Descriptive Entry

This accession consists of materials that document the Smithsonian Institution observance of the 500th anniversary of the voyages of Christopher Columbus and the subsequent encounter among Europeans, Africans and the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Through programs of exhibitions, scholarly and public symposia, publications, educational programs, traveling exhibitions, radio and television, the commemoration focus included the cultural, historical and scientific implications of the western hemispheric encounter. The majority of the records in this accession pertain to the idea of making Smithsonian's Quincentenary commemoration a basis for establishing a permanent institute for emphasizing the history and cultures of the Americas. Included are posters of an illustration by Bryan Leister, a banner, art work for brochures and newsletters, correspondence, proposals for establishing the Institute of the Americas, budget justifications for the project, brochures, and copies of a newsletter Quincentennial of the Discovery of America: Encounter of Two Worlds.