The papers of public relations consultant and journalist Emily Nathan measure 5.0 linear feet and date from circa 1943-1985. Included are files on clients, among them Towle Manufacturing and its gallery; the Smithsonian Institution, including the Archives of American Art, Radio Smithsonian and the National Portrait Gallery.
Interviews conducted by Nathan for Radio Smithsonian include New York, N.Y. cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg (1883-1970), 1970; art historian and writer Richard B. K. McLanathan, 1970; Director of the Archives of American Art William E. Woolfenden, 1970, Abram Lerner, Director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, and art collector Joseph Hirshhorn, 1969. Also found is an interview of William Woolfenden May 6, 1983 upon his retirement as Director of the Archives of American Art.
Among the correspondence are letters to Georgia O'Keeffe regarding a pending oral history with the sculptors Dorothy Dehner and David Smith and a letter from museum administrator and lecturer Daniel Catton Rich expressing his pleasure at having met Jannis and Zoe Spyropoulous in Athens, Greece and describes the painting by Jannis that he purchased for the Worcester Art Museum. The majority of the photographs are of personalities long associated with the Archives of American Art. There are two photographs of Jasper Johns, and one each of Mark Rothko and Tony Smith, all taken by Hans Namuth, 1960.
Also found is a folder of material assembled by Nathan regarding Jose de Creeft's story, as told to Nathan, of his pet rooster, intended by Nathan to be submitted for publication under the title "Roosty Was My Friend." Included are an introduction by Nathan, providing biographical information on de Creeft; sample text for the story (2 pages) and an outline for the remainder (3 pages), 24 drawings by de Creeft illustrating the story; and a photograph of de Creeft with a wire sculpture of Roosty, 1957, taken by Budd studio.
Biographical / Historical:
Emily Nathan (1907-1999) was a journalist and public relations consultant specializing in arts and cultural heritage institutions.
Provenance:
Donated 1973-1988 by Emily Nathan and in 2000 by the Emily Nathan estate, via Edgar S. Nathan, III, executor. The letter to Nathan from Daniel Catton Rich was donated by Rich, 1977.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
This accession consists of records created and maintained by John Fleckner during his tenure as Archivist, 1982-1983, Senior Archivist, 1984-1989, and Chief Archivist/Chair,
1990-2007. The materials document his role in on committees and initiatives, exhibitions, collections acquisitions, information technology, collections management systems,
strategic planning, policies and procedures, fundraising, public relations, and the management and history of the Archives Center. Also included are some records from Fleckner's
tenure as Acting Director of the Archives of American Art, 1987-1988. Some materials date to before the creation of the Archives Center. Materials include correspondence,
memoranda, reports, staff meeting minutes, statistics, evaluations, surveys, budget records, conference records, fundraising records, newsletters, brochures, and images.
The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives and Smithsonian History (Blog)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Electronic records
Date:
2009-2015
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of the Smithsonian Institution Archives website as it existed on September 16, 2015, and again on September 23, 2015. The website includes information
for researchers, staff, and the general public regarding reference, records management, and preservation. It also includes publications, resources for teachers, online exhibitions,
historical images, and narrative histories of the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, research centers, activities, and staff. In addition, the website includes the blog,
"The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives and Smithsonian History," with posts dating from January 2009. This accession does not include detailed collections information. The
crawl performed on September 16 may be incomplete. Materials are in electronic format.
38.84 cu. ft. (38 record storage boxes) (1 16x20 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Books
Brochures
Clippings
Manuscripts
Architectural drawings
Drawings
Black-and-white photographs
Motion pictures (visual works)
Audiotapes
Videotapes
Date:
circa 1933-1991
Descriptive Entry:
This accession includes records documenting the production of the Archives of American Art Journal (Volumes 24-26). Materials include Editor's records such as
correspondence, publications, notes, grant proposals, agreements, budget summaries, photographs, and reports.
Also included in this accession are records which document the administration of the Archives of American Art (AAA) during the tenure of Richard N. Murray, Director, 1983-1988.
This material consists of correspondence, memoranda, and notes; conference information; meeting agendas and minutes; program reports; information about regional offices, collections
management, exhibitions, and special events; and research material.
These records also include departmental files documenting administrative issues, projects, and special events at AAA and its regional offices. Materials include the correspondence
and memoranda of Edgar Preston Richardson, Director, 1954-1964; William E. Woolfenden, Director; 1964-1983; Richard N. Murray, Director; John A. Fleckner, Acting Director,
1987-1988; Susan A. Hamilton, Acting Director, 1988-1990; Richard J. Wattenmaker, 1990- ; Garnett McCoy, Deputy Director; Emily Nathan, Director of Public Affairs; and Gilbert
H. Kinney, President of the Board of Trustees. The records also consist of research and reference statistics; membership reports; fundraising data; information about committees,
exhibitions, and tours; meeting agendas and minutes; symposium and conference proposals; lecture papers; collections inventory files; curator reports; oral history project
information, which includes "Artists in Michigan"; "In Celebration" 16mm films, 1/4 audio recordings, 1" videotapes, and cassette tape of interviews with artists such as Roger
Brown, John Hegarty, Marshall M. Fredericks, and Richard Hunt; original production copies of the 16mm film "Reliable Sources"; collecting guidelines and policies; contracts
and agreements; artist files; registrar office loan information; questionnaires; surveys, reports, interview lists, and microfilming information pertaining to the "New Deal
and the Arts Project"; AAA public affairs newspaper clippings, press releases, articles, and photographs; proposed acquisitions; curatorial reports; and staff photographs.
This accession consists of the Archives of American Art website as it existed on January 18, 2017, as well as on April 24, 2017. The website includes general information,
collection information, exhibition descriptions, news, and related materials. In addition, the website includes a blog with content dating from December 2009. In the crawled
versions of the website, collection information may be incomplete and some features may not function as expected. Materials are in electronic format.
The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives and Smithsonian History (Blog)
From Smithson to Smithsonian (Online exhibition)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Electronic records
Web sites
Date:
2009-2018
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of the Smithsonian Institution Archives website as it existed on January 30, 2018. The website includes information for researchers, staff,
and the general public regarding reference, records management, and preservation. It also includes publications, resources for teachers, online exhibitions, historical images,
and narrative histories of the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, research centers, activities, and staff as well as the blog, "The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives
and Smithsonian History," with posts dating from January 2009. Materials are in electronic format.
This accession consists of the Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) Diigo account as it existed on April 17, 2012. Diigo is a social bookmarking site and is used
by SIA to track online press mentions of its blogs, activities, staff, and collections. The account was exported into a spreadsheet. Materials are in electronic format.
This accession consists of the Smithsonian Institution Archives website which was crawled in two parts on April 4 and 9, 2012. The website includes information for
researchers, staff, and the general public regarding reference, records management, and preservation. It also includes publications, resources for teachers, online exhibitions,
historical images, and narrative histories of the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, research centers, activities, and staff. In addition, the website includes the blog,
"The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives and Smithsonian History." Materials are in electronic format.
This accession consists of the Tumblr blog of the Archives of American Art as it existed on September 11, 2014. The blog features artifacts and documents from the archival
collections with posts dating from March 2012. Materials are in electronic format.
The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives and Smithsonian History (Blog)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Electronic records
Date:
2009-2017
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of the Smithsonian Institution Archives website as it existed on September 20, 2017. The website includes information for researchers, staff,
and the general public regarding reference, records management, and preservation. It also includes publications, resources for teachers, online exhibitions, historical images,
and narrative histories of the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, research centers, activities, and staff as well as the blog, "The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives
and Smithsonian History," with posts dating from January 2009. In addition, the online exhibition "From Smithson to Smithsonian" was crawled separately on the same day. Materials
are in electronic format.
This accession consists of the website of the Archives of American Art (AAA) as it existed on September 7, 2011. The website consists of general information, collection
information, exhibition descriptions, the "Archives of American Art Journal," annual reports, event information, news, and related materials. Documentation of the website,
including requirements, architecture, design, and project management plans have been included.
Also included in this accession is the AAA blog, crawled July 7, 2011, which highlights individual collection items as well as archival processes and the greater world
of American art. Materials are in electronic format.
This accession consists of the Smithsonian Images website as of March 1, 2011, shortly before it was scheduled to be taken down. The website allows the public to browse,
download, and purchase selected photographs found in the collections of the Smithsonian Photographic Services, which became part of the Smithsonian Institution Archives in
2008. Materials are in electronic format.
This accession consists of two online exhibitions created by the Archives of American Art as they existed on March 6, 2013.
"1913 Armory Show: The Story in Primary Sources" was created to celebrate the centennial of the International Exhibition of Modern Art (also known as the Armory Show).
The exhibition features a timeline of events and images of associated documents from the Archives of American Art collections. Contextual information and a bibliography are
also included in the exhibition. Due to technical limitations, many of the timeline images are not included in this accession.
"Henry Mosler's Civil War Diary" presents and interprets a diary written by Mosler, an illustrator and military aide-de-camp during October 1862. The exhibition includes
contextual information, a timeline, and a blog (entries not dated). Due to technical limitations, neither the digitized diary nor most of the map are included in this accession.
This accession consists of the websites and blog maintained by the Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) as they existed in the summer of 2011.
The main SIA website includes information about Archives programs and divisions; collection information; and publications. This website was crawled on September 2, 2011
and the files were also copied from the web server on August 11, 2011. Both sets of files are included in this accession. A redesigned website was launched shortly after it
was crawled.
The Smithsonian Photographic Services (SPS) became part of SIA on January 7, 2008 and continued to maintain two websites. The first website was to disseminate policies
and exhibit the work of the staff photographers. It was crawled on June 21, 2011. As of summer 2011, it was no longer being actively maintained. The second was for browsing,
downloading, and purchasing images. It was crawled on June 6, 2011, before being shut down in the fall of that year.
The Smithsonian Photography Initiative (SPI) became part of SIA on March 31, 2009 and continued to maintain the website, "Click! Photography Changes Everything," a collection
of essays and stories by invited contributors and visitors discussing how photography shapes our culture and our lives. Although the website continues to be maintained, content
is no longer being added. This website was crawled on June 8, 2011.
The "America's Smithsonian" website was developed in conjunction with a traveling exhibition (1995-1998) of the same name. The exhibition was part of the Smithsonian Institution's
150th birthday celebration and featured many of the institution's most treasured objects. The website was crawled on July 26, 2011.
"The Bigger Picture: Visual Archives and the Smithsonian" was originally SPI's blog and was rebranded as "The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives and Smithsonian History,"
in 2010. The blog presents an inside look at the Smithsonian Institution's history and invites readers to explore the role of both formal and informal archives in today's
world. The blog was crawled on September 2, 2011. It was incorporated into the main SI website shortly thereafter.
The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives and Smithsonian History (Blog)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Electronic records
Date:
2009-2014
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of the Smithsonian Institution Archives website as it existed on April 9, 2014. The website includes information for researchers, staff, and
the general public regarding reference, records management, and preservation. It also includes publications, resources for teachers, historical images, and narrative histories
of the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, research centers, activities, and staff. In addition, the website includes the blog, "The Bigger Picture: Exploring Archives
and Smithsonian History," with posts dating from January 2009. This accession does not include detailed collections information. Materials are in electronic format.
