Search Results

Collector:

Whitehead, Henry Preston, 1917-2002  Search this

Extent:

156.91 Linear feet (178 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pamphlets

Sound recordings

Clippings

Memorabilia

Newspapers

Photographs

Books

Brochures

Date:

1843-2010

bulk 1940-1986

Summary:

The papers of historian Henry P. Whitehead measure 156.91 linear feet and date from 1843 to 2010 (bulk 1945-1986). The collection documents Whitehead's careers, as well as his family and personal life. The collection also includes the personal papers of Tomlinson D. Todd, Elizabeth B. Delaney and the Howard Theatre Foundation. The combined collection is comprised of black theatrical memorabilia; materials relating to civil rights activities in the District of Columbia; and the African American experience in general. Included are playbills, sheet music, admission tickets, newspapers, magazines, books, photographs, clippings, flyers, brochures, pamphlets, sound recordings, research files, and other material.

Scope and Contents note:

The papers of historian Henry P. Whitehead measure 156.91 linear feet and date from 1843 to 2010 (bulk 1945-1986). The collection includes the personal papers of Henry P. Whitehead, Tomlinson D. Todd, Elizabeth B. Delaney and the Howard Theatre Foundation. The collection is divided into four series.

Series I focuses on Whitehead and includes papers dating from 1843 to his death in 2011. This series includes biographical material including a large amount of appointment books, identification and membership cards, resumes, certificates, and personal and family material. There is a limited amount of correspondence, which focuses on his personal relationships with family, friends, and general correspondence relating primarily to his work as a local historian.

Also found within Whitehead's papers are countless records from his time employed by the Washington DC government. Materials include memoranda, notes, research material, handbooks, guides, manuals, affirmative action info and records, affirmative action plans, promotion recommendations, recruitment plans and summaries, personnel files (complaints), civil actions and reports related too Whitehead's 37 years of government employment. It reflects the activities of numerous departments, primarily in regards to employment and affirmative action.

There are also a number of files that document Whitehead's involvement in numerous community organizations. Among the organizations in which Whitehead was involved include U Street Festival, Lincoln Corporation, and the U Street Theater Foundation. The papers of the U Street Foundation document the production and establishment of the annual U Street Festival. The Lincoln Theater Foundation and the U Street Theater Foundation papers document the efforts to reopen the Lincoln Theater. Also included are Whitehead's research on the Lincoln as well as old Lincoln Theatre programs. Additionally found within this series are documents and clippings on the economic development within Washington DC particularly in the Shaw/U Street location.

The majority of this series consists of printed material. Printed material in this series includes books, clippings, magazines, newsletters, newspapers, press releases, sheet music, programs as well as promotional material for several Washington DC theaters and organizations. There is a large quantity of theater programs dating from 1900-1986. The majority of the clippings and magazines are theater related topics, coupled with a miscellaneous selection of clippings on topics that presumably captured Whitehead's attention.

Research, notes and writings include a large amount of scrapbooks compiled by Whitehead of mostly photocopied clippings documenting Washington DC history, African American theater history, and general African American history. Five scrapbooks were compiled by an unknown source and were previously housed in the New York Public Library collection. Two scrapbooks are about general theater history one about Frances Starr and one about Margaret Anglin. There is also one scrapbook pertaiing to Mae Hall. Also included are a large amount of research notes and notebooks along with general miscellaneous notes.

There are several photographs of African Americans in the performing arts as well as images of Washington DC and several unidentified men, women, and children.

Audio recordings include 23 cassette from the Alexandria Church of God.

The remainder of the collection consists of the papers of Tomlinson D. Todd, Elizabeth B. Delaney, and those about the Howard Theatre.

The Howard Theatre papers are arranged in Series II and include documents relating to the Washington DC historic Howard Theatre and date from 1910 to 1986. The papers in this series predominantly document the Howard Theatre Foundation's efforts to reestablish and run the Howard Theatre in which Whitehead was the vice president. Records include business correspondence, founding documents, photographs, memoranda, press releases, member lists, financial records, clippings, and scrapbooks of clippings pertaining to the organization and theatre.

The correspondence in the collection include a handful of letters from the Washington DC government along with individuals and organizations. Also included is a large amount of interoffice memoradums.

Administrative records include lawsuits, resolutions, meeting minutes, grant proposals, press releases, memoranda, member lists, studies and reports.

Financial records include check stubs, receipts, invoices, bank statements, expenses, and contribution lists. Printed material includes original and photocopied clippings relating to the history and coverage of the foundation activities. Mostly promotional material as flyers, brochures, and press releases along with programs. In particular two 1920 Howard Theatre programs.

The scrapbooks of original and photocopied clippings compiled by Whitehead chronicle the history of the theatre and coverage of the foundation activities.

There are three VHS cassette featuring Whitehead discussing the Howard Theatre. Also found in series 2 are numerous stock investment record books belonging to A.E. Lichtman one of the early managers of the Howard Theatre. In addition early correspondence between Lichtman and the Rex Amusement Company concerning operational management issues of the Howard Theatre.

The Tomlinson D. Todd papers are arranged in Series III and date from 1902-1986 they include organization files, collected printed materials, subject files, and personal papers.

The collection includes materials relating to organizations in which there was a relationship to Todd's work and in which he had an interest primarily during the 1940s and 1950s, organizations include the National Negro Congress (ca, 1946-1947); the Congress for Industrial Organizations (1943-1947); National Council of Negro Women (1947-1949); Committee for Racial Democracy in the Nation's Capital (1947-1948).

The subject files include documents from three of Todd's organizations; Institute on Race Relation, Club Internationale, and his radio program "Americans All". As well as printed material from Todd's alma mater Lincoln University.

The largest subject file is "Americans All" which includes radio scripts as well as audio recording of a few programs and public service announcements. Also found are several black and white photographs of Todd at the radio studio. Printed materials include newspapers, leaflets, convention proceedings, and flyers, There are a large amount of programs ranging from church worship to convention as well as performance. Also present is a small amount of personal papers, including resumes, certificates, admission tickets, family documents, and travel ephemera from his all expense paid trip to Nigeria.

There are a few photographs of Todd at functions and with notable individuals as well as some family, friends and travel.

Elizabeth's B. Delaney papers are arranged in Series IV and date from 1874-1973.

The papers primarily document her involvement in four organizations, the Grand Oder of Odd Fellow of Kentucky, the Order Eastern Star Kentucky, the State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs of Kentucky and the National Association of Colored Women. There is a small amount of printed material belonging to her son primarily the Alpha Phi Alpha material and Gospel Choral Sheet Music, and books.

The Scrapbook was complied by Whitehead consisting of photocopied clipping documenting the life of Elizabeth B. Delaney.

Arrangement note:

This collection is arranged into four series:

Series 1: Henry P. Whitehead papers Series 2: Howard Theatre Series 3: Tomlinson D. Todd Series 4. Elizabeth B. Delaney

Biographical/Historical note:

Henry Preston Whitehead Jr., was a native of Columbus Ohio. A graduate of Ohio State University, where he also attended law school and was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Mr. Whitehead discovered Washington's "Black Broadway" in 1940, when he was a soldier in town on a weekend furlough. As he served in the Army in the South Pacific during World War II. Prior to moving to Washington DC Henry P. Whitehead worked for five years as a liquor inspector. Mr. Whitehead moved to Washington D.C. in 1949 and worked for the Post Office before working for the District of Columbia government where he stayed 21 years. He led several equal employment initiatives during the 1960s and 1970s, and was last employed as associate director of the District's Office of Human Rights. In 1980 after putting in 37 years of government service Mr. Whitehead retired. Mr. Whitehead was an historian who led efforts to restore Washington's U Street cultural corridor and achieved recognition as an authority on and collector of black theatrical memorabilia. Mr. Whitehead worked to promote and preserve the city's rich African American cultural heritage.

Mr. Whitehead, served as the chairman and president for 10 years of the Howard Theater Foundation Inc., which he helped establish. There he led the effort to include Howard Theatre in the National Register of Historic Places.

Similarly he was an active member of the U Street Festival Foundation. He was an adviser to the Kennedy Center, Anacostia Museum, and other Smithsonian Institution units and contributed materials to their exhibitions. He was also a consultant to historical documentaries broadcast on public television and radio, including PBS's "Duke Ellington's Washington." His writings included "Remembering U Street," a book used for annual festivals in the historic area.

Mr. Whitehead was also the founder and board member of the Lincoln Theatre Foundation.

Henry P. Whitehead Jr. died on January 8th 2002 at the age of 84.

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the Anacostia Community Museum on September 1, 2005 by Michael A. Watkins.

Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.

Rights:

The Henry P. Whitehead collection is the physical property of the Anacostia Community Museum. Literary and copyright belong to the author/creator or their legal heirs and assigns. Rights to work produced during the normal course of Museum business resides with the Anacostia Community Museum. For further information, and to obtain permission to publish or reproduce, contact the Museum Archives.

Topic:

Howard Theatre (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

African Americans  Search this

National Negro Congress (U.S.)  Search this

National Council of Negro Women  Search this

Radio broadcasting  Search this

African American neighborhoods  Search this

African American musicians  Search this

Genre/Form:

Pamphlets

Sound recordings

Clippings

Memorabilia -- 20th century

Newspapers

Photographs

Books

Brochures

Citation:

Henry P. Whitehead collection, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Michael A. Watkins.

Identifier:

ACMA.06-042

See more items in:

Henry P. Whitehead collection

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa751389911-f3d5-474b-82b4-126047b9cc46

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-acma-06-042

Creator:

Shia, Nancy, 1947-  Search this

Names:

Barry, Marion, 1936-2014  Search this

Butler, Josephine "Jo", 1920-1997  Search this

Nahikian, Marie Satenik, 1946-  Search this

Washington, Walter E., 1915-2003  Search this

Extent:

0.75 Linear feet (2 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Annual reports

Fliers (printed matter)

Correspondence

Photographs

Newspaper clippings

Newsletters

Place:

Adams Morgan (Washington, D.C.)

Date:

1969 - 2001

Scope and Contents:

These records include documents relating to Nancy Shia's service from 1982-1984 as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of the Adams Morgan neighborhood in Washington, DC. Materials include correspondence, meeting agendas and minutes, annual reports, grant proposals, newspaper clippings, and political fliers. Also contained in the collection are several editions of the Rock Creek Monitor, a newspaper of Adams Morgan and surrounding communities, and photographs by Nancy Shia of the annual Adams Morgan Day celebration.

Biographical/Historical Note:

Nancy Shia is a photographer, political artist, neighborhood activist, and longtime Adams Morgan resident. She received her B.A. in Sociology (with a minor in Photography) from City College of New York, her M.A. in Social Work from Columbia University, and came to Washington, DC in 1972 to attend Antioch School of Law (from which she received her J.D. in 1978). She has extensively documented the Adams Morgan neighborhood through photography since the early 1970s. She later worked for the Federal News Service and was elected to serve as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner from 1982-1984 and again from 2007-2010.

Provenance:

Donated by Nancy Shia in 2017.

Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Rights:

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

Topic:

Festivals  Search this

Newspapers -- 20th century  Search this

Housing policy  Search this

Genre/Form:

Annual reports -- 20th century

Fliers (printed matter)

Correspondence

Photographs

Newspaper clippings

Newsletters

Citation:

Nancy Shia papers, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Nancy Shia.

Identifier:

ACMA.06-099

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7fc16da40-345d-4641-84da-de49f5afcbe7

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-acma-06-099

Author:

Schneider, Gilbert, 1920-1999  Search this

Series Photographer:

Schneider, Gilbert, 1920-1999  Search this

Schneider, Evan G., (1949 - )  Search this

Series Creator:

Schneider, Mildred, (1920 - 2016)  Search this

Mbeng, Johnson  Search this

Extent:

1 Folder (Box 11)

Type:

Archival materials

Grant proposals

General:

Granted by Ohio University

Series Restrictions:

This collection is not fully processed and may not be available for research. Contact archives staff to schedule an appointment.

Series Rights:

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject ot all copyright laws.

Genre/Form:

Grant Proposals

See more items in:

Evan G. Schneider Collection

Evan G. Schneider Collection / Correspondence, Writings, and Articles

Archival Repository:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo7376c53dd-c96f-426f-a79e-951532dcff3c

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-eepa-2020-004-ref84

Creator:

Gibson, Gordon D. (Gordon Davis), 1915-2007  Search this

Names:

Center for the Study of Man (Smithsonian Institution)  Search this

Lewis, Kepler-Morden African Expedition  Search this

National Anthropological Film Center (U.S.)  Search this

National Museum of Natural History (U.S.)  Search this

Smithsonian Institution. Museum of Man  Search this

Smithsonian Institution. United States National Museum. Expedition to Madagascar -- 1962  Search this

Estermann, Carlos  Search this

Lomax, Alan, 1915-2002  Search this

Marshall, Lawrence Kennedy, 1898-1980  Search this

Mohun, Richard Dorsey  Search this

Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858  Search this

Reining, Priscilla  Search this

Taunt, Emory H.  Search this

Tisdel, Willard P.  Search this

Verner, Samuel Phillips, 1873-1943  Search this

Ward, Herbert, 1863-1919  Search this

Correspondent:

Adams, Robert McCormick (Americanist)  Search this

Bohannan, Paul James  Search this

Cavendish, Marian W.  Search this

Dibble, Charles  Search this

Doyle, David W.  Search this

Fenkykovi, J.J.  Search this

Gill, Lunda Hoyle  Search this

Hartley, G.W.  Search this

Mead, Margaret, 1901-1978  Search this

O'Bryan, Deric  Search this

Robbins, Warren M.  Search this

Stanley, Jo Ann T.  Search this

Stone, Janet  Search this

Summers, Roger  Search this

Tax, Sol, 1907-1995  Search this

Thieme, Darius and Mimi  Search this

Trousdale, William  Search this

Turnbull, Colin  Search this

Wagley, Charles, 1913-1991  Search this

Wentzel, Volkmar Kurt, 1915-2006  Search this

Photographer:

Duggan-Cronin, A. M. (Alfred Martin), 1874-  Search this

Friedmann, Herbert, 1900-1987  Search this

Lewis, Ralph Kepler  Search this

Wentzel, Volkmar Kurt, 1915-2006  Search this

Extent:

95 Linear feet (154 document boxes, 1 manuscript folder, 63 card file boxes, 1 oversize box, plus 64 microfilm reels, 137 sound recordings, 3 map folders, and 3 sets of rolled maps )

Culture:

Kuba  Search this

Bayei (African people)  Search this

Bushmen  Search this

Kuvale (African people)  Search this

Mbundu (African people)  Search this

Mbandieru (African people)  Search this

Keyu  Search this

Kongo (African people)  Search this

Herero (African people)  Search this

Himba (African people)  Search this

Hakawona  Search this

Diriku (African people)  Search this

Turkana  Search this

Tchavikwa  Search this

Suk (African people)  Search this

Suk  Search this

Ovambo (African people)  Search this

Nzima (African people)  Search this

Nyaneka (African people)  Search this

Ndongona (African people)  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Place:

Namibia

Botswana

Angola

Date:

1936-2007

Summary:

This collection is comprised of the professional papers of Gordon D. Gibson. The collection contains his correspondence, field notes, research files, museum records, writings, photographs, sound recordings, and maps.The bulk of the collection consists of Gibson's southwestern Africa research. This includes his field notes, film scripts, photographs, sound recordings, and grant proposals he wrote in support of his fieldwork in Botswana, Namibia, and Angola. In addition, the collection contains his research notes, maps, drafts, publications, and papers presented at conferences. While most of his research focused on the Herero and Himba, the collection also contains his research on the Ovambo and Okavango and other southwestern African groups. In the collection is a great deal of photocopies and microfilms of literature on southwestern African ethnic groups, many of which are in Portuguese and German and which he had translated for his files. He was also interested in African material culture, especially Central African headgear. His research on African caps is well-represented in the collection, and includes photos of caps at various museums, source materials, research notes, and textile samples of knots and loop work. Gibson's files as the curator of African ethnology at the National Museum of Natural History also make up a significant portion of the collection. Among these records are his files for the museum's Hall of African Cultures and other African exhibits; his files on the museum's African collections, early donors and collectors of the collections; his personnel files; documents relating to his committee work; department and museum memos; meeting minutes; and his records as head of the Old World Division and acting chair of the department. The collection also documents the efforts to establish the Smithsonian's National Anthropological Film Center, now the Human Studies Film Archives, as well as his work on the planning committee to establish the Museum of Man at the Smithsonian. Memos and minutes relating to the Smithsonian's Center for the Study of Man are also present in the collection. In addition to Gibson's field photos, the collection also contains African photos taken by others. Among these are Herbert Friedmann's photos of Kenya; Hausmann's Libya photos; photos by Ralph Kepler Lewis during the Morden Africa Expedition in Kenya; and photos by Lawrence Marshall, Volkmar Wentzel, Alfred Martin Duggan Cronin, and Father Carlos Estermann. There are also photos of the exhibit cases from the Hall of African Cultures; photos of Smithsonian and non-Smithsonian African artifacts; and copies of photographs he obtained from different archives, including the National Anthropological Archives. Other materials in the collection include his files as film reviews editor for the American Anthropologist during the 1960s and 70s and his activities in different organizations.

Arrangement:

Arranged into 19 series: (1) Correspondence, 1938-1998; (2) Southwestern Africa Research, 1951-2004; (3) Caps Research; (4) Nineteenth Century Collectors; (5) General Research Files; (6) Exhibits, 1959-2007; (7) Curatorial Files, 1936-1984; (8) National Anthropological Film Center, 1965-1983; (9) Museum of Man, 1952-1981 [bulk 1968-1981]; (10) Center for the Study of Man (1967-1979); (11) Writings, 1947-1981; (12) Organizations; (13) Daily Log, 1958-1983; (14) Personal Files ; (15) Card Files; (16) Photographs, circa 1904-1983 [bulk 1953-1983]; (17) Microfilm; (18) Maps; (19) Sound Recordings

Biographical Note:

Gordon D. Gibson (1915-2007) was trained at the University of Chicago (Ph.D., 1952) and joined the staff of the Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology in 1958 as its curator of African ethnology. He served in that capacity until 1983. During the 1960s, he undertook a major renovation of the National Museum of Natural History's African exhibits, which had been on display since the 1920s. He developed the Hall of African Cultures, which opened in 1969 and remained on view until 1992. He was also instrumental in establishing the National Anthropological Film Center, now the Human Studies Film Archives. During his tenure, he also served as the first chairman of the Senate of Scientists of the National Museum of Natural History (1963-1964), chairman of the museum's photographic facilities committee (1968), member of the Center for the Study of Man, and member and chairman of the Department of Anthropology collections committee and its photographs records committee (1970s-1980s). He also had special interests in the department's library and processing lab. In 1980, he was chairman of a committee which studied the feasibility of establishing a Smithsonian Institution Museum of Man. Gibson held several offices and committee memberships with the Anthropological Society of Washington during the during the 1960s and 1970s and served as film review editor of the American Anthropologist. Gibson conducted fieldwork among the Herero and Himba in Botswana (1953, 1960-61), Namibia (1960-61, 1971-73), and Angola (1971-73). Articles produced from his field research include "Bridewealth and Other Forms of Exchange Among the Herero," "Double Descent and Its Correlates among the Herero of Ngamiland," "Herero Marriage," and "Himba Epochs." While in the field, he also filmed footage of the Herero, Himba, Zimba, and Kuvale. His edited films include Herero of Ngamiland (1953), Himba Wedding (1969), and The Himba (1972). In addition to the Herero and Himba, he also conducted research on the Okavango and Ovambo people. He edited and translated Carlos Estermann's Ethnography of Southwestern Angola (published in 3 volumes in 1976-81) and edited and contributed to The Kavango Peoples (1981). Gibson's research interests also included Central African headgear, coauthoring High Status Caps of the Kongo and Mbundu (1977) with Cecilia R. McGurk.

Related Materials:

Other materials relating to Gordon Gibson at the National Anthropological Archives can be found in the Records of the Department of Anthropology, Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology, and the Records of the American Anthropological Association.

The Human Studies Film Archives holds his films on the Herero, Himba, Kuvale, and Zimba.

The Smithsonian Institution Archives has materials relating to Gibson's work as the first chairman of the Senate of Scientists.

Provenance:

The papers of Gordon D. Gibson were received in three separate accessions. The first accession (comprised of correspondence; committee files; and materials relating to the Herbert Ward collection, the National Anthropological Film Center, the Center for the Study of Man, and the Museum of Man) was transferred to the National Anthropological Archives by Gibson after his retirement. A guide to this accession was created in 2001. An accretion (consisting of correspondence, fieldwork and research files, curatorial files, writings, photographs, sound recordings, and maps) was transferred to the archives by Gibson's family in 2007. His exhibition and museum specimen files were transferred to the archives in 2008 by the Department of Anthropology.

Restrictions:

The Gordon Davis Gibson papers are open for research. Access to the computer disks in the collection are restricted due to preservation concerns. The personnel files of Smithsonian staff have also been restricted.

Access to the Gordon Davis Gibson papers requires an appointment.

Topic:

Africa -- Ethnology  Search this

American Anthropologist -- film editor  Search this

Headwear -- Africa, Central  Search this

Exhibitions -- National Museum of Natural History  Search this

Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this

Citation:

Gordon Davis Gibson papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NAA.1984-13

See more items in:

Gordon Davis Gibson papers

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw379619042-2f6c-46c7-8819-45a504628089

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-1984-13

Creator:

Ryan, Paul, 1943-  Search this

Names:

Dalton School (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Earth Environmental Group  Search this

Earthscore Foundation  Search this

Gaia Institute  Search this

New School for Social Research (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Raindance Corporation  Search this

Savannah College of Art and Design  Search this

Anderson, Myrdene, 1934-  Search this

Berg, Peter, 1937-2011  Search this

Berman, Morris  Search this

Berry, Thomas, 1914-2009  Search this

Bianchi, Lois  Search this

Bijvoet, Marga, 1948-  Search this

Dunn, David  Search this

Johnson, Avery  Search this

Kevelson, Roberta  Search this

Lansing, Gerrit  Search this

Lira, Aldo  Search this

Lord, Chip  Search this

Lowenstein, Oliver  Search this

Ponsol, Claude  Search this

Procter, Jody, 1943-1998  Search this

Robbins, Al  Search this

Segura, Phyllis Gershuny  Search this

Shamberg, Michael  Search this

Sibert, Jodi  Search this

Sturken, Marita, 1957-  Search this

Zerella, Lida  Search this

Extent:

19.7 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Prints

Illustrations

Video recordings

Writings

Date:

1931-2009

Summary:

The Paul Ryan papers measure 19.7 linear feet and document Ryan's education and career as a pioneering video artist, theorist, writer, and educator. Records include school records, family papers, correspondence, writings, project files, video recordings, teaching files, printed materials, scattered photographs, and artwork by others. Organizational records are also found for the Earthscore Foundation, Earth Environmental Group, the Gaia Institute, and the Raindance Corporation, among others. The bulk of Ryan's professional work is documented in his writings and project files.

Scope and Contents:

The Paul Ryan papers measure 19.7 linear feet and document Ryan's education and career as a pioneering video artist, theorist, writer, and educator. Records include school records, family papers, correspondence, writings, project files, video recordings, teaching files, printed materials, scattered photographs, and artwork by others. Organizational records are also found for the Earthscore Foundation, Earth Environmental Group, the Gaia Institute, and the Raindance Corporation, among others. The bulk of Ryan's professional work is documented in his writings and project files.

Biographical materials include family papers, early correspondence among Ryan family members, school records, selective service records, photographs of Paul Ryan, and career documentation such as résumés, CVs, recommendation letters, and narratives written by Ryan describing his career. Records related to Ryan's time in the seminary and monastery include letters home during this period, and his letter of resignation from 1965.

Correspondence is mainly professional in nature, and spans Ryan's career. Correspondence between Ryan and family members is also found. Professional correspondence is found with Myrdene Anderson, Peter Berg of Planet Drum, Morris Berman, Avery Johnson, Marga Bijvoet, Thomas Berry, Lois Bianchi, David Dunn, Roberta Kevelson, Gerrit Lansing, Aldo Lira, Oliver Lowenstein, Chip Lord, Claude Ponsol, Jody Procter, Jodi Sibert, Phyllis Gershuny Segura, Michael Shamberg, and Marita Sturken. Corporate correspondence is found regarding job applications, manuscript submissions to publishers, and video submissions to museums and broadcasters.

Writings include mainly articles and notebooks by Ryan, but also drafts of books, lectures, poetry, short stories, a treatment for a television show, and writings by others in various genres. Most of Ryan's prose writing is theoretical in nature, although personal writings and notes from projects are also found. Articles include both published and unpublished writings, with some published multiple times under different titles. Over one hundred notebooks spanning forty years contain a variety of content including drafts of letters, articles, grant proposals, lectures, and other writings. Ryan's two major publications, Cybernetics of the Sacred and Video Mind, Earth Mind, are documented with drafts, contracts, correspondence with publishers, layout documents, and notes.

Organizational records include writings, correspondence, printed material, financial records, grant proposals, and other records concerning various organizations, collectives, and companies in which Ryan participated, mostly having to do with environmental advocacy, video production, or a combination of the two. Organizations with substantial records in this series include the Earth Environmental Group, the Earthscore Foundation, Environment '89 (and '90, '91, and '92), the Gaia Institute, and the Raindance Corporation, among others. Documentation is most comprehensive for The Earthscore Foundation, including by-laws, grant proposals, extensive writings, financial records, and printed materials.

Project files contain video recordings, production notes, photographs, proposals, correspondence, a computer program designed by Ryan, prints for exhibition, illustrations and designs, posters, circulars, contracts, and scripts. Many of the projects documented in this series relate to Ryan's many explorations of the use of video to monitor and interpret two seemingly different subjects, environmental change and human behavior in relationships, expressed through a ritual of interaction among three persons designed by Ryan and called "Threeing," or "Triadic Behavior." The most thoroughly documented projects in this series include "Nature in New York City," "New York City Eco-Channel for Sustainable Television (NEST)," Talking Wood (a publication that incorporated the project "Watershed Watch"), "Inventing Triadic Behavior" (also known as the "Triadic Tapes"), "Tethys"(with artist Bob Schuler), and "Video Wake for my Father," a performance for video that saw many iterations, including a private performance, a public performance, an edited video program, and a published script.

Video recordings are found for three projects, including "Nature in New York City," "Inventing Triadic Behavior," and a threeing workshop held at the Kitchen entitled "Video Variations on Holy Week." A printout of records in a videotape database kept by Ryan is found in this series, with a proposal for video preservation; the list of tapes includes those found in the collection as well as tapes not extant.

Teaching files include documentation of Ryan's work at Dalton School, Hudson School, the New School for Social Research, and Savannah College of Art and Design, and many other workshops and training programs Ryan taught. Included are grade books, correspondence, curricula, training materials, and reports. Two of his programs, the Black Rock Rangers at the Dalton School, and the Urban Conservation Corps Pilot Video Program involve the implementation of the Earthscore Notational System in school curricula.

Printed material includes books, newspaper clippings, conference programs and published proceedings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, film and video programs, flyers, periodicals, poetry publications, posters, and materials relating to the artist Al Robbins, which includes an obituary written by Ryan. Also found are publications of the Raindance Corporation, which include the book, Guerrilla Television (1971), and four issues of their magazine, Radical Software (1971-1972). Most of the printed material was either written by Paul Ryan, contains articles by Paul Ryan, or documents activities of Paul Ryan. Other materials found contain works by Ryan's associates and collaborators.

Artwork contains artists' books, doodles, illustrations, prints, and photographs by named and unnamed artists. None of the artwork in this series appears to be by Ryan. Notable is an artist's book entitled "Patterns" by Lida Zerella, which incorporates still images from Ryan's Triadic Tapes in a small album. Two illustrations are found by Claude Ponsot, who also illustrated many of Ryan's publications relating to Kleinform and threeing.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 8 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1931-2003 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 1, 20)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1965-2007 (2 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Writings, 1955-2001 (6.8 linear feet; Boxes 3-10, 20)

Series 4: Organizational Records, 1968-1996 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 10-11, 20, OV 21)

Series 5: Project Files, 1968-2008 (6.5 linear feet; Boxes 11-17, 20, OV 21-22, 24, RD 26)

Series 6: Teaching Files, 1967-2008 (0.7 linear feet; Box 17)

Series 7: Printed Materials, 1968-2009 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 18-20, OV 23, 25)

Series 8: Artwork, 1965-2003 (0.1 linear feet; Boxes 19-20, OV 22)

Biographical / Historical:

Paul Ryan was a pioneering video artist, writer, teacher, and theoretician based in New York City and the Hudson Valley of New York State. Born in 1943, Ryan spent his early adulthood as a seminarian and later a member of the Roman Catholic order of Passionist monks, which he left in 1965. He eventually received a B.A. from New York University. During the Vietnam War, Ryan received conscientious objector status and studied with Marshall McLuhan at Fordham University as alternative service. It was McLuhan's influence that led Ryan to begin to explore the possibilities of the medium of video.

In 1969, Ryan participated in the landmark exhibition "TV as a Creative Medium" curated by Howard Wise, which served to link the kinetic art movement of the 1960s with the emergent medium of video art. The first exhibition in the United States devoted to video, "TV as a Creative Medium" signaled radical changes and defined an emerging artistic movement. In 1969 Ryan co-founded the Raindance Corporation along with Ira Schneider, Michael Shamberg, David Cort, Beryl Korot, Phyllis Gershuny, and others. Raindance was an influential media collective that proposed radical theories and philosophies of video as an alternative form of cultural communication. Influenced by the communications theories of Marshall McLuhan and Buckminster Fuller, the collective produced tapes and writings that explored the relation of cybernetics, media, and ecology. From 1970-1974, Raindance published the seminal video journal Radical Software, which provided a network of communications for the fledgling alternative video movement. In 1971, Shamberg published Guerrilla Television, a summary of the group's principles and a blueprint for a decentralization of television through access to public and cable programming. The original Raindance collective dispersed in the mid-1970s; the nonprofit Raindance Foundation continued into the 1990s. Ryan's core writings from the Raindance era were gathered into his 1973 publication Birth and Death and Cybernation, republished in 1974 as Cybernetics of the Sacred.

Ryan's work to develop alternative uses of video technology continued long after his involvement with Raindance. He began to implement his theories about the use of video monitoring and feedback within dynamic systems with the work that came to be known as the Earthscore Notational System. With Steve Kolpan and Bob Schuler, he founded the Earthscore Foundation, through which he raised money for the exploration and development of this applied practice. Earthscore, based largely on the writings of philosopher Charles Sanders Pierce and Gregory Bateson's work on cybernetics, provided the theoretical and logical underpinnings of both the ecosystem documentation and interpretation process, and the triadic rituals of interpersonal behavior, that became the core of Ryan's work for much of his life. These ideas were implemented in a wide variety of projects such as eco-channel design, video scores specific to certain locations, threeing projects exploring interpersonal behavior with video and computer technology, and a curriculum for combining media production training with environmental education.

Ryan later worked with organizations such as Talking Wood, The Earth Environmental Group, and Environment '89, (re-named in later years Environment '90, '91, and '92) to implement Earthscore systems and prototypes. He co-founded The Gaia Institute, hosted at Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and co-directed it from 1985-1991. The Institute fostered dialogs between science, religion, and art through workshops, lectures, exhibitions and events. He was an artist-in-residence for Earth Environmental Group in 1988 via a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, and used the residency to carry out his video project "Nature in New York City," documenting city ecosystems and demonstrating how an eco-channel might work. Environment '89 organized a coordinated campaign for a cable channel devoted to the environment, the New York City Eco-channel for a Sustainable Tomorrow (NEST).

Ryan spent his later years as a professor of media production and theory at Savannah College of Art and Design, and then at the New School for Social Research. His work has been exhibited widely in the United States, including "The Primitivism Show" in The Museum of Modern Art (1984), "The American Century Show" at the Whitney Museum of American Art (1999-2000), and the Venice Biennale (2002). He died in 2013.

Provenance:

The papers of Paul Ryan were donated to the Archives of American Art by Ryan in 2008.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers and archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

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:

Video artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Monasticism and religious orders  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Prints

Illustrations

Video recordings

Writings

Citation:

Paul Ryan papers, 1931-2009. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' Hidden Collections grant program.

Identifier:

AAA.ryanpaul

See more items in:

Paul Ryan papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw989287f33-5086-40f3-bd04-a4e270afabb3

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-ryanpaul

Extent:

16 cu. ft. (16 record storage boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Brochures

Clippings

Compact discs

Digital versatile discs

Black-and-white negatives

Black-and-white photographs

Color photographs

Color negatives

Videotapes

Electronic records

Date:

1958-2007

Descriptive Entry:

This accession consists of records documenting the activities of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) during the tenure of Director Marc Pachter (2000-2007), but also includes records from the tenures of Directors Charles Nagel (1964-1969), Marvin S. Sadik (1969-1981), and Alan Maxwell Fern (1982-2000). Topics covered include cultural affairs, exhibitions, legislation, strategic planning, the Patent Office Building, budget, donors, management, education, and grants. The records also document NPG's interactions with other Smithsonian Institution (SI) bureaus, professional associations, and museums. A small portion of the records predate the formation of NPG. Materials include correspondence; memoranda; budget records; grant proposals; color photographs and negatives; black-and-white photographs and negatives; brochures; reports; resumes; VHS tapes; and clippings. Some materials are in electronic format.

Rights:

Boxes 2, 13-14 contain materials restricted indefinitely; see finding aid; Transferring office; 06/05/2008 memorandum, Toda to Drummond; Contact reference staff for details.

Topic:

Art museums  Search this

Art museum directors  Search this

Portraits, American  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Budget  Search this

Museums -- Educational aspects  Search this

Museums -- Administration  Search this

Museums -- Public relations  Search this

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts

Brochures

Clippings

Compact discs

Digital versatile discs

Black-and-white negatives

Black-and-white photographs

Color photographs

Color negatives

Videotapes

Electronic records

Electronic records

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 08-092, National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution), Office of the Director, Subject Files

Identifier:

Accession 08-092

See more items in:

Subject Files

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-fa08-092

Extent:

9 cu. ft. (9 record storage boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Brochures

Clippings

Maps

Architectural drawings

Color transparencies

Color photographs

Audiotapes

Videotapes

Date:

1991-2003

Descriptive Entry:

The Natural Partners Program was established in 1997 and was responsible for developing on average six distance learning modules a year that were Smithsonian based and supported National Education Standards. Each module or unit integrated content with the following technologies: live two-way video conferencing, electronic field trips, interactive curricula-based web sites, development of both internet and intranet sites, satellite broadcast and a variety of multimedia presentations and products. The development of each module required coordination of a team made up of representatives from the various partners that made up the Natural Partners. Beyond these programmatic initiatives, Natural Partners was responsible for building the public side of the virtual, digital museum. This includes creating a publicly accessible, educationally meaningful digital collection of over 100,000 objects and associated text material. From this foundation, a series of virtual tours, field trips, and on-line activities was created. These materials came to the Archives upon the disbanding of the Natural Partners Program in the fall of 2006. Materials include brochures, color slides and photographs, clippings, correspondence, grant proposals, website information, curriculum, maps, architectural drawings, and video and audio cassettes.

Topic:

Museums -- Educational aspects  Search this

Natural history museums  Search this

Virtual museums  Search this

Distance education  Search this

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts

Brochures

Clippings

Maps

Architectural drawings

Color transparencies

Color photographs

Audiotapes

Videotapes

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 07-004, National Museum of Natural History, Natural Partners, Electronic Outreach Program Records

Identifier:

Accession 07-004

See more items in:

Electronic Outreach Program Records

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-fa07-004

Container:

Box 5 of 9

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 07-004, National Museum of Natural History, Natural Partners, Electronic Outreach Program Records

See more items in:

Electronic Outreach Program Records

Electronic Outreach Program Records / Box 5

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa07-004-refidd1e2169

Container:

Box 52 of 87

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 11-001, Warren M. Robbins Papers

See more items in:

Warren M. Robbins Papers

Warren M. Robbins Papers / Series 7: Museum of African Art, 1961-1981 / Box 52

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa11-001-refidd1e22351

Container:

Box 52 of 87

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 11-001, Warren M. Robbins Papers

See more items in:

Warren M. Robbins Papers

Warren M. Robbins Papers / Series 7: Museum of African Art, 1961-1981 / Box 52

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa11-001-refidd1e22362

Container:

Box 9 of 55

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 06-089, Archives of American Art, Departmental Records

See more items in:

Departmental Records

Departmental Records / Box 9

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa06-089-refidd1e3294

Container:

Box 1 of 55

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 06-089, Archives of American Art, Departmental Records

See more items in:

Departmental Records

Departmental Records / Box 1

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa06-089-refidd1e352

Container:

Box 12 of 55

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 06-089, Archives of American Art, Departmental Records

See more items in:

Departmental Records

Departmental Records / Box 12

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa06-089-refidd1e3797

Container:

Box 1 of 55

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 06-089, Archives of American Art, Departmental Records

See more items in:

Departmental Records

Departmental Records / Box 1

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa06-089-refidd1e698

Container:

Box 43 of 55

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 06-089, Archives of American Art, Departmental Records

See more items in:

Departmental Records

Departmental Records / Box 43

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa06-089-refidd1e14265

Container:

Box 50 of 55

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 06-089, Archives of American Art, Departmental Records

See more items in:

Departmental Records

Departmental Records / Box 50

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa06-089-refidd1e16837

Container:

Box 1 of 55

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 06-089, Archives of American Art, Departmental Records

See more items in:

Departmental Records

Departmental Records / Box 1

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa06-089-refidd1e709

Extent:

13 cu. ft. (13 record storage boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Manuscripts

Date:

1920-2007

Descriptive Entry:

This accession consists of incoming and outgoing divisional correspondence concerning specimen identification, data exchanges, manuscripts, grant proposals, exhibits, and other activities of the Division of Mollusks.

Topic:

Mollusks  Search this

Marine invertebrates  Search this

Invertebrates  Search this

Zoology  Search this

Zoologists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Manuscripts

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 08-172, National Museum of Natural History, Division of Mollusks, Correspondence

Identifier:

Accession 08-172

See more items in:

Correspondence

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-fa08-172

Collection Creator:

Cowin, Eileen  Search this

Extent:

0.3 Linear feet (Box 6, 25)

0.171 Gigabytes (ER07)

Type:

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Date:

1974-2008

Scope and Contents:

Files are from Eileen Cowin's teaching position at the California State University, Fullerton. Some are in digital format. There are a few files, mostly contracts, from Franconia College and other universities where she taught workshops or had brief faculty appointments. The files include student evaluations, promotion notifications, faculty grant proposals, notes, and limited correspondence.

Arrangement:

This series is arranged alphabetically by the name of the college or university. Folders within each grouping are further broken down into document type, then rough chronological order.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

One box of correspondence with Michael Dorris and Louise Erdrich and one box of correspondence with Robert Fichter are ACCESS RESTRICTED; use requires written permission.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

Eileen Cowin papers, circa 1900-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.cowieile, Series 4

See more items in:

Eileen Cowin papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91a1bfb4d-5116-4e60-9510-b6609a56a865

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-cowieile-ref136

Collection Creator:

Cowin, Eileen  Search this

Container:

Box 6, Folder 19

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

2002

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

One box of correspondence with Michael Dorris and Louise Erdrich and one box of correspondence with Robert Fichter are ACCESS RESTRICTED; use requires written permission.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

Eileen Cowin papers, circa 1900-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

Eileen Cowin papers

Eileen Cowin papers / Series 4: Teaching Files / California State University, Fullerton

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9721fc381-5ab1-47db-a5af-02ce38a2f304

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-cowieile-ref143