Is the Bryant Collection "More Than Tourist Art?"
Giving to the Bryant Collection and Making it More Accessible About the Collection
The William L. Bryant Foundation began by sponsoring and participating in the exploration of prehistoric sites in Florida and the West Indies. Expanding his interests to the history, geography, economy, social life, and religion of the area, Bryant began collecting materials to document folk life and culture of the Caribbean and West Indies.
The William L. Bryant Collection is a scholarly collection of over 2,000 books and periodicals on the history, geography, economy, and social life of the West Indies and the Caribbean area. The collection brings together materials from throughout the region, highlighting islands such as Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Curacao, Cuba, Grand Cayman, Granada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, and St. Croix.
The collection also includes numerous paintings, objects, sculptures, maps, sound recordings, slides, and anthropological artifacts. The paintings, often bought in markets on the islands, document daily life, markets, homes, and religious symbolism. Sculptures portray individuals in continual tasks, such as going to market or dancing. Audio materials document folk music, religious ceremonies, and popular island music of the mid-twentieth century.
Anthropological artifacts held in the collection come from excavations sponsored by the Foundation in Florida and the Caribbean. Reports documenting the excavations and artifacts held in the collection are available electronically through Florida’s statewide digital collection, PALMM, or may be found by searching the UCF Library Catalog.
The collection is a highly regarded resource on the Caribbean because of the wealth of information in the published materials, art, and artifacts. Please contact the Special Collections for more information or to use the collection.
