Administrative Records
These records concern the operation of the Office of the Secretary from 1972 to the end of S. Dillon Ripley's tenure as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The records document the Smithsonian's on-going operations -- internal, with other government Offices and departments, and with foundations, universities, and other outside organizations. Among the …
Esther McCoy papers
bulk 1938-1989
The papers of Southern California architectural historian, critic, and writer Esther McCoy measure 44.0 linear feet and date from 1876 to 1990 (bulk 1938-1989). McCoy was interested in both Italian and Mexican architecture as well as the folk art and crafts of Mexico and South America. The collection documents McCoy's career, as well as her family and personal life through biographical material, extensive correspondence, personal and professional writings, project files, Southern California architects' files, clippings and other printed material, a large collection of photographs and slides, and taped interviews of Southern California modern architects.
Otis Tufton Mason papers
1881-1905
Otis T. Mason served as the first full-time Curator of Ethnology at the United States National Museum (USNM) from 1884 to 1902, as the Acting Head Curator of the Department of Anthropology of the USNM from 1902 to 1905, and as the Head Curator of the Department of Anthropology of the USNM from 1905 until his death in 1908. The majority of the material in this collection pertains to the organization and cataloguing of the ethnology collections of the USNM conducted by Mason in the late 1870s and early 1880s.
Eliot Elisofon Field collection
30000 Slides (photographs) (color)
80,000 Photographic prints (b&w, 25 x 20 cm. or smaller.)
This collection is comprised of photographic and manuscript materials, primarily created by Eliot Elisofon to document his travels and work. The images portray many aspects of African life and culture including agriculture, wildlife, archaeology, architecture, art and artisans, children, cityscapes and landscapes, leaders, markets, medicine, recreation, ritual and celebration, and transportation. The manuscript materials include correspondence, essays, clippings, puobligations, notes, research, and itineraries.
Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation records
Heye, George G. (George Gustav), 1874-1957
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.
Marilyn Houlberg Nigeria collection
14 Documents (1 Binder)
1,946 Slides (Color, 35 mm)
The collection consists of 8,515 color slides taken by Dr. Marilyn Houlberg during various field studies among the Yoruba in southwest Nigeria between 1961 and circa 2007. The images depict Yoruba art and culture with a special focus on artisans, art objects, body arts, costume, festivals, hairstyles, indigenous photography, weaving and textiles. Cultural events depicted include Balufon festivals, Egungun and Gelede masquerades, social events (weddings, christenings, funerals), and religious ceremonies (initiation and animal sacrifice). Also included are various scenes of daily life, architecture, food preparation, markets, portraits and landscapes. Houlberg extensively documented Yoruba artists in the process of creating their art, including carvers Yesufu Ejigboye, Runshewe, and Lamidi Fakeye, as well as the final pieces themselves. Houlberg documentated art in situ, such as Yoruba house posts, shrines, wall art and wood doors and art objects, including Gelede masks, Ibeji (twin) and Eshu figures, Osanyin staffs, and Ogboni and Shango shrines. Manuscript and printed materials, including Houlberg's resume, thesis, and numerous published articles are also available in this collection.
Exhibition Records
This accession consists of records that document the exhibitions Woodenworks: Furniture Objects by Five Contemporary Craftsmen; Design Is . . .; and Craft Multiples. Woodenworks: Furniture Objects by Five Contemporary Craftsmen was the major inaugural exhibition at the Renwick Gallery and was on display from January 28 - July 19, 1972. It featured handmade furniture by five …
Joseph Cornell papers
bulk 1939-1972
The papers of Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) measure approximately 24.9 linear feet and date from 1804 to 1986 with the bulk of the material dating from 1939-1972. The collection documents the life, work, interests, and creative activities of the self-taught artist, who was best known for his shadow box constructions, assemblages, and collages. Papers include correspondence, diaries, source material, notes, writings, photographs, printed material, two- and three-dimensional ephemera, art works, and books, as well as a limited amount of legal and financial records, and some miscellaneous personal and family papers. The collection also includes the papers of his sister, Betty Cornell Benton, relating to the handling of Cornell's estate and the personal papers of his brother, Robert Cornell.
Roy Sieber Photographs
845 Slides (photographs) (dupe slides, color)
1068 Negatives (photographic) (+ field notes & contact prints , black & white, 35 mm.)
1,054 Photographic prints (black & white, 8 x 10 in.)
Ann O'Hear Collection
2 Digital images
Photographs taken by Ann O'Hear of leatherworking and pottery technology in Ilorin, Nigeria, from 1980 to 2015.
