Oral histories (transcripts) taken from LGBTQ identifying persons over a fifty state I'm From Driftwood story tour. Records include oral histories, photographs, tour records, correspondence, and ephemera from the tour crew and tour inteviewees.
Content Description:
Records documenting the I'm From Driftwood project, transcripts of oral histories collected from persons identifying as LGBTQ. Histories were taken from persons in all fifty U.S. states over the course of a five month (September 2010-January 2011) story tour. Oral histories are arranged in the order in which the state was visited. The records include transcripts of interviews with the Driftwood story crew focusing on their memories of the joys and challenges of the tour state by state. There are photographs taken in each state of the tour of persons, places, and the story tour's signature pink cowboy boots. These boots were used for donation recepticles during fundraising visits to local LGBTQ community centers, bars, and student unions.
The records document an amazing oydessy of the Driftwood crew. Not only do the transcripts of persons interviewed include the sometimes poignant history of that particular person, but interviews with the Driftwood crew themselves illustrate the sometimes emotional, frustrating, yet rewarding, journey they were taking to capture these interviews. The records include pen and ink, hand drawn postcards by artist Nicholas Manske, driver for the tour, to his then fiance, Summer Dinh. The postcards feature Manske's drawing of a signature site within any given state. The postcards give yet one more human story to the many documented in these records.
Files from some states only include the crew transcripts, there were either no stories gathered in that state or for privacy various reasons they are not included in these records.
Arrangement:
These records are arranged in three series.
Series 1, Oral Histories, Transcriptions, and Notes, 2010 September 11-2011 January 9
Series 2, Project Records and Ephemera, 2010-2011, undated
Series 3, Photographs and Hand Drawn Postcards, 2010-2011, undated
Biographical / Historical:
From the book jacket, i'm from driftwood; True Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Stories from All Over the World, edited by Nathan Manske. "Since March 2009, ImFromDrifwood.com has collected true lesbian, gay, bisexual and tansgender stories from every corner of the globe to help LGBT youth realize they're not alone. The hundreds of written stories range from the furtive life of a gay man living in Indiana during the ultra conservative and unforgiving 1950s, to clandestine underground gay-straight alliance in present day Indonesia. While some stories recount bitter memories of violence, hatred, and introlerance, most are a testament to the most common of human emotions-optimism, love, honesty and hope. Together, these stories offer rare insight and lend an indisputable humanity to the lives of LGBT people everywhere, giving people young and old the world over a sense of community and a reassurance that they are not alone."
The crew for the story tour consisted of: Nathan Manske, founder of I'm From Driftwood organization; Marquise Lee, creator of the video stories, videographer and editor; Nicholas "Nick" Manske, brother of Nathan and driver for the tour; Desiree Vester, "Mistress of Logistics"; Santiago Garza, video intern; and Troy Chatterton, logistics volunteer. These records concentrate solely on the experiences and oral histories gathered by Manske and his crew on their tour of the United States during 2009-2010.
Separated Materials:
The story tour's pair of pink cowboy boots was collected by the Division of Work and Industry, NMAH, accession number: 2020.0090.
Provenance:
Collection donated by I'm From Driftwood organization through Nathan Manske, Executive Director, February 2020.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
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. Releases for interviews are housed in the Archives Center's control file for this collection.
4.8 Linear feet ((1,200 items partially microfilmed on 3 reels))
1 Item (1 rolled doc.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1935-1955
Scope and Contents:
Biographical material; correspondence; writings; graphic designs; sketches; clippings; and photographs.
Reel 323: biographical material, including a biographical sketch by Jules Langsner; correspondence, personal and professional, 1949-55; receipts for works sold; notes and articles on design by Lustig; original design layouts of trademarks, magazine covers, paricularly LOOK magazine, book jackets, record covers, girl scout pamphlets, advertisements, and stationery.
Reel 324: sketchbook of Lustig's designs; architectural drawings; magazine and newspaper clippings; and miscellaneous materials.
Reel 421: photographs of Lustig including two taken by Maya Deren, 1944 (one copyprint microfilmed on reel 1817, fr. 786), of his fabric designs, graphic designs, furniture designs (including some marginal notes), sculpture, helicopter designs, and packaging designs; pictures of the Beverly Landau building and the Beverly Carlton Hotel in Los Angeles; office interiors designed by Lustig; and photographs of Rath House, 1948.
Series includes announcements and catalogs for two Saarinen exhibitions, as well as some for other artists, many of which are annotated with comments by Saarinen stating her opinion of the artist featured. Also found are copies of a book jacket for The Americans: A New History of the People of the United States (Little Brown and Company, 1963) by Oscar Handlin, the jacket design for which includes a photo of a brass eagle by Saarinen.
Printed material also includes a group of reference files of clippings, primarily featuring photos of animals, arranged alphabetically by animal, some news clippings about Saarinen and the Saarinen family, and a folder of news articles on miscellaneous subjects of interest to Saarinen.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Lilian Swann Saarinen papers, circa 1909-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation; and John R. & Barbara Robinson and Deborah Schmidt Robinson & Dr. R. Perry Robinson, The Widgeon Point Charitable Foundation.
Background and biographical information consists of Nesbitt's resume, an artist/designer statement, list of clients and accomplishments of Nesbitt Associates, Ltd., press releases, articles, and photographs of the designer.,The materials in this collection document Nesbitt's work from 1951 through 1984.
The records of the office of public relations cover the years 1955-1963 and include press releases and clippings describing some Nesbitt's products, his theories on consumer motivation, and the results of his surveys, as well as correspondence with members of the press. General office correspondence is boxed separately.
Color slides, color and black & white transparencies, and black & white photographs of most of Nesbitt's designs for packaging from 1951-1981 are included. Oversized materials include books jackets and booklets designed by Nesbitt, as well as some renderings for packaging designs done in color.
Three samples of fitted presentation boxes designed by Nesbitt are included, as well as a prototype for a design award for Parsons School of Design in New York, and two "Multiplication" cubes commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Arrangement:
This collection has been reboxed in archivally-sound containers, but the materials have only been partially processed and arranged. Record groups include: 1) Backgound and Biographical Information; 2) Records of the Public Relations Office, 1955-1963; 3) Correspondence; 4) Slides, Transparencies, and Photographs; 5) Oversized Materials; and 6) Samples.
Biographical / Historical:
Packaging, industrial, and graphic designer. Born in New York City, August 10, 1920. Nesbitt was a student of sculptor Chaim Gross and studied art at many New York institutions including: Art Students League; New York University; Columbia University; Pratt Institute of Art; and the New School.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945 where he worked as a cartographer and as the head of the visual aid section in a military intelligence training center. In 1945, he joined the staff of Harper's Bazaar magazine where he was an illustrator assisting art director Alexey Brodovich. In 1946, Nesbitt was hired by the industrial design studio of Raymond Loewy as a handletterer and packaging designer.
He worked with Lippincott Industrial Design from 1948 to 1951. Nesbitt opened his own design studio, Nesbitt Associates, Ltd. in 1951. The firm specialized in package design, trademarks, and corporate identities. Some of his most recognizable designs were for the label for Campbell's Soup and the Florists' Telegraph Delivery (F.T.D.) Winged Mercury 'Interflora' figure, still used today. Nesbitt's other clients included: Franco American; Revlon; Ballantine Beer; Borden; Champion spark plugs; Kodak; Philip Morris cigarettes; Schick razors; and Archway cookies. In addition, Nesbitt developed the "Karry Kit" for Ballantine Beer which came to be widely used and known as the six pack.
Nesbitt was known for his revealing studies and surveys of the buying needs and preferences of the "average American housewife" and consumers in general. His opinions on what he referred to as "underpackaging" were widely publicized in professional magazines and journals. In 1984, Nesbitt retired from the design field and went to California to resume his career as a sculptor until his death in 1993.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center
NMAH.AC.0367 Campbell Soup Advertising Oral History and Documentation Project
NMAH.AC.0552 Caroline R. Jones Papers
NMAH.AC.0060 Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Collection donated by the designer's wife, Mrs. Saul Nesbitt, in 1994.
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.
The materials in this collection span the years from the late 1920s to the 1970s and document Metzig's work in Germany and the United States. Little background and biographical information is available.
Project files : More than 500 examples of the designer's work, including letterheads, logos, trademarks, brochures, book jackets, magazine covers and layouts, certificates, awards, and product labels.
Printed Materials : Includes articles written by Metzig and a copy of his publication, "Art Lettering and Design," which was done for the International Correspondence Schools of Pennsylvania in 1957. This collection does not include any business records or correspondence.
Other Visual Materials : Photographs, slides, and transparencies of many of Metzig's designs.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged into three record groups: 1) printed materials; 2) project files; and 3) other visual materials. Project files are arranged in alphabetical order by name of client. Extensive files for projects done for distilleries and publishing companies are alphabetized separately.
Biographical / Historical:
Graphic designer and artist. Born Hanover, Germany, 1893. Metzig apprenticed with a lithographer prior to establishing his own studio in the 1920s. He designed trademarks, logos, letterheads, brochures, and posters for clients. He is best known for his work for Pelikan Ink Company.
He also designed book covers, magazine covers, and page layouts. In the 1930s, Metzig became known as a leading calligrapher and advertising artist in Germany. He immigrated to the United States in 1939 and settled in New York where he taught calligraphy and did freelance graphic design until his death in 1989.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Mr. Metzig's daughter, Mrs. Matthew Murgio, and a former student and friend of Metzig's, Lili Wronker, 1990.
Restrictions:
Permission of staff required to photograph materials.
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.
