Rhawn Anderson describes his experience as a trainee in the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum) Exhibit Design and Production Lab's training program, where he learned how to produce exhibits, and took classes on graphics, silk-screening, exhibit construction, photography, and conservation. He talks about how these experiences led to other opportunities, including work as a photographer for the Washington Post, and the Evening Star. He describes the positive impact the museum had on the Anacostia neighborhood, and the way the exhibits reflected realism and related to the residents' lives and history. He also details how the Smithsonian Institution supported the ACM by helping with film development, graphics, matte work, and sometimes loaning people or materials.
The interview was recorded on December 6, 1991. There is static throughout the recording which makes it difficult to hear in parts, but the interview can generally be heard clearly.
Exhibitions mentioned: Black Wings: The American Black in Aviation.
Biographical / Historical:
Rhawn Anderson (1947-) was a photographer and exhibit designer who lived in Washington DC, and worked for the Anacostia Community Museum, the Washington Post, and the Evening Star.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, which includes approximately 100 interviews of residents and influential people of the Anacostia area of Washington, DC.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Genre/Form:
Oral histories (document genres)
Collection Citation:
ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution
