This accession consists of records which document the research, development, fundraising, publicity, production, and execution of exhibitions at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). Supplementary areas of exhibitions also covered include related symposiums, lectures, and gallery talks. Among those exhibitions covered are The Bard Broth...

These records mostly consist of staff correspondence and memoranda documenting administrative and program-oriented activities of the Department of Public Programs. The records pertain to fundraising, social history lectures and seminars, the Senior Series Program, budget, educational outreach proposals, grant information, planning for the...

An exhibition on the history and art of the Harlem Renaissance. The exhibition, held at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum, ran from September 1985-December 1986. These records document the planning, organizing, execution, and promotion of the exhibition. Materials include correspondence, research files, exhibit scripts, administrative records, brochures, press coverage, education packets, loan agreements, floor plans, and catalogues.

Jack Mitchell (1925- 2013) was an acclaimed photographer who began chronicling the work of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1961. Alvin Ailey (1931- 1989), one of the most influential African American choreographers of modern dance, dedicated himself and his dance company to creating ballets that not only accelerated the careers of young African American dancers, but also stole the attention of national and international audiences in displaying the racial perspective of dance in the African American experience. This collection serves as Mitchell's documentation of the dance company's evolution while capturing the true idiosyncrasies and physicality of movement through still images. Through Alvin Ailey and Jack Mitchell's partnership, they were able to collaborate and produce a unique production of art, fusing the meaning and movements of dance and the techniques of photography.

This record unit documents the activities of the Office of the Registrar staff and consists of temporary loan files; temporary exhibition files, including shipping, insurance information, and loan agreements; general correspondence files; administrative files; and the files of the Smithsonian Art Commission, 1963-1975.

These records document the activities of the publicist and include information on special events sponsored by the Resident Associate Program. They consist of events files, correspondence, staff memoranda, photographs and slides, brochures, press releases, and news clippings. Most records are dated from 1983 to 1991, with some historical f...

This record unit consists of master audiotapes for "Radio Smithsonian" programs 750-1098, 1984-1989; elements, or original, unedited tapes for "Radio Smithsonian" programs 837-1098, 1985-1989; audio elements for the television series "Here at the Smithsonian," volumes 3-8, 1984-1989; master audiotapes for "Folk Masters" radio series, 1991; scr...

The Lisa Chickering and Jeanne Porterfield collection documents their work as travel filmmakers, photographers, and writers from 1954-2015. Their films are an example of the travel lecture film, a genre which combined silent travelogue films with live narration. Chickering and Porterfield presented their films throughout the United States and Canada in the 1960s and 1970s before turning to freelance still photography and travel writing in the early 1980s. The audiovisual and photography collection begins with their first joint travels in the 1950s and covers a range of their professional activities through the early 2000s, mainly encompassing original travel footage, edited travelogues, and travel still photography. Supporting documentation includes film scripts, lecture recordings, personal and professional manuscripts, financial and professional records, and a substantial amount of newspaper and magazine articles which serve as a record of the press generated by and about Chickering and Porterfield.

This accession consists of exhibition proposals declined by the National Museum of American Art (NMAA) and the Renwick Gallery. Materials include correspondence, notes, memoranda, proposals, brochures, and color slides.