topical folders contain clippings and recollctions about artists, galleries, buildings, and history. Due to the nature of the compiled research, there are notes at the folder level that detail the subjects covered in the clippings and recollections.
The Personal Records and Troup Family History series contains records about Alexander Troup himself, including resumes, clippings, art, correspondence, and other recollections about his life and work.
The Publications and Printed Materials series contains a publication by Alexander Troup entitled "Shelf Life/Urban Art of Material Culture and Modern Artifacts" which includes the publication itself, as well as text copies and images. Also included are several exhibition catalogs and magazines.
Dates
- 1850s-2020s
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for public research. Researchers must make an appointment to view this collection. Contact the Archives at archives@dma.org.
Biographical / Historical
Alexander M. Troup is a lifelong Dallas resident, historian, and researcher. Troup's parents, Clarence and Barbara Troup, were art dealers, owners of C. Troup Gallery and Trohafole Gallery, and involved with other arts institutions in Dallas. Troup's familiarity with Dallas' art scene in the 20th century, including numerous galleries and artists, is a key component in his research.
Extent
1.668 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains primarily photocopied material and typed narratives compiled by Alexander Troup as part of his research projects relating to the history of the arts community in Dallas in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged in three series. Due to the significant variance in date and subject matter within each folder, folders are grouped topically within series. Information about subjects is included at the folder level where necessary.
The 19th and 20th Century Dallas Arts Community History series contains clippings, recollections, and ephemera related to galleries, artists, events, and notable people in the Dallas art scene of the 1850s through the 1990s.
The Personal Records and Troup Family History series consists of Alexander Troup's personal records and materials realted to the Troup family that are more tangential to their work as collectors and gallery owners.
The Publications and Printed Materials series collections magazines, exhibition and audction catalogs, and other printed materials.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was acquired from Alexander Troup on 13 August 2025.
Processing Information
This collection was donated to the Archives with materials already grouped topically but without a hierarchical arrangment. There were minor changes made to facilitate research access and use, which included combining and associating materials that are about the same topic and retitling folders for clarity. Titles and clarification assigned by the archives are included in brackets.
Mr. Troup's typed summaries, introductions, memories, and other commentary have been included with the material with which they were originally grouped.
Materials included in each folder vary greatly by date and topic, so materials in each series have been grouped topically (e.g. early North Texas history, artists, named locations, etc.)
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Alexander Troup Collection of Dallas Art History Research
- Author
- Zoe Heinsohn
- Date
- 2025-08-26
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Dallas Museum of Art Archives Repository