Search Results

Printer:

Ashton-Potter USA (Ltd)  Search this

Medium:

paper; ink (multicolored); self-adhesive

Dimensions:

Height x Width: 5 x 5 in. (12.7 x 12.7 cm)

Type:

Postage Stamps

Place:

United States of America

Date:

June 7, 2002

Topic:

Contemporary (1990-present)  Search this

Object number:

2002.2022.228.1-20

See more items in:

National Postal Museum Collection

Data Source:

National Postal Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8bc403839-cc2f-44b4-9032-4f6c45c7151f

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npm_2002.2022.228.1-20

Printer:

Ashton-Potter USA (Ltd)  Search this

Medium:

paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive

Type:

Postage Stamps

Place:

United States of America

Date:

June 7, 2002

Topic:

Contemporary (1990-present)  Search this

Object number:

2002.2022.251.2

See more items in:

National Postal Museum Collection

Data Source:

National Postal Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm86369ddeb-07b8-4360-b1f4-301dcca6078b

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npm_2002.2022.251.2

Printer:

Banknote Corporation of America  Search this

Medium:

paper; ink; adhesive

Dimensions:

Height x Width: 1 3/16 × 1 9/16 in. (3.02 × 3.97 cm)

Type:

Postage Stamps

Place:

United States of America

Date:

June 14, 2000

Topic:

Contemporary (1990-present)  Search this

U.S. Stamps  Search this

Credit line:

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Object number:

2000.2020.428

See more items in:

National Postal Museum Collection

Data Source:

National Postal Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm89aabfefa-1258-4b57-a75b-8e7deac5c791

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npm_2000.2020.428

Printer:

Banknote Corporation of America  Search this

Medium:

paper; ink; adhesive

Dimensions:

Height x Width: 1 3/16 × 1 9/16 in. (3.02 × 3.97 cm)

Type:

Postage Stamps

Place:

United States of America

Date:

June 14, 2000

Topic:

Contemporary (1990-present)  Search this

U.S. Stamps  Search this

Credit line:

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Object number:

2000.2020.431

See more items in:

National Postal Museum Collection

Data Source:

National Postal Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8def005c2-b3c7-45ae-b8ad-f78b24797d9c

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npm_2000.2020.431

Medium:

paper; ink (multicolored)/ photogravure

Type:

Postage Stamps

Place:

United States of America

Date:

June 7, 2002

Topic:

Contemporary (1990-present)  Search this

U.S. Stamps  Search this

Credit line:

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Object number:

2008.2007.188

See more items in:

National Postal Museum Collection

Data Source:

National Postal Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8c03276c7-fba2-49aa-b8aa-406709c00b6a

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npm_2008.2007.188

Medium:

paper; ink

Type:

Postage Stamps

Place:

United States of America

Date:

April 2003

Topic:

Contemporary (1990-present)  Search this

U.S. Stamps  Search this

Credit line:

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Object number:

2008.2007.189

See more items in:

National Postal Museum Collection

Data Source:

National Postal Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm88b578e95-5ff0-4391-b382-4cf5e00939fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npm_2008.2007.189

Created by:

Delta Air Lines, American, founded 1925  Search this

Worn by:

Eugene Harmond, American, born 1947  Search this

Medium:

ink on metal

Dimensions:

H x W x D: 13/16 × 7/8 × 9/16 in. (2 × 2.2 × 1.5 cm)

Type:

pins (jewelry)

Place used:

United States, North and Central America

Date:

1973-2016

Topic:

African American  Search this

Aeronautics  Search this

Labor  Search this

Transportation  Search this

Travel  Search this

Credit Line:

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Casey Grant in honor of Patricia Banks Edmiston, Patricia Grace Murphy and Eugene Harmond

Object number:

2018.50.14.1

Restrictions & Rights:

No known copyright restrictions

See more items in:

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification:

Adornment

Data Source:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd52325e86d-99a8-4e91-a679-1eb6b48ad384

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmaahc_2018.50.14.1

Creator:

Asch, Moses  Search this

Distler, Marian, 1919-1964  Search this

Folkways Records  Search this

Names:

Courlander, Harold, 1908-1996  Search this

Guthrie, Woody, 1912-1967  Search this

Jenkins, Ella  Search this

Leadbelly, 1885-1949  Search this

Ramsey, Frederic, 1915-1995  Search this

Seeger, Pete, 1919-2014  Search this

Extent:

841 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Business records

Correspondence

Phonograph records

Photographic prints

Audiotapes

Date:

1926-1986

bulk 1948-1986

Summary:

This collection, which dates from 1926-1986, documents the output of Moses Asch through the various record labels he founded and co-founded, and includes some of his personal papers. The Asch collection includes published recordings, master tapes, outtakes, business records, correspondence, photographs, and film.

Scope and Contents:

The Moses and Frances Asch Collection measures 841 cubic feet and dates from 1926-1987, with some contemporary, relevant correspondence, clippings, and ephemera added after 1987.

Most of the collection consists of audio recordings (commercial 78 rpm and long-playing records, open reel tapes, acetate discs, and test pressings), correspondence with recording artists and producers, artwork, photographs, ephemera, clippings, record production materials, writings, and business papers relating to Folkways Records. Materials relating to Folkways Records can be found primarily in the Correspondence, Folkways Production, Business Records, Photographs, Artwork, Sound Recordings, and Film series.

The collection also contains some biographical materials and personal correspondence, including materials related to Asch's first business, Radio Laboratories, located in the Biographical Materials series. Correspondence, ephemera, photographs, record production materials, business papers, and recordings relating to Asch's record labels before Folkways Records (Asch Recordings, Disc Company of America, Cub Records) are located in the Early Label Materials series as well as the Audio Recordings and Photographs series.

Arrangement note:

The collection is arranged in 10 series:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1942-1987

Series 2: Folkways Production, 1946-1987

Series 3: Business Records, 1940-1987

Series 4: Woody Guthrie papers, 1927-1985

Series 5: Early Label Materials, 1940-1949

Series 6: Biographical Materials, 1926-1987

Series 7: Photographs

Series 8: Artwork

Series 9: Audio Recordings

Series 10: Film

At this time, the collection is partially processed. Please contact rinzlerarchives@si.edu for more information.

Biographical/Historical note:

The son of Yiddish writer Sholem Asch, Moses Asch was born in Poland in 1905. His childhood was spent in Poland, France, Germany, and New York. While young, Asch developed an interest in radio electronics, which ultimately lead him to his life's work, recording the music and sounds of the world. He established several record labels in succession, sometimes partnering with other record companies. Two of his fist record companies, Asch Recordings and DISC Co. of America, went bankrupt. They were followed by his best-known label, Folkways Records, which was founded in 1948 with Marian Distler (1919-1964). He was still working on Folkways recordings when he died in 1986.

Folkways Records sought to document the entire world of sound. The 2,168 titles Asch released on Folkways include traditional and contemporary music from around the world, spoken word in many languages, and documentary recordings of individuals, communities, and current events. Asch's business practices revolved around the commitment to keep every recording issued by Folkways in print, despite low sales. Asch stayed afloat by cutting costs where he could (such as color printing) and offering a high-quality product, meticulously recorded and accompanied by extensive liner notes. In doing this, he could charge a slightly higher price than other commercial outfits. Despite a tenuous relationship with financial solvency, Folkways grew to be not only one of the most important independent record companies in the United States in the 20th century, but also one of the largest and most influential record companies in the world.

Moses Asch's record labels featured famous and lesser known American writers, poets, documentarians, ethnographers, and grass roots musicians on commercial recordings. American folk icon Woody Guthrie recorded on the Asch, Disc, and Folkways labels, and the Asch Collection includes some of his correspondence, lyrics, drawings, and writings. The collection also includes correspondence with other notable musicians and artists such as John Cage, Langston Hughes, Margaret Walker, Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter, Pete Seeger, Peggy Seeger, Ewan MacColl, Alan Lomax, Henry Cowell, and Kenneth Patchen. Also in the collection are ethnographic field notes and photographs by as well as correspondence with Béla Barók, Sidney Robertson Cowell, Harold Courlander, Helen Creighton, Laura Boulton, and Samuel Charters. Asch hired various prominent artists and graphic designers including David Stone Martin, Ben Shahn, John Carlis, and Ronald Clyne to create album cover art for his recordings. Much of the original art and designs for these covers can be found in the Asch Collection.

Asch's output of recordings on various labels, including published recordings, open reel master tapes, outtakes, and acetate disks, in addition to his business papers, correspondence, photographs, and other files were acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987. The collection came to the Smithsonian with the understanding that all 2168 titles under the Folkways label would be kept available in perpetuity.

Shared Stewardship of Collections:

The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit https://folklife.si.edu/archives#shared-stewardship.

Provenance:

Ralph Rinzler arranged the Smithsonian's acquisition of the Moses and Frances Asch Collection in 1987, beginning with Asch before his death in 1986 and continuing with extensive discussions between Rinzler and the Asch family. Since its acquisition, archivist Jeff Place and others have added contemporary, relevant correspondence with Folkways artists and related individuals.

Restrictions:

Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.

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:

Folk music  Search this

Folk dance music  Search this

Electronic music  Search this

Oral interpretation of poetry  Search this

Oral interpretation of fiction  Search this

Music -- 20th century  Search this

Music -- 19th century  Search this

Music -- 18th century  Search this

Jazz  Search this

Folk music -- United States  Search this

World music  Search this

Sounds  Search this

Vocal music  Search this

Popular music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Genre/Form:

Business records

Correspondence

Phonograph records

Photographic prints

Audiotapes

Citation:

Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

CFCH.ASCH

See more items in:

Moses and Frances Asch Collection

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk533b8a927-559a-44ac-98d2-f32d871058b4

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-cfch-asch

Creator:

Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George)  Search this

Extent:

61.38 Cubic feet (143 document boxes; 4 cassette boxes; 10 shoeboxes; 1 oversize box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographic prints

Timetables

Annual reports

Memorabilia

Notebooks

Date:

bulk 1910s to 2010

1847 to 2011

Summary:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies (1921 -2011) was an English airline historian, who worked in airline marketing research before joining the National Air and Space Museum in 1981. He served as a curator until his retirement in 2011. This reference collection was compiled by Davies during his career and consists of historical data and materials—including photographs, timetables, and memorabilia—from the airlines of the world.

Scope and Contents:

This reference collection was compiled by Ron Davies throughout his career both as a market researcher and an academic and curator. Materials consist of 63 loose-leaf binders (called dossiers), each containing historical data on the airlines of a country or region, hand-drawn maps, chronologies, articles and marketing materials; over 5000 aviation prints; over 3500 airline timetables; and miscellaneous airline memorabilia. The collection also contains oral history materials, both transcripts and audio cassettes, and four catalogued videotapes.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in six series:

Series 1: Dossiers

Series 2: Photographs

Series 3: Timetables

Series 4: Oral History

Series 5: Personal Materials

Series 6: Motion Picture Materials

Additional title information has been added by the processing archivist in brackets.

Biographical / Historical:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies (1921-2011) was born in England and educated in Shaftesbury, Dorset. After spending six and a half years in the British Army, Davies joined the newly formed Ministry of Civil Aviation. Davies then spent six years in economic research with British European Airways, before joining British Aeroplane Company in 1957, where he set up a market research department. Davies worked in various manufacturing companies, specializing in market research and traffic analysis.

In 1968, Davies went to work in the United States for Douglas Aircraft, where he remained for 13 years as head of market research. In 1981, Davies was appointed as the Charles Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC. After his appointment as Lindbergh Chair ended, Davies became a curator in the Aeronautics Division of the Museum. He retired in 2011.

Davies wrote 26 books about airlines, airline personalities and aspects of air transport, including the reference standards: A History of the World Airlines, Airlines of the United States since 1914, Airlines of Latin America since 1919, Airlines of Asia, and Airlines of the Jet Age: A History. He also founded Paladwr Press in 1987, publishing a series of books on various airlines and their aircraft.

Davies was a Fellow of three Royal Societies: Aeronautics, Arts, and Geographical and was an Associate of the Academe National de L'Air et de l'Espace. He was a Fellow National of the Explorers Club and a member of the New York's Wings Club and Washington's Cosmos Club. He received Brazil's Santos Dumont Medal and the Aeronautics Order of Merit.

Provenance:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies, Gift, 1981, NASM.XXXX.0604.

Restrictions:

No restrictions on access.

Rights:

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests

Topic:

Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this

Airlines  Search this

Air travel  Search this

Airplanes  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographic prints

Timetables

Annual reports

Memorabilia -- 20th century

Notebooks

Citation:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NASM.XXXX.0604

See more items in:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg29424ca5a-d1c8-4305-a392-1808a01b1255

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0604

Creator:

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio)  Search this

Names:

McCook Field, Ohio  Search this

United States. Air Force  Search this

United States. Air Force Materiel Division  Search this

United States. Air Materiel Command  Search this

Wright Field, Ohio  Search this

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio)  Search this

Extent:

733.77 Cubic feet (1508 document boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Correspondence

Publications

Reports

Photographs

Date:

1915-1955

Summary:

Throughout its history the Engineering Division/Materiel Division at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, maintained a catalogued library of technical documents, which was turned over to the Air Force Museum and later donated to the National Air and Space Museum. The collection consists of reports and other documents on a variety of aviation-related topics, including general science (aeronautics, physics, chemistry, etc); military air service personnel, organization, and equipment for both US and foreign air forces; as well as operations, and so on. Currently, the finding aid only covers documents from the D52.1 subject code (Airplanes, arranged alphabetically) and only those that are physically located in the Wright Field Technical Documents Library.

Scope and Contents:

The collection consists of reports and other documents on a variety of aviation-related topics, including general science (aeronautics, physics, chemistry, etc); military air service personnel, organization, and equipment for both US and foreign air forces; as well as operations, and so on. Information on foreign services and equipment is usually from military intelligence reports, although some foreign documents or translations are included. The material also includes a large section of test reports from the Material Division itself.

Arrangement:

Every document in the collection has been assigned a multi-part Wright Field Number. This number is adapted from the Air Force central decimal correspondence filing system. Wright Field Numbers are written in the format:

[Subject Code] [Category Suffix] / [Sequence Number] [Sequence Modifier]

• Subject Code: This number begins with an alpha-numeric subject code. For example, D52.1 (Airplanes, arranged alphabetically).

• Category Suffix: A more specific textual subject reference. For example, in the D52.1 subjects, the suffix is usually a manufacturer name, aircraft name, or a general type of aircraft. (Original Wright Field cataloguers could be inconsistent in how they classified an airplane. For example, a document on a Japanese Mitsubishi A6M could be filed alphabetically under A6M, Mitsubishi, Zeke, Zero, or Misc. Japanese.) It is possible to not have a category suffix.

• Sequence Number: The individual number assigned to the document within its subject code and category. If a document was formerly classified as "Security Information," the sequence number starts with "S," for example "S-1." These are usually filed at the beginning of a range of documents. Sometimes technical manuals are filed using the technical order (TO) number. For example, 01-20EE-3 is the sequence number used for a Boeing B-17 Handbook of Overhaul Instructions, TO-01-20EE-3.

• Sequence Modifier: If there is a revision or multiple parts of a document, this is reflected in a sequence modifier. Ex. Dates, revision numbers, etc.

The documents are arranged alpha-numerically by Wright Field Number in the order of:

Subject Code, Category Suffix, Sequence Number, Sequence Modifier

Example of arrangement by Wright Field Number:

D52.1 / 42

D52.1 Aeronca / 2

D52.1 Boeing / S-1

D52.1 Boeing / 422

D52.1 Boeing / 511 Dec 1, 1941

D52.1 Boeing / 511 vol. 2 March 1, 1943

D52.1 Misc. Japanese / 46

Each record contains the title and source from the index cards. Information from the subject field on the cards appears as a scope and content note.

Currently, the finding aid only covers documents from the D52.1 subject code and only those that are physically located in the Wright Field Technical Documents Library. Please contact the NASM Archives regarding additional documents. Some may be located in the Technical Reference Files, cataloguing information may be only on the index cards, or the document has been catalogued as missing from the collection.

Biographical / Historical:

In 1917, the United States Army Air Service established an aviation engineering section at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. In 1927, the Engineering Division, as it was then known, moved to nearby Wilbur Wright Field and remained there as the Air Force Materiel Division (AFMD) and Air Materiel Command (AMC) until Wright Field combined with Patterson Field to become Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1948. The Engineering Division was responsible for Army Air Services research and development and served as a clearinghouse for information on aviation development worldwide. Throughout its history the Engineering Division/Materiel Division maintained a catalogued library of documents, which was turned over to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson and was later donated to the National Air and Space Museum.

Provenance:

United States Air Force Museum, Transfer, 1962, NASM.XXXX.0428.

Restrictions:

No restrictions on access

Rights:

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests

Topic:

Military intelligence  Search this

Airplanes, Military -- Flight testing  Search this

Aeronautics, Military  Search this

Aeronautics  Search this

Aeronautics, Military -- Research  Search this

Genre/Form:

Correspondence

Publications

Reports

Photographs

Identifier:

NASM.XXXX.0428

See more items in:

Wright Field Technical Documents Library

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2124245c3-eb7c-495a-a446-e87ba26d8251

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0428

Extent:

0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder, Printed invitation with hand-lettered name., 4.25 x 5.4 inches)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Invitations

Date:

October 10, 1923

Summary:

This single-item collection consists of an invitation to the christening of the US Navy airship ZR-1 USS Shenandoah at NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey, on October 10, 1923.

Scope and Contents:

This single-item collection consists of an invitation to the christening of the US Navy airship ZR-1 USS Shenandoah at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, on October 10, 1923: "The Secretary of the Navy requests the pleasure of the company of Mr. Benjamin Postman at the Christening of the U. S. S. Shenandoah on Wednesday afternoon, October the tenth at two o'clock at the United States Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey."

Arrangement:

No arrangement.

Biographical / Historical:

Plans for the construction of the US Navy airship ZR-1 USS Shenandoah, the first rigid airship to be built in the United States, were begun in September 1919; her parts were manufactured at the Naval Aircraft Factory and then shipped to NAS Lakehurst for final assembly. The assembly began on February 11, 1922, and the Shenandoah was christened on October 10, 1923. Despite her relatively short life of two years, the Shenandoah achieved many firsts during her operational career. She was the first rigid airship to be inflated with helium; the first to use water recovery apparatus for the continuous recovery of ballast from the exhaust gas of fuel burned; and she completed the most extended operation accomplished by an airship up to that time, completing 57 flights, logging 740 hours in the air, and covering about 28,000 miles on flights designed to train crewmen in the science of handling large airships in naval missions. Sadly, the airship was to meet a tragic end. Before dawn on the morning of September 3, 1925, over eastern Ohio, the Shenandoah encountered a severe storm. She broke in two; the control car separated and fell to the ground while the forward section of the ship rose to a great height and remained in the air for the greater part of an hour before making a free balloon landing at Sharon, Ohio, with the bulk of the airship crashing near Ava, Ohio. Fourteen of the 43-person crew were killed.

Provenance:

Alan S. Postman, gift, 1988, NASM. 1988.0054.

Restrictions:

No restrictions on access

Rights:

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Topic:

Aeronautics  Search this

Airships  Search this

Naval aviation  Search this

ZR-1 Shenandoah  Search this

Genre/Form:

Invitations

Citation:

ZR-1 Shenandoah Christening Invitation, Acc. NASM.1988.0054, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NASM.1988.0054

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2806e3536-f695-4e57-bdad-8a77608408b6

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-1988-0054

Names:

Andrade-Watkins, Claire  Search this

Bambara, Toni Cade  Search this

Dash, Julie  Search this

Gerima, Haile  Search this

Greaves, William, 1953-2005  Search this

Gunn, Bill, 1934-1989  Search this

Jafa, Arthur  Search this

Jones, Robert Earl, 1904-2006  Search this

Massiah, Louis  Search this

Micheaux, Oscar, 1884-1951  Search this

Moses, Ethel  Search this

Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976  Search this

Sanchez, Sonia, 1934- (poet, reader)  Search this

Snead, James A., 1953-1989  Search this

Spence, Louise, 1945-  Search this

Tucker, Lorenzo  Search this

Donor:

Bowser, Pearl, 1931-  Search this

Extent:

approximately 100 Motion picture films

213 Sound cassettes (7 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Motion picture films

Sound cassettes

Sound cassette

Oral histories (document genres)

16mm motion picture film

Vhs (videotape format)

Place:

England

Harlem (New York, N.Y.)

Roanoke (Va.)

Memphis (Tenn.)

Date:

bulk 1920-2001

Biographical / Historical:

Pearl Bowser is a filmmaker, producer, author, lecturer, and highly acclaimed scholar of African American film who is recognized as an authority on the works of Oscar Micheaux, a noted writer, director, and producer of race films from 1919 to 1948.

Born Pearl Johnson on June 25, 1931, in Sugar Hill, Harlem, New York, she was named after her mother (also Pearl Johnson), a domestic worker who had been raised in a Catholic nunnery. On occasional Saturdays, the younger Pearl would accompany her mother to work in apartments in lower Manhattan, where she would assist her by folding handkerchiefs for a small allowance. After moving to a lower part of Harlem when she was about four years old, she met Harlem entrepreneur "Bumpy" Johnson, for whom she and other children in the neighborhood did odd jobs such as counting coins or attending to his ice-cream stand. Johnson, who would sometimes give the children joy rides in his Cadillac, occasionally allowed Pearl and the other children to borrow books from his extensive library, provided that they read them and submitted to a quiz.

As a child, Bowser had several racist encounters. For example, one of her white kindergarten teachers at her elementary school wore gloves in the classroom as to not touch Black pupils. She was also occasionally teased for having a gap between her teeth but felt insulated from sustained bullying because she had several older brothers who sometimes protected her. On a separate occasion, when she was about nine years old, her mother sent her on a trip from New York to the South to visit relatives. Although her mother had purchased tickets for her to be in a Pullman car, when she changed trains in Washington, DC., she was forced to ride in the car behind the engine, which left her covered in soot.

An avid reader, Pearl excelled in elementary and high school and received a scholarship to attend Brooklyn College, where she majored in biology. She supplemented her income by recording the numbers in one of Bumpy Johnson's shops. Disappointed with the quality of the education she was receiving, Bowser withdrew from Brooklyn College, eventually landing a job at CBS where she worked on a team that analyzed Nielsen ratings.

In 1955, Pearl married fellow New Yorker LeRoy Bowser. By the mid-1960s, although Pearl and LeRoy Bowser had separate interests, they both were working simultaneously in the civil rights movement. While LeRoy was active in Brooklyn CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and went to the South in the summer to teach for what was the beginning of HeadStart, Pearl, along with other production activists, took to the streets documenting African American culture and issues—working to bring these films to schools. Additionally, Bowser wanted to write a cookbook to earn funds for Brooklyn's CORE organization. She was approached by David Davis, the editor of Tuesday Magazine. Tuesday had distribution in the Herald Tribune across the country as a Sunday supplement. As the urban-world magazine exploded in Black communities, "Joan" Bowser's two-page pictorials on Southern cooking with a set of recipes became very popular in the five years she wrote them. Bowser retained copyrights to the articles, and easily completed her cookbook a short time later.

Bowser's colleague at ABC, Charles Hobson, found a used book written by Peter Noble about Black films and Oscar Micheaux. The volume was slim and contained what little information contained in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) files. Hobson and his colleagues wanted to write a book about the topic, and they assigned Bowser to begin the research. As part of the project, Bowser went to California to interview actors who may have been in early Black films or may have worked with Micheaux. What she learned began her intensive scholarship into Micheaux and his fellow filmmakers.

In 1971, she organized her first film festival, the Black Film History Series. In 1979, she organized the nation's first American women's film festival in New York City. She also presented a major retrospective, Independent Black American Cinema 1920-1980, which toured the country during 1981 and 1982. She also directed the Journey Across Three Continents film and lecture series, which toured the country from 1983-1985. Bowser also served as president of the prestigious Flaherty Film Seminar in 1987. In 1989, she, alongside Grant Munro, programmed the 35th Flaherty Film Seminar, which featured films such as Finzan, Zajota and the Boogie Spirit, Daughters of the Dust, and many more. She has also been a judge at the world-renown Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESCPACO) in Burkina Faso (formerly known as Upper Volta).

In the 1980s Bowser was awarded an independent artists grant by the Ford Foundation to travel west and collect oral histories from individuals in Oscar Micheaux's orbit, loosely following the route he would have travelled decades earlier. Stopping in cities such as Roanoke, Virginia; Memphis, Tennessee; and Jackson, Mississippi, she collected dozens of oral histories from actors, actresses etc. that knew Oscar Micheaux. Through this research she became an eminent figure in the Black independent film industry. Working as a programmer, she travelled around the United States and the world showing films by domestic and Black filmmakers within the Diaspora.

Despite her wealth of experience working as a programmer, it wasn't until the 1990s that Bowser made her directorial debut with the documentary film Midnight Ramble. Funded by American Experience, the film looks at African Americans and Hollywood movies from 1910 through the 1950s. In 2000, she, along with Louise Spence, co-authored Writing Himself into History: Oscar Micheaux, His Silent Films and His Audiences, a book about the pioneering filmmaker. Additionally, she is founder and director of Chamba Educational Film Services, a film distribution company that specialized in distributing films by African American filmmakers. In the early 1980s, she renamed her company/collection as African Diaspora Images, a collection of historical and contemporary films documenting Black film history. She subsequently joined Third World Newsreel, where she was director of their theater department.

In 2012, Pearl Bowser donated her extensive collection of books, sound cassettes, films, film memorabilia, and papers to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Sources:

1940 United States Federal Census; New York, New York, New York, population schedule, p. 61B, house number 1486, family 195, Pearl Bowser; Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012 accessed: 10 Sept 2022); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm: m-t0627-02665

Bowser, Pearl. Pearl Bowser Oral History. Interview by Tuliza Fleming and Jennifer Lyon, July 21, 2011.

Provenance:

Acquired as a donation from Pearl Bowser in 2012.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Access to collection materials requires an appointment.

Occupation:

Filmmakers  Search this

Actors -- Interviews  Search this

Topic:

Documentary films  Search this

Film festivals  Search this

African American actors  Search this

African American actresses  Search this

African diaspora  Search this

Race films  Search this

African American motion picture producers and directors  Search this

African American women authors  Search this

Meetings  Search this

Conferences  Search this

Lectures and lecturing  Search this

Amateur films  Search this

Motion picture soundtracks  Search this

Oral history  Search this

Radio broadcasts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound cassette

Oral histories (document genres)

16mm motion picture film

VHS (videotape format)

Citation:

Pearl Bowser Collection, National Museum of African American History and Culture

Identifier:

NMAAHC.A2012.79.AV

See more items in:

Pearl Bowser Audiovisual Collection

Archival Repository:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/io3209e9c6d-3045-4a0a-941e-6519385b18d5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmaahc-a2012-79-av

Donor:

Eudaily, Daniel  Search this

Flautt Antiques. Calvin R.  Search this

Franklin, Sue  Search this

Fry, Robert E.  Search this

Groves, Ruth Ann Empie  Search this

Johnson, Marjorie  Search this

Otto, Carlin, Ms.  Search this

Ravnitzky, Michael  Search this

Rupp, Gloria  Search this

Creator:

Fogel, Byron J.  Search this

Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Extent:

3 Cubic feet (11 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gocards

Picture postcards

Date:

20th-21st centuries

Scope and Contents:

Postcards, arranged by geographical area or by the subjects. Collection includes two boxes of "GoCards" (freely distributed commercial postcards) as well.

Arrangement:

The collection is arraned into three series.

Series 1: Subjects

Series 2: Geographical, United States

Series 3: Geographical, Foreign

Series 4: Advertising Postcards

Provenance:

The collection consists of materials found in collections, gifts from museum staff, and unsolicited gifts from the public.

Donated by Gloria A. Rupp (1980); purchased from Calvin R. Flautt Antiques (1987); donated by Marjorie Johnson (1990); donated by Susan elsass (1993); donated by Dolores Scott (1994); donated by Morrill B. Donnald (1999); donated by Claire Reilly (1999) donated by Michael Ravnitzky (2007); Gretchen Redd (2007); Ruth Ann Empie Groves (2008); Robert E. Fry (2008); Daniel Eudaily (2008); Byron Jeffrey Fogel (2008); Sue Franklin (2009); and Carlin Otto (2013)

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Trade advertisements  Search this

advertising  Search this

Genre/Form:

GoCards

Picture postcards -- 20th century -- United States

Citation:

Archives Center Postcard Collection, twentieth century, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0483

See more items in:

Archives Center Postcard Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8005ef9bb-aa75-4825-a234-3db6a53ba404

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0483

Collection Donor:

Eudaily, Daniel  Search this

Flautt Antiques. Calvin R.  Search this

Franklin, Sue  Search this

Fry, Robert E.  Search this

Groves, Ruth Ann Empie  Search this

Johnson, Marjorie  Search this

Otto, Carlin, Ms.  Search this

Ravnitzky, Michael  Search this

Rupp, Gloria  Search this

Collection Creator:

Fogel, Byron J.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Container:

Box 9

Box 10

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Archives Center Postcard Collection, twentieth century, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Archives Center Postcard Collection

Archives Center Postcard Collection / Series 2: Geographical, United States

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f460de86-ea13-49c3-b337-6c030f055964

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0483-ref105

Collection Donor:

Eudaily, Daniel  Search this

Flautt Antiques. Calvin R.  Search this

Franklin, Sue  Search this

Fry, Robert E.  Search this

Groves, Ruth Ann Empie  Search this

Johnson, Marjorie  Search this

Otto, Carlin, Ms.  Search this

Ravnitzky, Michael  Search this

Rupp, Gloria  Search this

Collection Creator:

Fogel, Byron J.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Container:

Box 9

Box 10

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Archives Center Postcard Collection, twentieth century, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Archives Center Postcard Collection

Archives Center Postcard Collection / Series 2: Geographical, United States

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep88d491b38-a7ff-41d4-bc9a-7de53a01141d

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0483-ref106

Collection Donor:

Eudaily, Daniel  Search this

Flautt Antiques. Calvin R.  Search this

Franklin, Sue  Search this

Fry, Robert E.  Search this

Groves, Ruth Ann Empie  Search this

Johnson, Marjorie  Search this

Otto, Carlin, Ms.  Search this

Ravnitzky, Michael  Search this

Rupp, Gloria  Search this

Collection Creator:

Fogel, Byron J.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Container:

Box 9

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Archives Center Postcard Collection, twentieth century, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Archives Center Postcard Collection

Archives Center Postcard Collection / Series 2: Geographical, United States

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep80325e2b7-1e6c-4101-9345-3bfc7e6792ef

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0483-ref107

Collection Donor:

Eudaily, Daniel  Search this

Flautt Antiques. Calvin R.  Search this

Franklin, Sue  Search this

Fry, Robert E.  Search this

Groves, Ruth Ann Empie  Search this

Johnson, Marjorie  Search this

Otto, Carlin, Ms.  Search this

Ravnitzky, Michael  Search this

Rupp, Gloria  Search this

Collection Creator:

Fogel, Byron J.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Container:

Box 9

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Archives Center Postcard Collection, twentieth century, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Archives Center Postcard Collection

Archives Center Postcard Collection / Series 2: Geographical, United States

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8064c0020-e3a9-4e86-8121-4772ecaa7e3c

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0483-ref108

Collection Donor:

Eudaily, Daniel  Search this

Flautt Antiques. Calvin R.  Search this

Franklin, Sue  Search this

Fry, Robert E.  Search this

Groves, Ruth Ann Empie  Search this

Johnson, Marjorie  Search this

Otto, Carlin, Ms.  Search this

Ravnitzky, Michael  Search this

Rupp, Gloria  Search this

Collection Creator:

Fogel, Byron J.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Container:

Box 9

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Archives Center Postcard Collection, twentieth century, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Archives Center Postcard Collection

Archives Center Postcard Collection / Series 2: Geographical, United States

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8e5791462-a12f-478c-b541-c141fe69c315

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0483-ref109

Collection Donor:

Eudaily, Daniel  Search this

Flautt Antiques. Calvin R.  Search this

Franklin, Sue  Search this

Fry, Robert E.  Search this

Groves, Ruth Ann Empie  Search this

Johnson, Marjorie  Search this

Otto, Carlin, Ms.  Search this

Ravnitzky, Michael  Search this

Rupp, Gloria  Search this

Collection Creator:

Fogel, Byron J.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Container:

Box 9

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Archives Center Postcard Collection, twentieth century, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Archives Center Postcard Collection

Archives Center Postcard Collection / Series 2: Geographical, United States

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8d01df673-fac6-44bc-9eda-e79503d92ab9

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0483-ref110

Collection Donor:

Eudaily, Daniel  Search this

Flautt Antiques. Calvin R.  Search this

Franklin, Sue  Search this

Fry, Robert E.  Search this

Groves, Ruth Ann Empie  Search this

Johnson, Marjorie  Search this

Otto, Carlin, Ms.  Search this

Ravnitzky, Michael  Search this

Rupp, Gloria  Search this

Collection Creator:

Fogel, Byron J.  Search this

Collection Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Container:

Box 9

Box 10

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Archives Center Postcard Collection, twentieth century, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Archives Center Postcard Collection

Archives Center Postcard Collection / Series 2: Geographical, United States

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8386c3c80-e192-4198-9703-e5d9aa5bfe4c

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0483-ref111