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Rockwell Kent papers

Creator:
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Artists League of America  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Citizens' Committee for Government Arts Projects  Search this
Farmers Union of the New York Milk Shed  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
Federal Writers' Project  Search this
International Workers Order  Search this
Macbeth Gallery  Search this
National Farmers' Union (U.S.)  Search this
National Maritime Union of America  Search this
United American Artists  Search this
United Office and Professional Workers of America  Search this
United Scenic Artists  Search this
Boyesen, Bayard  Search this
Chamberlain, J. E.  Search this
Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916  Search this
Cleland, T. M. (Thomas Maitland), 1880-1964  Search this
Daniel, Charles, 1878-1971  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Fitzgerald, James, 1899-1971  Search this
Freuchen, Peter, 1886-1957  Search this
Gellert, Hugo, 1892-1985  Search this
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this
Hays, Lee, 1914-1981  Search this
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this
Jones, Dan Burne  Search this
Keller, Charles, 1914-2006  Search this
Miller, Kenneth Hayes, 1876-1952  Search this
Nearing, Helen  Search this
Nearing, Scott, 1883-1983  Search this
Pach, Walter, 1883-1958  Search this
Phillips, Duncan, 1886-1966  Search this
Rasmussen, Knud, 1879-1933  Search this
Reeves, Ruth, 1892-1966  Search this
Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976  Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945  Search this
Ruggles, Carl, 1876-1971  Search this
Seeger, Pete, 1919-2014  Search this
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, 1879-1962  Search this
Untermeyer, Louis, 1885-1977  Search this
Wildenstein, Felix, 1883-1952  Search this
Zigrosser, Carl, 1891-  Search this
Extent:
88 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Poems
Sketches
Business records
Photographs
Drawings
Date:
circa 1840-1993
bulk 1935-1961
Summary:
The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88.0 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.
Scope and Content Note:
The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.

Circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the papers are highlighted in an article by Garnett McCoy ("The Rockwell Kent Papers," in the Archives of American Art Journal, 12, no. 1 [January 1972]: 1-9), recommended reading for researchers interested in the collection. The collection is remarkably complete, for in the mid 1920s Kent began keeping carbon copies of all outgoing letters, eventually employing a secretary (who became his third wife and continued her office duties for the remainder of Kent's life).

Series 1: Alphabetical Files contain Kent's personal and professional correspondence, along with business records of the dairy farm and associated enterprises; also included are printed matter on a wide variety of topics and promotional literature relating to organizations and causes of interest to him. Voluminous correspondence with his three wives, five children, and other relatives, as well as with literally hundreds of friends, both lifelong and of brief duration, illuminates Kent's private life and contributes to understanding of his complex character. Among the many correspondents of note are: his art teachers William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri, and Kenneth Hayes Miller; fellow artists Tom Cleland, Arthur B. Davies, James Fitzgerald, Hugo Gellert, Harry Gottleib, Marsden Hartley, Charles Keller, and Ruth Reeves; collectors Duncan Phillips and Dan Burne Jones; critics J. E. Chamberlain and Walter Pach; and dealers Charles Daniel, Felix Wildenstein, and Macbeth Galleries. Kent corresponded with such diverse people as Arctic explorers Peter Freuchen, Knud Rasmussen, and Vilhjalmar Steffanson; composer Carl Ruggles and songwriters Lee Hays and Pete Seeger; civil rights pioneers Paul Robeson and Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois; writers Bayard Boyesen, Scott and Helen Nearing, and Louis Untermeyer; and art historian and print curator Carl Zigrosser.

Kent's interest and involvement in the labor movement are reflected in correspondence with officials and members of a wide variety and large number of unions and related organizations, among them: the Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union of America, Farmers' Union of the New York Milk Shed, International Workers Order, National Maritime Union, and United Office and Professional Workers of America. Of special interest is his participation, often in leadership roles, in various attempts to organize artists. Files on the American Artists' Congress, Artists League of America, The Artists Union, United American Artists, and United Scenic Artists contain particularly valuable material on the movement.

A supporter of New Deal efforts to aid artists, Kent was actively interested in the various programs and often was critical of their limitations; he advocated continuing federal aid to artists after the Depression abated. The Kent papers include correspondence with the Federal Arts Project, Federal Fine Arts Project, Federal Writers Project, and the War Department, as well as correspondence with the Citizens' Committee for Government Art Projects and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the subject.

Kent's professional correspondence documents exhibitions, sales, consignments, and reproduction of prints and paintings. He kept meticulous records of his advertising commissions and illustration work. Detailed correspondence with publishers and printers indicates Kent's involvement in the technical aspects of production and provides a good overview of the publishing industry during the mid-twentieth century.

Business records of Asgaard Farm include records of the dairy and transfer of ownership to its employees, tax and employee information, and documents concerning several related business ventures such as distributor ships for grain, feed, and farm implements.

Series 2: Writings consists of notes, drafts, and completed manuscripts by Rockwell Kent, mainly articles, statements, speeches, poems, introductions, and reviews. The Kent Collection given to Friendship House, Moscow, in 1960, was augmented later by a set of his publications and the illustrated manuscripts of many of his monographs. Also included are a small number of manuscripts by other authors.

Series 3: Artwork consists mainly of drawings and sketches by Kent; also included are works on paper by other artists, many of whom are unidentified, and by children.

Series 4: Printed Matter consists of clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, brochures, broadsides, programs, and newsletters. These include items by and about Kent and his family, as well as articles written and/or illustrated by him, and reviews of his books. There is also material on a variety of subjects and causes of interest to him. Additional printed matter is included among the alphabetical files, mainly as attachments to correspondence.

Series 5: Miscellaneous includes biographical material, legal documents, and memorabilia. Artifacts received with papers include textile samples, a silk scarf, dinnerware, ice bucket, and rubber stamp, all featuring designs by Rockwell Kent. Also with this series are a variety of documents including a phrenological analysis of an ancestor, lists of supplies for expeditions, a hand-drawn map of an unidentified place, and technical notes regarding art materials and techniques.

Series 6: Photographs includes photographs of Kent, his family and friends, travel, and art number that over one thousand. Also included here are several albums of family and travel photographs.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into six series. Series 1 is arranged alphabetically. The arrangement of the remaining series is explained in each series description. Note that sealed materials that became available in 2000 were microfilmed separately on reels 5740-5741, but have integrated into this finding aid.

Missing Title

Series 1: Alphabetical Files, circa 1900-1971, undated (Reels 5153-5249, 5256, 5740-5741)

Series 2: Writings, 1906-1978, undated (Reels 5249-5252, 5741)

Series 3: Art Work, 1910-1972, undated (Reels 5252, 5741)

Series 4: Printed Matter, 1905-1993, undated (Reels 5252-5254)

Series 5: Miscellaneous, 1859-1969, undated (Reels 5254, 5741)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1840-1970, undated (Reels 5254-5255, 5741)
Biographical Note:
Rockwell Kent (1882-1971), an energetic and multitalented man, pursued many interests and careers during his very long and active life. At various times he was an architect, draftsman, carpenter, unskilled laborer, painter, illustrator, printmaker, commercial artist, designer, traveler/explorer, writer, professional lecturer, dairy farmer, and political activist.

While studying architecture at Columbia University, Kent enrolled in William Merritt Chase's summer school at Shinnecock Hills, Long Island. He then redirected his career ambitions toward painting and continued to study with Chase in New York. Kent spent a summer working and living with Abbott H. Thayer in Dublin, New Hampshire, and attended the New York School of Art, where Robert Henri and Kenneth Hayes Miller were his teachers.

Critically and financially, Kent was a successful artist. He was very well known for his illustration work--particularly limited editions of the classics, bookplates, and Christmas cards. He was a prolific printmaker, and his prints and paintings were acquired by many major museums and private collectors. During the post-World War II era, Kent's political sympathies resulted in the loss of commissions, and his adherence to artistic conservatism and outspoken opposition to modern art led to disfavor within art circles. After many years of declining reputation in this country and unsuccessful attempts to find a home for the Kent Collection, Kent gave his unsold paintings--the majority of his oeuvre--to the Soviet Union, where he continued to be immensely popular.

An avid traveler, Kent was especially fascinated by remote, Arctic lands and often stayed for extended periods of time to paint, write, and become acquainted with the local inhabitants. Between 1918 and 1935, he wrote and illustrated several popular books about his experiences in Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, and Greenland. In the 1930s and 1940s, Kent was much in demand as a lecturer, making several nationwide tours under the management of a professional lecture bureau; he spoke mainly about his travels, but among his standard lectures were some on "art for the people."

In 1927, Kent purchased Asgaard Farm at AuSable Forks, New York, in the Adirondacks, where he lived for the remainder of his life, operating a modern dairy farm on a modest scale for many years.

As a young man, Kent met Rufus Weeks, became committed to social justice, and joined the Socialist Party. Throughout his life, he supported left-wing causes and was a member or officer of many organizations promoting world peace and harmonious relations with the Soviet Union, civil rights, civil liberties, antifascism, and organized labor. Kent was frequently featured as a celebrity sponsor or speaker at fund-raising events for these causes. In 1948, he ran unsuccessfully as the American Labor Party's candidate for Congress. Kent's unpopular political views eventually led to the dissolution of his dairy business, resulted in a summons to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and prompted the U.S. State Department to deny him a passport, an action that subsequently was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Kent wrote two autobiographies, This Is My Own (1940) and It's Me, O Lord (1955). In 1969, he was the subject of an oral history interview conducted by Paul Cummings for the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
In 1969, Rockwell Kent donated his papers to the Archives of American Art; textile samples were received in 1979, and his widow gave additional papers in 1971 and 1996. Letters to Rockwell Kent from wives Frances and Sally, sealed during Sally Kent Gorton's lifetime, became available for research after her death in 2000, and further material was donated to the Archives of American Art in 2001 by the Estate of Sally Kent [Shirley Johnstone] Gorton.
Restrictions:
The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not microfilmed or digitized 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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State)  Search this
Topic:
Designers -- New York (State)  Search this
Mural painting and decoration  Search this
Politics and culture  Search this
Authors -- New York  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects  Search this
Dairy farms  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State)  Search this
Illustration of books  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Art and war  Search this
Commercial art  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Function:
Labor unions
Genre/Form:
Poems
Sketches
Business records
Photographs
Drawings
Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kentrock
See more items in:
Rockwell Kent papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97edd9940-eb61-4562-9583-def2da778b6a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kentrock

Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.10: Glass Plate Negatives

Creator:
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
16 Boxes
The subseries contains glass plate negatives.
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Color separation negatives
Photographs
Dye transfer process
Studio portraits
Matrices, color separation
Place:
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Date:
1900-1949
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Subseries 4.10 consists of orders placed at the Scurlock Studio. The negatives depict individual portrait sittings and formal group portraits. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records
Scope and Contents note:
The materials document orders placed at the Scurlock Studio. The negatives depict individual portrait sittings and formal group portraits.
Arrangement note:
The system of arrangement of the subseries is unclear.
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
Subseries 4.10 forms part of Series 4, within the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
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.
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.
Topic:
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Color separation negatives
Photographs -- 20th century
Dye transfer process
Studio portraits
Matrices, color separation
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S04.10
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.10: Glass Plate Negatives
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep821f1088d-e0c1-4cac-b6a4-0cecf639bc0d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s04-10
Online Media:

Scurlock Studio Records, Series 5: Color Negatives

Creator:
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
72 Boxes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Dye transfer process
Photographs
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Matrices, color separation
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Date:
1964-1994, undated
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Series 5 primarily consists of color negatives, but occasionally includes order forms, envelopes, and other photographic materials associated with the order. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records
Scope and Contents:
Materials primarily consist of color negatives, but also include order forms and envelopes. Photographs associated with the order were move to series two color photographs. The materials document the clients and individuals whose photographs were taken by the Scurlock Studio and a wide variety of subject matters. The subjects represented are individual portrait sittings, organizations, events, businesses, commercial ventures of the Studio, and Washington, DC. The series is arranged into two subseries: Subseries 5.1: Clients, and Subseries 5.2: Subjects.
Arrangement:
Arranged in 2 subseries.

5.1: Color negatives arranged by client

5.2: Color negatives arranged by subject
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
This series forms part of the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

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.
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.
Topic:
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Dye transfer process
Photographs -- 20th century
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Matrices, color separation
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S05
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Series 5: Color Negatives
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep80833a56c-f5cc-4478-a9a9-039af8b1f63f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s05
Online Media:

Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.5: Black and white negatives in cold storage arranged by job number

Creator:
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Names:
Howard University. -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
320 Boxes
Note:
Cold Storage
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Matrices, color separation
Photographs
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Date:
1928-1994
Scope and Contents:
The materials document the orders placed by the clients of the Scurlock Studio. The photographs primarily depict individual portrait sittings but there are also portraits of children, groups, and other subjects.
Arrangement note:
The negatives are arranged by job number.
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
Subseries 4.5 forms part of Series 4, within the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
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.
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.
Topic:
African American photographers  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Genre/Form:
Matrices, color separation
Photographs -- 20th century
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S04.05
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.5: Black and white negatives in cold storage arranged by job number
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8c0c764e4-3c14-483e-b091-7fb65c6649da
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s04-05
Online Media:

Scurlock Studio Records, Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Creator:
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
106 Boxes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Matrices, color separation
Photographs
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Place:
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Date:
1888-1993
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Series 1 primarily consists of black and white photographs, but also includes job envelopes, order forms, correspondence, notes, and other photographic materials such as negatives. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records.
Scope and Contents note:
Materials are almost entirely black and white photographs, but also include job envelopes, order forms, correspondence, notes, and other photographic material types that were included in the overall order. In addition, not all photographs in this series were taken by the Scurlock Studio; there are photographs by Abdon Daoud Ackad and other studios or photographers that were sent in to make copies. The series is arranged into two subseries: Subseries 1.1: Clients, and Subseries 1.2: Subjects.
Arrangement note:
Arranged in 2 subseries.

1.1: Clients Black and white photographs

1.2: Subjects Black and white photographs
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
This series forms part of the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

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.
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.
Topic:
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Segregation  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Matrices, color separation
Photographs -- 20th century
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S01
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Series 1: Black and White Photographs
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8016336ae-23ec-4512-a76c-c1faa872aae0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s01
Online Media:

W.E. DuBois: A Recorded Autobiography, Interview with Moses Asch- side 1

Artist:
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Producer:
Asch, Moses  Search this
Collection Creator:
Asch, Moses  Search this
Distler, Marian, 1919-1964  Search this
Folkways Records  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (sound-tape reel, analog, 7 in.)
Culture:
Americans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Contents:
Early college years, Fisk University. (4:26) --Harvard University. (9:23) --Germany. (3:10) --Atlanta University. (9:56) --N.A.A.C.P. (2:13) --"The crisis." (2:57) --World War I Pan-African Conference. (4:51) --Africa, & U.S.A. & Russia. (5:31)--Atlanta University. (6:02) --N.A.A.C.P. and the U.N. (4:51) --Peace Congresses and the trial. (6:21) --The negro and young people. (3:21) --The Negro and Africa of today. (8:24).
Local Numbers:
FW-ASCH-7RR-1003
General:
Folkways 5511

CDR copy
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. No duplication allowed listening and viewing for research purposes only.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
United States -- History  Search this
African Americans  Search this
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
CFCH.ASCH, Item FW-ASCH-7RR-1003
See more items in:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection
Moses and Frances Asch Collection / Series 9: Audio Recordings / CD / Commercial / Folkways Recordings
Archival Repository:
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk5e6764665-a636-4337-8ccd-852c27eccb6b
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-cfch-asch-ref19501

Socialism and the American Negro

Artist:
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Collection Creator:
Asch, Moses  Search this
Distler, Marian, 1919-1964  Search this
Folkways Records  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (sound-tape reel, analog, 10 in.)
Culture:
Americans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Place:
United States
Washington (D.C.)
Contents:
Introduction--Protest by Archie Brown; Committee counsel questioning Barbara Hartle; Committee calls Archie Brown; Testimony of Douglas Wachter; Description of student protests; Interview with Congressman John O'Connell; Description of protesters; Police removal of protesters; Summary of final day events
Local Numbers:
FW-ASCH-10RR-2835
General:
Folkways 5514

CDR copy
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. No duplication allowed listening and viewing for research purposes only.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
United States -- History  Search this
McCarthyism--1940-1950.  Search this
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
CFCH.ASCH, Item FW-ASCH-10RR-2835
See more items in:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection
Moses and Frances Asch Collection / Series 9: Audio Recordings / CD / Commercial / Folkways Recordings
Archival Repository:
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk56b834990-4354-437c-a551-3d67728d2d52
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-cfch-asch-ref21062

Socialism and the American Negro

Performer:
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Collection Creator:
Asch, Moses  Search this
Distler, Marian, 1919-1964  Search this
Folkways Records  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (sound-tape reel, analog, 10 in.)
Culture:
Americans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Place:
United States
Washington (D.C.)
Local Numbers:
FW-ASCH-10RR-2836
General:
Folkways 5514

CDR copy
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. No duplication allowed listening and viewing for research purposes only.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
United States -- History  Search this
McCarthyism--1940-1950.  Search this
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
CFCH.ASCH, Item FW-ASCH-10RR-2836
See more items in:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection
Moses and Frances Asch Collection / Series 9: Audio Recordings / CD / Commercial / Folkways Recordings
Archival Repository:
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk5a73f7108-0fdd-49ef-8eba-9abdcac7b749
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-cfch-asch-ref21063

Socialism and the American Negro; House Un-American Activities Committee Hearings San Francisco

Creator:
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Names:
United States. Congress. House  Search this
Collection Creator:
Asch, Moses  Search this
Distler, Marian, 1919-1964  Search this
Folkways Records  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (sound-tape reel, analog, 7 in.)
Culture:
Americans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Place:
Wisconsin
United States
Madison (Wis.)
San Francisco (Calif.)
California
United States -- History
Contents:
Dubois speech 4/9/60- Madison; HUAC hearings pt. 1; HUAC hearings, pt. 2; HUAC hearings pt. 3
Track Information:
101 null.

102 HUAC hearings.
Local Numbers:
FW-ASCH-7RR-3883
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: California, San Francisco (Calif.), Madison (Wis.), United States, Wisconsin, April 9, 1960.
General:
Folkways 5514

CDR copy
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. No duplication allowed listening and viewing for research purposes only.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
Spoken word  Search this
Documentary  Search this
United States -- History  Search this
Socialism  Search this
Racial relations.  Search this
Committee on Un-American Activities  Search this
Communism  Search this
African Americans  Search this
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
CFCH.ASCH, Item FW-ASCH-7RR-3883
See more items in:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection
Moses and Frances Asch Collection / Series 9: Audio Recordings / CD / Commercial / Folkways Recordings
Archival Repository:
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk58942cad1-b1ab-46df-84c7-75452c72e46c
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-cfch-asch-ref25321

Every Tone a Testimony

Producer:
Catalotti, Robert (liner notes)  Search this
Performer:
Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967  Search this
Dodson, Annie Grace Horn, 1904-1975  Search this
Brown, Enoch  Search this
Skipper, Doretha, 1926-  Search this
McIver, Lawrence  Search this
Amerson, Rich  Search this
Hunter, Janie  Search this
Tucker, Joech  Search this
Dunbar, Scott  Search this
Bontemps, Arna Wendell, 1902-1973  Search this
Terry, Lucy  Search this
Washington, Dorothy  Search this
Wheatley, Phillis, 1753-1784  Search this
Tubman, Harriet, 1820?-1913  Search this
Dee, Ruby  Search this
Truth, Sojourner, d. 1883  Search this
Douglass, Frederick, 1817?-1895  Search this
Davis, Ossie, 1917-2005  Search this
West, Kinsey  Search this
Remond, Sarah Parker, 1826-1887?  Search this
Reed, Dock  Search this
Hall, Vera, 1906-1964  Search this
Walker, Margaret, 1915-1998  Search this
Work, John W. (John Wesley), 1901-1967  Search this
Ferguson, Mary  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
McGhee, Brownie, 1915-1996  Search this
Terry, Sonny  Search this
Johnson, Fenton  Search this
Cotten, Elizabeth  Search this
Randolph, Percy  Search this
Wells-Barnett, Ida B., 1862-1931  Search this
Asch, Moses  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Johnson, James Weldon, 1871-1938  Search this
Leadbelly, 1885-1949  Search this
Cullen, Countee, 1903-1946  Search this
Johnson, James P. (James Price), 1894-1955  Search this
Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976  Search this
McKay, Claude, 1890-1948  Search this
Brown, Sterling Allen, 1901-1989  Search this
Broonzy, Big Bill, 1893-1958  Search this
Pierce, Billie, 1907-1974  Search this
Pierce, De De, 1904-1973  Search this
Brooks, Gwendolyn, 1917-2000  Search this
Jackson, David  Search this
Nicholas, Big Nick, 1922-1997  Search this
Miller, John  Search this
Johnson, Juanita  Search this
Spann, Otis, 1930-1970  Search this
Muddy Waters, 1915-1983  Search this
Ribot, Marc  Search this
Burke, Solomon  Search this
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968  Search this
Seale, Bobby, 1936-  Search this
Davis, Angela Y. (Angela Yvonne), 1944-  Search this
Fabio, Ronald  Search this
Fabio, Sarah Webster, 1928-  Search this
Wallace, Wayne  Search this
Giovanni, Nikki  Search this
Sanchez, Sonia, 1934-  Search this
Baraka, Amiri, 1934-2014  Search this
Bluiett, Hamiet  Search this
Cortez, Jayne  Search this
Boudreaux, Joseph, 1941-  Search this
Reed, Ishmael, 1938-  Search this
Arrested Development (Musical group)  Search this
Children of East York School  Search this
Jubilee Singers  Search this
Inmates of Ramsey or Retrieve  Search this
Gospel Tones (Vocal group)  Search this
Realtones  Search this
Freedom Singers (SNCC)  Search this
Golden Eagles (Musical group)  Search this
Author:
Dunbar, Paul Laurence, 1872-1906  Search this
Creator:
Davis, Gary, 1896-1972  Search this
Collection Creator:
Asch, Moses  Search this
Distler, Marian, 1919-1964  Search this
Folkways Records  Search this
Extent:
2 Sound discs (digital, 4 3/4 in.)
Culture:
Americans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Sound discs
Place:
United States
New York
Alabama
Georgia
South Carolina
Mississippi
Tennessee
North Carolina
Chapel Hill (N.C.)
Louisiana
New Orleans (La.)
Texas
Washington (D.C.)
Albany (Ga.)
Birmingham (Ala.)
United States--Northeast
Ohio
Akron (Ohio)
Rochester (N.Y.)
England
Atlanta (Ga.)
Memphis (Tenn.)
Carolinas
Michigan
Illinois
Date:
2001
Contents:
The struggle / L. Hughes (0:22) -- Field call / A.G.H. Dodson (1:15) -- Complaint call / E. Brown (0:40) -- Intro and Kneebone Bend / L. McKiver, D. Skipper (2:51) -- Brother Terrapin, slow train to Arkansas / R. Amerson (1:56) -- Jack and Mary and three dogs / J. Hunter (5:53) -- Buck dance / J. Tucker (1:19) -- I'm goin' up north / Children of East York School (1:22) -- Pharaoh's host got lost / L. McKiver (1:32) -- Bars fight / L. Terry (read by A. Bontemps) (1:23) -- Earl of Dartmouth / P. Wheatley (read by D.F. Washington) (0:49) -- I wonder where my brother gone / A.G.H. Dodson (1:17) -- Narrative / H. Tubman (read by D.F. Washington) (0:59) -- Speech at Akron Convention / S. Truth (read by R. Dee) (2:05) -- Singing slaves / F. Douglass (read by O. Davis) (1:03) -- Steal away to Jesus / K. West (1:50) -- What to the slave is the Fourth of July? / F. Douglass (read by O. Davis) (2:36) -- Why slavery is still rampant / S.P. Parker (read by R. Dee) (1:47) -- Free at last / D. Reed and V.H. Ward (1:33) -- When Malindy sings / P.L. Dunbar (read by M. Walker) (3:48) -- There's a great camp meeting / Fisk Jubilee Singers (2:01) -- Atlanta Exposition address / B.T. Washington (1:16) -- John Henry / B. McGhee and S. Terry (4:03) -- Banjo player / F. Johnson (read by A. Bontemps) (0:44) -- Boatman dance / E. Cotten (1:42) -- Shine / P. Randolph (1:03) -- Chopping in the new ground / Inmates of Ramsay or Retrieve State Farms, TX (1:37) -- Lynching, our national crime / I.B. Wells-Barnett (read by R. Dee) (3:43) -- A recorded autobiography / W.E.B. Du Bois (2:33) -- Listen Lord, a prayer / J.W. Johnson (read by M. Walker) (2:55) -- My heart is fixed / G. Davis (2:04) -- The Titanic / Lead Belly (4:04) -- Heritage / C. Cullen (2:58) -- Jungle drums / J.P. Johnson (2:32). No more auction block / P. Robeson (2:09) -- Negro speaks of rivers / L. Hughes (0:43) -- If we must die / C. McKay (0:57) -- Ma Rainey / S. Brown (2:06) -- Backwater blues / B.B. Broonzy (2:47) -- Married man blues / B. and D.D. Pierce (5:11) -- For my people / M. Walker (5:41) -- Children of the poor, sonnet 2 / G. Brooks (0:47) -- Body and soul / G. Nicholas (3:48) -- How He delivered me / J. Johnson & the Gospel Tones (2:39) -- Long distance call / M. Waters (6:58) -- Cry to me / S. Burke (2:13) -- Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around / SNCC Freedom Singers (2:31) -- Birmingham 1963 - Keep moving / M.L. King, Jr. (3:42) -- Black Panther Party platform / B. Seale (2:59) -- Interview (excerpt) / A. Davis (1:05) -- Together to the tune of Coltrane's "Equinox" / S.W. Fabio (1:40) -- Nikki-Rosa / N. Giovanni (1:12) -- Liberation/poem / S. Sanchez (0:34) -- Dope / A. Baraka (4:48) -- Village of Brooklyn, Illinois / H. Bluiett (3:30) -- For the poets / J. Cortez (3:56) -- Shotgun Joe / Golden Eagles (5:19) -- St. Louis woman / I. Reed (1:26) -- People everyday / Arrested Development (3:27).
Track Information:
101 The Struggle / Langston Hughes.

102 Field Call / Annie Grace Horn Dodson.

103 Complaint Call / Enoch Brown.

104 Intro and Knee Bend / Doretha Skipper, Lawrence McIver.

105 Brother Terrapin, Slow Train to Arkansas / Rich Amerson.

106 Jack and Mary and Three Dogs / Janie Hunter.

107 Buck Dance (excerpt) / Joech Tucker, Scott Dunbar.

108 I'm Goin' Up North / Children of East York School.

109 Pharaoh's Host Got Lost / Lawrence McIver.

110 Bar Fights / Arna Wendell Bontemps, Lucy Terry.

111 Earl of Dartmouth (excerpt) / Dorothy Washington, Phillis Wheatley.

112 I Wonder Where My Brother Gone / Annie Grace Horn Dodson.

113 Narrative (excerpt) / Dorothy Washington, Harriet Tubman.

114 Speech at Akron Convention / Ruby Dee, Sojourner Truth.

115 Singing Slaves / Frederick Douglass, Ossie Davis.

116 Steal Away to Jesus / Kinsey West.

117 What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? (excerpt) / Frederick Douglass, Ossie Davis.

118 Why Slvery is Still Rampant (excerpt) / Ruby Dee, Sarah Parker Remond.

119 Free At Last / Dock Reed, Vera Hall.

120 When Malindy Sings / Margaret Walker, Paul Laurence Dunbar.

121 There's A Great Camp Meeting / Jubilee Singers, John W. (John Wesley) Work, Mary Ferguson.

122 Atlanta Exposition Address / Booker T. Washington.

123 John Henry / Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry.

124 Banjo Player / Arna Wendell Bontemps, Fenton Johnson.

125 Boatman Dance / Elizabeth Cotten.

126 Shine / Percy Randolph.

127 Chopping in the New Ground / Inmates of Ramsey or Retrieve.

128 Lynching, Our National Crime / Ruby Dee, Ida B. Wells-Barnett.

129 A Recorded Autobiography / Moses Asch, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt) DuBois.

130 Listen Lord, A Prayer / Margaret Walker, James Weldon Johnson.

131 My Heart is Fixed / Gary Davis.

132 The Titanic / Lead Belly.

133 Heritage / Countee Cullen.

134 Jungle Drums / James P. (James Price) Johnson.

201 No More Auction Block / Paul Robeson.

202 The Negro Speaks of Rivers / Langston Hughes.

203 If We Must Die / Claude McKay.

204 Ma Rainey / Sterling Brown.

205 Backwater Blues / Bill Broonzy.

206 Married Man Blues / Billie Pierce, De De Pierce.

207 For My People / Margaret Walker.

208 The Children of the Poor, Sonnet 2 / Gwendolyn Brooks.

209 Body and Soul / David Jackson, Big Nick Nicholas, John Miller.

210 How He Delivered Me / Gospel Tones (Vocal group), Juanita Johnson.

211 Long Distance Calls / Otis Spann, Muddy Waters.

212 Cry To Me / Realtones, Marc Ribot, Solomon Burke.

213 Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around / Freedom Singers.

214 Birmingham 1963 - Keep Moving / Martin Luther, Jr. King.

215 Black Panther Party Platform / Bobby Seale.

216 Interview (excerpt) / Angela Yvonne Davis.

217 Together to the Tune of Coltrane's "Equinox" (excerpt) / Ronald Fabio, Sarah Webster Fabio, Wayne Wallace.

218 Nikki-Rosa / Nikki Giovanni.

219 liberation/poem / Sonia Sanchez.

220 Dope / Imamu Amiri Baraka.

221 The Village of Brooklyn, Illinois 62059 (excerpt) / Hamiet Bluiett.

222 For the Poets / Jayne Cortez.

223 Shotgun Joe / Golden Eagles (Musical group), Joseph Boudreaux.

224 St. Louis Woman / Ishmael Reed.

225 People Everyday / Arrested Development (Musical group).
Local Numbers:
SF-COMM-CD-47003

Smithsonian Folkways.47003
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Folkways 2001
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recorded in: Birmingham (Ala.), Albany (Ga.), Washington (D.C.), Texas, New Orleans (La.), Louisiana, Chapel Hill (N.C.), North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, New York, United States.
General:
Commercial

compiled, annotated and produced by Robert H. Cataliotti
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. No duplication allowed listening and viewing for research purposes only.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
Spoken word  Search this
Folk songs -- United States  Search this
Folk tales and legends  Search this
Buck dancing  Search this
Circle games  Search this
Shouts  Search this
Poetry  Search this
Narratives  Search this
Speeches, addresses, etc.  Search this
Spirituals (Songs)  Search this
Choral music  Search this
Blues (Music)  Search this
Cries  Search this
Prisoners' songs  Search this
Autobiography  Search this
Gospel music  Search this
Topical songs  Search this
Instrumental music  Search this
Stride piano  Search this
New Orleans jazz  Search this
Jazz  Search this
Rhythm and blues music  Search this
Interviews  Search this
Mardi Gras Indians  Search this
Rap (Music)  Search this
African Americans  Search this
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
CFCH.ASCH, Item SF-COMM-CD-47003
See more items in:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection
Moses and Frances Asch Collection / Series 9: Audio Recordings / CD / Commercial / COMM CD
Archival Repository:
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk59c6eafd2-0aba-4e1a-bb65-967564695d8f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-cfch-asch-ref27877

Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.12: Banquet Negatives

Creator:
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
15 Boxes
The materials in the subseries consists of black and white silver gelatin negatives.
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Matrices, color separation
Color separation negatives
Photographs
Studio portraits
Dye transfer process
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Date:
1923-1940
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Subseries 4.12 materials primarily document clients of the Scurlock Studio that were organizations and the images depict those groups' and organizations' activities. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records
Scope and Contents note:
The materials primarily document clients of the Scurlock Studio that were organizations and the images depict those groups' and organizations' activities.
Arrangement note:
There is not a clear system of arrangement within the subseries.
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
Subseries 4.12 forms part of Series 4, within the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
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.
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.
Topic:
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Matrices, color separation
Color separation negatives
Photographs -- 20th century
Studio portraits
Dye transfer process
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S04.12
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.12: Banquet Negatives
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep84f8e7a2b-c123-4c06-a220-467ee787240e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s04-12
Online Media:

Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.1: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Creator:
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
320 Boxes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Matrices, color separation
Dye transfer process
Studio portraits
Color separation negatives
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Date:
undated
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Subseries 4.1 includes black and white silver gelatin negatives. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records
Scope and Contents:
Subseries 4.1 includes black and white silver gelatin negatives. The majority of the negatives, not all, have been scanned.
Arrangement note:
The negatives are not arranged in a clear order, and the negatives document clients and subjects. Researchers will need to look in two different box sizes for negatives of different sizes that were originally housed together in freezer boxes but are now housed separately according to size. A number of freezer boxes are missing, this is the reason for box number gaps, and contain varying numbers of negatives. The physical number of boxes was condensed during rehousing but the original freezer box numbers were retained in combination on the new boxes. The beginning and end of a freezer box are indicated inside the new box by blue dividers.
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
Subseries 4.1 forms part of Series 4, within the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

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.
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.
Topic:
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 20th century
Matrices, color separation
Dye transfer process
Studio portraits
Color separation negatives
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S04.01
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.1: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8ec458f4e-274d-4d12-859d-aaea7f7fc0ed
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s04-01
Online Media:

Scurlock Studio Records, Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Creator:
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
7 Boxes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Photographs
Matrices, color separation
Studio portraits
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Date:
1955-1957, undated
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Series 7 consists of black-and-white color separation negatives and instructions for processing kodak matrix film. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records
Scope and Contents note:
Materials include black-and-white color separation negatives and instructions for processing kodak matrix film. These materials document orders placed at the studio by individuals and organizations that could be identified but not connected to a specific order. In addition, there are negatives categorized by subjects because there was no known client, identifiable individual or organization. The series is arranged into three subseries: Series 7.1: Clients, Series 7.2: Subjects, and Series 7.3: Related literature.
Arrangement note:
Arranged in 3 subseries.

7.1: Clients Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives

7.2: Subjects Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
This series forms part of the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

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.
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.
Topic:
Segregation  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Photographs -- 20th century
Matrices, color separation
Studio portraits
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S07
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep86b247076-eeba-4503-bb12-6f528150b9c7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s07

Scurlock Studio Records, Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Creator:
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
57 Boxes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Dye transfer process
Photographs
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Matrices, color separation
Place:
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Date:
1951-1994, undated
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC from 1907 to 1996, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Series 9 includes the administrative, financial, sales, personnel, and office files of Custom Craft. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records
Scope and Contents:
Materials document the administrative, financial, sale, and employee activities of Custom Craft, the color division of the Scurlock Studio business. Documents that list both the Scurlock Studio and Custom Craft but relate to color photography, are found among these materials. A number of these documents suggest that there was not always a clear differentiation between the two studios. The series is divided into five subseries: Subseries 9.1: Administrative; Subseries 9.2: Financial; Subseries 9.3: Sales; Subseries 9.4: Employee and personnel; and 9.5: Office files.
Arrangement:
Arranged in 5 subseries.

9.1: Administrative

9.2: Financial

9.3: Sales

9.4: Employee and Personnel

9.5: Office Files
Biographical / Historical:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC from 1907 to 19964, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
This series forms part of the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

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.
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.
Topic:
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Segregation  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Dye transfer process
Photographs -- 20th century
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Matrices, color separation
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S09
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8ecbfe8d6-efaf-4c7f-a7e5-7fd7be4eff30
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s09

Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.2: Black and white negatives in freezers arranged by job number

Creator:
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
320 Boxes
The materials in the subseries are black and white silver gelatin negatives.
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Studio portraits
Photographs
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Matrices, color separation
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Date:
1931-1971
Scope and Contents note:
The vast majority of the negatives are individual portrait sittings but there are some family and group portraits. The box numbers in the finding aid are the old freezer box numbers and are not reflective of the physical number of boxes; when the negatives were rehoused, the physical number of boxes were reduced and the old freezer box numbers were retained in combination on boxes. The beginning and end of a freezer box is demarcated by blue dividers inside the new boxes.
Arrangement note:
The negatives are arranged by job number and document the orders placed by clients at the Scurlock Studio.
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
Subseries 4.2 forms part of Series 4, within the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

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.
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.
Topic:
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Studio portraits
Photographs -- 20th century
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Matrices, color separation
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S04.02
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.2: Black and white negatives in freezers arranged by job number
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a91c5fe2-afe2-4cde-9e04-a9229ecd41cc
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s04-02
Online Media:

Scurlock Studio Records, Series 2: Color Photographs

Creator:
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
115 Boxes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Color separation negatives
Matrices, color separation
Dye transfer process
Studio portraits
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Date:
1930-1995, undated
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Series 2 primarily consists of color and hand-colored photographs but also includes job envelopes, order forms, correspondence, notes, and other photographic materials such as negatives. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records
Scope and Contents:
Materials are almost entirely color and hand-colored photographs, but also include job envelopes, order forms, correspondence, notes, and other photographic material types that were included in the overall order. In addition, not all photographs in this series were taken by the Scurlock Studio; there are photographs by Abdon Daoud Ackad and other studios or photographers that were sent in to make copies. The series is arranged into four subseries: Subseries 2.1: Clients, Subseries 2.2: Subjects, Subseries 2.3: Weddings, and Subseries 2.4: Hand-colored photographs.
Arrangement:
Arranged in 4 subseries.

2.1: Clients Color photographs

2.2: Subjects Color photographs

2.3: Weddings

2.4: Hand-colored photographs
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
This series forms part of the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

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.
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.
Topic:
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 20th century
Color separation negatives
Matrices, color separation
Dye transfer process
Studio portraits
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S02
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Series 2: Color Photographs
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8119261bc-4466-4748-b662-9aeef8c02674
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s02
Online Media:

Scurlock Studio Records, Series 3: Framed Prints

Creator:
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
3 Boxes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Dye transfer process
Photographs
Matrices, color separation
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Date:
1979, undated
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Series 3 is oversize framed photographic prints of political figures. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records
Scope and Contents note:
Materials include oversize framed photographic prints of Washington, DC Mayor Marion Barry, and Senator Edward Brooke. The materials are arranged in alphabetical order.
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994).

More...
Forms Part Of:
This series forms part of the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

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.
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.
Topic:
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Dye transfer process
Photographs -- 20th century
Matrices, color separation
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S03
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Series 3: Framed Prints
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep84b25ebcb-58fe-4fa1-a662-f40c683aae82
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s03

Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.4: Black and white negatives in freezer storage arranged by subject

Creator:
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
320 Boxes
The subseries consists of black and white silver gelatin negatives..
Note:
Freezer storage
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Matrices, color separation
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Photographs
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Date:
1900-1994
Scope and Contents note:
The materials document negatives that could not be connected to a specific client. The subjects include art, buildings, and unidentified individuals.
Arrangement note:
The negatives are arranged by subject but are not in alphabetical order.
Biographical/Historical note:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
Subseries 4.4 forms part of Series 4, within the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
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.
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.
Topic:
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Matrices, color separation
Dye transfer process
Color separation negatives
Studio portraits
Photographs -- 20th century
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S04.04
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Subseries 4.4: Black and white negatives in freezer storage arranged by subject
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep844f2a090-c834-49b3-9900-31e4b6d97e0b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s04-04
Online Media:

Scurlock Studio Records, Series 11: Washington Stock

Creator:
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Custom Craft  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
2 Boxes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Studio portraits
Photographs
Dye transfer process
Matrices, color separation
Color separation negatives
Place:
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Date:
1981-1994, undated
Summary:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). Series 11 documents the administrative activities of Washington Stock. An overview to the entire Scurlock collection is available here: Scurlock Studio Records
Scope and Contents:
Materials document administrative activities and consist of standard forms, orders, drafts of shipping invoices and published materials. These materials are arranged in chronological order.
Biographical / Historical:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, DC. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994). More...
Forms Part Of:
This series forms part of the Scurlock Studio Records group.

Scurlock Studio Records

Series 1: Black and White Photographs

Series 2: Color Photographs

Series 3: Framed Prints

Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives

Series 5: Color Negatives

Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats

Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices

Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records

Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records

Series 10: Capitol School of Photography

Series 11: Washington Stock

Series 12: Background Materials and Publications
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.

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.
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.
Topic:
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Genre/Form:
Studio portraits
Photographs -- 20th century
Dye transfer process
Matrices, color separation
Color separation negatives
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618.S11
See more items in:
Scurlock Studio Records, Series 11: Washington Stock
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep83173781e-7a7f-4356-9d5f-22395e0d4f25
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618-s11

Scurlock Studio Records

Creator:
Custom Craft  Search this
Scurlock Studio (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Scurlock, George H. (Hardison), 1919-2005  Search this
Scurlock, Addison N., 1883-1964  Search this
Scurlock, Robert S. (Saunders), 1917-1994  Search this
Names:
Howard University -- 20th century  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Washington, Booker T., 1856-1915  Search this
Extent:
200 Cubic feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Dye transfer process
Studio portraits
Matrices, color separation
Photographs
Color separation negatives
Place:
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Shaw (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.) -- African Americans
Date:
1888-1996
Summary:
The collection includes approximately 250,000 photonegatives, photoprints, color transparencies from the photographic business founded by Addison Scurlock in Washington, DC. Collection also includes business records and ephemera.
Scope and Contents:
Photographs includes portraits of famous African-American luminaries such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, and many other artists, intellectuals, educators, entertainers, etc., as well as documentation of Washington, DC, including both the African-American community and national political life, and important photographs of Howard University; also commercial photography, including color materials.

Color separation materials include sets of black-and-white color-separation negatives, sets of matrices for the Kodak Dye Transfer process (full-color Dye Transfer prints are storied in a different series).

Business records: The photography studio records and Custom Craft records are in separate series, reflecting the fact that they were operated as separate businesses.

The collection includes all forms of photographs produced by the studio, such as prints in black-and-white and color, black-and-white and color negatives, color transparencies, black-and-white dye-transfer matrices, slides, etc.; as well as business documents, studio session ledgers, appointment books, business and personal correspondence, tax documents, and books, catalogs, and other publications. This material documents not only the photographic output of the business, both commercial and artistic, as well as the personal and business side of the enterprise.

Some photographs in the collection were not created by the Scurlocks. Some black-and-white and color prints seem to derive from assignments in the Capitol School of Photography, and are therefore student work. Also Custom Craft, the professional color processing service provided by the studio, made prints for other photographers, and samples for printing reference, as well as studio decor, have been retained in the collection. Custom Craft worked for such diverse photographers as artist Robert Epstein and well-known Washington photographer Fred Maroon, for example.

The collection numbers several hundred thousand photographic negatives, prints, and transparencies made by the Scurlocks and other staff photographers of the studio in its various Washington locations. The negatives are estimated at approximately 160,000-200,000 in number, and the prints of all sizes and types at nearly 57,000. The vast majority of the photographs are portraits of individuals, family groups, and organizations, as the primary business of the studio was portrait photography. They date primarily from the 1940s to 1990s. There are also a number of images, made for commercial clients, of building interiors and exteriors, and food. A small group of photojournalistic documentation also exists. The subjects also include architectural and industrial views, scenes in and around Washington, including children and street laborers, political events, social events, and 35mm slides of President Kennedy's funeral, 1964. There are also more personal artistic images, including still lifes with plants and flowers, and a few nudes; Robert's wartime service is also documented by his photographs, including European landscape photographs.

In addition to images taken by the Scurlock studio photographers, there are some prints, especially color, of images by other photographers who were clients, such as Fred Maroon, a prominent Washington photojournalist, and Robert Epstein, a teacher at the Corcoran School of Art. A print of one of Maroon's pictures had been displayed in the studio reception room at the time the studio was closed.

A large group of manuscript items, business documents, ephemera, and office and studio supplies constitutes a separate series from the photographs. An important adjunct to the photographs, a set of ledgers recording and identifying portrait sittings, highlights this group.

Nearly all of the photographs and documents stored in the studio and auxiliary storage locations were accepted for acquisition in order to form a complete history of this family business's production and operations over the better part of a century, whereas a selection of photographic apparatus and studio equipment was acquired by the Photographic History Collection: these items have been inventoried and catalogued separately.

Studio Portraits

The majority of the surviving photographic negatives and proof prints were made in connection with the studio's portrait work for a wide variety of clients. These portraits include images of famous people, such as political figures, entertainers, and noteworthy persons in a variety of fields, including scientists, writers, intellectuals, and academics. The majority of the figures depicted among both the famous and the not so famous are black. The greatest number of studio portraits, most of which are identified and dated, depict a general clientele who visited the studio for portrait sittings. Although the individual images in this vast quantity have limited research value in the usual sense, the aggregate represents a chronology spanning almost ninety years, which may be useful for demographic and genealogical information and as visual evidence of changing styles in clothing, hair, and accessories. It constitutes a panorama of a significant percentage of Washingtonians of the period, especially the black community.

Portraits of famous personages include George Washington Carver, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Duke Ellington, Marian Anderson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Sammy Davis, Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Mayor Walter Washington, and Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, Mayor Marion Barry, DC Council members, statesmen such as Ralph Bunche, and many other noteworthy figures. Of particular interest is a signed group portrait of the US. Supreme Court with Chief Justice Berger presiding. There are also large- format portraits of Justice Thurgood Marshall and J. Edgar Hoover.

Group portraits include both formal sittings and the informal documentation of banquets, convocations, and similar events. This material includes groups at Howard University; Dunbar High School; the Post Office Clerks' Banquet; the Bishops' Meeting of the AME Church; a YMCA camp, cira 1947 1949; the 23rd annual conference of the NAACP, 1932, etc.

Howard University

Several thousand black and white negatives and prints, 1930s-1960s, depict the people, facilities, and events of Howard University, with which the Scurlocks had a long business relationship. There are various portraits, including Howard University Medical School, represented by 850 negatives and 100 prints. A group of law school and medical school images numbers some 800 negatives and 200 prints. In addition, there are class portraits, as well as images of famous guests speaking at Howard convocations, such as President Herbert Hoover.

Wedding Photography

An important aspect of any portrait studio's output is wedding photography, and the Scurlock studio was no exception. Bridal portraits, group pictures of wedding parties, and the complete documentation of weddings, in both black and white and color, constitute a significant part of the collection. African-American weddings predominate and provide important insights into this aspect of the society.

Exhibitions

The studio's work was shown in special public exhibitions over the years, and several of these are included in toto. The most important was an extensive retrospective display of 121 prints of Addison's work, both vintage and posthumous, prepared by Robert for the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1976. Others include: (1) a set of 32 black and white images made by Robert at the Ramitelli Air Base, Italy, while he was a major in the US Air Force during World War II; (2) a group of portraits from a Black History Month exhibit at Woodward and Lothrop; and (3) a set of sixteen vintage and modern prints which Robert displayed in an interview on the "Today" television show in the 1980s.

Commercial Work

This category includes architectural and industrial photography for commercial clients, food and still life photographs, etc. Much of this material is comparatively recent and was made in large format color, and includes transparencies and enlargements. It is possible that some of the prints represent Custom Craft work for other photographers rather than the camera work of Robert and George Scurlock. Thus far, prints by artist Robert Epstein have been identified as extra prints of his work from orders which he placed with the firm. At least one image by Fred Maroon has been identified.

A group of color prints constitutes copies of artworks, primarily in the National Portrait Gallery, for which the Scurlocks worked. Prints in 8" x 10", 11" x 14", 16" x 20" and 20" x 24" sizes are included, and undoubtedly negatives and transparencies corresponding to these subjects will be found.

Photojournalism

In addition to the formal studio portraits and pictures documenting formal events, the Scurlocks took candid photographs of the everyday life of their city, as well as extraordinary events of local and national significance, ranging from occasions such as John F. Kennedy's funeral and the 1968 riots to political rallies and demonstrations.

Capitol School of Photography

The collection includes a variety of materials, such as books and ephemera, which document the activities of the Capitol School of Photography, a sideline of the Scurlock business. Some of the photographs apparently represent student work. The most famous student of the school was Jacqueline Bouvier (later Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis), although no documentation of her association with the school has been located thus far. There are 45 photographs, circa 1950s, showing the photography lab, men retouching prints, students with cameras, etc.

Personal Photographs

A few photographs of the Scurlock family are included in the collection in various forms and formats, including enlarged portraits of Addison and Robert. A self portrait of Addison and Mamie Scurlock is included in the Corcoran Gallery of Art exhibition series. Other photographs which represent personal artistic expression, such as a few nude studies and floral and plant still lifes, are included.

Series 6 consists of photographic materials including color transparencies, slides, film, and proofs but occasionally includes notes, forms, and envelopes associated with the orders.
Series 1: Black and White Photographs:
Dates -- 1888-1993

Extent -- 105 boxes

Contents -- Series 1: Black and White Photographs: The materials are almost entirely black and white photographs, but in the subseries of clients, there may also be job envelopes, order materials, and other photographic material types that were included in the overall order. The series is arranged into two subseries, clients and subjects, and both are arranged alphabetically. The subseries clients documents the orders made by clients of the Scurlock Studio and individuals who were or could be identified but may or may not have actually placed an order at the Studio. The majority of the photographs in the clients subseries are formal portrait sittings but there are photographs of events, organizations, and businesses. The subseries subjects are photographs that were grouped into categories because no known client or individual in the image could be identified. The subjects cover a broad array of subjects but the majority of the subjects include unidentified people in formal portrait sittings and groups. In addition, not all photographs in this series were taken by the Scurlock Studio; there are photos by Abdon Daoud Ackad and other studios or photographers that were sent in to make copies. 1.1: Clients Black and white photographs1.2: Subjects Black and white photographs
Series 2: Color Photographs:
Dates -- 1930-1995

Extent -- 113 boxes

Contents -- Series 2: Color Photographs: The series color photographs consists of color photographs and hand-colored photographs, but there are also order envelopes and materials, and other photographic material types that were part of the order. The subseries are arranged as clients, subjects, weddings, and hand-colored photographs. Clients are arranged alphabetically by last name or the first word of an organization's name. Not all individuals, organizations, or businesses necessarily represent a client of the Scurlock Studio; if an individual or organization could be identified, the photograph was placed under the identified person or organization even if ther were not a known client of the Studio. The majority of the photographs are individual portrait sittings but also included are family portraits, businesses, organizations, and informal images. The subjects are arranged alphabetically, and document images of non-humans and humans that could not be connected to a known client. Weddings and hand-colored are arranged in alphabetical order with clients preceeding subjects. The were a large subject of the overall collection and the majority of weddings are color photographs but also included in the subseries are black and white and hand-colored photographs of weddings. The hand-colored photographs largely reflect the same subject matter of the subseries clients and subjects. In addition, not all photographs in this subseries were taken by the Scurlock Studio; there are photos by Abdon Daoud Ackad and other studios or photographers that were sent in to make copies. 2.1: Clients Color photographs2.2: Subjects Color photographs2.3: Weddings2.4: Hand-colored photographs
Series 3: Framed Prints:
Dates -- circa 1979

Extent -- 3 boxes

Contents -- Series 3: Framed Prints: The series framed prints includes three framed color photographs. The framed prints are arranged by the size, from smallest to largest, of the frame. The photographs are of two important political figures: Washington, D. C., Mayor Marion Barry and Senator Edward Brooke.
Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives:
Dates -- 1900-1994

Extent -- 320 boxes

Contents -- Series 4: Black-and-White Silver Gelatin Negatives: The material type of the series is black and white silver gelatin negatives. The negatives are arranged into twelve subseries. The materials document the clients and individuals whose photographs were taken by the Scurlock Studio and a wide variety of subject matters. The subjects represented are individual portrait sittings, organizations, events, businesses, commercial ventures of the Studio, and Washington, D. C. 4.1: Black and white negatives 4.2: Black and white negatives in freezers arranged by job number 4.3: Black and white negatives in freezer storage arranged by client 4.4: Black and white negatives in freezer storage arranged by subject 4.5: Black and white negatives in cold storage arranged by job number 4.6: Black and white negatives in cold storage arranged by client 4.7: Negatives in cold storage arranged by client with index cards 4.8: Negatives in cold storage arranged by subject 4.9: Black and white negatives for publication 4.10: Glass Plate Negatives 4.11: Customcraft Negatives 4.12: Banquet Negatives
Series 5: Color Negatives:
Dates -- 1964-1994

Extent -- 72 boxes

Contents -- Series 5: Color Negatives: The series color negatives primarily of color negatives but it also includes order envelopes and materials. The series is arranged into two subseries: clients and subjects. The subseries clients is arranged by job number, and the materials document the orders placed by clients of the Scurlock Studio and identified persons and organizations. The negatives depict individual portrait sittings, groups, and informal poses. The subseries subjects is arranged in alphabetical order, and the materials document negatives that could not be connected to a client of the studio. The negatives represent subjects such as art, buildings, commercial ventures of the Scurlock Studio, and unidentified people. 5.1: Color negatives arranged by client5.2: Color negatives arranged by subject
Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats:
Dates -- 1922-1994

Extent -- 40 boxes

Contents -- Series 6: Color Transparencies, Slides, and Other Formats: The series color transparencies, slides, and other formats consists of black and white and color transparencies, color slides, film, proofs, and order materials. The materials are arranged into four subseries: transparencies, slides, film, and proofs. The subseries are arranged by clients, in alphabetical order by last name, and then subjects, in alphabetical order. The materials document the orders placed at the Scurlock Studio by clients and identified individuals and organizations, and materials that could not be identified and are categorized by subjects. The subjects represented in the materials are primarily individual, family, and group portraits, and events and places. Cut but unmounted slides were typically placed in the subseries transparencies but a small number of cut but unmounted slides are included in the slides. The subseries proofs only contains a form of proof used by the Scurlock Studio that has a fugitive image, and other types of proofs printed on low quality paper or are water-marked and have a lasting image were included in the series Black and White Photographs and Color Photographs if the proof was either black and white or color. 6.1: Transparencies6.2: Slides6.3: Film6.4: Proofs
Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices:
Dates -- 1955-1957

Extent -- 7 boxes

Contents -- Series 7: Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives and Matrices: The materials in the series are black-and-white color separation negatives and a booklet about how to process black-and-white color separation negatives. The materials are arranged into three subseries: clients, subjects, and the booklet. The materials document orders placed at the Scurlock Studio by clients and individuals and organizations that could be identified but not connected to a specific order. The materials also document negatives categorized by subjects because there was no known client or identifiable individual or organization. The subjects represented are individual portrait sittings and groups, and unidentified people. 7.1: Clients Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives 7.2: Subjects Black-and-White Color Separation Negatives Booklet
Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records:
Dates -- 1907-1996

Extent -- 66 boxes

Contents -- Series 8: Scurlock Studio Business Records: The series Scurlock Studio Business Records contains paperwork pertaining to the administration of the business, the financial documentation of the business, the reocrds of sales, the advertising signs and promotions of hte business, the files kept on employees, and other materials kept at the Scurlock Studio. The series is arranged into six subseries: administrative file, financial, sales, advertising and marketing, employee and personnel, and office files. Each subseries is arranged differently according to the types of materials predominantly found in the subseries or in chronological order. The subjects represented in the series are mostly related to the financial records of the Scurlock Studio kept and the invoices of sales records. A wide variety of other subjects relating to the the business records of the Scurlock Studio can also be found including: session registers, construction plans, advertisements for specific holidays, and product information sent to the Studio. Some materials found in this series may be marked Scurlock Studio and Custom Craft, the color division of the Scurlock Studio, and were placed with this series because the Scurlock Studio was the primary business. Other materials with an unclear origin of either the Scurlock Studio or Custom Craft were placed in this series. 8.1: Administrative Files8.2: Financial8.3: Sales8.4: Advertising and Marketing8.5: Employee and Personnel8.6: Office Files
Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records:
Dates -- 1951-1994

Extent -- 57 boxes

Contents -- Series 9: Custom Craft Business Records: The series Custom Craft Business Records consists of paper documents relating to the administrative, financial, sales records, employee and personnel, and other files about the affairs of the Custom Craft business's day-to-day operations. The materials are arranged into five subseries: administrative, financial, sales, employee and personnel, and office files. The materials within a subseries are ordered by types of documents that consisted of a large number of materials listed first and materials with few documents following the grouped materials in chronological order. The materials document the day-to-day business of Custom Craft. The subjects represented are documents relating to the administration of the business, journals kept to document finances, the order invoices, the files kept about employees, product information, and materials accumulated in the office. Some documents may list both the Scurlock Studio and Custom Craft and were kept with the business records of Custom Craft if the materials appeared to fit the activities, color photography, of that business. Other documents relating to the business affairs of Custom Craft may be in the series Scurlock Studio Business Records because these documents did not clearly indicate which business the documents belonged to; in these cases, the materials were put in the series Scurlock Studio Business Records because the business was the primary business of the Scurlocks. There business records seem to indicate that there was not always a clear differentiation between the two businesses. 9.1: Administrative9.2: Financial9.3: Sales9.4: Employee and Personnel9.5: Office files
Series 10: Capitol School of Photography:
Dates -- 1948-1954

Extent -- 4 boxes

Contents -- Series 10: Capitol School of Photography: The series Capitol School of Photography consists of paper documents, photographs, and transparencies. The materials are arranged in chronological order and document the administration of the Capitol School of Photography and the students. The subjects represented are administrative documents, student files, photographs by students, photographs of students and the space used for the School, and transparencies of the same subjects.
Series 11: Washington Stock:
Dates -- 1981-1994

Extent -- 2 boxes

Contents -- Series 11: Washington Stock: The series Washington Stock consists of order materials, orders, and published materials. The materials are arranged chronologically and document the orders placed for Washington Stock and how the materials were used and published. The subjects represented are orders, standard forms used by Washington Stock, and published materials.
Series 12: Background Materials and Publications:
Dates -- 1902-1995

Extent -- 18 boxes

Contents -- Series 12: Background Materials and Publications: The series Background Materials and Publications is composed of paper documents, published materials, and materials from exhibitions. The materials are arranged into four subseries: historical and background information, Scurlock images, reference materials, and exhibition materials. The materials document the Scurlocks, published Scurlock images, published materials lacking Scurlock images, exhibitions of Scurlock images, and other exhibitions of related material. The subjects represented are largely materials related to the Scurlocks' photography and personal interests. Images were placed in the subseries Scurlock images if the photograph was credited to the Scurlocks or was a photograph known to have been taken by the Scurlocks; it is possible that uncredited and less well known images taken by the Scurlocks are present in the subseries reference materials. 12.1: Historical and Background Information12.2: Scurlock Images12.3: Reference Materials12.4: Exhibition Materials
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into 12 series.

This collection was processed with numerous changes in arrangement and numbering of boxes. Original box numbers have been retained in this finding aid for cross-reference purposes and to assist anyone with a record of photographs according to the original box numbers.
Biographical / Historical:
The Scurlock photographic studio was a fixture in the Shaw area of Washington, D.C. from 1911 to 1994, and encompassed two generations of photographers, Addison N. Scurlock (1883-1964) and his sons George H. (1920- 2005) and Robert S. (1916-1994).

The turn of the twentieth century saw a mass exodus of African Americans from the South to northern cities in search of better employment opportunities and fairer racial treatment. Although many considered Washington to be the northern-most southern city, it still offered opportunities for African Americans leaving seasonal agricultural work and racial oppression in the South. In Washington, African Americans found stable employment with the U.S. government. In addition, Howard University offered African Americans teaching opportunities, college education, and professional training as doctors, dentists, nurses, lawyers, and ministers. By 1900 a substantial African-American middle class existed in Washington. Despite the fact that Washington was a historically and legally segregated city (and would remain so into the 1960s), this middle class population continued to grow and prosper.

After graduation from high school, Addison Scurlock moved from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., with his family in 1900. With a keen interest in photography, he sought out an apprenticeship at the white-owned Moses Rice Studio on Pennsylvania Avenue. The Rice brothers (Amos and Moses) had been in Washington working as photographers since the 1860s and had one of the more prominent and better studios in the city. There Addison learned portrait and general photography. In 1904, he left Rice and began his photographic career at his parents' home. By 1911, when he opened the Scurlock Studio, he had already captured the likeness of Booker T. Washington (1910; see Appendix B), most likely his most well-known portrait. Scurlock quickly identified his market: a self-sufficient African-American community which included students, graduates, and educators affiliated with Howard University; poets; writers; intellectuals; musicians and entertainers; politicians; socialites; fraternal and religious organizations and their leaders. The Scurlock Studio, located at 900 U Street, N.W., became a fixture in the midst of the thriving African-American business community. As with his white counterparts on Pennsylvania Avenue and F Street, N.W., Addison Scurlock inspired passers-by with window displays of his photographs of national leaders and local personalities.

During the 1930s, Addison Scurlock's two sons Robert and George apprenticed in the studio. In addition to portrait and general photography, the sons learned the techniques of retouching negatives and photographic prints, hand-coloring, hand-tinting, and mat decoration. George concentrated on the commercial side of the business while Robert concentrated on the portrait side. The Scurlocks' work changed with the times. From the early 1900s until Addison's death in 1964, the Scurlock Studio was the official photographer of Howard University. In the 1930s the studio began a press service and prepared newsreels on African American current events for the Lichtman Theater chain, which offered some of the few non-segregated venues in the city. Their press service supplied the African-American press with newsworthy photographs of current events, personalities, and social, political, and religious life. Clients included the Norfolk Journal and Guide, Amsterdam News, Pittsburgh Courier, Cleveland Call and Post and the Washington Tribune and Afro-American. George and Robert ran the Capitol School of Photography from 1948 to 1952. Included among their students were African-American veterans under the G.I. Bill, Ellsworth Davis, who later worked as a Washington Post photographer and Bernie Boston of the Los Angeles Times. Perhaps their best-known student was the young Jacqueline Bouvier.

In 1952 Robert opened Washington's first custom color lab. Capitalizing on his knowledge of color processing, Robert was asked to take color portraits of both noted and ordinary individuals. In addition, the studio offered color views of important Washington landmarks and monuments. By the 1960s, Robert added magazine photography to his list of talents, publishing images in Life, Look, and Ebony. Robert continued photographing Washingtonians at his studio until his death in 1994.

According to George Scurlock, the Scurlock studio never had substantial competition in the African American community. Some Washington residents remember it differently, however. Dr. Theodore Hudson, a retired Howard University professor, recalled two other black photographers: Sam Courtney and a man named Sorrell. He said Courtney photographed events in the African American community...?

The collection represents the most comprehensive record of any long-lived, let alone African-American, photography studio, in a public institution. Other twentieth century studio collections exist, such as Robinson Studio, Grand Rapids; Hughes Company, Baltimore, Md. Among African American studio collections in public institutions are James Van Der Zee (New York City, 1912-80s), P.H. Polk (Tuskegee), and the Hooks Brothers (Memphis, Tenn., 1910-1975). The Scurlock Collection covers a greater time period and provides greater depth of coverage of African-American events and personages.

A number of articles have been written about the Scurlock family. Jane Freundel Levey, editor of Washington History magazine, believes that the family went beyond the artful use of light, shadow, and composition. She wrote, "Perhaps the most distinctive hallmark of the Scurlock photograph is the dignity, the uplifting quality of the demeanor of every person captured by photographs who clearly saw each subject as above the ordinary."

Constance McLaughlin Green, one of the leading historians of Washington, D.C., talks about African-American Washington as "the Secret City," a separate world with institutions of its own that remained virtually unknown to the white majority. Addison Scurlock and his sons captured that world on film and in doing so, documented that world in the course of running his business and perfecting his art. Steven C. Newsome, director of the Maryland Commission on Afro-American History and Culture stated that The Scurlocks' photograph "Gave us connections. They tell stories. They let us remember."

The collection includes photographs of the nationally famous Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Mary McLeod Bethune, Mary Church Terrell, Marian Anderson; the locally or regionally important: P.B.S. Pinchback, Judge Miflin Gibbs, Col. Jim Lewis, Ernest Just, Anna J. Cooper; and actors, artists, vaudevillians, and musicians such as Fredi Washington, Madame Lilian Evanti, Oakley & Oakley, and Duke Ellington.

Sources

George Scurlock. Interview conducted by David Haberstich and intern Lora Koehler at Mr. Scurlock's apartment, Aug. 2003.

Theodore Hudson, conversation with David Haberstich in the Archives Center, 2 February 2004.

Jane Freundel Levey, "The Scurlock Studio," Washington History, 1989, p. 44.

Robert S. Scurlock, "An Appreciation of Addison N. Scurlock's Photographic Achievements," The Historic Photographs of Addison N. Scurlock. Washington, D.C.: The Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives, 1986 (exhibition catalog).
Materials at Other Organizations:
The Historical Society of Washington, DC holds Scurlock-related materials.

The Charles Sumner School Museumn and Archives holds Scurlock-related materials.
Materials in the National Museum of American History:
Cameras and other photographic apparatus, studio furniture, and miscellaneous ephemera from the Scurlock studio are in the History of Photography Collection (now Division of Work and Industry). An adding machine from the studio is in the Museum's mathematics collection. See accessions 1997.0293 and 2010.0157.
Provenance:
The Museum purchased the Scurlock Studio Records from the Estate of Robert S. Scurlock, through Judge Marjorie Lawson in 1997. During the period of negotiation between the museum and Robert Scurlock's heirs, his widow Vivian and brother George, the collection was on loan to the Museum and was housed primarily in a closed exhibition area on the second floor. Staff of the Archives Center took physical possession of the collection long before the transfer to the Museum was final. The studio records and photographs were housed principally in the 18th Street studio and in two rental storage facilities. The primary move of the collection to the Museum occurred in September 1995. An additional pickup occurred on February 12, 1996 (on tags). There was probably one additional pickup from the studio by David Haberstich and Caleb Fey on an unrecorded date.
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.

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.
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.
Topic:
Portraits -- 20th century  Search this
Politicians -- 20th century  Search this
Segregation  Search this
Commercial photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C)  Search this
Photography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
African Americans -- History -- 20th century  Search this
African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this
African American photographers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Dye transfer process
Studio portraits
Matrices, color separation
Photographs -- 20th century
Color separation negatives
Citation:
Scurlock Studio Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0618
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep852403536-424e-4026-9305-7c0938436f63
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0618
Online Media:

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