Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation Records, 1890-1989
NMAI.AC.001
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Summary
Early Years
Early Years, 1895-1935
Collection ID:
NMAI.AC.001
Creators:
Heye, George G. (George Gustav), 1874-1957
Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.
Dates:
1890-1998
Languages:
English
Physical Description:
400 linear feet
Repository:
National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center
These records document the governance and programmatic activities of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation (MAI) from its inception in 1904 until its sublimation by the Smithsonian Institution in 1990. The types of materials present in this collection include personal and institutional correspondence, individual subject files, minutes and annual reports, financial ledgers, legal records, expedition field notes, research notes, catalog and object lists, publications, clippings, flyers, maps, photographs, negatives and audio-visual materials. These materials span a varied range of subjects relating to the activities of the museum which are more fully described on the series level.
Scope and Contents note
Scope and Contents note
These records document the governance and programmatic activities of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation (MAI) from its inception in 1904 until its sublimation by the Smithsonian Institution in 1990. The types of materials present in this collection include personal and institutional correspondence, individual subject files, minutes and annual reports, financial ledgers, legal records, expedition field notes, research notes, catalog and object lists, publications, clippings, flyers, maps, photographs, negatives and audio-visual materials. These materials span a varied range of subjects relating to the activities of the museum which are more fully described on the series level.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The MAI, Heye Foundation records have been arranged into 21 series and 50 subseries:
Series 1: Directors, 1908-1990
(1.1: George Gustav Heye, 1863-1962, 1.2: Edwin K. Burnett, 1943-1960, 1.3: Frederick Dockstader, 1950-1976, 1.4: Alexander F. Draper, 1972-1977, 1.5:Roland W. Force, 1963-1990, 1.6: George Eager, Assistant Director, 1977-1990)
Series 2: Board of Trustees, 1916-1990
(2.1: Board of Trustee Minutes, 1916-1990, 2.2: Individual Board Correspondence, 1943-1990, 2.3: Subject Files, 1917-1990)
Series 3: Administrative, 1916-1989
(3.1: Subject Files, 1904-1991, 3.2: Personnel, 1956-1991, 3.3: Legal, 1900-1989, 3.4: Task Force, 1976-1986, 3.5: George Abrams, 1980-1991)
Series 4: Financial, 1916-1990
(4.1: Ledgers, 1900-1962, 4.2: Correspondence, 1905-1985, 4.3: Subject Files, 1916-1990)
Series 5: Expeditions, 1896-1973
Series 6: Collectors, 1872-1981
Series 7: Registration, 1856-1993
Series 8: Collections Management, 1937-1988
Series 9: Curatorial, 1963-1990
(9.1: Curatorial Council, 1973-1990, 9.2: Gary Galante, 1979-1991, 9.3: Mary Jane Lenz, 1974-1994, 9.4: James G. E. Smith, 1963-1990, 9.5: U. Vincent Wilcox, 1968-1984, 9.6: Anna C. Roosevelt, 1973-1988)
Series 10: Exhibits, 1923-1991
(10.1: MAI Exhibits, 1923-1990, 10.2: Non-MAI Exhibits, 1937-1991)
Series 11: Public Programs, 1935-1990
Series 12: Publications, 1904-1994
(12.1: Annual Reports, 1917-1989, 12.2: Publications by MAI, 1904-1990, 12.3: Publications by Other Sources, 1881-1990, 12.4: Administration, 1920-1988, 12.5: Archival Set of Official Publications, 1907-1976)
Series 13: Public Affairs, 1938-1991
Series 14: Development, 1927-1991
(14.1: Administration, 1979-1990, 14.2: Donors, 1978-1990, 14.3: Fundraising, 1973-1990, 14.4: Grants, 1970-1990, 14.5: Subject Files, 1976-1990)
Series 15: Other Departments, 1914-1990
(15.1: Archives, 1914-1990, 15.2: Conservation, 1972-1989, 15.3: Education, 1921-1990, 15.4: Indian Information Center, 1977-1989, 15.5: Museum Shop, 1947-1989, 15.6: Photography, 1918-1990, 15.7: Physical Anthropology, 1919-1956)
Series 16: Huntington Free Library, 1926-1991
Series 17: Museum Relocation, 1969-1992
(17.1: Subject Files, 1979-1990, 17.2: American Museum of Natural History, 1980-1987, 17.3: Dallas, Texas, 1984-1987, 17.4: Smithsonian Institution, 1979-1990, 17.5: U.S. Custom House, 1977-1990, 17.6: Other Locations, 1974-1987)
Series 18: Media
Series 19: Photographs
Series 20: Miscellaneous, 1837-1990
Series 21: Oversize, 1873-1972
(21.1: Maps, 1873-1975, 21.2: Miscellaneous, 1884-1982)
History of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation
History of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation
The Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation was established by wealthy collector George Gustav Heye in 1908. Heye began collecting American Indian artifacts as early as 1897 and his collection rapidly increased over the next several years. Based in New York, Heye bought collections and documentary photographs, sponsored expeditions, and traveled and collected items himself. In addition, once MAI was established he sponsored numerous expeditions across the Western Hemisphere, including North American, Canada, South America and Central America.
From 1908 to 1917 Heye housed his artifacts on temporary loan at the University of Pennsylvania's University Museum, Pennsylvania, in lofts on East 33rd Street in New York City, and at other depositories. In 1917, the collections moved from his apartment to their permanent museum location at Audubon Terrace, at 155th Street and Broadway in New York City. The museum, containing ethnographic and archaeological collections from North, Central and South America, opened to the public in 1922. Less than ten years later, Heye completed a storage facility in the Pelham Bay area of the Bronx, known as the Research Branch. Heye served as Chairman of the Board and Museum Director until his death in 1957. After growing concern about the financial and other management of the collections came to a head, the museum became part of the Smithsonian Institution in 1989 and in 1994 opened exhibit space in the U.S. Customs House at Bowling Green near New York City's Battery Park. The Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, Maryland later opened in 1999 and the main Washington, DC museum opened in 2004.
Please visit the following links for more information about the history of the museum; History of the Collection, Collections Overview, and Significance of the Collection. Moreover, for information about how the museum currently cares for and exhibits the collection, please see the Conservation department and recent entries regarding Exhibitions and Conservation on the NMAI Blog. In addition, see portions of the NMAI Archive Center's collections highlighted in the SIRIS Blog.
Administration
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Jennifer O'Neal, Rachel Menyuk, Rachel Telford, and Kristine Marconi McGee from 2004-2011. Finding aid written by Jennifer O'Neal and Rachel Menyuk in 2011.
Author
Finding aid prepared by Jennifer O'Neal and Rachel Menyuk
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Use note
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadcast materials from the collection must be requested from the National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.
Preferred Citation note
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation Records, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Related Archival Materials note
In 2004, the Huntington Fee Library, once part of the MAI/Heye Foundation, was transferred to the Cornell University Library Rare Book and Manuscript Collection. While this collection mainly contained books, it also contained a significant amount of archival materials. The Huntington Free Library's Native American Collection contains outstanding materials documenting the history, culture, languages, and arts of the native tribes of both North and South America, as well as contemporary politics and human rights issues are also important components of the collection. Further information about the collection and links to finding aids can be found here: rmc.library.cornell.edu/collections/HFL_old.html.
Provenance and Acquisition
Provenance and Acquisition
The collection was originally part of the MAI Archives at Audobon Terrace in New York City. Title and custody of the collections were formally transferred to NMAI in 1990. Upon completion of the NMAI Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, MD, the collection was physically transferred to the NMAI Archive Center in 1998.
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Barrett, S. A. (Samuel Alfred), 1879-1965 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Burnett, Edwin K. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Churchill, Clara G. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Churchill, Frank C. (Frank Carroll), 1850-1912 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Davis, Edward H., b. 1862 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dockstader, Frederick J. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Emmons, George Thornton Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Force, Roland W. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ford-Bartlett East Greenland Expedition 1930 Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gridley, Marion E. (Marion Eleanor), 1906-1974 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Harriman Alaska Expedition (1899). Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Harrington, M. R. (Mark Raymond), 1882-1971 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Harvey, Byron Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Harvey, Fred Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hendricks-Hodge Expedition (1917-1923). Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Huntington Free Library. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hyde Exploring Expedition (1902-1903). Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Johnson, Frederick, 1904-1994 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lothrop, S. K. (Samuel Kirkland), 1892-1965 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pepper, George H. (George Hubbard), 1873-1924 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Skinner, Alanson, 1886-1925 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Speck, Frank G., (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stiles, William F., 1912-1980 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Verrill, A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt), 1871-1954 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), b. 1885 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wildschut, William Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Administrative records Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Annual reports Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archaeological expeditions Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ethnological expeditions Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology) Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Arkansas Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--California Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Canada Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Cuba Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Ecuador Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Guatemala Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Haiti Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Missouri Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Nevada Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--New Jersey Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--New Mexico Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--New York (State) Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Panama Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Peru Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Tennessee Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Excavations (Archaeology)--Texas Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Field notes Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of Central America Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of North America Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of South America Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ledgers (account books) Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Minutes Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museum exhibits Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museums--Acquisitions Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museums--Collection management Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Museums--Curatorship Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre/Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pre-Columbian objects Topic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Repository Contact
National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center
4220 Silver Hill Rd
Suitland , Maryland, 20746-2863
Phone: 301.238.1400
nmaiarchives@si.edu