The records of the American Art Research Council, a cooperative research group headquartered at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, measure 3 linear feet and date from 1935 to 1956. The records include Chairman Juliana Force's correspondence, administrative correspondence, advisory committee files, miscellaneous administrative files, scattered financial records, and printed materials.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the American Art Research Council, a cooperative research group headquartered at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, measure 3 linear feet and date from 1935 to 1956. The records include Chairman Juliana Force's correspondence, administrative correspondence, advisory committee files, miscellaneous administrative files, scattered financial records, and printed materials.
Correspondence consists of Chairman Juliana Force's correspondence with museums, curators, and others, in addition to general AARC correspondence on various subjects. The Advisory Committee series consists of correspondence, lists, reports, and meeting minutes.
Administrative records include assorted material such as reports on paintings owned by private individuals and art centers, correspondence and drafts on a special issue of Art in America, a bibliography, and surveys. Survey files consist of survey responses and indexes of results for several surveys conducted by the AARC.
Financial records consist of assorted material such as contribution records, ledgers, bank statements, and cancelled checks. Printed materials include clippings, academic journals, bulletins, and press releases.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series.
Series 1: Correspondence, 1942-1947 (1 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Advisory Committee, 1942-1947 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 3: Administrative Records, 1935-1950 (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)
Series 4: Financial Records, 1942-1956 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)
Series 5: Printed Material, 1942-1947 (0.2 linear feet; Box 5)
Biographical / Historical:
The American Art Research Council (AARC) was founded in 1942 when the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City proposed that museums across the country establish a collaborative centralized organization for American art research. In April 1942, directors and representatives of 15 prominent museums met and founded the AARC.
Headquartered in and administered by the Whitney Museum, the AARC broadened its scope to include staff from over 30 museums and universities across the country. The organization formed a Committee on Research consisting of experts and scholars of American art that authenticated art, shared research records about artists, and conducted multiple surveys on various subjects. The AARC also facilitated researchers by sharing their information in catalogs and publications.
Provenance:
The American Art Research Council records were donated by the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1978 as part of a larger donation of museum records.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Facility.
Rights:
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.
Robinson, Franklin A., Jr., 1959- (actor) Search this
Container:
Box 60, Folder 1-7
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1956-04-1964-03
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but negatives and audiovisuial materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Some papers of living persons are restricted. Access to restricted portions may be arranged by request to the donor. Gloves required for unprotected photographs. Viewing film portions of the collection and listening to LP recording requires special appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
The Archives Center does not own exclusive rights to these materials. Copyright for all materials is retained by the donor, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr.; permission for commercial use and/or publication may be requested from the donor through the Archives Center. Military Records for Franklin A. Robinson (b. 1932) and correspondence from Richard I. Damalouji (1961-2014) are restricted; written permission is needed to research these files. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
The Robinson and Via Family Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Sponsor:
Preservation of the 8mm films in this collection was made possible, in part, by a grant from the National Film Preservation Fund.
Robinson, Franklin A., Jr., 1959- (actor) Search this
Container:
Box 63, Folder 6
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1959
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but negatives and audiovisuial materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Some papers of living persons are restricted. Access to restricted portions may be arranged by request to the donor. Gloves required for unprotected photographs. Viewing film portions of the collection and listening to LP recording requires special appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
The Archives Center does not own exclusive rights to these materials. Copyright for all materials is retained by the donor, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr.; permission for commercial use and/or publication may be requested from the donor through the Archives Center. Military Records for Franklin A. Robinson (b. 1932) and correspondence from Richard I. Damalouji (1961-2014) are restricted; written permission is needed to research these files. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
The Robinson and Via Family Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Sponsor:
Preservation of the 8mm films in this collection was made possible, in part, by a grant from the National Film Preservation Fund.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization Search this
Names:
New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.) Search this
Extent:
130 Cubic feet (417 boxes, 25 map-folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Souvenirs
Photographs
Pamphlets
Guidebooks
Exhibition posters--1930-1940
Diaries
Ephemera
Film transparencies
Motion picture film
Posters
Place:
Flushing Meadows Park (New York, N.Y.)
New York (N.Y.)
Date:
1835-2000, undated
Summary:
Collection documents the 1939 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York. Also includes material relating to other fairs, the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO), New York City tourism and The Walt Disney Company.
Scope and Contents:
Collection primarily documents the conception, planning, construction, management, and operations of the 1939 New York World's Fair located in Flushing Meadows, New York. Materials provide historical context and cultural significance as recorded in publications, artwork, photographs, ephemera, postcards, maps, plans, exhibitor's literature, souvenirs, and motion picture film. Most of the materials were primarily created for people who attended the fair. Some of the materials include scrapbooks created by fair visitors to document their experiences. There is a significant amount of material relating to other fairs, New York tourism, the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO) and the World's Fair Collector's Society. Other forms of entertainment such as festivals, the Olympic games, and Disney World are also found among these materials. There is little information relating to Edward Orth's personal and professional life as a city planner. The collection is arranged into eleven series.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into eleven series.
Series 1, Edward J. Orth Personal Papers, 1915-1989, undated
Subseries 1.1, Correspondence, 1939-1989
Subseries 1.2, Other Materials, 1915-1989, undated
Series 2, Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO) and World's Fair Collector's Society, Incorporated Records, 1942-1990, undated
Subseries 2.1, General Information, 1960-1988, undated
Subseries 2.2, Correspondence, 1942-1990, undated
Subseries 2.3, Classified and Wanted Advertisements, 1956-1988, undated
Edward Joseph Orth grew up with a strong interest in history, particularly the history of the 1939 New York World's Fair. Orth's visit to the fair as a twelve-year-old boy led to a life-long passion of collecting. At the time of his death, he had amassed enough materials to fill two homes in California. Orth also collected materials from several other fairs. In addition, he saved some of the records of the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO) and the World's Fair Collector's Society.
Orth was born April 19, 1927, to Andrew Joseph Orth and Florence Minnie Gordon Orth in Glendale, New York. In the 1930s, the Orth family lived in several locations in New York including Ridgewood, Brooklyn, Glendale, and Queens. The home that made the most impact in young Orth's life came in 1935 when the family moved to St. Albans, Queens seven miles from Flushing Meadow Park, the future site of the 1939 fair. Sadly in 1939 there were several deaths in the family including three grandparents. The severe loss of life limited family social activities but a drive by the future site of the fair provided Orth a glimpse of the Trylon and Perisphere. He would later remark that the sight appeared to be magic. In the summer of 1939, he went to the fair with his classmates from Public School 136. The next summer Orth and his father purchased a 10-admission ticket from an elementary school in Hollis, Queens, New York. He saved every souvenir and any information he could find about the fair. He filled scrapbooks with images from newspapers and postcards from the Curt Teich and Manhattan Postcard companies. When his family moved from an apartment to a house, he acquired a fair bench which was kept in the backyard.
In 1941, Orth attended Newton High School in Elmhurst, and Queens, New York. The high school offered a college preparatory program with heavy emphasis on mathematics, science, mechanical drawing, and workshop courses. Orth's education and training combined with the knowledge he gained from motion picture films viewed at the fair, including Thomas Edison's "The City of Light," Ford Motor Company's "Road of Tomorrow," "Democracy," and General Motors' "Futurama" provided the foundation and inspiration for a career in architecture and landscaping. He ultimately became a city planner for the state of California. By 1943, Orth was exploring used magazine and bookstores in New York City to acquire more fair materials before enlisting in the United States Army in 1945. Upon his discharge he resumed buying and trading fair postcards. From 1948-1953, Orth attended the University of California and the University of Connecticut where he studied architecture and landscape design. During these years he posted advertisements in various publications in his continued pursue for fair materials.
In March 1953, Mr. Orth moved to Los Angeles, California. There he formed lasting friendships with other collectors. By 1967, Orth and several of his closest friends including Peter Warner, Oscar Hengstler, David Oats, Larry Zim, and Ernest Weidhaas conceived the idea of a fair collector's organization. By the summer of 1968, the group had formally created the Exhibition Collectors Historical Organization (ECHO).
As time passed Orth became increasing concerned about the welfare of his collection. He wanted it to go to a museum rather than be sold in parts. In his will he stipulated that the collection would be given to the Smithsonian Institution upon his death. Jon Zackman, former Smithsonian employee, interviewed Orth's brother George and fair collector Peter Warner. Orth and Warner corresponded and traded objects over many years. Mr. Orth primarily covered the west coast area while Peter Warner was his east coast counterpart. Edward Orth died on September 6,1989 in Los Angeles, California at the age of sixty-two.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
New York World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.0134
Landor Design Collection, NMAH.AC.0500
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subject Category, World Expos, NMAH.AC.0060
Larry Zim World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.0519
Alice R. Hillis World's Fair Film, NMAH.AC.0531
Borden Company 1939 New York World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.1063
Memories of the New York World's Fair, NMAH.AC.0592
Archives Center World Expositions Collection, NMAH.AC.0825
Daniel H. Meyerson World's Fair Collection, NMAH.AC.0745
Division of Community Life World's Fairs Collection, NMAH.AC.1132
Princeton University Posters Collection, NMAH.AC.0433
Smithsonian Speech Synthesis History Project, NMAH.AC.0417
Messmore and Damon Company Records, NMAH.AC.0846
Thomas Norrell Railroad Collection, NMAH.AC.1174
William L. Bird Holidays on Display Collection, NMAH.AC.1288
Wurlitzer Company Records, NMAH.AC.0469
Victor A. Blenkle Postcard Collection, NMAH.AC.0200
Materials at Other Organizations
New York Public Library The New York World's Fair 1939 and 1940 Incorporated Records, 1935-1945, MssCol 2233.
New York City 1939 World's Fair architectural drawings, circa 1935. Museum of the City of New York. Museum of the City of New York.
New York City 1939 World's Fair Collection, 1939-1940. Museum of the City of New York. New York World's Fair 1939/40 Collection. Queens Museum.
1939 New York World's Fair Postcards, Identifier: 1972-320, Audiovisual Collections Repository, Hagley Museum & Library
Separated Materials:
Materials at the National Museum of American History
Artifacts from the collection include several thousand souvenirs and examples of memorabilia commemorating the fair to include buttons and badges, ceramics, glassware, clothing, costume jewelry, coins and medals, commemorative spoons and flatware, toys and games, and philatelic material which are all part of the Division of Home and Community Life's holdings (now Division of Cultural and Community Life).
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. 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. Viewing film portion of collection requires special appointment, please inquire. Do not use when original materials are available on reference video or audio tapes.
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:
Exhibitions -- 1930-1940 -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The records of the Area Gallery measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1958-1977 (bulk dates 1959-1964). Area Gallery was one of the Tenth Street Co-ops in New York City, and operated from 1958-1965. Materials in this collection include artist bios, price lists, black and white photos of artwork; financial records with annotations; member lists, exhibition lists, and daily notes; gallery sign-in sheets; correspondence, including letters to and from the gallery and regarding rent issues; and an extensive scrapbook containing exhibition posters, photos of artwork, announcements, exhibition reviews, and clippings.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the Area Gallery measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1958-1977 (bulk dates 1959-1964). Area Gallery was one of the Tenth Street Co-ops in New York City, and operated from 1958-1965. Materials in this collection include artist bios, price lists, black and white photos of artwork; financial records with annotations; member lists, exhibition lists, and daily notes; gallery sign-in sheets; correspondence, including letters to and from the gallery and regarding rent issues; and an extensive scrapbook containing exhibition posters, photos of artwork, announcements, exhibition reviews, and clippings.
Administrative records contain member lists, daily operational notes and messages, artwork loan contracts to museums, some mail received by the gallery, and all sign-in sheets for the gallery from 1962-1965. It is noted that all sign-in sheets prior to April 1962 have been lost.
Correspondence is primarily to and from the Treasurer of Area Gallery, and also contains requests for hire and exhibitions, member resignations, payments made and received. Additionally, rent correspondence contains letters regarding late or overdue payments.
The artist files and scrapbook contain black and white photographs of artwork, artist bios, price lists, and some exhibition announcements, and represent a small fraction of the number of artists who showed at Area Gallery. The scrapbook also contains exhibition review clippings and exhibition posters.
The financial records include cancelled checks, many of which have been annotated, deposit slips and bank statements, also annotated. Receipts for bills, supplies, artist payments, and dues are also included, as well as two bookkeeping ledgers.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1958-1977 (8 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1958-1965 (3 folders; Box 1)
Series 3: Artist Files, 1959-1964 (15 folders; Box 1)
Series 4: Financial Records, 1958-1965 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 5: Scrapbook, 1959-1966 (0.3 linear feet; Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
Area Gallery was one of the Tenth Street Co-ops in New York City, and operated from 1958-1965. From fall 1958 to summer 1962, the gallery was located at 80 East 10th Street, and then moved to 90 East 10th Street until the summer of 1965. Area Gallery's original members were: Tom Boutis, John Ireland Collins, Charles DuBack, Joe Fiore, Bernard Langlais, Ed Moses, Daphne Mumford, and Paul Yakovenko.
New York's Tenth Street Galleries were a cooperative of artist-run galleries that began opening in the early 1950s, located between 3rd and 4th Avenues, where spaces for living and studios were relatively inexpensive. It was the center for anything new and avant-garde in downtown Manhattan at this time. Galleries operated on very low budgets, artists were often members of more than one gallery, and they provided an alternative to the highly selective Madison Avenue and 57th Street galleries. The top galleries of the 10th Street Co-ops were the Tanager, Hansa, James, Camino, March, Phoenix, Brata, and Area Gallery.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is a collection relating to the Tenth Street Galleries and collection donor, Ruth Fortel. See: Joellen Bard's, Ruth Fortel's, and Helen Thomas' exhibition records of "Tenth Street Days: the Co-ops of the 50s," 1953-1977.
Provenance:
The records were donated in 1978 by Ruth Becker Fortel, Treasurer of Area Gallery.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
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.
Function:
Artist-run galleries -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Citation:
Area Gallery records, 1958-1977, bulk 1959-1964. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Banking and Banks forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Scope and Contents:
Most of the banking documents are 19th century (1830-1890) commercial banking correspondence on letterhead stationary between banking customers and clients and their banks, banking houses, dealers and exchanges (rather than bank to bank correspondence) and cancelled checks from large banks such as Shawmut Bank, Bank of Kent, Bank of Whitehall, and Wells Fargo. Correspondence topics include loans, foreign currency exchanges, mortgages, estates and taxes.
Banking regulations, bank annual reports, state and congressional legislation, stock certificates, and bond certificates are also present.
Notes of exchange (first, second and third exchanges), what appears to be scrip issued for currency requirements, promissory notes ("I promise to pay"), complaints concerning non-payment, and a few documents on banknote companies are among the materials.
Bank-issued booklets on various subjects such as saving money, the effect of various depressions, including The Great Depression, may be included in the folder of the publishing bank, and a few other related publications are in the subject series.
Some early material on investment banks (Kidder Peabody, Brown Brothers) and a large number of items from The Manhattan Company, an early bank type organization is also included.
Most of the material comes from the northeastern United States, with a large amount from New York. The vast majority of items are organized by name of the issuing bank, or the name of the bank that cashed the check, with names like "Bank of Kent" filed under "Kent, Bank of". Banks named First National Bank of... are filed under "F" and banks with names like State Bank of New York are filed under "S". Those items that do not contain an identifiable bank name have been filed in Checks and Records by state.
Documents where no bank name or geographic origin is discernible are in folders organized by document examples, e.g. Bankruptcy and Foreclosure.
A small number of documents and checks from non-U.S. banks are included in Box 29.
Arrangement:
The original arrangement was completed by Archives Center Staff (date unknown). Minor modification was made to the arrangement during additional processing. The collection is arranged into three subseries.
Series 1: Business Records and Marketing Material, 1724-1975
Series 2: Genre, 1836-1913
Series 3: Subjects, 1857-1967
Business Records and Marketing Material
Genre
Subject
Forms Part Of:
Forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.
Series 1: Business Ephemera
Series 2: Other Collection Divisions
Series 3: Isadore Warshaw Personal Papers
Series 4: Photographic Reference Material
Provenance:
Banking and Bankers is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
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.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Banking, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
The records of the New York City-based Cinque Gallery, a nonprofit organization, measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1959 to 2010, with the bulk of materials dating from 1976 to 2004. The gallery's mission was to exhibit African American artists, to educate the public about their work, and to offer art programs to the community. This is documented by administrative records, artists' files, financial and legal records, printed material, and photographs. Materials dated before and after the gallery's years of operation relate to African American community organizations and were compiled by former Cinque Gallery Executive Director, Ruth Jett.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the New York City-based Cinque Gallery, a nonprofit organization, measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1959 to 2010, with the bulk of materials dating from 1976 to 2004. The gallery's mission was to exhibit African American artists, to educate the public about their work, and to offer art programs to the community. This is documented by administrative records, artists' files, financial and legal records, printed material, and photographs. Materials dated before and after the gallery's years of operation relate to African American community organizations and were compiled by former Cinque Gallery Executive Director, Ruth Jett.
Administrative records consist of a broad range of material such as gallery history, an organizational outline, by-laws and articles, assorted forms, correspondence, mailing lists, and fundraising materials. Correspondence is mostly addressed to Executive Director Ruth Jett regarding business operations and funding efforts.
Artists' files consists of resumes, biographical statements, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements related to Cinque Gallery founders as well as other artists. Notable artists include Romare Bearden, Ernest Crichlow, Norman Lewis, Nadine DeLawrence, Joanne McFarland, Virginia Evans Smit, and many others.
Financial and legal records include bank statements, tax records, budget projections, price lists, ledgers, and contribution receipts.
Printed material consists of announcements, invitations, and catalogs of group and solo exhibitions held at Cinque Gallery. Some of the artists featured in the exhibitions are Romare Bearden, Ernest Crichlow, Edward Clark, and Charles Alston. Also found are a brochure, newsletter, press releases, and clippings. Other printed items relating to Cinque Gallery are a brochure, exhibition reviews, and clippings.
Photographs are mostly of Cinque Gallery events, exhibition openings and galas. Some of the photographs have annotations on the verso. Among the identified individuals are Ernest Crichlow, Ruth Jett, Romare Bearden, and Norman Lewis. This series also contains a small number of negatives and a few slides of artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series:
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1969-2010 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 2: Artists' Files, 1983-2009 (Box 1, OV 2; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 3: Financial and Legal Records, 1969-2005 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1959-2007, bulk 1976-2007 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 5: Photographs, circa 1987-2003 (Box 1, OV 2; 0.2 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
The Cinque Gallery (est. 1969, closed 2004) was a nonprofit art gallery in New York City founded by African American artists Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, and Ernest Crichlow. It was established to exhibit the work of both new and established African American artists, and to provide community educational programs.
In 1981, co-founder Ernest Crichlow invited Ruth Jett, an accomplished administrator and long-time arts supporter, to serve on the gallery's Board of Directors. One year later, Jett was appointed Executive Director of Cinque Gallery. Jett has been described as the glue that held the Cinque Gallery together during its prodigious programs and exhibitions of the 1980s and 1990s.
Cinque sponsored more than 350 exhibitions in a number of New York City venues, as well as travelling exhibitions in the New York and New England areas before closing in 2004. The Gallery was funded by public and individual contributors, such as the Romare Bearden Foundation, Philip Morris Companies and the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Although Cinque Gallery closed its doors in 2004, some of its central programs are still continued by the Romare Bearden Foundation in New York City.
Provenance:
The records were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2013 by Ruth M. Jett, former Executive Director of Cinque Gallery.
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.
Rights:
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.
Whitehead, Henry P. (Prenton), 1917-2002 Search this
Extent:
156.91 Linear feet (178 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pamphlets
Sound recordings
Clippings
Memorabilia
Newspapers
Photographs
Books
Brochures
Date:
1843-2010
bulk 1940-1986
Summary:
The papers of historian Henry P. Whitehead measure 156.91 linear feet and date from 1843 to 2010 (bulk 1945-1986). The collection documents Whitehead's careers, as well as his family and personal life. The collection also includes the personal papers of Tomlinson D. Todd, Elizabeth B. Delaney and the Howard Theatre Foundation. The combined collection is comprised of black theatrical memorabilia; materials relating to civil rights activities in the District of Columbia; and the African American experience in general. Included are playbills, sheet music, admission tickets, newspapers, magazines, books, photographs, clippings, flyers, brochures, pamphlets, sound recordings, research files, and other material.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of historian Henry P. Whitehead measure 156.91 linear feet and date from 1843 to 2010 (bulk 1945-1986). The collection includes the personal papers of Henry P. Whitehead, Tomlinson D. Todd, Elizabeth B. Delaney and the Howard Theatre Foundation. The collection is divided into four series.
Series I focuses on Whitehead and includes papers dating from 1843 to his death in 2011. This series includes biographical material including a large amount of appointment books, identification and membership cards, resumes, certificates, and personal and family material.
There is a limited amount of correspondence, which focuses on his personal relationships with family, friends, and general correspondence relating primarily to his work as a local historian.
Also found within Whitehead's papers are countless records from his time employed by the Washington DC government. Materials include memoranda, notes, research material, handbooks, guides, manuals, affirmative action info and records, affirmative action plans, promotion recommendations, recruitment plans and summaries, personnel files (complaints), civil actions and reports related too Whitehead's 37 years of government employment. It reflects the activities of numerous departments, primarily in regards to employment and affirmative action.
There are also a number of files that document Whitehead's involvement in numerous community organizations. Among the organizations in which Whitehead was involved include U Street Festival, Lincoln Corporation, and the U Street Theater Foundation. The papers of the U Street Foundation document the production and establishment of the annual U Street Festival. The Lincoln Theater Foundation and the U Street Theater Foundation papers document the efforts to reopen the Lincoln Theater. Also included are Whitehead's research on the Lincoln as well as old Lincoln Theatre programs. Additionally found within this series are documents and clippings on the economic development within Washington DC particularly in the Shaw/U Street location.
The majority of this series consists of printed material. Printed material in this series includes books, clippings, magazines, newsletters, newspapers, press releases, sheet music, programs as well as promotional material for several Washington DC theaters and organizations. There is a large quantity of theater programs dating from 1900-1986. The majority of the clippings and magazines are theater related topics, coupled with a miscellaneous selection of clippings on topics that presumably captured Whitehead's attention.
Research, notes and writings include a large amount of scrapbooks compiled by Whitehead of mostly photocopied clippings documenting Washington DC history, African American theater history, and general African American history. Five scrapbooks were compiled by an unknown source and were previously housed in the New York Public Library collection. Two scrapbooks are about general theater history one about Frances Starr and one about Margaret Anglin. There is also one scrapbook pertaiing to Mae Hall. Also included are a large amount of research notes and notebooks along with general miscellaneous notes.
There are several photographs of African Americans in the performing arts as well as images of Washington DC and several unidentified men, women, and children.
Audio recordings include 23 cassette from the Alexandria Church of God.
The remainder of the collection consists of the papers of Tomlinson D. Todd, Elizabeth B. Delaney, and those about the Howard Theatre.
The Howard Theatre papers are arranged in Series II and include documents relating to the Washington DC historic Howard Theatre and date from 1910 to 1986. The papers in this series predominantly document the Howard Theatre Foundation's efforts to reestablish and run the Howard Theatre in which Whitehead was the vice president. Records include business correspondence, founding documents, photographs, memoranda, press releases, member lists, financial records, clippings, and scrapbooks of clippings pertaining to the organization and theatre.
The correspondence in the collection include a handful of letters from the Washington DC government along with individuals and organizations. Also included is a large amount of interoffice memoradums.
Administrative records include lawsuits, resolutions, meeting minutes, grant proposals, press releases, memoranda, member lists, studies and reports.
Financial records include check stubs, receipts, invoices, bank statements, expenses, and contribution lists.
Printed material includes original and photocopied clippings relating to the history and coverage of the foundation activities. Mostly promotional material as flyers, brochures, and press releases along with programs. In particular two 1920 Howard Theatre programs.
The scrapbooks of original and photocopied clippings compiled by Whitehead chronicle the history of the theatre and coverage of the foundation activities.
There are three VHS cassette featuring Whitehead discussing the Howard Theatre. Also found in series 2 are numerous stock investment record books belonging to A.E. Lichtman one of the early managers of the Howard Theatre. In addition early correspondence between Lichtman and the Rex Amusement Company concerning operational management issues of the Howard Theatre.
The Tomlinson D. Todd papers are arranged in Series III and date from 1902-1986 they include organization files, collected printed materials, subject files, and personal papers.
The collection includes materials relating to organizations in which there was a relationship to Todd's work and in which he had an interest primarily during the 1940s and 1950s, organizations include the National Negro Congress (ca, 1946-1947); the Congress for Industrial Organizations (1943-1947); National Council of Negro Women (1947-1949); Committee for Racial Democracy in the Nation's Capital (1947-1948).
The subject files include documents from three of Todd's organizations; Institute on Race Relation, Club Internationale, and his radio program "Americans All". As well as printed material from Todd's alma mater Lincoln University.
The largest subject file is "Americans All" which includes radio scripts as well as audio recording of a few programs and public service announcements. Also found are several black and white photographs of Todd at the radio studio.
Printed materials include newspapers, leaflets, convention proceedings, and flyers, There are a large amount of programs ranging from church worship to convention as well as performance.
Also present is a small amount of personal papers, including resumes, certificates, admission tickets, family documents, and travel ephemera from his all expense paid trip to Nigeria.
There are a few photographs of Todd at functions and with notable individuals as well as some family, friends and travel.
Elizabeth's B. Delaney papers are arranged in Series IV and date from 1874-1973.
The papers primarily document her involvement in four organizations, the Grand Oder of Odd Fellow of Kentucky, the Order Eastern Star Kentucky, the State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs of Kentucky and the National Association of Colored Women. There is a small amount of printed material belonging to her son primarily the Alpha Phi Alpha material and Gospel Choral Sheet Music, and books.
The Scrapbook was complied by Whitehead consisting of photocopied clipping documenting the life of Elizabeth B. Delaney.
Arrangement note:
This collection is arranged into four series:
Series 1: Henry P. Whitehead papers
Series 2: Howard Theatre
Series 3: Tomlinson D. Todd
Series 4. Elizabeth B. Delaney
Biographical/Historical note:
Henry Preston Whitehead Jr., was a native of Columbus Ohio. A graduate of Ohio State University, where he also attended law school and was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Mr. Whitehead discovered Washington's "Black Broadway" in 1940, when he was a soldier in town on a weekend furlough. As he served in the Army in the South Pacific during World War II. Prior to moving to Washington DC Henry P. Whitehead worked for five years as a liquor inspector. Mr. Whitehead moved to Washington D.C. in 1949 and worked for the Post Office before working for the District of Columbia government where he stayed 21 years. He led several equal employment initiatives during the 1960s and 1970s, and was last employed as associate director of the District's Office of Human Rights. In 1980 after putting in 37 years of government service Mr. Whitehead retired.
Mr. Whitehead was an historian who led efforts to restore Washington's U Street cultural corridor and achieved recognition as an authority on and collector of black theatrical memorabilia. Mr. Whitehead worked to promote and preserve the city's rich African American cultural heritage.
Mr. Whitehead, served as the chairman and president for 10 years of the Howard Theater Foundation Inc., which he helped establish. There he led the effort to include Howard Theatre in the National Register of Historic Places.
Similarly he was an active member of the U Street Festival Foundation. He was an adviser to the Kennedy Center, Anacostia Museum, and other Smithsonian Institution units and contributed materials to their exhibitions. He was also a consultant to historical documentaries broadcast on public television and radio, including PBS's "Duke Ellington's Washington." His writings included "Remembering U Street," a book used for annual festivals in the historic area.
Mr. Whitehead was also the founder and board member of the Lincoln Theatre Foundation.
Henry P. Whitehead Jr. died on January 8th 2002 at the age of 84.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Anacostia Community Museum on September 1, 2005 by Michael A. Watkins.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Rights:
The Henry P. Whitehead collection is the physical property of the Anacostia Community Museum. Literary and copyright belong to the author/creator or their legal heirs and assigns. Rights to work produced during the normal course of Museum business resides with the Anacostia Community Museum. For further information, and to obtain permission to publish or reproduce, contact the Museum Archives.
