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Correspondence and Memoranda

Names:
Arts and Industries Building (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Ball Herbarium  Search this
Cardwell Collection of Egyptian Antiquities  Search this
Greely Relief Expedition (1884)  Search this
Illustrated American Expedition to Southern Utah and Northern New Mexico  Search this
Medicinal Flora of America Commission  Search this
Owen Collection of Fossils  Search this
Riggs Collection of Arms and Armor  Search this
Smithsonian Institution -- Administration  Search this
Troost Collection of Crinoids  Search this
United States National Museum  Search this
United States National Museum. Section of Foods  Search this
United States National Museum. Section of Naval Architecture  Search this
United States Navy Expedition to Guam (1899)  Search this
United States-Mexican International Boundary Commission (1891-1894)  Search this
Abbott, William Louis, 1860-1936  Search this
Atwater, W. O. (Wilbur Olin), 1844-1907  Search this
Bowdish, Beecher S.  Search this
Boyd, S. H., 1828-1894  Search this
Bradley Collection of Fossils  Search this
Brown, John Croumbie  Search this
Brown, William Harvey Dr.  Search this
Calkins, C. G.  Search this
Camp, John H.  Search this
Capron, Horace, 1804-1885  Search this
Chaillé-Long, C. (Charles), 1842-1917  Search this
Chamberlain, Frances Lea  Search this
Chatelain, Héli  Search this
Cluss, Adolph, 1825-1905  Search this
Collins, J. W. (Joseph William), 1839-1904  Search this
Deschamps, Emile, 1857-  Search this
Geisler, Bruno  Search this
Harris, Israel H., 1823-  Search this
Hippisley, Alfred Edward, d. 1939  Search this
Jeffreys, John Gwyn, 1809-1885  Search this
Jouy, Pierre Louis  Search this
Keam, Thomas V.  Search this
Kerr, Mark Brickell  Search this
King, C. A.  Search this
LeBaron, John Francis  Search this
MacFarlane, R. (Roderick), 1833-1920  Search this
MacGowan, D. J.  Search this
Miller, Alfred Jacob, 1810-1874  Search this
Montcrieffe, R. B  Search this
Nelson, Edward William, 1855-1934  Search this
Ogden, Herbert Gouverneur, 1846-1906  Search this
Orcutt, Charles Russell, 1864-1929  Search this
Palmer, Edward, 1831-1911  Search this
Peary, Robert E. (Robert Edwin), 1856-1920  Search this
Perkins, Frederick Stanton, 1832-1899  Search this
Pringle, Cyrus G. (Cyrus Guernsey), 1838-1911  Search this
Richmond, Charles Wallace, 1868-1932  Search this
Rockhill, William Woodville, 1854-1914  Search this
Safford, William Edwin, 1859-1926  Search this
Shufeldt, Percy W.  Search this
Shufeldt, Robert W. (Robert Wilson), 1850-1934  Search this
Snyder, D. W.  Search this
Stearns, Winfrid Alden, 1852-1909  Search this
Stein, Robert  Search this
Thomas, Cyrus, 1825-1910  Search this
Wilcox, Timothy E.  Search this
Williams, Talcott, 1849-1928  Search this
Woolfe, Henry D.  Search this
Extent:
76.58 cu. ft. (151 document boxes) (3 5x8 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Date:
1860-1908
Descriptive Entry:
Most of the correspondence is directed to Goode, with lesser amounts to True, Walcott, and Rathbun. Also, a small amount of correspondence is addressed to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, (Baird, 1878-1887; and Samuel P. Langley, 1887-1906) but is generally referred to the Assistant Secretary for response.

Much of the material is routine correspondence from the general public, and deals with offers to sell and collect specimens, the identification of artifacts and specimens, museum administration, and requests for publications. Also evident is correspondence from contractors, publishing houses, and other firms conducting business transactions with the United States National Museum. A large part of the international scientific community corresponded with the United States National Museum, and many letters concerning 19th century science and scientific affairs are contained in this collection. A large quantity of correspondence exists from museums, scientists, various scientific institutions, and colleges and universities. Once again, much of the correspondence is routine, concerning exhibits, museum administration, requests for publications, and the exchange of specimens. A voluminous amount of material regards United States National Museum publications. However, most of the correspondence concerns the technical production of the manuscripts, rather than the content. Materials of special interest include correspondence from collectors and naturalists in the field, plans and accounts of scientific expeditions, and data on significant accessions. A small amount of outgoing correspondence appears in the collection.

See Record Unit 112 for outgoing correspondence.
Historical Note:
These records comprise the primary incoming correspondence of the officer in immediate charge of the United States National Museum. Beginning in 1850 with the appointment of Spencer F. Baird, the primary responsibility of the Assistant Secretary was the direction of the United States National Museum. The Assistant Secretary also performed other functions at the direction of the Secretary, and for various periods of time was in charge of publications, exchanges, and other areas. Incumbents included: (1) Spencer F. Baird, 1850-1878; (2) George Brown Goode, 1880-1896, including the years 1880-1887 when he served as assistant director of the museum without the title of Assistant Secretary; (3) Charles D. Walcott, Acting Assistant Secretary, 1897-1898; (4) Richard Rathbun, 1897-1918. After Goode's death in 1896, the business of the office was administered for a time by the executive curator, Frederick William True.
Restrictions:
Inquiries related to specimens should be directed to the appropriate museum registrar.
Topic:
Museums -- Administration  Search this
Museums -- Collection management  Search this
Genre/Form:
Manuscripts
Citation:
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 189, Smithsonian Institution. Assistant Secretary in charge of the United States National Museum, Correspondence and Memoranda
Identifier:
Record Unit 189
See more items in:
Correspondence and Memoranda
Archival Repository:
Smithsonian Institution Archives
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-sia-faru0189

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