Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with L. Brent Kington, 2001 May 3-4. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Metal-workers -- Illinois -- Interviews Search this
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:
Leo Castelli Gallery records, circa 1880-2000, bulk 1957-1999. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the partial digitization of this collection was provided by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.
An interview of L. Brent Kington conducted 2001 May 3-4, by Mary Douglas, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Kington's home and studio, Makando, Illinois.
Kington describes his childhood and the impact of the Depression; his adopted sister Kay; and his hyperactivity and difficulty accomplishing schoolwork. He comments on his high school teachers; his academic and athletic accomplishments at University of Kansas (UK); his studies at Cranbrook Academy of Art with Richard (Dick) Thomas "the intellectual silversmith" and his "mentor"; Hugh Acton and the GM Tech Center; and fellow metalsmiths Fred Fenster, Mike Jerry, Stanley Lechtzin, and Heikki Seppä.
He discusses exhibitions including "Kansas Designer Craftsmen," "Michigan Designer Craftsmen," "Fiber, Clay, Metal," "Creative Casting, Young Americans 1962," and "Objects: USA." He talks about Ashanti gold weights; Scandinavian design; teaching at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois (SIU) and Illinois State University (ISU), and taking students to the Saint Louis Art Museum to see granulation in Mycenaean gold. He comments at length on his toys and experimenting with ideas about toys.
Kington also describes blacksmithing workshops held at SIU and the "renaissance" of blacksmithing in the United States. He recalls his involvement with the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG), American Craft Council (ACC), World Crafts Council (WCC), Artist Blacksmith's Association of North America (ABANA), the Kentucky School of Craft, the National Ornamental Metal Museum, and other organizations. He discusses his weathervane pieces and other series such as Icarus, Crozier, Europa, and Axis Mundi. He comments on the influence of Mircea Eliade's book "The Forge and the Crucible" (1979), considers the blacksmith's role in various cultural mythologies, and evaluates publications such as "Anvil's Ring" and "American Blacksmith."
He comments on the current state of affairs in metalsmithing; his retirement from SIU and teaching in the University of Georgia-Cortona program; the impact of Cyril Stanley Smith's insights and the importance of his book "A History of Metallography" (1960); his appreciation of Daryl Meier's work; exploring new techniques such as mokume gane, kuromido, shibuichi, rokusho (patination process); encouraging Mary Lee Hu to pursue wire structuring; and his enthusiasm for sharing information. He recalls John Allgood, Philip Baldwin, Robert Ebendorf, Phil Fike, Maija Grotell, Marvin Jensen, Richard Mawdsley, Lee Nordness, Ron Pearson, Bob Peterson,Gene and Hiroko Pijanowski, Jim Wallace, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
L. Brent Kington (1934-) is a metalsmith from Makanda, Illinois. Mary Douglas (1956-) is a curator at the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, N.C.
General:
Originally recorded on 7 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 14 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 54 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Topic:
Metal-workers -- Illinois -- Interviews Search this
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection 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.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1986 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Steps to Independence for People with Learning Disabilities. Brown, Dale
Container:
Box 60, Folder 12
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1980 - 1980
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series 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.
Twenty portraits, taken in the 1980s, of twenty-one men and women who were active in the civil rights and peace movements of the 1960s.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of twenty silver gelatin prints, as described on the container list attached. These are exhibition-quality prints, matted, signed by the artist, with subject identification. The prints are arranged in no particular order, but are numbered according to the list. Note that each
print therefore has an individual museum catalog number, e.g., 1991.0886.01-
unlike the majority of Archive Center collections--and these numbers should be referenced in exhibition and loan transactions.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Barbara T. Beirne hold a Master of Fine Arts in Photography form Pratt Institute, Brooklyn New York, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts form Marymount College, Tarrytown, New York. She has been a free-lance photographer, working extensively for non-profit organizations, corporations and newspapers, has shown her work in many solo and group exhibitions, and has been photographer and/or author of a number of children's books (see bibliography,
She photographed the subjects of this portfolio for a book by J. and R. Morrison, From Camelot to Kent State.
Ms. Beirne has been a teacher and lecturer in numerous school and libraries in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and at this writing is an adjunct professor of photography at County College of Morris, Randolph, New Jersey.
Historical:
In 1985, Joan Morrison and her son Robert K. Morrison conducted approximately one hundred oral history interviews with a wide variety of Americans about their experiences during the 1960s. They also collected photographs of the interviewees--pictures taken during the 1960s and other taken at the time of the interview. Portions of some of these interviews and the photographs are published in their 1987 book, mentioned above. Some of the new photographs, taken by Barbara T. Bierne, were exhibited at the Bridge Gallery, The New School, New York City, from Oct. 2 to Oct 31, 1998. The Morrison collection of audiotapes, transcripts, and other materials form this project was donated to the Archives Center as Collection no. 359. Later in 1991, Barbara Beirne donated twenty exhibition quality, matted photographs from this project (the Morrison Collection was received first, and the earlier number for the Beirne Collection is due to the recycling of an unused number). These prints apparently were made in 1989 and were included in the New School exhibition.
Bibliography
Author and photographer, A Pianist's Debut. Carlrhoda Books, 1990.
Author and photographer, Under the Lights. Carlrhoda Books, 1988.
Photographer, What Do You Mean I Have a Learning Disability? Walker
Publishers, 1991.
Photographer, Water is Wet. G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1985.
Photographs in: Joan and Robert K. Morrison. From Camelot to Kent State:
The Sixties Experience in the Worlds of Those Who Lived It. New York:
Times Books, 1987.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Barbara T. Beirne, September 6, 1991.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Barbara Beirne retains copyright. A nonexclusive license was conveyed to the Archives Center through a Deed of Gift signed by the donor. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Protest Movements Search this
supplies and equipment for learning disabilities education ; testing and evaluation materials ; fine motor dexterity testing and training materials ; visual perception materials ; materials for eye-hand coordination ; auditory perception materials ; perceptual motor activities equipment ; cognitive development materials ; phonics and reading programs ; social play materials ; adaptive aids ; furniture ; playground equipment
Includes:
Trade catalog and price lists
Black and white images
Physical description:
1 piece; 1 box
Language:
English
Type of material:
Trade catalogs
Trade literature
Place:
Yonkers, New York, United States
Date:
1900s
Topic (Romaine term):
Educational institutions; equipment and supplies (includes playground equipment) Search this
Woman's Building (Los Angeles, Calif.) Search this
Container:
Box 7, Folder 3
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1976-1980
Collection Citation:
Woman's Building records, 1970-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation. Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and Joyce F. Menschel, Vital Projects Fund, Inc.
Collection documents the childhood, medical history, treatment, and educational assessments of Shaun D. Parker, a Washington D.C. resident born in 1984 to single mother Shirl A. Parker.
Scope and Contents:
Collection consists of the documentation assembled by Shaun's mother, Shirl. The materials are useful for understanding the medical identification and treatment of a child with special needs in the latter twentieth century. It also aids in our understanding of how the educational system in a major city attempts to address the needs of this type of child with the assistance and support of a parent.
Series 1: Scrapbook, 1986-1999, undated, includes professional portraits and candid photographs of Shirl and Shaun Parker taken over the course of Shaun's childhood. The photographs include unnamed friends or relatives and document significant events such as Christmas, Easter, and Shaun's kindergarten graduation. The photographs also include a wedding and a female relative or family friend preparing for a school dance, possibly a prom. Special attention was paid to several of Shaun's birthdays (third, fourth and fifth) and three classroom birthday parties are documented. Of particular interest are the classroom blackboards, where the daily class agenda is visible. There is one school portrait of Shaun at the age of eleven, and one of a Special Olympics event (bowling), where Shaun won third place. This series also contains documents that were originally included within the photograph album, but were removed for preservation purposes. These documents include certificates and progress reports from various schools as well as Sunday school and other church programs. There are certificates awarded to Shaun and certificates awarded to Shirl. The materials include a fingerprint and identification card for Shaun, as well as his birth certificate, his preschool diploma and a program from the Young Marine's Commencement, dated March 14, 1997. The original pagination has been maintained.
Series 2: Medical Records, Educational Assessments, 1984-2000, undated, includes Shaun's medical records, medical history, medical assessments, psycho-educational profile, and educational assessments kept by Shirl. This series also includes legal documents such as social security claims, release forms, and requests for the continuance of disability stipends. Some of the records and assessments are not dated, or the date is indecipherable or illegible. The discernible years cover the period 1984-1999. Medical assessments document Shaun's diagnosis and trace his physical, cognitive, and social development, and treatment. There are letters written by Shirl requesting hearings to determine Shaun's eligibility for disability and Social Security benefits and a letter of inquiry to an attorney named Ronald L. Drake. There is correspondence from Mamie D. Lee School, a special needs educational facility, outlining the school's program levels, Shaun's Individualized Education Program, and patient rights concerning confidentiality. The records also include Shirl's personal comments on Shaun's progress as documented on several questionnaires. The series covers Shirl's search for a group home for Shaun at the age of fifteen after she began to care for her aging parents, and her own health began to decline. The original folder holding these records has been retained, though it is in poor condition, as notes are written on the cover. The original medical records, educational assessments, and legal documents are restricted as they contain personally identifiable information and are not available for research. These records have been photo-copied and are available through redacted copies.
This series also contains Shaun's Speech and Language Portfolio, 1999-2000, undated, consisting of essays, rubrics, drawings, and other papers done by Shaun while attending Kramer Junior High School. Materials include multiple drafts of essays and homework assignments covering such subjects as geography, science, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and chemistry. The essays include creative works on various topics such as running a race and participating in the Young Marines. Some of the papers are graded and show the progression from a rough draft to a final draft. Some of the essays and papers are dated, while others are undated. A notice of a Washington D.C. Health Fair is included among the schoolwork as well as a crayon and pencil drawing of a racecar and one black and white photograph dated "1964" of a statue of what appears to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The location of the photograph is not given. The original portfolio and the pagination have been retained.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into two series.
Series 1: Scrapbook, 1986-1999, undated
Series 2: Medical and Educational Records, 1984-2000, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Shaun Demetrius Parker was born two months prematurely in 1984, in Washington D.C. at George Washington Hospital to single mother Shirl A. Parker (1951-2000). At a young age, Shaun was diagnosed with mental retardation, and began attending schools that could implement Individualized Education Programs so Shaun could thrive academically and socially. By the time he entered his adolescence, Shaun was able to rejoin mainstream classes and become involved in extracurricular activities such as the Young Marines. Shirl Parker was heavily involved in her son's life and diligently kept records of Shaun's medical history as well as his psycho-educational profiles. She continually fought for Shaun to have access to the best educational resources and the best life possible. She made sure Shaun was involved in family and church activities. Shirl also documented Shaun's life outside of school, taking numerous photographs of him at different ages and of various family members.
The papers end in early 2000. By this time Shaun and Shirl were living with her parents James E. Parker (1908-1999) and Rosie Parker (1916-2009) in Northeast Washington, D.C.. According to the papers Shaun's father, Ronnie M. Miller, had no contact with his son and his whereabouts were unknown. Shirl died in October 2000 and Shaun's whereabouts are unknown. He was most likely admitted to a group home around the time of his mother's death. The papers were found abandoned when the house where the family lived was being emptied and ready for sale in 2009 after Rosie's death. They were saved and donated to the Archives Center, NMAH, Smithsonian by Robert D. Robinson who was contracted to clean out the house.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Robert D. Robinson in 2009.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Original legal and medical records are restricted. Researchers must use reference copies of legal and medical records; personal identifiable information has been redacted. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
