Photographs taken by Marli Shamir in Mali, in 1971. The majority of the images show architecture in Djenne, Mali. Other images depict architecture of the Dogon in Timbuktu, Gao and San. Photographs from this collection were featured by Labelle Prussin's thesis entitled, "The Architecture of Djenne; African Synthesis and Transformation," (Yale University, 1974) and in her book entitled, "Hatumere: Islamic Design in West Africa," (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986). The images have also been displayed in an exhibition entitled, "Marli Shamir Photographs from the Sahel," held in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, in 1976.

This collection contains a variety of materials including (1,615) 35 mm color slides, circa 400 photographic prints, 1 box of manuscript materials, 1 notebook, 52 audio and 1 video cassettes, and 1 CD-ROM. Many of the slides and photographs were taken during Houlberg's field work in Nigeria (1973-1975) and depict Ibeji figures, wood carvings, Egungun masquerades and masks, twins, portraits, hairstyles, festivals, shrines, textiles, and peoples including the Yoruba, Ekoi, Ibibio, and Ogoni. The audiocassettes consist of lectures, music, field records, and interviews.

The collection dates from 1900 to 1997 and mostly includes images taken in South Africa. The images document the peoples of South Africa, particularly the Loved, Ndebele, San, Sotho, Xhosa, and Zulu peoples. Locations photographed include Basutoland (now Lesotho), Bechuanaland (now Botswana), Johannesburg, Natal, Pretoria, Soweto, Swaziland, Transkei, Transvaal, the Umzimkulu Valley and Zululand. Manuscript and office files include clippings, correspondence, exhibition announcements, invitations and reviews, notes, essays, receipts, and other materials that document Larrabee's career, family history, and personal life.

These records were created by Kenneth Victor Young during his tenure in the Office of Exhibits Central (OEC) as a designer and Design Supervisor and Editor. The records consist of Young's exhibition script outlines and designs, mostly for the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES); memoranda and correspondence to and fro...

Peoples and kingdoms whose art works are shown include the Asante, Baule, Benin, Boki, Dogon, Fang (Pahouin), Ijo, Kuba, Lumbu, Mama, Mende, Mpongwe, Punu and Yoruba. Objects depicted include garments, doors, fly whisks, gold weights, headrests, jewelry, masks, musical instrument such as bells and rhythym pounders, power figures, pipes, staff finials, stools and wood sculptures of men and women.

The Marilyn Houlberg Haiti Collection includes negatives, audio cassettes, video reels, prints, CDs, DVDs, field books, and manuscript materials, including lecture/research files and correspondence, which were created from the 1970s to circa 2012 by Houlberg and focus on the arts and culture of Haiti, especially those of the Afro-Caribbean religion of Voudou.

This accession consists of background and working files regarding design and maintenance of exhibit halls in the National Museum of Natural History. The records contain correspondence, reports, publications, photographs, slides, plans, and other materials relating to permanent and temporary exhibits. These records were maintained by Carl ...

Photographs taken by Melville J. Herskovits during his trips with his wife, Frances Shapiro Herskovits, to Surinam (1928-29); Dahomey, now Republic of Benin (1931); Haiti (1934); and Brazil (1941-42). From 1928 to 1943 Melville Herskovits and his wife, Frances Herskovits (nee Shapiro) traveled together throughout West Africa and the Americas to collect evidence of the legacy of African culture. The contributions of Frances Herskovits to her husband's research were fully recognized in an exhibition held by the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University, from April 2-August 9, 1998. Entitled, "Living Tradition in Africa & the America: The Legacy of Melville J. and Frances S. Herskovits," the brochure noted, "On each trip, Frances was a full partner in the research...Until Melville's death in 1963, they worked together on the analysis of their data and the writing of books and articles; and after he died, she edited a collection of his papers."

These records consist of exhibition design, production, and installation information including proposals and narratives, scripts, schedules, graphic designs, construction contracts and specifications, floor plans, blueprints, schematic drawings, and photographs. The records also include Department of Exhibits administrative files such as corre...

The Lonnie G. Bunch Papers include both personal materials and professional records from the various institutions that he worked at as well as his teaching positions. The personal materials include family correspondence, family history records, and photographs. In relation to his teaching positions there are course syllabi, reading lists, ...