Audiovisual Materials related to an exhibit on African American photographers held a the Art and Industries Building February 4, 2000 - July 16, 2000. The exhibit featured more than 300 images by 120 leading African American photographers that document
Provenance:
This exhibit was created by the Center for African American History and Culture, a Smithsonian Initiative which operated in the 1990s before merging with the Anacostia Museum.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers, 1840 to the present audiovisual records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution
On June 14, 1997, the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture's Juneteenth Celebration was held at Anacostia Park. Performances included hip-hop dance by Apocalyptic Future; jazz band Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band; percussion group Drums of Fire with Barnett Williams and Baba Ngoma; Danny Dread; the Anointed Souls; storytellers Shindana Cooper and Bill Grimmette; and Nap Turner's rendition of 'Hughes Views of the Blues.' The day also included activities for children and families, and arts and crafts demonstrations.
Celebration - festival. Part of Juneteenth Programs. Dated 1997.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
On June 22, 1991, the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture's Juneteenth Celebration was held at the Anacostia Museum. Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton greeted guests with remarks. Musical and dance performances included West African dance troupe Kan Kouran; bell ringers The Templeton Chimers; a capella group In Process; go-go band Junkyard Band; blues band Sonny Forriest; doo-wop singers The Orioles; Afro-pop group Liziba; St. Teresa of Avila Young Adult Choir; and jazz duo Yvonne and Phyllis. Arts and crafts demonstrations included hair braiding, kente weaving, wood carving, cartooning, wool spinning by Mirma Jones, and quilting by Daughter of Dorcas. The day also included games for children, Myklar the Magician, the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Reenactment Group, and screenings of 'Roots of Resistance: A Story of the Underground Railroad' and 'Gift of the Black Folk.' The theme for the Juneteenth Celebration 1991 was Freedom Revisited.
Celebration - festival. Part of Juneteenth Programs. Dated 1991.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
On June 20, 1992, the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture's Juneteenth Celebration was held at the Anacostia Museum. Museum Director Steven Newsome, Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly, and other civic leaders greeted guests with speeches. Musical and dance performances included a capella groups In Process and REVERB; go-go bands Junkyard Band and Chuck Brown/Soul Searchers; doo-wop singers The Orioles; reggae band Third Eye; Melvin Deal West African Dancers; and St. Teresa of Avila Choir. Children's activities included games, such as balloon toss and sack race. Storytellers Rita Cox and Jamal Koram, puppeteer Schroeder Cherry, and Happy the Clown also performed. Arts and crafts demonstrations included hair braiding, kente weaving, tie dyeing, jewelry making, doll making, cartooning, and quilting by Daughter of Dorcas. The day also included a Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad Reenactment by Kwelismith and a poetry reading 'The Spoken Word.'
Celebration - festival. Part of Juneteenth Programs. AV002086: 19920620. AV002092: dated 1992.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV002092
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
On June 12, 1993, the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture's Juneteenth Celebration was held at the Anacostia Museum. Museum Director Steven Newsome and civic leaders greeted guests with speeches. Musical and dance performances included Universal Messengers of Music, Pennvisions Dance Company, New World Percussion Ensemble, Zulu Nation Hip Hop Dancers, Frankie Addison and the Front Line Jazz Ensemble, Andrew Cacho African Drummers and Dancers, and Nap Turner. Children's activities included storyteller Joy Love, Happy the Clown, and games, such as balloon toss and sack race. Arts and crafts demonstrations included hair braiding, tie dyeing, jewelry making, papier mache, African drumming and dancing, and quilting by Daughter of Dorcas. Author Jill Nelson read from her book, Volunteer Slavery: My Authentic Negro Experience. The theme for the Juneteenth Celebration 1993 was Music and Motion. In addition to performances during the celebration, the recording includes footage of celebration preparations, and interviews with Steven Newsome and Zora Martin-Felton about the importance of the Anacostia Museum hosting a Juneteenth Celebration.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Opening of the exhibition 'Reflections in Black: African American Photography: 1840 to the Present' at the Anacostia Museum on February 3, 2000. Speakers included Steven Newsome, Larry Small, Debbi Jarvis, Linda Sullivan, and Sandra Allen. Reception and concert of doo-wop music followed the speeches.
Reception. Audio only. Related to exhibition 'Reflections in Black: African American Photography: 1840 to the Present.' Dated 20000203.
Biographical / Historical:
Reflections in Black: African American Photography: 1840 to the Present examined how, throughout history, black photographers have played a central role in influencing how African Americans visualized themselves. The exhibition was presented as a series of three thematic sections: The First One Hundred Years, 1842-1942, Art and Activism, and A History Deconstructed. It was held at the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture from February 4 - June 30, 2000.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV001922_B
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Docent training for the exhibition 'Locating the Spirit: Religion and Spirituality in African American Art' led by Mark Wright, curatorial assistant and researcher, at the Anacostia Museum. Wright explained the exhibition and its components during a talk and walk thru of the exhibition.
Docent training. Related to Locating the Spirit: Religion and Spirituality in African American Art. Dated 19990213.
Biographical / Historical:
Locating the Spirit: Religion and Spirituality in African American Art explored and examined religious imagery in African American art. The exhibition featured over 60 artists including David C. Driskell, Leslie King-Hammond, Radcliffe Bailey, Chester Higgins, Jr., and Valerie Maynard. Curated by Deborah Willis, the exhibition was organized by the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture, and held at the Anacostia Gallery from February 14, 1999 through June 15, 1999.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV002241
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Docent Training for 'Locating the Spirit: Religion and Spirituality in African American Art,' Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Curator Deborah Willis leads a walk thru tour, or informal gallery walk, of exhibition 'Locating The Spirit: Religion and Spirituality in African American Art' at the Anacostia Museum.
Exhibition tour. Related to Locating the Spirit: Religion and Spirituality in African American Art. Dated 19990210.
Biographical / Historical:
Locating the Spirit: Religion and Spirituality in African American Art explored and examined religious imagery in African American art. The exhibition featured over 60 artists including David C. Driskell, Leslie King-Hammond, Radcliffe Bailey, Chester Higgins, Jr., and Valerie Maynard. Curated by Deborah Willis, the exhibition was organized by the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture, and held at the Anacostia Gallery from February 14, 1999 through June 15, 1999.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV002200
ACMA AV002256
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
This short film contains excerpts from the 1953 documentary - All My Babies: A Midwife's Own Story directed by George C. Stoney - which featured Mary Coley, a midwife in rural Georgia, and was originally produced to educate granny midwives. Bernard Coley, Mary Coley's grandson, talks about his family learning of the existence of the film and what he remembers about his grandmother in regards to her values, caretaking for her family, and working as a midwife. The film also contains footage of a Coley family reunion in Albany, Georgia; and states the Coley family created an endowment in Mary Coley's name at Albany State University and established a scholarship fund for students who intend to pursue health care in rural, underserved areas. In 2002, All My Babies: A Midwife's Own Story was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Short film containing excerpts of film and interview. Part of the Reclaiming Midwives: Pillars of Community Support exhibition. Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
Reclaiming Midwives: Pillars of Community Support exhibition, held at the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture from November 13, 2005 - August 6, 2006, documented the life and work of Mary Francis Hill Coley in rural Georgia where she provided midwifery care to thousands for 30 years. The exhibition celebrated the role of Miss Coley (1900-1960) and many other midwives as central forces in the communities they served and traces midwife practices from the earliest days of slavery to today.
General:
Title transcribed from the Internet Archive as titled by producer Elliot Margolies.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
This short recording contains a brief news report from WTTO-TV (WB 21 - Birmingham, Alabama) and excerpts from an interview with 'Aunt Margaret' Charles Smith. The news report briefly covers Aunt Margaret's funeral and celebration of her life in Eutaw, Alabama as well as a brief history of her life and her values. Keith Hawkins - Aunt Margaret's grandson, Denise Williams - who was delivered by Aunt Margaret, and Linda J. Holmes - co-author of the book 'Listen to Me Good: The Life Story of an Alabama Midwife' - talks about Aunt Margaret, particularly about how she continued to practice midwifery despite the passage of law outlawing traditional midwifery. During an interview with Holmes, Aunt Margaret speaks about her journey to become a midwife and working as a midwife in Green County, Alabmama; describes a specific experience when she delivered twins; and explains she provided midwifery services for free
News report and interview excerpts. Part of the Reclaiming Midwives: Pillars of Community Support exhibition. Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
Reclaiming Midwives: Pillars of Community Support exhibition, held at the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture from November 13, 2005 - August 6, 2006, documented the life and work of Mary Francis Hill Coley in rural Georgia where she provided midwifery care to thousands for 30 years. The exhibition celebrated the role of Miss Coley (1900-1960) and many other midwives as central forces in the communities they served and traces midwife practices from the earliest days of slavery to today.
General:
Title transcribed from contents of recording.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
'Bringin' in Da' Spirit' celebrates the history of the midwives, particularly Granny Midwives, in the United States from the earliest days of slavery until today. The documentary film documents the contributions of 'Aunt Margaret' Charles Smith, Maude Callen, Onnie Lee Logan, Gladys Milton to midwifery and health care. Midwives 'Aunt Margaret' Charles Smith, Gladys Milton, Nonkululeko Tyehemba, Afua Hassan, Sakina O'Uhuru, Nicole Deggins, and a few of their clients provide personal stories sharing their knowledge and experience either as a midwife or working with a midwife. They, along with narrator Phylicia Rashad, explain midwives delivered black and white babies, earned respect in the homes of both blacks and whites, cared for the sick and dying, and wrote birth certificates. They explain how midwives impact the high mortality rate of African American babies, the difference between giving birth and being delivered, and modern day birthing centers versus hospital care. The documentary film presents the importance of and need for midwives, and how midwifery has changed over time, including training programs, certifications, instruments, and supplies. The film also explores the spiritual aspect of midwifery. The film contains footage of archival still and moving images of interviews, birthing centers, and the International Center for Traditional Childbearing's Black Midwives and Healers Conference in Portland in 2002.
Documentary film. Screened as part of the Reclaiming Midwives: Pillars of Community Support exhibition. Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
Reclaiming Midwives: Pillars of Community Support exhibition, held at the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture from November 13, 2005 - August 6, 2006, documented the life and work of Mary Francis Hill Coley in rural Georgia where she provided midwifery care to thousands for 30 years. The exhibition celebrated the role of Miss Coley (1900-1960) and many other midwives as central forces in the communities they served and traces midwife practices from the earliest days of slavery to today.
General:
Title transcribed from physical asset.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
In celebration of Kwanzaa and for the Anacostia Museum's 1997 Kwanzaa program, Steven Newsome provided a welcome introduction, and Andrew Humphrey introduced the speakers and performers throughout the program. The program also included a drum processional and dance performance by Melvin Deal and his group of African Heritage Dancers and Drummers; an altar blessing by Reverend Amitiyal; a musical performances by Friendship House's DC Kids, In Process, and The Sun Machine; a series of reflections by Joanna Banks and Gregory A. Beacons; a poetry and musical performance by Duke Ellington School of Arts Literary Studies Class; and testimonials from an elder and a child. Also, Robert Harris spoke about the Kwanzaa stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service.
Event. Dated 19971229.
General:
Title transcribed from physical asset.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Sept[ember] 3, 1933 [group of people aboard the excursion ship E. Madison Hall alongside a jetty : cellulose acetate photonegative, banquet camera format]
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005 Search this
Extent:
1 Item (Silver gelatin on cellulose acetate film sheet., 12" x 20".)
Container:
Box 6, Folder 27
Culture:
African Americans -- Washington (D.C.) Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Banquet camera photographs
Panoramas
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Washington (D.C.) -- 1930-1950 -- Photographs
Potomac River (Washington (D.C.)
Date:
1933 September 3
Scope and Contents:
Scan Number: AC0618.004.0001312.tif
A large number of passengers are dressed in white robes and caps (baptismal garb). Ink on negative: caption and "Scurlock Photo". No edge imprint, no Scurlock number.
Biographical / Historical:
"The E. Madison Hall excursion boat, owned and operated by a black man, Captain J. O. Holmes, is a steamer 160 feet long that seats 800 and has 20 staterooms. The excursion season begins about the first Sunday in May and lasts through September. Two or three trips down the Potomac to River View resort are made each day", from "The Black Washingtonians. The Anacostia Museum Illustrated Chronology," The Smithsonian Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hokoben, N.J., 2005).
Subseries Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series 8: Business Records, Subseries 8.1: Studio Session Registers are restricted. Digital copies available for research. See repository for details.
Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. Special arrangements required to view negatives due to cold storage. Using negatives requires a three hour waiting period. Contact the Archives Center at 202-633-3270.
Subseries Rights:
When the Museum purchased the collection from the Estate of Robert S. Scurlock, it obtained all rights, including copyright. The earliest photographs in the collection are in the public domain because their term of copyright has expired. The Archives Center will control copyright and the use of the collection for reproduction purposes, which will be handled in accordance with its standard reproduction policy guidelines. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Photographs -- 1930-1940 -- Black-and-white negatives -- Acetate film
Banquet camera photographs -- 1930-1940
Panoramas
Subseries Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
The collection was acquired with assistance from the Eugene Meyer Foundation. Elihu and Susan Rose and the Save America's Treasures program, provided funds to stabilize, organize, store, and create digital surrogates of some of the negatives. Processing and encoding funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.
Audiovisual materials created for an exhibition on African American Dance, held at the Arts and Industries Building December 14, 2000 - June 1, 2001. More than 300 paintings, photographs, sculpture, and archival objects -- some dating to the early 1600s -- are used to trace African American dance from its roots in west and central Africa through the 20th century. On view are masks, robes, drums and musical instruments from Africa, along with works by such artists as Richmond Barthe, Romare Bearden, John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Archibald Motley, Sam Gilliam, and Howardena Pindell. Dancers featured include the Nicholas Brothers, Josephine Baker, Carmen de Lavallade, and Alvin Ailey. Organized by the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, Ohio. Sponsored by the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture. This collection of audiovisual records contains sound recordings of the exhibition script.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Former and present residents of North Brentwood speak about growing up and raising their families in North Brentwood. They discuss education, schools, churches, family histories, incorporation of the town, desegregation, and community as a family. They reminiscence about a time when the area was rural, everyone knew everyone, and neighbors disciplined each other's children.
Interview clips. Part of Footsteps from North Brentwood Audiovisual Records. Undated.
Biographical / Historical:
The exhibition, Footsteps from North Brentwood, included an oral, pictorial and artifact collection of life in North Brentwood from the 1900s to 1930. It was developed by the North Brentwood Historical Society and the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Museum; and on display at the Anacostia Museum from April 1996 through December 1996, North Brentwood Community Center from February 1997 through May 1997, and Lowe House of Delegates in Annapolis, Maryland from June 1997 through December 1997. The exhibition used pictures, documents, and artifacts to document the history of the first black incorporated town in Prince George's County. The oral histories describe North Brentwood's social history as told by 23 families who were either residents or descendants of residents who lived there during the 1920 U.S. Manuscript Census; they were collected by students in Dr. Elizabeth-Clark Lewis' public history class at Howard University between November 10, 1993 and November 29, 1993.
General:
Title created by ACMA staff from transcription on physical asset and title of related exhibition.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
In coordination with the exhibition 'Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life,' Dr. Cornel West spoke about the crisis in America as it relates to people who suffer, of all colors, of all faiths, and of all political persuasions. He stressed the importance of gathering community builders and provided guidance on 'reinventing ourselves, our public institutions and our communities.' West spoke of the truth or lack of truth in America; democracy in America; political and economic reform; and getting to the deep, hidden truths about America and its legacy, including white supremacy, male supremacy, wealth inequality. Specifically, he talked about how to restructure U.S. economy; the role of media and corporations; churches and faith-based communities; new social order; the loss, or lack, of dignity; and the Democratic Party's disconnect with the African American community. This lecture and conversation took place post-election cycle and a few weeks after the release of his and Roberto Unger's book, 'The Future of American Progressivism.'
Lecture/conversation. Audio only. Related to 'Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life' exhibition. Dated 19981105.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV001925_A
ACMA AV001925_B
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Musical recording session at Bible Way Temple, located in northwest Washington, D.C., to create CD of religious music. Contents include First Fruits, Cureton Family, and Bible Way Choir.
Music. Related to Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life. Dated 19980423.
Biographical / Historical:
Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life examined the faith and spiritual traditions in African American religious life in the 1990s. The exhibition featured members of Christian churches as well as those of other faiths. Special attention was given to the ways that African American congregations were responding to contemporary challenges affecting their families, neighborhoods, and communities. The exhibition was developed by the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture, and held at The Arts and Industries Building, North Gallery, 900 Jefferson Street, SW, Washington, D.C. from February 1998 to August 1999.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV002234
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at ACMarchives@si.edu.
Gail S. Lowe, Ph.D. talked about the center of African American life and community - the Black Chruch. She detailed the significance and work of the Black Church in communities, and provided an introduction to the upcoming exhibition 'Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life.' Lowe discussed each section of the exhibition, and the types of materials and information the museum planned to include in the exhibit. The talk was part of a meeting for the Friends for the Preservation of African American History and Culture.
Exhibition talk. Related to exhibition 'Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life.' Dated 19961016.
Biographical / Historical:
'Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life' examined the faith and spiritual traditions in African American religious life in the 1990s. The exhibition featured members of Christian churches as well as those of other faiths. Special attention was given to the ways that African American congregations were responding to contemporary challenges affecting their families, neighborhoods, and communities. The exhibition was developed by the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture, and held at The Arts and Industries Building, North Gallery, 900 Jefferson Street, SW, Washington, D.C. from February 1998 to August 1999.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at ACMarchives@si.edu.
Dr. Gail Lowe led a tour of the exhibition 'Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life.'
Exhibition tour. Related to Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life. Dated 19981006.
Biographical / Historical:
Speak to My Heart: Communities of Faith and Contemporary African American Life examined the faith and spiritual traditions in African American religious life in the 1990s. The exhibition featured members of Christian churches as well as those of other faiths. Special attention was given to the ways that African American congregations were responding to contemporary challenges affecting their families, neighborhoods, and communities. The exhibition was developed by the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture, and held at The Arts and Industries Building, North Gallery, 900 Jefferson Street, SW, Washington, D.C. from February 1998 to August 1999.
Series Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at ACMarchives@si.edu.