This collection division consists of the main correspondence file of Richard Rathbun, as the Smithsonian official charged with overseeing the construction of the
new museum building. The correspondence documents the day-to-day planning and construction of the building. Material of particular interest includes correspondence regarding
the design and construction of foreign museums, and the role of the Smithsonian's Board of Regents and of the United States Congress in the planning and construction of the
building. Correspondents include Bernard Richard Green; the architects Joseph C. Hornblower and John R. Marshall; Samuel P. Langley; Charles D. Walcott, Acting Secretary;
Cyrus Adler; William deC. Ravenel, Administrative Assistant; Frederick William True, Head Curator, Department of Biology; George P. Merrill, Head Curator, Department of Geology;
and James S. Goldsmith, Superintendent of Construction and Labor.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 79, Smithsonian Institution, Assistant Secretary in charge of the United States National Museum, National Museum Building Construction Records
