Search Results

Names:

Cino, Joe, 1931-1967  Search this

Donor:

Dominic, Magie  Search this

Extent:

1 Cubic foot (3 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Advertisements

Ephemera

Magazines (periodicals)

Off off broadway

Photographs

Theater programs

Place:

Broadway (New York, N.Y.)

Greenwich Village (New York, New York)

Date:

1948-2023, undated

Summary:

The collection documents Caffe Cino in Greenwich Village, New York, founded in 1958 by Joe Cino as a coffee shop and art exhibition space. The collection has materials related to and written by author and artist Magie Dominic, Caffe Cino alumni and chronicler.

Content Description:

The materials consist of printed materials, photographs, scripts, advertisements, ephemera, and theater programs.

Arrangement:

Collection is unarranged.

Biographical / Historical:

An Overview with Personal Reflections, Timeline 1958-1968, and The Archives-Key Moments were supplied by donor, Magie Dominic in April 2024

An Overview with Personal Reflections by Magie Dominic

Early Years: 1931-1958

Joe Cino was born on November 16, 1931 in Buffalo, NY. His parents, Mary and Joseph were both Sicilian. There were four brothers, Gabby, Richard, Joe, and Steve. Joe's father, Joe Cino senior, died at a very young age and Mary worked to support the family. She worked at a candy factory at night and wrapped candy in tissue and throw it out the window for the boys to catch. As a child, Joe did little shows in the backyard for the neighbors.

Michael Smith, Village Voice critic, interviewed Joe in 1965 and asked him why he came to New York City. "The opportunity arose because four friends of mine were running away from home, and two of them had some money." (1948; Joe was sixteen; his friends were Tony Vaccaro, Angelo and Stephen Lovoulo (brothers). "I had to make a decision within two hours. It was snowing. My mother was visiting a neighbor, and she came home calling me as I was leaving the house. I ran into the street and jumped into a passing car. I heard my mother calling, and I said, "I'll be back soon, there's a note on the kitchen table." The note said, "I'm going to Rochester to visit some friends."

He arrived in New York City on February 7, 1948, during a blizzard, and broke. "I had a job within three days at the YMCA in Penn Station as a counterman for $110 a month. February to summer. I was making ice cream sodas at Howard Johnson's. Hotel Statler reservations department."

Eight weeks later, April 12, he sent a long, handwritten letter to his mother explaining why he'd run away and his dream to study acting and dance, "Dear Mom, Don't read this letter until tonite when you're relaxed—don't read it half-fast—go through it quite carefully. There are 12 pages (24 sides) Love "Junior"

"When I got the job at the Statler I enrolled in the Henry Street Playhouse and took courses in everything. I was there for about two years. I went home (Buffalo) in July. She (his mother) gave me her blessing. When I left at the end of the week everything was O.K. from then on."

In 1953 Joe was given a dance scholarship to Jacob's Pillow; danced with the Mary Anthony Dance Theater and toured with Maxine Munt and Alfred Brooks.

Michael Smith asked him when he got the idea of opening a café, "I started thinking about the café in 1954. I would talk about it with close friends. My idea was always to start with a beautiful, intimate, non-commercial, friendly atmosphere where people could come and not feel pressured or harassed."

He worked two jobs, studied, and saved for ten years. In the summer of 1958, his friend Ed Franzen saw a For Rent sign on 31 Cornelia Street. He called Joe and introduced him to the landlady, Josie Leema, who was leaning out an upstairs window. Joe said 'Oh you're Italian." Josie said, Yes, what are you. Joe said Sicilian. Josie said, "I don't have to come down," and threw him the key and gave him the first month's rent free if he did all the needed repair work. Josie was Joe's landlady for the Caffe's entire existence. She often brought down pots of soup when Joe was unable to pay the rent. Her reasoning was, if Joe didn't have rent money, he probably didn't have food money. Joe opened the Caffe Cino on a Friday in December 1958. There was room for about twenty mismatched ice cream parlor tables and chairs, and a tiny kitchen with his espresso machine. The room could accommodate about forty people.

MAGIE DOMINIC: PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

In 1962 I left my home in Newfoundland, as a teenager, like Joe Cino. I was 18 and studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. In 1964 I moved to New York, worked in interior design, gave poetry readings in New York venues, stage managed productions at Lighthouse for the Blind and stage managed a play at La Mama. Ellen Stewart introduced me to Tom Eyen. Tom introduced me to Joe Cino. Joe asked me my sign, (Cancer) and we began a friendship and a dialogue that lasted in one form or another to this day. I entered the Caffe that day and never left. Joe was handsome, broad-shouldered, dark hair, a quick smile; his dark brown eyes were filled with passion. He could hold you with his eyes.

I stage managed for Lanford Wilson and Tom Eyen, created roles for new playwrights, created tiny collages for the Caffe walls and worked on the sets; created the large stars and flags for the Dames at Sea set and made Joe an apron from left over stars. I was assistant director to Marshall Mason; I occasionally ran to the store for groceries for the Caffe kitchen. There was no job description. We worked for free, passed the basket after each performance and if we collected fifty dollars by the week's end, and the production had five people, we received $10. each for a week's work. We would have worked for a dollar. We would have paid to be there. The Caffe Cino ceiling was a maze of intricate lighting equipment. Lights were dimmed, stage lights appeared on a tiny performance area, and the room opened like a chakra. The walls were collages with photographs, posters, and twinkle lights. Music ranged from opera to Shirley Temple to Kate Smith, belly dancing, Christmas carols and Billie Holiday. A curtain of crystals and bells stretched in front of the espresso machine; a musical explosion by Joe before each performance with the words, "It's magic time!" And each performance was dedicated to somebody's birthday.

Eventually there was a stage, a tiny eight-foot portable wooden platform. New playwrights emerged and used the free venue Joe offered. Joe would ask them their sign, (I think it was his way of reading people), give them a date, say, "This is your week," and politely refuse to read the script. Joe was generous to the extreme. People came to him for help - and he offered it.

For several years Joe operated the Caffe at night, while simultaneously working during the day as a typist for American Laundry Machinery Company. That salary probably sustained the Caffe. Every new playwright paving the way to the next century had roots there - Lanford Wilson, Tom Eyen, Sam Shepherd, John Guare, Robert Patrick, Doric Wilson, Paul Foster, H. M. Koutoukas, William Hoffman, among many, many others. Bernadette Peters, Marshall Mason, and Harvey Keitel began there. Performances were done for the room, with or without an audience. In the words of theater critic John Gruen, ― Caffe Cino presented the outrageous, the blasphemous, the zany, the wildly poetic, the embarrassingly trite, the childish, and frequently, the moving and the beautiful. A few years ago, someone asked me in an interview where the Caffe Cino administrative offices were located. I said they were in the kitchen, next to the expresso machine, because that's where Joe was standing. In the years following the Caffe's closing I wrote two books, co-edited a third with Michael Smith, gave several presentations on the Caffe, and raised a daughter. My artwork was exhibited in Canada and the United States, and my large fabric installation, The Gown, was presented at The United Nations. Two Caffe Cino people have fabric in the Gown, Robert Patrick and Jim Gossage. For many, the Caffe Cino was a second home. For others it was the only home they'd ever known. Awards received by those who began their careers at the Caffe Cino include the Pulitzer, the Emmy, the Grammy, the Tony, the Obie, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Robert Chesley Award, and the New York Innovative Theater Awards.

TIMELINE, PLAYWRIGHTS, KEY MOMENTS

"The one thing I never thought of was fully staged productions. I opened as the Caffè Cino Art Gallery, and we had openings every six weeks." Joe Cino

1958-1959 Primarily art exhibitions, poetry and readings of classic plays, Tennessee Williams, etc.

1960 First original play is written for the room, "Flyspray"' by James Howard. In the beginning there is no stage. Tables are moved aside, and actors perform in the space between tables. The photographer, Rowland Sherman, has his first exhibition, with mainly Caffe Cino people as his subjects.

1961 Original plays are now written for the room. Doric Wilson presents his first three plays. The Caffe receives "The Coffee Cup Award" from Show Business newspaper. Al Pacino makes his Off-Off Broadway début in the production of William Saroyan's Hello Out There. "It was a very important moment for me," Pacino, 2014, New Yorker Magazine.

1962 The official menu is designed by Michael Wiley. The $1. minimum includes a show, coffee, and pastry. The one dollar minimum is never changed. Dramatic lighting effects are achieved through the ingenious work of lighting designer John P. Dodd. Adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. "The play was one of the most beautiful things we had at the Cino. I think it was the first time we had that kind of magic." Joe Cino

1963 One-week performances. Claris Nelson writes three original plays. Lanford Willson produces his first plays. Harassment from New York City inspectors.

1964 Two week runs begin with 14 performances weekly. Caffe Cino becomes eligible for the Obie Award. There is continued harassment from New York City inspectors. They categorize the Caffe as a cabaret and insist that Joe obtain a cabaret license and sell alcohol, the requirement for obtaining the license. Joe has a valid restaurant license, wants only a caffe with expresso, and wants nothing to do with liquor. He offers to pay for the cabaret license but refuses to serve alcohol. In an attempt to stop the fines, he changes the name of the Caffe Cino to the Caffe Cino Arts Club and issues membership cards, but the fines continued, and the name change is abandoned. It is a cafe without a category. The staging of Lanford Wilson's The Madness of Lady Bright is a breakthrough hit as the play deals openly about homosexuality. The Caffé has become well known for its plays dealing with gay subject matter. For the first time in New York, and perhaps in the country, LGBT people see depictions of themselves in a more multi-dimensional and realistic light.

1965 On the night of March 3, a fire caused by a gas leak, completely destroys the caffe interior. Edward Albee and H.M. Koutoukas organize a benefit to rebuild the Caffe. Several benefits are held throughout the city. The Caffe is rebuilt and reopens on May 18. The Caffe receives special Obie Award. Playwrights include Diane di Prima, H. M. Koutoukas, David Starkweather, Lanford Wilson, Jean-Claude van Itallie, John Guare, Mary Mitchell, Robert Heide, Tom Eyen, William M. Hoffman, Sam Shepard.

1966 In May, Dames at Sea, a 40-minute musical, opens on the tiny stage, is directed by Robert Dahdah and runs for three consecutive months. It is the first New York play for a teenage Bernadette Peters and, is probably the most successful play in Off-Off-Broadway history. Unfortunately, a producer moves Dames from the Caffe Cino to an Off-Broadway theater and Joe and the Caffe are never acknowledged for its creation.

1967 In January, Joe's lover is electrocuted in an accident in upstate New York and Joe is devastated. City fines and harassment increase. At the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967, a group of non-Caffe Cino people begin to frequent the room, bring a darkness and quantities of drugs, and although they are not welcomed by most at the Caffe, they continue to frequent the room. On the night of March 31, alone in the room, Joe Cino tries to end his own life. He survives for three days but is pronounced dead at St Vincent's Hospital on Sunday, April 2. Joe Cino cherished life. He cherished his family; the arts; and cherished his magical Caffe. He is devastated by the death of his lover, by the years of unrelenting fines, by the years of harassment, by exhaustion, and is overpowered by a lethal supply of drugs offered to him. They are all contributing factors.

On April 10th at Judson Church, the memorial program cover is wordless. Only a black and white photo of Joe smiling, and wearing an apron made from left over "Dames at Sea" stars.

Four people, led by Charles Stanley - Ken Burgess, Robert Patrick, and Magie Dominic are joined by a few others and work to keep the Caffe open, following the schedule Joe had planned. An unexpected classic comic book production of Snow White. Charles Stanley is the magic mirror; Ken Burgess is all the magical forest creatures; Robert Patrick, playwright, is both Doc and the haunted forest; H.M. Harry Koutoukas, the Greek playwright, is the evil queen; Magie Dominic is Snow White. At every performance the dwarfs are different, and the number is always changing. City harassment and fines intensify. Michael Smith and Wolfgang Zuckerman take over management of the Caffe.

1968 City harassment and fines reach a breaking point. "The summonses cost $250 each. We could not get them to stop, and we could not afford to pay them. So in March, after a final, beautiful production of "Monuments" by Diane di Prima, directed by James Waring and Alan Marlowe, with lighting by John P. Dodd, the Caffè Cino closed for good." (Michael Smith) The Caffe Cino closes on March 17, 1968. Michael Smith, in the days after the Caffe's closing in 1968, takes pictures and programs from the Caffé walls and brings them to Library for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center.

THE ARCHIVES. KEY MOMENTS

1972. Off-Off Broadway Book by Albert Poland and Bruce Mailman, published with a chapter on Caffe Cino, research and scripts. 1977. Magie Dominic contacted photographer Jim Gossage, a main photographer of Caffe Cino and 1960s OOB theater, regarding existing Caffe Cino photographs. Together, they began assembling documentation. 1979. The newspaper Other Stages published a series of articles about Caffe Cino. 1979. Dorothy Swerdlove, Curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division of New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (LPA) was shown Caffe Cino documentation by Magie Dominic, and established a 1985 exhibition date in the Astor Gallery, Lincoln Center. For the following six years, 1979-1985, and with the assistance of several Caffe Cino people; Ken Burgess - designer of Caffe show posters; the photographer Jim Gossage; the LPA curatorial staff and Richard Buck, Magie Dominic co-curated the exhibition Caffe Cino and Its Legacy. 1985 Caffe Cino and Its Legacy, March 5 - May 11, Astor Gallery, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center.

AIDS devastated the Caffe Cino people during the 1980s and into the 1990s. Over sixteen playwrights, actors and designers were lost.

2000: The Queen of Peace Room, memoir by Magie Dominic, published, with a chapter depicting Caffe Cino; and loss of people to AIDS; nominated for three literary awards. 2005. The New York Innovative Theatre Awards established The Caffe Cino Fellowship Award. 2005: Caffe Cino: The Birthplace of Off-Off-Broadway, by Wendell Stone, published. 2006. Bernadette Peters, in Legends of Broadway Compilation, related working on Dames at Sea at Caffe Cino. 2006 CUNY TV, Conversations with William M. Hoffman: Caffe Cino/Off-Off Broadway interviews. 2007. In The Life: Channel 13 TV, fifteen-minute documentary on Caffe Cino's impact on New York theatre and gay theatre in New York. 2007. Return to the Caffe Cino, co-Edited by Steve Susoyev and George Birimisa, published. 2008. Thirty-minute video by Library for the Performing Arts, documenting Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation's tribute to Caffe Cino's historic importance; plaque designed by playwright Robert Patrick installed. 2010. H.M. Koutoukas Remembered by His Friends, co-edited by Michael Smith and Magie Dominic, published. 2011. Caffe Cino documentation entered into Library for the Performing Arts permanent archives including the show posters designed by Ken Burgess. 2011. Fales Archives, NYU, enters Magie Dominic writing and art documentation into their permanent archives. 2016. New York Press Association awarded Second Place for Coverage of the Arts to The Villager newspaper for their story, "Magie Dominic - Magic Time at the Caffe Cino". 2017. Caffe Cino placed on The National Register of Historic Places for its significance to LGBT history. It was placed on The State Register of Historic Places the same year. 2019. Caffe Cino designated a New York City Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. 2019: Lifetime Achievement Award from New York Innovative Theater Awards awarded to Magie Dominic for her contribution to the arts, and Caffe Cino archival work. 2022. Nov 16. A plaque honoring Caffe Cino's placement on The National Register of Historic Places installed on 31 Cornelia Street. It was also Joe Cino's 91st birthday. Research and documentation are ongoing. In 2017, the Cino family found among Mary Cino's papers, the 24-page letter Joe had written to her in 1948.

The Caffe Cino brought theatre into the modern era, created Off-Off Broadway, and from its humble, little eight foot by eight-foot wooden stage, forever altered the performing arts worldwide.

Provenance:

Collection donated by Magie Dominic, 2024.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

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:

Experimental theater  Search this

Genre/Form:

Advertisements

Ephemera

Magazines (periodicals) -- 20th century

Off Off Broadway

Photographs

Theater programs -- 20th century

Citation:

Magie Dominic Caffe Cino Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1596

See more items in:

Magie Dominic Caffe Cino Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8fafdcaf8-93f5-45c6-bb27-f93a1c883546

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1596

Creator:

New York Central Railroad/Penn Central Railroad Companies  Search this

Names:

Grand Central Terminal.  Search this

Extent:

8 Cubic feet (6 boxes, 15 map-folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Drawings

Place:

New York (N.Y.)

Date:

1831-1978

bulk 1903-1933

Summary:

Collection documents the history of the demolition and construction of Grand Central Terminal with a focus on the period 1903 to 1913.

Scope and Contents:

The Grand Central Terminal Collection documents the history and construction of Grand Central Terminal and the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad terminal in Manhattan. The collection covers a wide range of activities with the bulk of the material dating from 1900 through the 1920s. Some of the more notable materials include bound volumes of blue-line photographs documenting the construction progress of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Terminal.

The collection contains several black-and-white photographs, the most remarkable of which are four undated photographs depicting large crowds of New York Central Railroad employees at a celebration in Victory Way featuring towering pyramids of captured German helmets. The collection also contains several drawings previously held by Donald H. Morrsion, a terminal engineer and the collection's donor. The plans for a proposed 55-story office building to be erected above Grand Central Terminal are accompanied by Morrison's notes.

Perhaps the most important drawings are the shaded elevations of the building's exterior where bronze grill work is set off in color. Detailed drawings of the entablature sculptures document changes that took place as the design evolved. Other topics include floor plans for rental space, track plans, details of structural steel work, utility diagrams, and the new power house. Several newspaper clippings detail the public debate over the conservation and preservation of the historic site. The conflict over the historic status of the terminal ended in a Supreme Court decision (Penn Central Transportation Co. v. New York City, 1978), upholding the terminal's historic landmark status, thus barring construction. Numerous blueprints of the main station and the station building (1907-1920) are part of the collection.

Series 1, Historical Background, 1850-1961, contains materials on the history of Grand Central Station and its construction. It is divided into five subseries: Subseries 1, Histories, 1850-1961; Subseries 2, Newspaper and Magazine Clippings, 1904-1920; Subseries 3, Donald H. Morrison Materials, 1910-1978; Subseries 4, Miscellaneous, 1831-1920; and Subseries 5, Booklets and Pamphlets, 1851-1935

Subseries 1, Histories, 1850-1961, consists of a partially handwritten and typed draft of Grand Central History, dividend certificates, a 1961 thesis for Cornell University entitled "The Harlem Railroad Improvements in Manhattan," handwritten notes on the history of the construction of Grand Central, and correspondence from the Chief Engineer of Crugers Station (a station on the Hudson Line of the Metro-North Railroad which served the residents of the hamlet of Crugers, New York until its closure in 1995) pertaining mostly to maintenance and improvements.

Subseries 2, Newspaper and Magazine Clippings, 1904-1920, contains several magazine articles and newspaper clippings, including several from Engineering News, as well as an October 1912 issue of Scribner's Magazine entitled "The Modern Terminal."

Subseries 3, Donald H. Morrison Materials, 1910-1978, includes the collected materials of Donald H. Morrison, terminal engineer for the New York Central Railroad/Penn Central Railroad. The subseries contains typed notes with corresponding drawings and photographs and various magazine and newspaper clippings. Also included are several drawings of the originally planned hotel/office space to be built above Grand Central Station (175 Park Avenue) as well as correspondence from Coverdale and Colpitts, consulting engineers for the proposed building.

Subseries 4, Miscellaneous, 1831-1920, is comprised of several hand-written minute books, memos, data sheets, and memoranda as well as laws and ordinances. Also included are several letters from the Chief Engineer and a typed draft of The Grand Central Terminal New York City: History of Its Development and Construction. Subseries 5, Booklets and Pamphlets, 1851-1935, provides a wide array of booklets and pamphlets published for or by Grand Central and New York Central/Hudson Railroad, including An Act to Regulate, Improve, and Enlarge Park Avenue Above 106th Street, published in 1898.

Series 2, Construction Materials/Reports, 1897-1933, consists of various materials pertaining to the construction of Grand Central including Construction Committee Minutes, Engineer's Notebooks, and Correspondence. The series is divided into eight subseries: Subseries 1, Annual Reports, 1913; Subseries 2, Minutes 1915-1916; Subseries 3, Notebooks, 1903-1914; Subseries 4, Correspondence, 1897-1929; Subseries 5, Reports, 1905-1916; Subseries 6, Financial Expenditures, 1903-1933; Subseries 7, Agreements, 1899-1912; and Subseries 8, Specifications, 1906-1919.

Subseries 1, Annual Reports, 1913, is a bound volume of the Annual Reports for several railroad companies and their leased and controlled lines together with additional statistical, financial, and corporate information for the use of their officers" published by Grand Central Terminal in 1913. The volume contains annual reports for: New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Company; Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway Company; Michigan Central Railroad Company; Lake Erie and Western Railroad Company; Chicago, Indiana and Southern Railroad Company; Toledo and Ohio Central Railway Company; Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Company; Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad Company; Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Company.

Subseries 2, Minutes 1915-1916, includes a previously bound, set of typed Construction Committee Minutes for the Electric Traction Zone from December 28, 1915 through December 20, 1916.

Subseries 3, Notebooks, 1903-1914, contains a collection of the Construction Engineer's Notebooks organized chronologically. The books consist of mostly handwritten notes as well as copies of various estimates, a minimal number of blueprints, daily material records, and copies of work progress reports.

Subseries 4, Correspondence, 1897-1929, documents correspondence regarding the Park Avenue Viaduct between the Chief Engineer(s) (H. Fernstrom and his successor G.W. Kittredge) and various other engineers, the fifth vice president of New York and Hudson Railroad Company, and Ira McCormack, the manager of Grand Central Station. The correspondence is divided into two parts and organized chronologically. Also included are various correspondences dealing with vibration tests and reports as well as Electric Division files.

Subseries 5, Reports, 1905-1916, details the progress of the New York Central Railroad in 1914 through a series of daily reports. Also included are the daily reports of the pyle driver from April to July of 1911 and the Contractor's daily reports from 1914-1916.

Subseries 6, Financial Expenditures, 1903-1933, includes estimates for the Grand Central Terminal improvements in 1906 and various hand-written financial documents detailing quarterly expenditures.

Subseries 7, Agreements, 1899-1912, contains the construction grant and agreements between the city of New York and New York Central, Harlem, and Central Hudson Railroads for the years 1905-1912 as well as a 1915 "Agreement, Deed, Specifications and Modifying Agreement" between Now York State Realty and Terminal Company, New York Central Railroad Company, and the New York, New Haven, and New Hartford Railroad Company with the city of New York.

Subseries 8, Specifications, 1906-1919, is comprised of several undated construction specifications for the improvement of the Grand Central Terminal as well as various memorandum and monthly progress statements pertaining to the improvements. It also includes an undated chart of the number of passengers in and out of the Grand Central Terminal based on ticket sales, traffic records, and a report of data concerning American Railroad Terminals written in 1914.

Series 3, Photographs, 1880s-1929, documents the progress of the construction and various later improvements of Grand Central. The majority of the photographs are blue-line photos to detailing Grand Central yard improvements. Also included are various black-and-white photographs. The series is divided into two subseries: Subseries 1, Progress Photographs (by volume), 1903-1921 and Subseries 2, Miscellaneous Photographs, 1880s-1929, undated.

Subseries 1, Progress Photographs (by volume), 1903-1921, includes several previously bound volumes of blue-line photographs documenting the progress of Grand Central yard improvements. There are seven volumes (1-6, 11) with photos are numbered chronologically. Also included are progress photographs for construction and improvements of Grand Central Terminal in 1914 and progress photographs for the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad for 1903, 1917, and 1920.

Subseries 2, Miscellaneous Photographs, 1880s-1929, undated, contains previously bound blue-line progress photographs of Grand Central Terminal from 1912-1913 and black-and-white photos of the terminal, railways, and various tunnels as well as demolition photos. Undated photos of employees of NY Central Railroad assembled in Victory Way with a view of a pyramid of captured German helmets and Grand Central Terminal are also included.

Series 4, Drawings, 1884-1969 (bulk 1902-1913), constitutes the largest series in the collection and consist of flat and rolled drawings. There is a bound volume of contract drawings and drawn monthly progress sheets for the Grand Central yard improvements. The series primarily contains hundreds of individual drawings/sheets. Included are maps, charts, plans, sectionals, details, and elevations for almost every aspect of the terminal.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into four series.

Series 1, Historical Background, 1850-1961

Subseries 1, Histories, 1850-1961

Subseries 2, Newspaper and Magazine Clippings, 1904-1920

Subseries 3, Donald H. Morrison Materials, 1910-1978

Subseries 4, Miscellaneous, 1831-1920

Subseries 5, Booklets and Pamphlets, 1851-1935

Series 2, Construction Materials, 1897-1933

Subseries 1, Annual Reports, 1913

Subseries 2, Minutes, 1915-1916

Subseries 3, Notebooks, 1903-1914

Subseries 4, Correspondence, 1897-1929

Subseries 5, Reports, 1905-1916

Subseries 6, Financial Expenditures, 1903-1933

Subseries 7, Agreements, 1899-1912

Subseries 8, Specifications, 1906-1919

Series 3, Photographs, 1880s-1929

Subseries 1, Progress Photographs (by volume), 1903-1921

Subseries 2, Miscellaneous Photographs, 1880s-1929, undated

Series 4, Drawings, 1884-1969 (bulk 1902-1913)

Biographical / Historical:

New York City's Grand Central Terminal was constructed between 1903 and 1913 to replace an earlier and smaller depot at the same location. The earlier structure was completed in 1871 and by the end of the 1890s it was badly in need of remodeling. This, however, was only a stop-gap measure as it would not provide a solution to many of the problems the railroad faced. The building could not provide the office space needed by the growing railroad, trains still traveled to the station in an open cut, and trackage at the terminal was simply inadequate to handle the ever-increasing number of departures and arrivals. Simply building a new station, however, would not necessarily solve the problem.

Other improvements were needed, and these were made possible by the use of electric traction. With the elimination of steam powered equipment, it was possible to construct and operate an extensive system of tracks completely underground and erect buildings over them. This scheme meant that the new terminal could be designed with any amount of office space, and by constructing the tracks at different levels, a greater number could be accommodated than would be possible by building them all at the same grade. Although the terminal project was awarded to architects Charles A. Reed and Alien H. Stem, they were soon joined by the firm of Whitney Warren and Charles Wetmore. A number of drawings in the collection reflect this union. The history of the station has been documented by several authors. Grand Central Terminal (San Marino, 1977) by William D. Middleton and Grand Central (New York, 1946) by David Marshall.

Related Materials:

Materials at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian

Division of Work & Industry

The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad Records, circa 1886-1912, 1968

Materials at Other Organizations

Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library Columbia

Warren & Wetmore Drawings & Archives

New York Public Library

Penn Central Transportation Company Records

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the Division of Engineering and Industry (now known as the Division of Work & Industry), National Museum of American History, Smithsonian, by Donald H. Morrison in June, 1990.

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.

Topic:

Transportation -- New York (N.Y.)  Search this

Engineers  Search this

Railroads -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- 1900-1920

Drawings -- 20th century

Citation:

Grand Central Terminal Collection, dates, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1071

See more items in:

Grand Central Terminal Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8423ddb1f-138b-4960-95b8-e37519282bc5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1071

Donor:

Little Manila Foundation  Search this

Extent:

4.33 Cubic feet (13 boxes)

Culture:

Filipino Americans  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Correspondence

Diaries

Photographs

Receipts

Date:

circa 1874-1980, undated

Summary:

Collection documents the lives of Filipino migrants in Stockton, California dating primarily from the 1920s to the 1970s and includes correspondence, photographic prints, military documents, financial records, books, wallets, and other ephemera.

Scope and Contents:

Collection consists of the archival materials from one steamer trunk and a plastic bin documenting the lives of Filipino migrants in Stockton, California dating primarily from the 1920s-1970s. These materials include correspondence, individual photographic prints and in albums from the Philippines and the United States, military documents, financial records, medical information, educational materials, books, wallets, Legionarios del Trabajo "Daguhoy" Lodge membership materials, greeting cards, and other forms of ephemera. Most of the correspondence is written in Visayan, the language spoken within the southernmost islands of Luzon in the Philippines. Some of these letters have been translated. A few of the photographs are identified but most have no information relating to the person(s) identity, location of where the image was taken or date.

The materials are arranged into twenty-three series. The first twenty-two series represent one person's story that was found in the contents of the containers. The last series relates to the Legionarios del Trabajo organization.

The collection is important for the study of early Filipino American agricultural workers. In addition to using these materials researchers should consult the three-dimensional objects that were also collected. These artifacts are stored onsite in the Museum's Division of Work and Industry and are part of the Asian Pacific American and agricultural collections. A steamer trunk, which was too large to house at NMAH, is currently stored off-site.

Arrangement:

Collection is arranged into twenty-three series.

Series 1: Enrique Andales, 1917-1937, undated

Series 2: Julian S. Arofo, 1950-1953

Series 3: A.T. Bastion, undated

Series 4: Julian Felicita Bernido, 1971

Series 5: Andres Salle Casinas, 1912-1980, undated

Series 6: Cesario Hotora Comparativo, 1925-1945, undated

Series 7: Hilario Samson Cuevas, 1925-1930, undated

Series 8: Vinancio Timosa Fellisarta, 1971

Series 9: Jose Madridejo Galinato, 1926-1949, undated

Series 10: Eufricino Janier, 1920-1929, undated

Series 11: Felimon Laga, 1922-1923, undated

Series 12: Seven Madrias, 1936-1938, undated

Series 13: Eusebio Maglente, 1920-1923, undated

Series 14: Epimaco Fariola Mansueto, 1874-1947, undated

Series 15: Sixto Olaco, 1921-1954, undated

Series 16: Anastacio Atig Omandam, 1924-1937

Series 17: Juan Campoco Pascual, 1936, 1948, undated Series 18: Julian Rogas, 1929-1936, undated

Series 19: Arcadio Simangca, 1961-1971

Series 20: Julio Saranza, 1971

Series 21: Pablo Mendoza Solomon, 1921-1971, undated

Series 22: Victoriano Yano, 1971

Series 23: Legionarios del Trabajo: Daguhoy Masonic Lodge, 1928-1935, undated

Historical:

The Filipino Agricultural Workers Collection documents the history of Filipinos and Filipinas in Stockton, California, from the 1910s to the 1980s. The materials were part of a trove of material discovered in 2005 in the Daguhoy Lodge—a Filipino fraternal society—by Antonio Somera, a former member of the Daguhoy Lodge. Somera discovered twenty-six suitcases, toolboxes, and wardrobe steamer trunks in the basement of the lodge. These containers held materials such as clothing, tools, and correspondence and other personal items; the containers were labeled with the names of Filipino individuals. Presumably, each container belonged to a single person who used the suitcase or steamer trunk to travel and store their materials. When the owners passed away, surviving members of the fraternal lodge packed the deceased's personal belongings into the steamer trunk or suitcase and it was put into long-term storage. No descendants of these individuals have been identified, nor have any descendants come forward to claim the objects.

A few years after discovering the containers and displaying them in the lodge's basement in a makeshift exhibition, Somera brought the trunks to the attention of Professor Dawn Bohulano Mabalon and filmmaker Dillon Delvo. At the time, Mabalon was a history professor at San Francisco State University. In 2013, she published Little Manila is in the Heart: The Making of the Filipina/o American Community in Stockton, California (2013), considered the authoritative account on Filipino Americans in Stockton. During this time, Delvo was working as a filmmaker in the Bay Area and earning his master's degree in Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. Born and raised in south Stockton in Filipino families, Delvo and Mabalon had embarked on a long-term project to preserve the history of Filipinos and to organize communities in Stockton which is why Somera approached them regarding the trunks.

In 2000, Mabalon and Delvo created Little Manila Rising (LMR), a non-profit organization that aims to preserve the history of Filipino American history in Stockton. LMR was founded in response to the gradual destruction of historic buildings and sites that had housed one of the earliest and largest Filipino communities outside of the Philippines. LMR eventually purchased a building called Little Manila Center at 2154 South San Joaquin Street in Stockton, which serves as a multi-purpose community center for a variety of community-based projects. Delvo became the Executive Director of LMR in 2012 and continues to serve in this capacity in 2024. In 2018, Mabalon unexpectedly passed away due to an asthma attack.

As part of their vision of preserving the history of Filipino Americans in Stockton and the greater San Joaquin Delta region, both Mabalon and Delvo championed the preservation of the containers found in the Daguhoy Lodge's basement, particularly the steamer trunks which they recognized possessed important historical value. In 2019, Sam Vong, Curator of Asian Pacific American History in the National Museum of American History (NMAH) Division of Work and Industry, met with Delvo to explore the potential donation of the containers and their associated contents to the museum.

In the aftermath of their discovery, only one steamer trunk was opened and the contents cataloged, with the assistance of the Oakland Museum of California. The remainder were temporarily stored and displayed in the Little Manila Community Center on Hazelton Street. When Vong arrived in 2019 to meet Delvo and to evaluate the materials, the trunks were still locked; a locksmith was needed to avoid destroying the locks and to maintain the integrity of the objects. The locksmith was able to open all but three of the trunks. While most of the containers were in good condition, a few of the steamer trunks had suffered water damage due to flooding in the lodge's basement, resulting in mildew and mold.

After the trunks were opened, Vong created a preliminary inventory list. He identified each of the trunks with the name of an individual which were found in the trunk's contents. Because of the large volume of materials, Vong made additional trips to Stockton to complete the cataloging of objects and to make final selections of which containers to collect. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 delayed the collecting process, and the project was put on hold until Covid-lockdown restrictions were eased in 2022. At that point, Vong returned to Stockon to reevaluate the objects for acquisition.

Although LMR had hoped to donate all of the steamer trunks and containers to the Smithsonian, space constraints at NMAH precluded that. Ultimately, Vong collected one steamer trunk and all its contents. Those objects are housed in the NMAH Division of Work & Industry. Both Delvo and Vong recognized that the personal papers, photographs, and other archival materials contained in each container presented an opportunity to document the work and lives of the individuals who had left these containers behind. After consulting with NMAH Archives Center staff, it was decided that the NMAH Archives Center would collect the archival materials found in each of the containers. Taken as a whole, the individual groups of documents form the Filipino Agricultural Workers Collection.

Each series in the collection represents a single person's story that was found in the contents of the containers. Each name in the series, however, does not necessarily correspond to a single steamer trunk or suitcase. For example, the archival materials in the Pablo Mendoza Solomon series (Series 21) were found in two suitcases and two steamer trunks. Vong surmises that two things may have happened when Solomon passed away: surviving lodge brothers may have salvaged all Solomon's personal belongings and placed them in various suitcases, or Solomon's materials may have been haphazardly thrown into various containers when the trunks were recovered from the flooding in the lodge's basement. Other series, such as Julian Felicita Bernido (Series 4), contain only a couple of documents nested within another person's belongings.

The former owners of the suitcases and steamer trunks in this collection were young men who emigrated from different parts of the Philippines to work as sakadas, or contract workers in Hawai'i. After completing their contracts, some Filipinos left Hawai'i for California in search of adventure and better economic opportunities. Many of these Filipinos migrated up and down the western coast of the United States such as California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, finding work as seasonal workers on farms, salmon canneries, and other agricultural sectors. Filipinos and Filipinas were indispensable to growers in the San Joaquin Delta region, considered one of the most fertile regions in the country, and where the city of Stockton is located.

Filipinos and Filipinas gravitated toward Stockton, where they established one of the largest Filipino American communities outside of the Philippines. The community included businesses, recreational halls, hotels, and homes, as well places of worship and fraternal lodges, such as the Daguhoy Lodge. This lodge was one among a handful of lodges in Stockton that was established by some of the earliest Filipino residents in Stockton.

The Daguhoy Lodge catered primarily to men, although some of the archival documents in this collection suggest that Filipinas had a visible and important presence in lodge activities. The lodge provided a space for members to hold social gatherings, community meetings, and a place for worship. The lodge also provided short-term and long-term lodging for its members and for migrant Filipino workers who came in and out of Stockton as they followed the path of seasonal agricultural work. As a result, Filipinos used the lodge to temporarily store their personal belongings such as suitcases and steamer trunks.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: World Expositions, NMAH.AC.0060

Underwood & Underwood Glass Stereograph Collection, NMAH.AC.0143

Alexander Alland, Sr., Photoprints, NMAH.AC.0204

Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 8: Geography, NMAH.AC.0300

Duncan Family Yo-Yo Collection, NMAH.AC.807

Catherine Hann Papers, NMAH.AC.0921

Kamikawa, Omata and Matsumoto Families Papers, NMAH.AC.0924

Juanita Tamayo Lott Filipino American Photographs and Papers, NMAH.AC.0925

Bishop Mitsumyo Tottori Memorial Notebooks, NMAH.AC.0926

Division of Cultural History Lantern Slides and Stereographs, NMAH.AC.0945

Materials at Other Organizations

Sacramento Public Library, Sacramento Room Photograph Collection holdings include one photograph of the Legionarios Del Trabajo.

Separated Materials:

National Museum of American History, Divison of Work and Industry

The Asian Pacific American and the Agricultural collections contain one steamer trunk and its complete contents, along with agricultural implements and other materials found in the other containers from the basement of the Daguhoy Lodge. Associated accession numbers include 2021.0137 and 2022.0058.01.

Accession number 2021.0137.1, asparagus knife

Accession number 2021.0137.2, hair waver

Accession number 2021.0137.3, hook field knife

Accession number 2021.0137.6, pair of pruning shears

Accession number 2021.0137.7, vegetable knife

Accession number 2022.0058.01.01, steamer trunk

Accession number 2022.0058.01.1,1 brace

Accession number 2022.0058.02.1, band uniform jacket

Accession number 2022.0058.02.2, band uniform trousers

Accession number 2022.0058.03.2, band uniform trousers

Accession number 2022.0058.03.3, band uniform shirt

Accession number 2022.0058.03.4, band uniform cummerbund

Accession number 2022.0058.06.1, army jacket

Accession number 2022.0058.13, sleepwear

Accession number 2022.0058.14, thermal shirt

Accession number 2022.0058.15, sweater

Accession number 2022.0058.16, shirt

Accession number 2022.0058.22, collar

Accession number 2022.0058.26.1, fez

Accession number 2022.0058.28ab, pair of dress shoes

Accession number 2022.0058.29ab, pair of shin protectors

Accession number 2022.0058.30ab, pair of gloves

Accession number 2022.0058.31, flashlight

Accession number 2022.0058.33, lock

Accession number 2022.0058.34, ring

Accession number 2022.0058.35, cap

Accession number 2022.0058.36, straw hat

Accession number 2022.0058.37, Stetson hat

Accession number 2022.0058.38, bow tie

Accession number 2022.0058.43, thermos

Accession number 2022.0058.44, harmonica

Accession number 2022.0058.45, pillowcase

Accession number 2022.0058.46, pillowcase

Accession number 2022.0058.47, necktie

Accession number 2022.0058.61, tablecloth

Accession number 2022.0058.62, framed portrait

Accession number 2022.0058.63, certificate

Accession number 2022.0058.64, wallet

Accession number 2022.0058.65ab, pair of boots

San Joaquin County Historical Museum (SJCHM) has the steamer trunks that were not aquired by the National Museum of American History.

Provenance:

Collection donated by the Little Manila Foundation through Dillon Delvo, Executive Director, 2021.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

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:

Agriculture -- California  Search this

Migrant workers  Search this

Tagalog language  Search this

Genre/Form:

Correspondence -- 20th century

Diaries

Photographs -- 20th century

Receipts -- 20th century

Citation:

Filipino Agricultural Workers Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Sponsor:

Processing and encoding funded by a grant from the FY23 Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1515

See more items in:

Filipino Agricultural Workers Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep865b08d8d-170d-410c-9794-1f0f1f0b1388

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1515

Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Donor:

Becker, John M.  Search this

Gay Officers Action League. GOAL  Search this

Heritage of Pride (HOP)  Search this

Rohrbaugh, Richard  Search this

Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association (ASGRA)  Search this

American Federation of Teachers  Search this

Department of Defense, Comprehensive Review Working Group  Search this

Gay Officers Action League. GOAL  Search this

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland  Search this

ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives  Search this

San Diego LGBT Pride  Search this

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network  Search this

Smith College  Search this

University of Connecticut  Search this

William Way Community Center  Search this

Biren, Joan E.  Search this

Bushnell, Megan  Search this

Davidson, James, Dr.  Search this

Dietrich, Joe  Search this

Exline, Gregory  Search this

Florence, Laura  Search this

Huebner, David  Search this

Jain, Shawn  Search this

Karazsia, Amy  Search this

Karazsia, William G.  Search this

Lombardi, Angela  Search this

Lynch, Patsy  Search this

Meinke, Mark  Search this

Nitz, Ryan  Search this

Reichard, Bradley  Search this

Robinson, Franklin A., Jr., 1959- (actor)  Search this

Ros, Silvia  Search this

Sabatino, Michael  Search this

Shannon, Michael A.  Search this

Sheets, Justin  Search this

Snodgrass, Adam  Search this

Voorheis, Robert  Search this

Creator:

Hirsch, Leonard  Search this

Guest, Barbara  Search this

Barna, Joseph T.  Search this

Guest, Michael E.  Search this

Cruse, Howard, 1944-2019  Search this

Other:

Larson, Gordon P., 1910-1988 -- 20th century  Search this

Names:

McWaine, Dwayne, Dr.  Search this

Extent:

71.1 Cubic feet (214 boxes, 22 map-folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Passports

Postcards

Photographs

Posters

Videocassettes

Advertising

Dvds

Songbooks

Periodicals

Place:

Canada -- Description and Travel

Germany -- description and travel

Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Washington, D.C. -- history

Los Angeles (Calif.)

New York, New York

Date:

1825-2023, undated

bulk 1960-2023

Summary:

This collection contains a variety of periodicals, photographs, correspondence, business and advertising ephemera (corporate and non-profit, personal), organizational records and ephemera, created by, for, and in reaction to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community.

Scope and Contents:

The Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection contains periodicals, ephemera, posters, postcards, advertisements, photographs, organizational records, publications, correspondence, and other materials related to all aspects of the LGBT community and the civil rights issues pertaining thereto. The collection was created by the Archives Center to bring together materials specifically pertaining to the LGBT community. This collection contains material from communities and individuals throughout the United States. The collection is currently strongest in periodicals, newspapers and ephemera and very strong in material from California and New York. The collection continues to add new items and the researcher would be wise to take a broad view in targeting their research topics in the collection.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into twenty-eight series.

Series 1: Periodicals, 1937-2023

Series 2: Agencies, Associations, and Organizations, 1965-2023, undated

Series 3: Community Life and Subject Files, 1825-2023, undated

Subseries 3.1: Photographs and Slides, 1870-2009, undated

Subseries 3.2: Ephemera and Buttons, 1969-2022, undated

Subseries 3.3: Posters and Prints, 1825-2018, undated

Subseries 3.4: Subject Files, 1958-2023, undated

Subseries 3.5: Pride, 1976-2023, undated

Subseries 3.6: HIV and AIDS, 1987-2020, undated

Subseries 3.7: Gay Games, 1982-2018

Series 4: Advertising, Business, and Publications, 1912-2023, undated

Subseries 4.1: Advertising, 1970-2018, undated

Subseries 4.2: Business, 1986-2021, undated

Subseries 4.3: Television, Theater, and Motion Pictures, 1978-2023, undated

Subseries 4.4: Bar ephemera and advertisement, 1979-2018, undated

Subseries 4.5: Publications, 1912-2023, undated

Series 5: Biren, Joan E. (JEB), 195-2018, undated

Subseries 5.1: Xerographic Copies of Photoprints, 1971-1995, undated.

Subseries 5.2: Posters and Oversize Advertisement, 1973-2018, undated

Series 6: Dietrich, Joseph A., 1992-2010

Series 7: Mattachine Society Records, 1942-1996, undated

Subseries 7.1: Correspondence, 1952-1991, undated

Subseries 7.2: Board of Directors Minutes, 1954-1974, undated

Subseries 7.3: Organizational Information, 1942-1993, undated

Subseries 7.4: Councils, Chapters, and Committees, 1953-1965, undated

Subseries 7.5: Conventions, 1953-1960, undated

Subseries 7.6: Publications, 1944-1996, undated

Series 8: Rainbow History Community Pioneers, 2003-2012, undated

Series 9: Strub, Sean O., addendum, 1987-2011, undated

Series 10: Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB, 1990-2014, undated

Series 11: Ros, Silvia, 2009-2011

Series 12: Huebner, David, 2009-2014

Series 13: St. George, Philip, 1945-1955, undated

Series 14: Will & Grace, 1995-2006

Series 15: Barna, Joseph T. and Heritage of Pride (HOP), New York, New York, 1910-2014, undated

Subseries 15.1: Photographs, Photographic Negatives, and Slides, 1985-2010, undated

Subseries 15.2: Heritage of Pride (HOP), 1984-2014, undated

Subseries 15.3: Barna, Joseph T., 1910-2013, undated,

Series 16: Becker, John M., 1999-2014, undated

Series 17: Rohrbaugh, Richard, 1972-1986, undated

Series 18: Guest, Michael E., 2001-2009

Series 19: The Fosters, 2013

Series 20: Pride at Work, 1990-2015

Series 21: Sabatino, Michael and Voorheis, Robert, 1980-2016, undated

Subseries 21.1: Archilla, Gustavo A. and Lokkins, Elmer T., 1916-2014, undated

Series 22: Gay Officers Action League (GOAL), 1982-2016, undated

Series 23: Brown, Adele "Del" and Herizon's Bar, 1985-1991, undated

Subseries 1: Changing Herizons, and Herizons Newsletter, 1983-1991

Series 24: Universal Fellowship Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), 1957-2019, undated

Series 25: The Christmas House, Crown Media Family Networks, 2020-2021

Series 26: Cones, Myra L. and Harris, G. Yvonne, 1979-2001, undated

Series 27: Atlantic States Gay Rodeo Association (ASGRA), 1993-2004, undated

Series 28: Hooker, Meryl, 1989-1996, undated

Historical Note:

While the quest for equal rights has been pursued by generations, it is generally acknowledged that the modern day Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement began in New York City in June 1969 with the Stonewall Riots. Prior to this time a number of activists, individuals, and organizations such as The Mattachine Society, Daughters of Bilitis and others, fought to bring recognition of LGBT civil rights to the forefront of American society. While the movement was primarily, and most visably, centered in New York City and San Francisco, periodicals, guide books, and ephemeral material interconnected the larger LGBT community throughout the United States. The increased visibility of the LGBT movement inspired affinity groups at odds with the LGBT community's new found visibility and quest for broader civil rights. The challenge to what was termed "traditional" values encouraged these counter-LGBT groups to define and solidfy their constituency and also become more pro-active. This collection comprises material that is generated by individuals and organizations promoting both points of view.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

Michio and Aveline Kushi Macro-Biotics Collection (AC0619)

The Shamrock Bar: Photographs and Interviews (AC0857)

John-Manuel Andriote Victory Deferred Collection (AC1128)

Archives Center Wedding Documentation Collection (AC1131 )

Division of Science, Medicine, and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection (AC1134)

John-Manuel Andriote Hot Stuff: A Brief History of Disco Collection (AC1184)

Joan E. Biren (JEB) Queer Film Museum Collection (AC1216)

World AIDS Institute (WAI) Collection (AC1266)

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) Records (AC1282)

Helping Persons with AIDS (HPA) Records (AC1283)

DC Cowboys Dance Company Records (AC1312)

Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers (AC1334)

David Hadley Rockwell New York Disco Ephemera Collection (AC1342)

Leonard P. Hirsch Federal Globe Records (AC1357)

Corbett Reynolds Papers (AC1390)

Mark Segal Papers (AC1422)

The Mattachine Society of Washington "Love in Action" Collection (AC1428)

Academy of Washington Records (AC1458)

Matthew Shepard Papers (AC1463)

I'm From Driftwood Records (AC1503)

The Division of Political History holds artifacts related to gay activist Franklin Kameny and a variety of political buttons. They also hold LGBT related artifacts from Joan E. Biren (JEB).

The Division of Medical and Science holds objects donated from Dr. Renee Richards, Sean O. Strub, and Leonard Hirsch.

The Division of Entertainment and the Arts holds objects donated by The Fosters, Will & Grace, and The Christmas House.

Provenance:

This collection was assembled by the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian, beginning in 2004.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.

Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.

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:

Women's music  Search this

Transgender people -- Identity  Search this

Sexual orientation  Search this

Political activists  Search this

Lesbianism  Search this

Lesbian and gay experience  Search this

Gay activists  Search this

Homosexuality  Search this

HIV and AIDS  Search this

Feminism  Search this

Bisexuality  Search this

Bars (Drinking establishments)  Search this

Gay Pride  Search this

Genre/Form:

Passports

Postcards

Photographs -- 2000-2010

Posters

Videocassettes

Advertising

DVDs

Photographs -- 20th century

Songbooks

Periodicals

Citation:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1146

See more items in:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep80327b53b-2daa-47d1-8c11-89a7b3f4e1bd

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1146

Creator:

O'Connor, Francis V.  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project  Search this

National Endowment for the Arts  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this

Extent:

23.4 Linear feet

0.001 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Date:

1920-2009

Summary:

The papers of New York art historian Francis O'Connor measure 23.4 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from 1920-2009. Found within the papers are artist and exhibition files, questionnaires, transcripts, writings, project files, and printed and digital material that pertain to O'Connor's research and publications on the New Deal and the Federal Arts Project of the Works Progress Administration.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of New York art historian Francis O'Connor measure 23.4 linear feet and date from 1920-2009. Found within the papers are artist and exhibition files, questionnaires, transcripts, writings, project files, and printed and digital material that pertain to O'Connor's research and publications on the New Deal and the Federal Arts Project of the Works Progress Administration.

The "NCFA Library" consists of research materials collected, created, and compiled during the course of O'Connor's research project supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities for his books Federal Support for the Visual Arts (1969) and Art for the Millions (1973). Files contain administrative records, artists' files, and questionnaires and essays that document the administration of New Deal art projects. The files were collated by O'Connor into a set that remains intact.

The publications series consists of additional research and administrative materials specifically related to O'Connor's four publications on the WPA/FAP and New Deal artists: Federal Support for the Visual Arts: The New Deal and Now (1969), New Deal Art Projects: An Anthology of Memoirs (1972), Art for the Millions (1973), and Federal Art Patronage Notes (newsletter, 1974-1984).

New Deal research files are more general research materials collected by or sent to O'Connor in the course of his academic career. These include information on New Deal administrators and state specific WPA projects; photocopies of original WPA activity and reports; and New Deal scholarship, academic symposia, and conferences.

New Deal exhibitions include announcement and catalogs of contemporary New Deal art exhibitions in the U.S. from the 1960s to the 1990s. Project files are related to three publically and privately funded New Deal research projects O'Connor directed or participated in. Printed materials consists of press coverage of federal arts patronage in the United States dating from the 1960s to 2008.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 6 series. There is some overlap in series reflecting O'Connor's original order.

Missing Title

Series 1: NCFA Library, 1920-1974 (6.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-7, OV 28)

Series 2: Publications, 1939-1985 (4.3 linear feet; Boxes 7-11, BV 25-26, OV 27)

Series 3: New Deal Research Files, 1930-2009 (5.6 linear feet; Boxes 11-16)

Series 4: New Deal Exhibitions, 1961-1997 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 17-18)

Series 5: Project Files, 1935-1999 (2 linear feet; Boxes 18-20, ER01; 0.001 GB)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1963-2008 (3.4 linear feet; Boxes 20-24)

Biographical / Historical:

New York art historian and poet Francis O'Connor (1937- ) is best known for his research and writings on the New Deal art programs of the Depression and the Roosevelt Administration. O'Connor received his Ph. D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1965 and taught contemporary European and American art history at the University of Maryland from 1964 to 1970. While at Maryland, he organized the country's first comprehensive exhibition of New Deal art programs since their ending in 1943. From 1967 to 1968, he also headed a research program for the National Endowment for the Arts to analyze the effectiveness of New Deal art patronage, which eventually led to the publication of Federal Support for the Visual Arts: The New Deal and Now (1969), New Deal Art Projects: An Anthology of Memoirs (1972), Art for the Millions (1973).

In addition to his work on New Deal art patronage, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, O'Connor continued to teach and lecture at universities, consulted on federally and privately funded research projects, and published critical essays for exhibition catalogs, anthologies and academic journals. He is a member of the College Art Association, International Association of Art Critics, and founded the Association of Independent Historians of Art in 1982.

Separated Materials:

Bound assemblies of periodicals were transferred to the Smithsonian Art Libraries in 2010, which retained relevant volumes and made final decisions regarding disposition of any remaining items.

Provenance:

The papers were donated by Francis O'Connor to the National Collection of Fine Arts, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which subsequently transferred the papers, with O'Connor's permission, to the Archives of American Art in 1974. In 2010, O'Connor donated an additional 15.8 linear feet of papers to the Archives.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings and born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

The Artists' Questionanaires require permission from each artist before publishing, quoting, or reproducing. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

Items created by Francis V. O'Connor: copyright held by Avis Berman. Artists' questionnaires: Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce requires written permission from the individual artist. Contact Reference Services for more information.

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.

Occupation:

Art historians  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Transcripts  Search this

Citation:

Francis V. O'Connor papers, 1920-2009. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.oconfran

See more items in:

Francis V. O'Connor papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw928830ed7-4840-4fdf-a797-217fa306c1e7

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-oconfran

Artist:

Ikkyu Sojun 一休宗純 (1394-1481)  Search this

Medium:

Ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W (Overall): 198.5 × 47.6 cm (78 3/16 × 18 3/4 in)

H x W (Image): 117.5 × 34 cm (46 1/4 × 13 3/8 in)

Type:

Calligraphy

Origin:

Japan

Date:

15th century

Topic:

Japan  Search this

Japanese Art  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles

Accession Number:

F2023.3.1

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3e9a13204-117c-4ecf-937d-0ccf01b65118

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F2023.3.1

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Etching; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W (overall): 15.7 x 9 cm (6 3/16 x 3 9/16 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1858

Topic:

etching (printing process)  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

store front  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1891.6

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye338f6bd9b-a6bb-4ef7-9ac6-df93865cba74

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1891.6

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Drypoint; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W (overall): 22.7 x 15.2 cm (8 15/16 x 6 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1875

Topic:

drypoint  Search this

work  Search this

United States  Search this

blacksmithing  Search this

blacksmith  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1892.11

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye315b9e7db-c9b4-4424-b8a1-422e3a118352

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1892.11

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Drypoint; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 19.3 x 31.6 cm (7 5/8 x 12 7/16 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1861

Topic:

drypoint  Search this

work  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1894.23

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3c1f355cd-77f8-4422-83c8-d18ac6edf75f

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1894.23

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 19.7 x 15.9 cm (7 3/4 x 6 1/4 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1895

Topic:

work  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1896.67

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

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Google Cultural Institute

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye32d311cd8-be6d-4525-9a47-431d28f96648

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1896.67

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 21.2 x 16 cm (8 3/8 x 6 5/16 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1895-1896

Topic:

portrait  Search this

man  Search this

work  Search this

United States  Search this

blacksmith  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1896.68

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

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Google Cultural Institute

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3ad5d1bd4-57e5-4696-80d4-4fe4dfd309e8

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1896.68

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 19.7 x 15.3 cm (7 3/4 x 6 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1895

Topic:

man  Search this

work  Search this

United States  Search this

blacksmith  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1896.71

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3f309ea1b-6e03-42b5-8fe5-021ee5e2541f

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1896.71

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Etching; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 11.8 x 8 cm (4 5/8 x 3 1/8 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

ca. 1857

Topic:

etching (printing process)  Search this

self portrait  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1898.208

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye339143807-0927-4049-9af8-2ce27dc48560

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1898.208

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Etching; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 15.7 x 22.4 cm (6 3/16 x 8 13/16 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1858

Topic:

etching (printing process)  Search this

child  Search this

woman  Search this

work  Search this

architecture  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1898.216

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

Related Online Resources:

Google Cultural Institute

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye378cd754d-fd2d-456e-aa26-ac7df4f8cc3a

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1898.216

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Etching; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 15.9 x 22.8 cm (6 1/4 x 9 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1858

Topic:

etching (printing process)  Search this

child  Search this

woman  Search this

work  Search this

architecture  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1898.217

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

Related Online Resources:

Google Cultural Institute

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3faa09c3e-7fbd-47a7-b957-f7fe96ecb02e

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1898.217

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Etching; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 15.8 x 22.6 cm (6 1/4 x 8 7/8 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1858

Topic:

etching (printing process)  Search this

child  Search this

woman  Search this

work  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

store front  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1898.218

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

Related Online Resources:

Google Cultural Institute

See more items in:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3f2ba37d3-79e1-451c-a964-c61ba72db165

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1898.218

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Drypoint; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 19.5 x 31.5 cm (7 11/16 x 12 3/8 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1861

Topic:

drypoint  Search this

work  Search this

United States  Search this

blacksmith  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1898.307

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

Related Online Resources:

Google Cultural Institute

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye300a47d83-ecb8-487c-8bfb-f8a827cbc267

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1898.307

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Etching; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 22.9 x 15.2 cm (9 x 6 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1867

Topic:

etching (printing process)  Search this

boat  Search this

work  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

cancelled plate  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1898.330

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

Related Online Resources:

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye380e260ad-53a6-4fc0-921d-3854bcbd57ae

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1898.330

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Etching; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 29.2 x 20.1 cm (11 1/2 x 7 15/16 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1879-1880

Topic:

etching (printing process)  Search this

woman  Search this

work  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1898.384

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

Related Online Resources:

Google Cultural Institute

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Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3f4f1640e-2d2f-4615-b2a9-3e76c8ed9a2c

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1898.384

Artist:

James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903)  Search this

Medium:

Etching and drypoint; ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 29 x 20.2 cm (11 7/16 x 7 15/16 in)

Type:

Print

Origin:

United States

Date:

1879-1880

Topic:

etching (printing process)  Search this

woman  Search this

work  Search this

United States  Search this

American Art  Search this

Charles Lang Freer collection  Search this

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Accession Number:

F1898.385

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

Related Online Resources:

Google Cultural Institute

See more items in:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye3c314de1b-d745-4e6d-b0ab-9420767800c7

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:fsg_F1898.385