11.39 Cubic feet (consisting of 25 boxes, 2 folders, 4 oversize folders, 1 map case folder, plus digital images of some collection material.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Examinations (documents)
Speeches
Catalogs
Trade catalogs
Reports
Sales records
Trade literature
Print advertising
Business cards
Programs
Training manuals
Invoices
Publications
Business records
Advertising cards
Advertising mail
Certificates
Business ephemera
Manuals
Sales letters
Awards
Dance cards
Business letters
Commercial correspondence
Ephemera
Illustrations
Photographs
Sermons
Letterheads
Advertising
Printed ephemera
Catalogues
Theater programs
Report cards
Receipts
Advertising fliers
Legal documents
Scrapbooks
Correspondence
Lesson books
Periodicals
School records
Date:
1745-1973
bulk 1840-1930
Summary:
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Accounting and Bookkeeping forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Scope and Contents note:
Most materials present are records and information related to specific schools and institutions and their operations. There are no complete records for any single organization. K-12 public, private schools are represented, as well as colleges, universities, vocational training, plus home study, correspondence courses, Sunday Schools and some religious instruction. HBCUs are not represented, though there may be a general item or two related to one or more of the HBCU schools. There is a sampling of teaching and learning tools such as workbooks, textbooks, and curriculum guides, plus publications for educators. A portion of the material focuses on administration and the profession of education. Student Services and Engagement covers the social aspects of higher education.
Arrangement note:
Schools is arranged in two subseries.
Institutions
By Name
Administration and Records
Genre
Advertisements
Images
Instruction and Learning: Tools and Resources
Post Family Education Records
Serial Publications for Educators and Administrators
Forms Part Of:
Forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.
Missing Title
Series 1: Business Ephemera
Series 2: Other Collection Divisions
Series 3: Isadore Warshaw Personal Papers
Series 4: Photographic Reference Material
Provenance:
Schools is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Restrictions:
Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Certificates -- School attendance -- 1930-1940 -- Illinois
Ephemera
Illustrations
Photographs
Sermons
Letterheads
Publications -- Business
Advertising
Printed ephemera
Catalogues
Theater programs
Report cards
Receipts
Advertising fliers
Legal documents
Scrapbooks
Correspondence
Lesson books
Periodicals
School records
Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Schools, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
7.38 Cubic feet (consisting of 12 boxes, 2 folders, 11 oversize folders, 1 map case folder, 3 boxes (1 full, 2 partial), plus digital images of some collection material.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Advertising
Advertising fliers
Advertising cards
Advertising mail
Advertisements
Beverage labels
Business cards
Business letters
Business ephemera
Business records
Caricatures
Catalogues
Commercial catalogs
Commercial correspondence
Correspondence
Ephemera
Invoices
Illustrations
Labels
Instructional materials
Legal documents
Legislation (legal concepts)
Letterheads
Mail order catalogs
Manuals
Manufacturers' catalogs
Menus
Periodicals
Printed ephemera
Print advertising
Publications
Recipes
Receipts
Sales catalogs
Sales letters
Sales records
Signs (declaratory or advertising artifacts)
Trade catalogs
Trade cards
Trade literature
Date:
1743-1963
bulk 1846-1962
Summary:
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Accounting and Bookkeeping forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Scope and Contents note:
In 1953, Warshaw launched a year-long collecting campaign, soliciting material on whiskey and wine. He expanded this effort to also include items related to the drinking habit of notable persons. This category was originally labeled "whiskey" but has been retitled as the content covers a wide variety of distilled beverages, spirits, liquors, liqueurs, and hard alcohol.
The bulk of the content is print material in the form of advertising, circulars, price lists, marketing and promotional items with also a sampling of business records consisting of transactional documents such as receipts, invoices, correspondence, and import/export paperwork. Some bottle labels and a couple of packaging examples are present, as are drink recipe booklets and entertainment/pairing guides. Only a small portion of this series covers regulatory aspects such as licensing and taxation, including a Prohibitionists' Text-Book from 1880. The rich volume of advertising provides much in the way of visuals regarding the culture of drinking and entertainment through several 19th and 20th Century eras.
The Warshaw Survey Campaign Records series provides insight to his collection building strategy. Samples of his outbound solicitations exist and to a greater extent, the inbound replies help demonstrate his process and some of the relationships he had with institutions, businesses, and individuals. Of particular note are some of the anecdotal responses, plus several essays and memoir pieces related to the effects of alcohol consumption; not always positive, not always negative.
See also Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Series 2: Other Collection Divisions, Liquor & Wine Labels and Advertisements, 1893-1905, which contains two additional boxes of scrapbooks filled with printed advertisements, dealers' receipts, labels and drink recipe books.
Arrangement note:
Whiskey, Liquor, and Spirits is arranged in five subseries.
Business Records and Marketing Material
Genre
Subject
Warshaw's Whiskey and Wine Survey and Collecting Campaign Records
Oversize Material
Brand Name Index:
The following is a list of brand names for various alcoholic beverages and related names that appear on this list is a compilation of those found on materials in the vertical document boxes. It is not a complete list of all the brand names for whiskey.
Brand Name Index
Brand Name -- Manufacturer
Adam Schneider's Dutch -- Seagram Distillery
Alleghany -- Phoenix Mills Dist.Co.
Ambassador -- Taylor & Ferguson
Ancestor -- John Dewar & Sons
Anderson Co. Club -- Phoenix Mills Dist. Co.
Angostura Bitters -- Philip Goldberg
Antiquary -- Jas. Hardie
Apry -- Schieffein & Co.
Arkansas Traveler -- Seagram Distillers
B & B -- Wright & Taylor
Bailey' s -- Huey & Christ
Banquet -- Ginter Co.
Barton -- Revere Distilling Co.
Bay State -- Revere Distilling Co.
Beechwood -- Applegate & Sons
Beefeater -- Kobrand Corp.
Big Cat -- General Distillers Corp.
Black & White -- Fleischmann Dist.
Black Warrior, The -- Seagram Distillers
Blue Blood Club -- Kentucky Liquor Co.
Blue Ribbon -- Altschul Distilling Co.
Bombay -- A. M. Penrose
Bond & Lillard -- W.H. McBrayer
Bonnie Brae -- Cobb Hersey Co.
Bos -- Pease Son & Co.
Bottoms Up -- Brown-Forman Distillery Co.
Briar Mint -- Cincinnati Distillers
Briar Mint -- General Distillers Corp.
Brunswick Club -- H.& H.W. Catherwood
Buckingham -- Venable & Heyman
Burks Spring -- Thos. L. Smith & Sons
Cabinet -- Woodrow & George
Canadian Club -- Hiram Walker & Son
Cap'n Jack -- Cincinnati Distillers
Carioca -- Schenley Co.
Carstairs -- Stewart Distilling Co.
Cedar Brook -- Wm.H. McBrayer
Cedar Valley -- Weideman, Holmes & Co.
Cee Bee Sloe Gin -- Cook & Bernheimer Co.
Celery -- Cook & Bernheimer Co.
Charteuse -- Shieffein & Co.
Cherry Heering -- Schenley Import Co.
Chivas Regal -- General Wine & Spirits Co.
Churchill 88 -- Fleischmann Distilling Corp.
Clover Club -- Boyle & McGlinn
Club, The -- G.F. Heublein & Bros.
Club House -- M. Shaughnessy & Co.
Cold Spring Jockey Club -- John Kissel & Son
Commodore -- J. Brown & Co.
Commonwealth Club -- Cobb Hersey Co.
Corby's -- Jas. Barclay & Co.
Cordon Bleu -- Martell
Coates Plymouth -- Schiefflin & Co.
County Chairman -- General Distillers Corp.
Courvoisier -- W.A. Taylor & Co.
Crcaker Jack -- General Distillers Corp.
Creme Yvette -- Sheffield Co.
Cuckoo -- Rex Distilling Co.
Cutty Shark -- Berry Bros . & Rudd Ltd.
Dekuyper -- National Distillers Products
Dewey's Victory -- A.B. Sheaffer
Dews of Erin -- Cobb Hersey Co.
D.J.A. -- David & John Anderson Ltd.
D.O.M. Benedictine -- Julius Wile Sons
Drambuie -- W.A.Taylor & Co.
Drip Rock -- Cold Spring Distilling
Duff Gordon -- Munson G. Shaw Co.
Eagle Liqueur -- Rheinstrom Bros .
Early Times -- Brown-Forman Distillery
Gold Dust -- A.R. Champney Co.
El Bart -- Camberwell Distillery
Embassy Club -- Continental Distilling
Empire Club -- G.F. Coshland & Co.
Everett Spring -- Cobb Hersey Co.
Fairfax County -- Austin, Nichols & Co.
Fairview -- Schmidt & Ziegler, Ltd.
Fellsglen -- John E. Fells
Fenbrook -- Charles S. Gove Co.
Fig Rye -- F. Madlener
Four Roses -- Frankfort Distilleries
Fulton -- Myers & Co.
Fundador -- Canada Dry Import Co.
Gair Loch -- Stromness Dist. Co.
Galliano -- McKesson & Robbins
Gaston Fontaine's -- Cobb Hersey Co.
Geneva -- United Dist. Co.
George Mills -- Woodrow & George
Geyser -- Peoples Distilling Co.
Gilbey' s Gin -- National Distillers Prod.ucts
Gold Fax -- Clune & Torpy
Golden Seal -- W. Scott Gillespie
Golden Truth -- Despres Distilling Co.
Grand Marnier -- Carillon Importers Ltd.
Grant 63 -- Revere Distilling Co.
Grandpa' s Delight -- Pembrook Distilling Co.
Grant's Stand Fast -- Austin, Nichols & Co.
Green River -- McCulloch
Greensboro -- Cobb Hersey Co.
Grouse -- Seggerman Slocum
Harrisville -- Cobb Hersey Co.
Harvest Home -- Seagram Distillers
Hazel Dell -- Rheinstrom Bros.
Heather Blossom -- B.H.R. Distilling Co.
Hennessy -- Schieffein & Co.
Hillside -- Steinhardt Bros. & Co.
Hine Cognac -- 21 Brands Inc.
Hoffman House -- P.H. Hamburger
Holland Process -- Rosenberger Bros.
Home Comfort -- Max Stiner & Co.
House of Lords -- Wm.Whitely & Co.
House of Lords -- W.A. Taylor & Co.
Hunter -- Wm. Lanaham & Sons
Imperial -- Hiram Walker & Sons
Inverness Club -- J.W. Cheesman Co.
Irish Mist -- Munson G. Shaw Co.
Jackson Club -- O'Bryan Bros.
Jefferson -- Seagram Distillers
Jessie Moore -- General Distillers Corp
Joel Hill -- Woodrow & George
Jockey Club -- Excelsior Distilling Co.
J.& F. Martell's Brandy -- G.S.Nicholas & Co.
Kenton Belle -- Simon Kenton Co.
Kentucky Favorite -- United Dist. Co.
Kentucky Gentleman -- Barton Distilling Co.
Kentucky Nectar -- General Distillers Corp
Kentucky Tavern -- Glenmore Distillers
Keuka Club -- O'Dea Home Supply Co.
Keystone -- Wm.H.Graham & Co.
Kilty -- R.Thorne & Sons, Ltd.
King -- Brown-Forman Distillery
King's Ransom -- Edradour Distillery
King's Ransom -- Wm. Whitely & Co.
Kuban -- General Distillers Corp
Laganda Club -- Altschul Distilling Co
Lamplighter -- J.& w . Nicholson Co.
Latonia Club -- Sheldon Co.
La Rojena (Jose Cuervo) -- Young' s Market
Lechmere -- Doyle, F.M. & Co.
Lemon Hart -- Julios Wile Sons
Lick Run -- General Distillers Co.
Lindenwood -- Spiess & Bachenheimer
London Dry -- Sir Robert Burnett & Co
London Gin -- Wm. Reed
Lorraine Club -- Felix Coblentz & Co.
MacNaughton -- Schenley Co.
Maker' s Mark -- Star Hill Distilling Co
Mammoth Cave Springs -- Seagram Distillers
Manhattan Club -- Mac Stiner & Co.
Maryland Club -- John Belt & Co.
Mentor -- Ginter Co.
Monitor -- J.C. Childs & Co.
Mosaic -- People's Distilling Co.
Mount Vernon -- Cook & Bernheimer
Mount Vernon -- Mannis Distilling
Mouquin -- Austin, Nichols & Co.
Myers -- General Wine & Spirits Co. Thos. Smith Co.
M & Z -- Thos. Smith Co.
Nectar -- Woodrow & George
Nelson County -- Wm.S.Turner Dist.Co.
Novena -- Rheinstrom Bros.
Number 30 -- General Distillers Corp.
O.F.C. -- Geo. T. Stagg Co.
O.F.C. -- Schenley Co.
Old Amor Rye -- H.W .Huguley Co.
Old Angus -- Train & Mcintrye, Ltd.
Old Anvil -- General Distilleries Corp.
Old Benton -- Excelsior Distilling C
Old Boone -- Wm.S.Turner Dist.Co.
Old Charter -- Wright & Taylor
Old Chuck -- General Distilleries Corp.
Old Crow -- Hermitage Distillery
Old Crow -- H.B.Kirk & Co.
Old Elk -- Stoll, Vanatta & Co.
Old Fitzgerald -- Stitzel-Wellwe Distillery
Old Forester -- Brown-Forman Distillery Co.
Old Goodenough -- United Distributing Co.
Old Grain Belt -- Pure Food Dist. Co.
Old Grist Mill -- John F.Gillespie
Old Hickory Hollow -- Wm. S.Turner Dist.Co.
Old Homestead -- Seagram Distillers
Old Home Still -- Sheldon co. Cocktail
Old Hundred -- Wm.S.Turner Dist.Co.
Old Judge -- Altschul Distilling Co.
Old Lanark -- York Distilling
Old Maid -- Irene Parker Co.
Old Maysville -- Manufacturer Unknown
Old Minden -- Revere Distilling
Old Pilgrim -- Revere Distilling Co.
Old Prentice -- J.T.S.Brown & Sons
Old Pugh -- R.S.Strader & Son
Old Rampart -- General Distillers Corp.
Old Richmond -- Thos. L. Smith Co
Old Rip -- J.C. Childs & Co
Old Saratoga -- Rosskam, Gerstley & Co.
Old '67 Rye -- Wm.S.Turner Dist. Co
Old Star -- A & G J.Caldwell
Old Talent -- Cobb Hersey Co
Old Time -- John N.Thomas & Co.
Old Tom -- Wm.Reed
Old Tom Gin -- DuVivier & Co.
Old Underoof -- Chas.Dennehy & Co
Old Valley -- Woodrow & George
Owl Club -- Wm.S.Turner
Oxford -- Simon Kenton Co.
Paddy -- Cork Distributer
Paddy -- York Distilleries
Paddy -- Austin, Nichols & Co
Paul Jones -- Frankfort Distilleries
Perfection -- D.& J. Mc Callum's
Pernod -- Julius Wile Sons
Pilgrimage -- W.H.McBrayer
Pioneer, The -- Seagram Distillers
Pimm's Cup -- Julius Wile Sons
Pointer -- Gottschalk Co.
Pot Still Gin -- Milshire
Prince Hurbert Polignac -- Dennis & Hippert
Private Stock -- Cincinnati Distillers
Queen Louise -- Rose City Importing Co
Ramshead -- Hannah & Hogg
Red Top Rye -- Ferdinand Westheimer & Sons
Remy Martin -- Renfield Importers Ltd
Richwood -- W.H. McBrayer
Robin Olg -- Geo. Beer & Son
Rock Hill -- Wm.S.Turner
Rock Spring -- Dudley P.Ely
Rock & Rye -- Sheldon co.
Rogers -- United Distributing Co
Ronrico -- General Wine & Spirits Co
Rose Annoo -- Henry Hollander
Rosebud -- Applegate & Sons
Rose Wood -- General Distillers Corp.
Royal Club -- John N.Thomas & Co.
Secrestat Bitters -- G.S.Nicholas & Co.
Sheridan Club -- Despres Distilling Co
Silver Lake -- Seagram Distillers
Silver Thistle -- Hannah & Hogg
Stag -- A.M. Bininger & Co
Stand Fast -- Grant's
Standard -- Steinhardt Bros. & Co.
Sterling -- Steinhardt Bros, & Co.
Storm King -- J.C. Childs & Co.
Strega -- Canada Dry Imprt Co.
Summerfield -- Cobb Hersey Co.
Sunbeam -- Cobb Hersey Co
Sunny Valley -- Revere Distilling Co.
Susquehanna -- W.H. McBrayer
Swan Gin -- Ferd.Ruttman & Son
Sweet Home -- Altschul Distilling Co
Tea Kettle -- W.H.McBrayer
Tia Maria -- W.A.Taylor & Co.
Trimble -- White, Hentz & Co.
Tullamore Dew -- Munson G.Shaw Co.
Upper Ten -- H.& H.W Catherwood
Usher's Whiskey -- G.S.Nicholas & Co.
Virginia Gentleman -- Austin, Nichols & co.
Waterfill & Frazier -- W.H. McBrayer
Whipple Creek -- General Distillers Corp
White Dove -- Revere Distilliing Co.
White Label -- John Krissel & Son
White Label -- John Dewar & Sons
White Lily -- Cobb Hersey Co.
White Horse -- Mackie & Coy
White Seal -- Carstairs
Wild Cat -- Seagram Distillers
Wolf Creek -- Frankfort Distilleries
Woodland -- Crigler and Crigler
w.w.w -- Angela Myers
Forms Part Of:
Forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.
Series 1: Business Ephemera
Series 2: Other Collection Divisions
Series 3: Isadore Warshaw Personal Papers
Series 4: Photographic Reference Material
Provenance:
Whiskey, Liquor, and Spirits is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Whiskey, Liquor, and Spirits, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Forrest Bess. Forrest Bess letter to Betty Parsons, circa 1949-1950. Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Forrest Bess. Forrest Bess letter to Betty Parsons, circa 1949-1950. Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Forrest Bess. Forrest Bess letter to Betty Parsons, circa 1949-1950. Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Forrest Bess. Forrest Bess letter to Betty Parsons, circa 1949-1950. Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Hiroshima-shi (Japan) -- History -- Bombardment, 1945
Date:
1925-1946
undated
bulk 1940-1946
Summary:
World War II personal papers, photographs, and printed material of Anthony R. Lanza, who served in the U.S. Army in Japan between 1944 and 1946.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents Anthony Lanza's United States Army service in Japan during World War II, mostly through letters and photographs. Also included are miscellaneous items such as newsletters, clippings, drawings, Japanese travel and language guides, and official military papers. Particular research value lies in the photographic documentation of Hiroshima shortly after the atomic bomb was dropped, photographs of the Enola Gay, and an eyewitness account by a survivor.
Series 1, Photographs, 1925, 1944, 1945, 1946, undated, contains documentation of Lanza's time in Japan during World War II, divided by subject matter. Many of the photographs are annotated on the reverse side. Included in the collection are photographs of the Enola Gay, Hiroshima shortly after the atomic bomb was dropped, and the 308th General Hospital in Japan. There are also several photographs of landscapes and Japanese citizens. The folder containing street scenes includes one formal portrait of a Japanese family Lanza encountered in his travels. There are also photographs not taken in Japan, including images of Niagara Falls.
Series 2, Personal Papers, 1940s, undated, contains various papers that belonged to Lanza, including his diary, several letters to his mother written from Japan, a scrapbook, a first person account of the Hiroshima bombing written by Reverend John A. Siemes, military papers (special orders, immunization records, payroll information, and discharge papers), military newsletters, newspaper and magazine clippings, and various sketches and notes. The newspaper and magazine subjects contain information regarding a relative, a blurb about a DDT insecticide experiment, and information regarding musical performances.
Series 3, Materials Related to Japan, 1945, undated, contains two Japanese language books, a tourist magazine, and a book created for tourism about Japan dated 1945.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in three series.
Series 1, Photographs, 1925, 1944, 1945, 1946, undated
Series 2, Personal Papers, 1940s, undated
Series 3, Materials Related to Japan, 1945, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Dr. Anthony R. Lanza was born July 20, 1925, in New York City. He was inducted into the United States Army in March of 1944, worked at the 308th General Hospital in Japan, and received an honorable discharge in May of 1946. He attained the rank of Master Sergeant and received the American Campaign Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal. Lanza later worked as a public school teacher in Union, New Jersey, and Valley Stream, New York, as well as a faculty member of the School of Education at New York University. He also served as Chief of the NESA Education Branch in AID/Washington, as an Education Advisor in Turkey for nine years, and as a USAID Chief Education Officer in Guatemala, Afghanistan, and Pakistan for twelve years. He went on to work as Regional Education Officer for Africa for the Office of Overseas Schools in the U.S. State Department.
Related Materials:
World War II Bomb Damage Photographs contains photographs of the aftermath of the bombings in Nagasaki, Japan, and Manila in the Philippines. Emilio Segre Collection documents research relating to the development of the atomic bomb.
Provenance:
Anthony Lanza's son, Kenneth Lanza, donated this collection in 2005 and additional materials were donated in 2007.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Ralph H. Baer was a German-born ordnance specialist, inventor, and engineer. He was a pioneer of early videogame technology. The papers include autobiographical materials; firearms notes, manuscripts, and photographs; and videogame and television engineering notes, diagrams, schematics, and video documentation.
Scope and Contents:
The Ralph Baer Papers include autobiographical materials and an extended oral history interview. The Papers also include materials about military small arms created by Baer during his World War II service. The largest portion of the collection documents Baer's work on video games.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 12 series.
Series 1: Autobiographical Documents, 1962-2006
Subseries 1.1: Manuscript, book and other documents, 1962-2006
Subseries 1.2: Other Media: CDs, VHS videos, periodical, 1991, 2000-2003
Series 2: WW II Small Arms Documents, 1943-1953
Subseries 2.1: Correspondence, 1950-1953
Subseries 2.2: Writings and notes, 1943-1948
Subseries 2.3: Drawings and schematics, undated
Subseries 2.4: Manuals and encyclopedias, 1943
Subseries 2.5: Photographs, 1945
Series 3: Hans Otto Mauksch Materials, 1944-1964
Subseries 3.1: Personal background information, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1964
Subseries 4.4: TV game development documentation, 1966-1968
Series 5: Sanders Associates, Transitron, and Van Norman Industries, 1952-2003
Series 6: Product Development Documents, 1974-2015
Series 7: Product Guides and Technical Support, 1943-2011
Series 8: Legal and Patent Documents, 1966-2014
Series 9: Writings and Notes, 1946-1999
Series 10: Miscellaneous, 1961-2012
Series 11: Correspondence, 1983-2014
Series 12: Publicity and Awards, 1979-2015
Biographical / Historical:
Ralph H. Baer (1922-2014) was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1938. A graduate of the National Radio Institute (1940), Baer worked as a radio technician in the New York City area, servicing all types of home and auto radios. During World War II, Baer served in the United States Army, one year stateside, and two years in Europe. He was assigned to Military Intelligence and became an expert on military small arms. Baer returned to the United States with eighteen tons of foreign small arms for use in exhibits at Aberdeen, Maryland; Springfield, Massachusetts Armory; and Ft. Riley, Kansas.
After the war, Baer attended the American Television Institute of Technology in Chicago, graduating with a BS in television engineering. In 1949, Baer joined a small electro medical equipment firm, Wappler, Inc., as their chief engineer. He designed and built surgical cutting machines, epilators, and low frequency pulse generating muscle-toning equipment. In 1951, Baer moved to Loral Electronics of Bronx, New York as a senior engineer, designing power line carrier signaling equipment for IBM. During 1952-1956, Baer worked at Transitron, Inc., in New York City as a chief engineer and later as vice president. In 1956, Baer joined Sanders Associates in Nashua, New Hampshire building airborne radar components. He became manager of the Electronic Design Department at Sanders and eventually Division Manager and Chief Engineer for Equipment Design. Baer retired in 1987.
At Sanders in 1966, Baer began an independent project experimenting with ways for consumers to interact with standard home television sets. Development of interactive TV Game (TVG) ideas became a company-supported project continued by Baer and assisted by William H. Harrison and William T. Rusch (download the TV Game chronology prepared by Ralph Baer in 2006). By mid-1967, ping pong videogames were played inside Sanders, patent disclosures were applied for, and hardware was designed. Baer and his associates called the devices they were developing "boxes" and numbered the various versions one through seven. In 1971, Magnavox became Sanders Associates's first videogame licensee. Between 1972 and 1975, Magnavox produced and sold over 700,000 units of Odyssey, a set of games played on its television receivers. Atari became a licensee in 1976 after the first of many lawsuits won by Sanders in pursuit of patent infringements.
During his tenure at Sanders and thereafter, Baer was a prolific inventor. His creations included many electronic toys and games and other consumer electronic products. Among the better known products based on Baer's work are Milton Bradley's Simon, Galoob's Smarty Bear Video, and Kenner's Laser Command. In 2004 President George W. Bush awarded Baer the National Medal of Technology.
Baer married Dena Whinston in 1952 and they had three children, James, Mark, and Nancy. Ralph Baer died on December 6, 2014, at the age of 92.
Related Materials:
Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Ralph H. Baer Innovative Lives Presentation, August 15, 2009 (NMAH.AC.1179)
The presentation documents a moderated conversation about Baer's life and work. Baer reenacts, with his partner William Harrison, the first time he played "Odyssey," the first home video game for the consumer market, which he invented, and answers questions from the audience. Materials include original video (born digital), master videos, and reference videos.
Materials at Other Organizations
Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong
Ralph H. Baer Papers, 1968-2010 inclusive; 1975-1998 bulk
The Ralph H. Baer papers are a compilation of correspondence, game designs, drawings, notes, reference materials, photographs, product descriptions, digital videos, schematics, electronic components, and manuals utilized by Ralph H. Baer throughout his lengthy career in the toy and game industry. The bulk of the materials are from 1975 through 1998.
U.S. Ordnance Museum, Fort Lee, Virginia
Materials consist of data on foreign small arms brought back from Europe in 1946 by Ralph H. Baer.
Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, New York
Holdings include set of seven recreations of "TV game" prototypes originally created between 1966 and 1969, donated by pioneering game developer Ralph Baer. One of Baer's game prototypes, known as the "Brown Box," was licensed by Magnavox and released in 1972 as the Magnavox Odyssey, the world's first commercial home video game console.
University of Texas, Austin, Briscoe Center for American History
Ralph H. Baer "Brown Box" replica, 1952-1983, 2006-2012
The Ralph H. Baer "Brown Box" replica includes a fully-functional replica of Ralph Baer's "Brown Box," the prototype video game console that was used as the basis of the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. The collection also contains related research materials.
Separated Materials:
The Division of Medicine and Science holds artifacts related to this collection including early video game prototypes and TV Game products.
TV Game Unit #1 (TVG#1); 1966; vacuum tube spot generator with Heathkit IG-62 Generator (See Accession 2006.0102.01)
Heathkit IG-62; used with TVG #1 (See Accession 2006.0102.02)
TV Game Unit #2 (TVG #2), aka the "Pump Unit," 1967; large aluminum chassis with wooden "pump" handle (See Accession 2006.0102.03)
TV Game Unit #7 (TVG#7), aka "Brown Box," 1967/1968; prototype for Magnavox Odyssey (See Accession 2006.0102.04)
Cardboard program cards for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.05)
Lightgun, 1967/1968; game accessory for Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.06)
TV Game Unit #8, 1968; "de/dt" (velocity responsive) ballgame chassis for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.07)
Magnavox Odyssey (Model ITL200) video game unit, 1972; with all accessories in the original carton (See Accession 2006.0102.08)
Milton-Bradley Company SIMON handheld microprocessor-control game, 1978 (See Accession 2006.0102.09)
Ideal Toy Company MANIAC microprocessor-control game, 1979, in original box with game instructions (See Accession 2006.0102.10)
Golf Game accessory, 1968; golf ball mounted on joystick handle for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.11
"Brown Box" programming card, target shooting, 1967 (See Accession 2006.0102.12)
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Ralph H. Baer in 2003.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution.
The collection includes numerous newspaper clippings of the Superman comic strip, 1940-1950, promotional material using the Superman character, Superman comic books, 1944-1978 and illustrations of Superman drawn by Terry Austin in 1984. Dramatic scripts for TV and movie portrayals of Superman in 1977 and 1982 as well as a novel by George Lowther about Superman published in 1942 are also parts of the collection.
Arrangement:
Collection organized into six series.
Series 1: Superman illustrations by Terry Austin, 1984
Series 2: Superman motion picture scripts by Alexander Salkind, 1977-1982
Series 3: Superman comic books, 1944-1978
Series 4: Superman (novel) by George Lowther, 1942
Series 5: Superman promotional material, 1947-1985
Series 6: Superman newspaper clippings and comic strips, 1940-1950
Biographical / Historical:
The Superman character was created and illustrated in the 1930s by two Cleveland high school students, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. At first unable to achieve publication as a comic strip, they got the character incorporated into a 1938 comic book, which was an immediate success. Since then Superman has been syndicated widely in newspapers, books, radio and TV programs, movies and animated cartoons. The character has been extensively used in commercial and public interest advertising campaigns.
Related Archival Materials:
Superman artifacts and additional documentary material from D.C. Comics in Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) collections (separate transaction, accession no. 1987.0213). See also AC0106, Mrs. Curtis B. Patterson Comic Book Collection, 1901-1917.
Provenance:
This collection was donated by D.C. Comics Incorporated, through Paul Levitz, Vice President, Spring, 1987.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research use.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Midtown Galleries records, 1904-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Armed Forces Search this
Names:
United States. Office of War Information Search this
Extent:
1 Cubic foot (3 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Leaflets
Correspondence
Newspapers
Booklets
Maps
Matchcovers
Newsletters
Clippings
Menus
Place:
Calcutta (India) -- 1940-1950
India -- 1940-1950
Thailand -- 1940-1950
Burma -- 1940-1950
China -- 1940-1950
India -- Description and Travel -- 1901-1946
Date:
1944-1945
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains both the personal papers of Fred Rosenau and examples of air-dropped psychological warfare literature created by the O.W.I. Amongst his personal papers, which constitute the first series, there are information guidebooks and language aids for India and Burma, a large number of Indian newspaper articles, and photographs taken by Rosenau in Calcutta. However, letters to his family in New York City compose the bulk of the personal series. Along with detailing the experience of a young American living in India and his reactions to a distinctly different culture, the letters document the organization of his O.W.I. office and the duties of its workers. In one particular letter, dated January 7, 1945, (which was hand-delivered to his family and thus avoided censorship) Rosenau was able to write freely about his work, colleagues, and responsibilities in Calcutta. In addition, there are letters from the O.W.I. headquarters in New Delhi to Rosenau, including one in which the proposed post-war job was offered.
The second series contains general information about the O.W.I. and its aims. It mainly consists of documents and photographs relating to Rosenau's office. The series includes many examples of propaganda leaflets directed towards the Burmese and Thai peoples (with attached translations) which were produced by the Calcutta team. The representative works include news bulletins on the war's progress, warnings about future Allied bombings, and a variety of anti-Japanese and morale-boosting literature. It also includes examples of leaflets dropped over Japan, which were directed at soldiers rather than civilians in an attempt to undermine their faith in the military leaders.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into two series.
Series 1: Personal Experience of Fred S. Rosenau
Series 2: Psychological Warfare
Biographical / Historical:
Fred Simon Rosenau was a student at Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, when he joined the Overseas Branch of the Office of War Information (O.W.I.) in May 1944. After completing training at an unidentified military base camp, Rosenau traveled to Calcutta, India, where he served as Assistant Representative under the directorship of Mr. Teg Grondahl. The Calcutta office was part of the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater and as such its psychological warfare activities were directed towards Burma and Thailand. Initially Rosenau was responsible for leaflet production, including supervising their printing and delivery to air crews, as well as serving as an assistant to Grondahl. By the spring of 1945, however, Rosenau's role had been expanded and he was given new charges in the intelligence field, becoming more directly involved in the development and editing of "strategic" literature.
While in Calcutta, Rosenau lived in a series of different boarding houses. When he was not working (by the summer of 1945, his work load had been substantially reduced), he devoted his spare time to writing letters home, sightseeing around the city and neighboring areas of Bengal, and attending local cultural events. However, the heat and lack of proper sanitary conditions continued to frustrate Rosenau as he attempted to adjust to an Asian lifestyle.
Once the Japanese had surrendered in September 1945 and World War II had officially ended, Rosenau was offered a position by the Director of Psychological Warfare in India--William Carter--to join a new O.W.I news operation in Bangkok, Thailand. Its intent, as explained to Rosenau, was to fulfill the "need for American news" in Asia. Rosenau declined the offer since he was dissatisfied with the proposed salary and wanted to complete his college education. He left for the United States on the S.S. Muir in late September. Later, he attended the University of Chicago and received his bachelor of arts degree in 1947. His subsequent career is unknown. Rosenau died in 1985.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana (AC060) contains some three hundred posters from World War I and II.
Princeton University Poster Collection (AC0433) has over 10,600 World War I and II posters.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Armed Forces History Division of the NMAH in January 1986, by Lucy W. Rosenau, daughter of Fred Rosenau. It was transferred to the Archives Center in January 1993.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
The twenty-eight photographs and corresponding negatives in this collection were taken by photographer Fred S. Frater in Intercourse, Pennsylvania sometime between 1947 and 1950. They document a day-long auction of furniture, farm equipment and household goods that took place during the winter or early spring season. They depict an outdoor setting and, while some Amish women are shown, the photographs feature primarily Amish men and boys.
The negatives are in a two frame strip of 120, black and white film stock.
The photographs measure 5"x5" and were developed on Fugicolor Crystal Archive Paper. Although taken around 1947, the photographs in this collection were not developed until March 14, 2008.
Arrangement:
The Collection is arranged into two series.
Series 1, Negatives,
Series 2, Photographs
Biographical / Historical:
Fred S. Frater studied photography at the Clarence H. White School of Photography and worked as a photographer at Lukens Steel Mill for nearly 40 years. He was drafted during World War II serving as a glider trooper and military photographer between 1943 and 1946. His photographs are in the collections of The Hagley Museum and Library, The Library of Congress, George Eastman House Museum and The United States Holocaust Museum. Frater resides in Exton, Pennsylvania.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Fred S. Frater in 2009.
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Amish -- Pennsylvania -- Lancaster County Search this
This collection consists of the corporate records of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. Included in the collection are technical and engineering reports of Curtiss-Wright Airplane Division's operations in St. Louis (Robertson), MO (1935-1945) and Buffalo, NY, (1932-1945), as well as AAS Material Division and AAF Air Technical Services Command memorandum reports collected by Curtiss-Wright's St. Louis and Buffalo technical reference libraries. The collection also contains the files of Curtiss-Wright's Patent Department, which hold records of patents filed by Curtiss-Wright and patent-infringement cases involving Curtiss-Wright. Also included in the collection are specifications issued by and photos commissioned by the Keystone Aircraft Corporation (Huff-Daland Airplanes, Inc. until March 1927), which had been acquired by Wright in 1928 along with Loening Aeronautical Engineering Corp., and formed the Keystone Division of Curtiss-Wright until 1932 when Keystone's Bristol, PA factory closed its doors. The collection also contains financial records of the Curtiss-Wright Airports Corporation, which was liquidated in 1936, as well as an extensive negative collection featuring Curtiss-Wright aircraft from the 1930s and 1940s, concentrated especially on the war years.
Scope and Contents:
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation Records collection contains approximately 212 cubic feet of material. The collection contains the following material:
Army Air Service Material Division & Army Air Force Technical Services Command Memo
Reports & Technical Reports which include testing of various Curtiss-Wright models of aircraft and/or various parts of aircraft
Technical & Engineering Reports from the St. Louis, MO plant [Robertson] & Buffalo, NY plant
Patents, Patent Dockets, Patent Serial numbers, Suits, License Agreements, Patents filed by Curtiss-Wright & Patent Infringement Cases [1800s to 1940s]
Miscellaneous Research Files
Corporate & Financial Records [1923 to 1972]
Correspondence
Blueprint Drawings
Advertisements from Newspapers & Magazines in Scrapbooks
Engine Decals
Photographs
Negatives & Glass Plates
Arrangement:
This collection was arranged into Series and Subseries:
Subseries I: Air Corps Materiel Division, Reports [ACMR]
Subseries II: Buffalo Reports
Subseries III: St. Louis
Series III: Glass Format Photography
Series IV: 1969 Accretion - Listing of Archival Material
Series V: Master Print Books [this part of the collection has not been processed]
Historical note:
An historic event in aviation occurred on June 26, 1929 when two major aircraft companies: the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company merged with the Wright Aeronautical Corporation to form the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. After this merger, the former Wright organization took over all of the engine and propeller manufacture while Curtiss concentrated on airplanes. This merger was completed by organizing two major divisions under their original names, but under the direction of a corporate headquarters located in New York City. However, there was a recognized separation of spirit as well as specialized facilities that was never completely resolved in succeeding years. The election of former Wright personnel to key corporate positions soon led to Wright becoming the dominant division. At the height of the Lindbergh Boom during the 1920s and 1930s, the Curtiss-Wright Corporation was made up of the following identified organizations: The Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Company; The Curtiss-Caproni Corporation; The Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Company; The Keystone Aircraft Corporation; The Moth Aircraft Corporation; The Travel Air Manufacturing Company; The Wright Aeronautical Corporation; Curtiss-Wright Flying Service; The Curtiss-Wright Sales
Corporation; The Curtiss-Wright Export Corporation. Curtiss-Wright was quickly becoming the 'General Motors of the Air' until the great depression in October 1929. Sales dropped and Curtiss-Wright was forced to close certain satellite plants and transfer some of their product lines to the St. Louis facility. It looked like even the Buffalo plants would also have to close when Curtiss-Wright received an order from Colombia, South America for Hawks and Falcons. This was the largest military order to Curtiss since the war. The Colombia sale saved the Curtiss-Wright organization at this low point in its history. This order kept the production lines going until new military and civil markets began to open up as the depression waned and the build-up for World War II began. During the U.S. military build-up prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, all existing Curtiss-Wright plants were expanded and new aircraft factories were built at Columbus, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. The dropping of the two atomic bombs on Japan resulted in an unexpected early end to World War II. All of the major U.S. airplane builders including Curtiss-Wright were hit by massive contract cancellations because of the Japanese surrender. In 1946 Curtiss-Wright had only two experimental military models at hand for postwar delivery and no assurance of production orders. Curtiss-Wright was forced to shut down all airplane plants and transfer all units of the Aeroplane Division to their Columbus Plant. The eventual sale of the Airplane Division to North American included design rights to the former Curtiss-Wright airplanes. The Curtiss-Wright Airplane Division, which manufactured airframes, finally closed down in 1951.
Provenance:
Curtiss-Wright Corporation, gift, XXXX, 1969
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
