Search Results

Creator:

Hutton, William R., 1826-1901  Search this

Extent:

30 Cubic feet (33 boxes, 21 oversize folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Letterpress copybooks

Blueprints

Diaries

Drawings

Cashbooks

Business records

Business letters

Notebooks

Topographic maps

Tax records

Technical drawings

Stock certificates

Technical literature

Photoengravings

Notes

Maps

Microfilms

Linen tracings

Letter books

Letters

Land titles

Legal documents

Sketches

Salted paper prints

Reports

Receipts

Plans (drawings)

Photostats

Photographic prints

Architectural drawings

Administrative records

Albumen prints

Albums

Annual reports

Booklets

Account books

Books

Family papers

Financial records

Cyanotypes

Correspondence

Deeds

Printed material

Contracts

Photograph albums

Specifications

Christmas cards

Menus

Place:

France

Maryland

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Panama Canal (Panama)

New Jersey

New York (N.Y.)

Hudson River

Baltimore (Md.)

Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)

New York

Washington Bridge

New Croton Aqueduct

Kanawha River Canal

Washington Aqueduct

Potomac River -- 19th century

Washington Memorial Bridge

Hudson River Tunnel

Date:

1830-1965

Summary:

The papers document the life and work of William R. Hutton, a civil engineer during the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Materials include diaries, notebooks, correspondence, letterpress copy book, printed materials, publications, specifications, photographs, drawings, and maps that document the construction of several architectural and engineering projects during this period. Most notable are the records containing information related to the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Hudson River Tunnel, the Washington Aqueduct, the Kanawha River Canal, and the Washington/Harlem River Bridge. There are also several records about railroads in the state of Maryland, the District of Columbia and elsewhere, including the Western Maryland Railroad, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Colorado Midlands Railway, Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad, the Northern Adirondack Railroad, and the Pittsfield and Williamstown Railroad. The records can be used to track the progression of these projects, and engineering innovation during the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

Scope and Contents:

These papers document William R. Hutton's professional career as a civil engineer and his personal affairs. Although the personal materials in the collection provide insight into a man and a family that have been largely forgotten by biographers, it is the professional materials that are perhaps the most interesting to researchers. They provide a compelling narrative of the push to the West that occurred in 19th century America and the internal improvements movement typified by the American System plan proposed by Henry Clay. Perhaps best remembered for the high tariffs that accompanied it, the American System plan was also concerned with the advancement of internal improvements, such as canals, that would unite the East and West in communication, travel, and trade. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal can be seen as one of the products of this movement (1) and was in fact initially heralded as the first great work of national improvement (2).

The papers in this collection that are related to the construction and maintenance of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal are an invaluable documentation of efforts during this turbulent time to unite the eastern and western United States. They provide details of the canal from its initial construction to its decline with the incline at Georgetown project. The canal also serves as an example, or perhaps a warning against, federal involvement in state improvement efforts as it was the first project to be directly funded and staffed by the federal government (3). The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by then President John Quincy Adams whose toast, "to the canal: perseverance," (4) became an ironic omen, as construction of the canal took over twenty-two years to be completed. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal materials can be used as a case study for the problems encountered during canal building (5). These problems are best typified in the collection by the papers relating to the Georgetown incline. This project was headed by Hutton and was plagued with construction problems, boating accidents, and obsolescence from the moment of its completion. Despite these issues, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal remains a structure of historical significance in America. As the third and last effort to construct an all-water route to the West (6), the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is an important artifact of 19th century attitudes and efforts towards commerce, trade, travel, and communication between the eastern and western United States. Other significant canals and water structures represented in the collection are the Kanawha Canal, the Washington Aqueduct, and a large collection of materials relating to the Kingston Water Supply (New York).

One of the most significant internal improvements made during this time was the railroad. The legal conflicts that arose between the canal companies and railroads is also represented in the materials relating to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. These materials specifically deal with the legal conflict's between the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The development and construction of the railroads is also represented in the materials documenting the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad, the Northern Adirondack Railroad, the Western Maryland Railroad, the Mexican National Railroad, the Colorado Midlands Railroad, and the Columbia Railroad.

The collection also demonstrates the spirit of innovation and invention that was prevalent in the engineering field in the nineteenth century. Joseph Gies writes, "...one of the distinctive characteristics of the great nineteenth century engineering adventurers was their readiness to gamble on the translation of theory into practice" (7). In this quote, he is speaking of the civil engineer Dewitt Clinton Haskins and a project that truly encapsulates engineering invention in the nineteenth century, the Hudson River Tunnel. Responding to the increase in the population of the City of New York in the late nineteenth century from sixty thousand to three and a half million, the Hudson River Tunnel was originally devised as a way to alleviate traffic and to transport train passengers directly across the Hudson River (8). Beginning with records dating from 1881 to 1901, the Hutton papers can be used to document not only the advances in engineering during this time but also the costs of progress. Haskins' initial efforts to build the tunnel using submerged air pressurized caissons were marked by failure and in some cases fatalities. Workers on the tunnel often suffered from what came to be known as "caisson disease" or "the bends," caused by the immense forces of compression and decompression experienced while working in the tunnels (9). This problem was so prevalent that as construction progressed the rate of worker deaths caused by "the bends" rose to twenty-five percent (10). Materials in the collection document worker complaints and deaths resulting from this disease as well as providing a technical record of the construction of the tunnel. The highlight of the materials relating to the Hudson River Tunnel is an album that contains photographs of workers in the tunnel and a detailed daily report of the construction progress on the tunnel that was maintained by Hutton's assistant, Walton Aims. The first hand account in these reports provides insight not only into the construction of the tunnel, but also the problems encountered.

Another project featured in the Hutton collection that was devised in response to the population explosion in the City of New York in the nineteenth century is the Harlem River Bridge, or as it is now known, the Washington Bridge. Known as one of the longest steel arch bridges of its time, the Harlem River Bridge also represents that spirit of invention and innovation that was prevalent in the civil engineering field during the nineteenth century. The collection provides an invaluable resource for those wishing to track the construction of the bridge from early concept drawings and proposals to finalized plans. Also present are photographs of the construction and workers. Societal response to the bridge in the form of newspaper and magazine clippings help to create the narrative of the Washington Bridge, and these are supplemented by correspondence from the builders, suppliers, and planners.

This collection also includes diaries, 1866-1901; letterpress copybooks, 1858-1901; correspondence on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Hudson River Tunnel, Washington Bridge over the Harlem River, and Maryland and Colorado railroads, 1861-1901, and on Hutton's financial and real estate affairs, 1835-1921; construction photographs of the Harlem River, Cairo, Poughkeepsie, Niagara bridges and the Hudson River Tunnel, Washington Aqueduct, and Capitol Dome (in the form of albumen, cyanotype, salted paper print); data and drawings; rolled land profile drawings; canal notes, 1828-1892; Hudson River Tunnel construction reports, 1889-1891; publications, drawings, and maps of railroad routes; pamphlets and reprints on hydraulic works and water supply; road, railway, bridge, and hydraulic construction specifications, 1870-1900; drawings (linen, oil cloth, and heavy drawing paper), and blueprints; account books, 1891-1899; and plans, drawings, field notebooks, and publications on American and European construction projects, especially in Maryland, New York, and France; personal correspondence detailing his role as executor for the estates of Benjamin H. Hutton, Joseph Hutton, Annie Theller, and the Countess H. De Moltke-Hvitfeldt and his relationships with his children, siblings, cousins, and colleagues, 1850-1942.

Materials are handwritten, typed, and printed.

Special note should be made that any materials dated after the year 1901 were added to the collection by another creator who is unidentified. It can be speculated that professional materials added after this date were contributed by his brother and colleague Nathanial Hutton or his son Frank Hutton. Personal materials contributed after this date may have been added by his wife, daughters, or other members of his extended family.

Series 1, Letterpress Copybooks, 1858-1901, consists of twenty seven letterpress copybooks containing correspondence between Hutton and other engineers, architects, and building suppliers. The letterpress copybooks in this series have been arranged chronologically. The books involve a process by which ink is transferred through direct contact with the original using moisture and pressure in a copy press. The majority of the correspondence is business- related. Some letterpress copybooks are devoted to specific projects such as the Washington/Harlem River Bridge, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad, Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The letterpress copybooks provide a record of correspondence written by Hutton, which makes it distinctive from the other correspondence in the collection. Most of the other correspondence has Hutton as recipient.

The letterpress copybooks also document Hutton's various residences throughout his life and provide a glimpse into the civil engineering profession at the time by demonstrating how engineers shared ideas and comments about projects. This can be supplemented with the printed materials in the collection as many of the authors also appear in the correspondence. Other topics covered in the letterpress copybooks include business reports (specifically the report of the president and directors of the Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad), records of people and companies involved in projects, pasted in engineering sketches, engineering specifications and notes, travel expenses and estimates, construction histories and progress, legal issues with family estates, tax information, Colorado Railroad, payment certificate schedules, St. Paul Railroad, personal correspondence, title guarantees, Hudson River Tunnel, financial matters, real estate matters, insurance information, sketches and drawings, supply lists, cost estimates, the Memorial Bridge, Coffin Valve Company, engineering expenses, engineering calculations, payroll notes for Kingston Water Supply, proposals, account information, Hutton Park, reservoirs, contract drafts, French Society of Civil Engineers, inspection results (specifically Piedmont Bridge), land descriptions, damage reports, Morse Bridge, Illinois Central Railroad, North Sea Canal, moveable dams, iron works, site histories, Potomac Lock and Dock Company, Kanawha River canal (lock quantities, specifications, payroll information), Pennsylvania Canal, and bills for services.

Series 2, Professional Correspondence, 1861-1901, consists of correspondence that relates to Hutton's architectural and engineering projects. This series is further subdivided into two subseries: Project Correspondence and General Correspondence. Subseries 1, Project Correspondence, 1876-1899, correspondence is divided by project and arranged alphabetically. Subseries 2, General Correspondence, 1861-1901, is arranged chronologically. Both series contain handwritten and typed letters. Some letters are on letterpress copybook pages and are most likely copies. Some materials are in French and Spanish. Special note should be made that this series does not contain all of the professional correspondence in the collection. Some correspondence has been separated according to project and placed in Series 8, Professional Projects, 1830-1965, in order to make it easier for researchers to access materials related to those subjects.

Subseries 1, professional correspondence topics include comparisons between construction projects (specifically comparisons of the Kanawha River Canal to other canals), supply lists, location recommendations, sketches, construction plans and modifications, bills for supplies and works, leaks in the gates, cost estimates, Brooklyn Water Supply, use of lake storage (Ramapo Water Supply), water supply to states and counties, damages to water supply pipes, estimates of water quantities, responses to construction reports, legal issues related to projects, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and payment for services.

Subseries 2, general correspondence topics include employment opportunities, committee meetings and elections, land surveys, sketches, engineering plans and ideas, work on projects, dismissal from projects, notes on supplies, Washington Aqueduct, construction progress, land purchases, Civil War, Jones Falls, cost of water pumps, steam drills, lots divisions and prices, repairs, report of the engineering bureau, tidewater connection at Annapolis, bridge construction, construction costs, statement of vessels that entered and cleared Baltimore, technical questions from colleagues, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, supply costs, letters of introduction, requests for reference, changes to plans and designs, survey reports, St. Andrew's lot, Canal Coal Company, publication process, American Society of Civil Engineers and its members, responses to project inquiries, Graving Dock gross revenue, job offers, specifications, trade figures, contracts, water levels, appointment dates and times, moveable dams, proposals for membership, salaries, Piedmont Coal Lands, maps, land profiles, Washington Bridge, board payments, Nicaragua Canal, Grant Coal Company, statistics, engineering notes, Hartford Bridge, water pressures, coal deposits, Colorado Coal, pipe lines, reservoirs, boat costs for canals, floods, bridges, letters of resignation, engines, Ruxton Viaduct, Colorado and Midland Railroad, Morse Bridge, share values, railroad locations, membership invitations, call for submissions, structural tests, record of accounts for room and board, appointments, water rights (Putnam County), publications, blueprints, visitation programs, cotton compresses, street trenches, pressures in dams, level tests, Portland Transportation bureau, trade information, concrete steel, Chicago drainage canal, ship canals, Augusta Cotton and Compress Company, Sooysmith case, Consolidated Gas Company, masonry, book binding, Columbia Railway Company, jetties, land grades, Chesapeake and Delaware canal, water wheels, pneumatic lock, tunnel arches, rifton power, Hutton's health, elevators, Brooklyn Bridge Terminals, girder weights, legal issues and their results, rating table for the Potomac, land profiles, transmission lines, transformers, water turbines, and water power on the Potomac River.

Correspondents for this series include the following: Captain Montgomery C. Meigs, Captain T.W. Symons, William Bryan, Ernest Flagg, John Hurd, Jake Wolfe, J.C. Saunders, J.H. Dolph, Charles J. Allen, G.H. Mendell, Virgil S. Bogue, B.A. Mounnerlyn, Edward Burr, H.G. Prout, R. William, H. Dodge, C.R. Suter, M. Mink, W.R. King, John Lyons, Alex Brown and Sons, John G. Butler, D. Condon, Bernard Carter, R.P. McCormick, D.R. Magruder, Andrew Banks, Isaac Solomon, C.J. Mayer, C.W. Kern, John Herring, James S. Mackie, D.R. Magunde, D. Rittaguide, R.S. Stevens, J.L. Raudolph (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad), J.M. Lane, W.D. Stuart, W.G.P. Palmer (Committee Church of the Ascension), C. Crozet, General W. Hughes, V.R. Maus, J.M. Hood (Western Maryland Railroad Company), Ernest Pontzen, M. Haus, William F. Craighill, Harry Hutton, John W. Pearce, Reverend James A. Harrald, William Watson, A.L. Rives, Thomas Monro, A.F. Croswan (Commander United States Navy), H.R. Garden, William McAlpine, James Forrest, Wm. Bloomsfield, Daniel Ammen, Linel Wells, A. and Otto Sibeth, Alfred Noble, Clemens Hershel, Sidney Warner, E.H. de Rheville, Theodore Cooper, William Findlay Shunk, Lewis S. Wolfe, Rufus Mead, Theodore F. Taylor, John Bogart, J. Whaler, B. Williamson, Colonel F.V. Greene, Robert H. Sayre (Lehigh Valley Railroad Company), Charles W. Pussey, Louis Q. Rissel, V.C. Bogue, H.C. Eckenberger, Melville E.G. Leston, Edwin Parson, Rudolph Hering, R.S. Hale, F.M. Turner, Thosl Martindale, Justus C. Strawbridge, William M. Ayresm, R.L. Austin, A.M. Miller, P. Livingston Dunn, T.J. Cleaver, C.S. Dutton, H.A. Carson, William Bainbridge Jaudon, H.A. Presset, Thomas H. McCann, Russel Sturgis, H.G. Prout, Alexis H. French, John K. Cowen, F.W. Williams, J. Waldorf, B.H. Byrant, B.H. Jones, M.H. Rogers, J.W. Ogden, General W. Cashing, William Longhudge, A.J. Cameron, T.L. Patterson, J.J. Hagerman, H. Wigglesworth, Charles B. Rowland, E. Bantz, W.G. Lathrop, Clarence King, George Rowland, George A. Tibbals (Continental Iron Works), George N. Vanderbilt, Eugene C. Lewis, F.P. Burt, Colonel John C. Clarke, Lieutenant Thomas Turtle, W.S.M. Scott, E. Bates Dorsey, Bernard Carter, George M. Shriver (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad), Russel Sturgis, Macmillan Publishing, James Abernethy, B. Baker, J.G.W. Fynje, A. Mallet, Jean Hersuy, L.F. Vernon Horcourt, Robert Lilley, A.J. Johnson, F.M. Colby, Henry D. Loney, A.S. Cameron, James A. Harrald, William Watson, John B. Lervis, A.L. Rives, Edwin F. Bidell, Frank H. Stockett, E. McMahon, C.F. Elgin, Enrique Budge, G. Clayton Gardiner, Dwight Porter, William A. Chapman, T.E. Sickels, Theodore Cooper, C.J. Warner, Institution of Civil Engineers, Robert Gordon, United States Coast of Geodetic Survey Office, C.P. Pattun, J.N. Putnam, Sidney B. Warner, H.D. Fisher, Union Pacific Railway Company, Lewis S. Wolle, George E. Waring Junior, The American Exhibition, G.F. Swain, American Society of Civil Engineers, N.H. Whitten, U.S. Engineer Office, Government Works Committee, J.J. Hagerman, D. Jackson, Sterling Iron and Railway Company, E.P. Alexander, E. Williamson, Central Railway Company of New Jersey, William A. Underwood, F. Collingwood, James Dun (Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Company), Henry F. Kilburn, Louis A. Bissell, Virgil G. Boque, H.C. Eckenberger, Melville Egleston, Charles Parson, George Swain, Continental Iron Works, Rudolph Hering, J.B. Gordon, Mayor's Office (Baltimore), Harry Robinson, Pennsylvania Railway Company, W.H. Gahagan, L. Luiggi, B.H. Bryant, T.J. Cleaver (Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Company), H.A. Carson, H.A. Presset (Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey), John K. Cowen, Vernon H. Brown, J. Waldorf, B.H. Bryant, L.F. Root, P.W. White, Metropolitan Railroad Company, Charles F. Mayer (Consolidated Coal Company, Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad Company), J.M. Lane (Western Maryland Railroad), Dr. R.S. Stewart (Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad), Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad (John Lyons, John G. Butler, D. Candon, R.P. McCormick, Andrew Banks), Thomas F. Rowland, J.A. Bensel, Walton Aims, S.D. Coykendall, H.C. Rogers, John F. Ward, T.B. Jewell, H.A. Pressey, C.S. Armstrong, J. Nennett, V.G. Bague.

Series 3, Personal Correspondence, 1850-1942, contains correspondence with immediate and extended family, specifically the heirs to the Benjamin H. Hutton and Joseph Hutton estates and Adele Gorman. Correspondence is primarily arranged chronologically, but some files have been divided based on subject or author (the Deer Park and Adele Gorman files), or by form (the Telegrams, and Cablegrams file). Special note is made of the posthumous correspondence file, which includes correspondence both relating to Hutton's death and correspondence that was written by family members after the years of his death. The series contains both hand written and typed letters. Some correspondence is in French. The correspondence demonstrates his relationship with his children specifically Elizabeth (Bessie) Hutton, and illuminates his role in his family. This series also provides details about nineteenth century upper class society and activities. Special note should be made that this folder does not contain all of the personal correspondence contained in the collection. Some correspondence has been separated according to recipient, or subject in order to make researching these recipients or subjects easier.

Series 3 correspondence topics include: estate payments, distribution of assets, funds transfers, estate lines, conflicts with tenants, sketches, lot maintenance, real estate sales, deeds, real estate sales negotiations, congratulations wishes on new babies, family illnesses, family affairs and travels, traveling directions, personal investments, invitations for social occasions, family debts, professional interests, professional and personal appointments, family issues, requests for money, sketches, advice to children (specifically Frank Hutton), life insurance, books, letters of introduction, legal issues, funeral expenses, charity donations, advertisements, minutes from professional organizations, army enlistment, deaths of friends and family, recipes, estimates of personal expenses, renovations, stock certificates (Great Northern Railway Company, New York), food, social activities, the weather, marriages, real estate and construction plans, and loan agreements.

Correspondents include the following: Frank Hutton, Thomas B. Brookes, J.L. Marcauley, C.M. Matthews, Edward J. Hancy, John M. Wilson, H.A. Carson, William H. Wiley (of John Wiley and Sons Scientific Publishers, New York), Georgina Hutton, Pierre and Jane Casson, George McNaughlin, Henrietta Hutton, Aaron Pennington Whitehead, J.B. Wheeler, B. Williamson, Robert De Forest, Elizabeth (Bessie) Hutton, Grace Beukard, J.C. Saunders, Mary Hutton, William J. Pennington, C.S. Hurd, Henry C. Cooper, Henry J. Segers, S.F. Miller, Annie Theller, Alfred Noble, Maria Burton, Joseph Hobson, E. Lennon, F. Hulberg, Charles Gordon Hutton, Edward C. Ebert, A. William Lewin, E.R. Dunn, William P. Craighill, Theodore Cooper, P.I. Chapelle, Anita McAlpine, Clarence King, Victoria Raymond, and Adele Gorman.

Series 4, Personal Materials, 1835-1946, contains documentation about Hutton's personal finances, role as executor of the Benjamin H. Hutton, Joseph Hutton, Annie Theller, and Countess H. De Moltke-Hvitfeldt estates, Mary Augusta Hutton (wife), Mary Hutton (daughter), Frank Hutton, John Caulfield (son-in-law), and B.F. and C.H. Hutton. The series has been divided into four subseries: Financial Records, 1876-1901, Estate and Real Estate Records, 1835-1921, Other Huttons, 1876-1936, and Personal Material, 1878-1946. Subseries 2, Estate and Real Estate Records, 1835-1921, contains correspondence relating to specific family estates and family members. This correspondence was separated from Series 3, Personal Correspondence, 1850-1942, to make it easier for researchers to access all records relating to the family estates. This series includes hand written, typed, and printed materials. Some materials are in French. All material dated after 1901 has been added to the collection by other creators such as Hutton's wife and children.

Subseries 1, Financial Records, 1876-1901, includes account books, account records, correspondence related to bank accounts, bank statements, financial notes, bills and proofs of payment, rent receipts, tax bills (New York, Flatbush, Montgomery County), checks, money exchanges, receipts for tax payments, real estate receipts, stock and bond certificates, loan agreements, executor accounts, rebate calculation sheet, and tax and insurance payments.

Subseries 2, Estate and Real Estate Records, 1835-1921, includes property maps and information (rent, mortgage costs, deeds), correspondence, notes on estate distribution, estate assets, value of estate and estate payments, account records, loan agreements, receipts, proof of payments, checks, financial records, legal documents, insurance documents, tax bills, auction receipts, and wills relating to the estates of Benjamin H. Hutton, Joseph Hutton, Countess H. de Moltke-Hivtfeldt, Annie Theller, and William R. Hutton. Also included are correspondence, property maps and information, and deeds and mortgages on Hutton properties.

Subseries 2, the estate and real estate records correspondence topics include: Virginia state building codes, construction costs, construction notices, purchasing offers for property, real estate prices, receipts of payments, property lines, real estate purchases and sales, real estate sales negotiations, deeds insurance estimates and costs, loan costs, property estimates, renovation costs, mortgages, property damages and repairs, property tax payments, insurance rates and payments, rent payments, telephone installation, building permits, rental agreements, reports on property condition, contracts of sale, conflicts with tenants, changes of address, deeds, distribution of estate monies, details about the Countess' illness, estate arrangements, changes of address, problems arising out of estate distribution, payment of debts, will details, selling of mortgage shares, accounts, estate settlement, money cables and transfers, dealings with lawyers, rent on Hutton Park property, legal and accounting fees, power of attorney transfer, investments, property security, land appraisals, lists of assets, legacy taxes, mortgages transfers, property management, Flatbush property, property rent and values, and physicians bills.

Correspondents include the following: A.C. Weeks, Walter I. Green, John D. Probsh, A.G. Darwin, Thomas H. McCann, Allan Farguhar, Thomas Dawson, Potter and Crandall Real Estate and Insurance Brokers, George C. Tilyou, H.D. Olephant, F. Winston, Richard E. Calbraith, Frank P. Martin, Henry DeForest, Henry C. Cooper, Metropolitan Telephone and Telegraph Company, John Ecker, C.K. Avevill, Georgina Hutton, Edward J. Hancy, Robert Graham, W.M. Bennett, Willis E. Merriman, Nathan L. Miller, Harry Hutton, Marquise de Portes (Adele Gorman), Annie Theller, Samuel L. Theller, Mrs. R. Locke, Frank Z. Adams, John Palmer (Secretary of State, New York), J.T. Cammeyer, Frank P. Martin, Florence Theller, Francis H. Seger, Henry C. Cooper, D.W.G. Cammeyer, Campbell W. Adams, Jane Casson, Elizabeth Hutton, Rene de Portes, H.G. Atkins, Grace Beukard, Aaron Pennington Muikhead, J.E. Delapalme, T.H. Powers, Egerton L. Winthrop Junior, George B. Glover, William Jay and Robert W. Candler, B. Williamson, J.E. Knaff, Cornelius C. Vermeule, S.V. Hayden, Charles G. Landon[?], H.A. Hurlbert, F.A. Black, John L. Calwalder, the Health Department of New York, A.G. Darwin, William Laue, Frederick Frelinghuysen, Charles S. Brown, Henrietta Hutton, Edward Gelon.

Subseries 3, Other Huttons, 1874-1936, includes professional drawings and proposals, checks, insurance information, correspondence, tax information, medical information, tax bills, relating to Mary Augusta Hutton (wife), Mary Hutton (daughter), Henry and Harry Hutton, Frank Hutton (son), John Caulfield (son-in-law), B.F. Hutton, and C.H. Hutton.

Subseries 4, Personal Materials, 1878-1946, contains handwritten property notes, school notes, sermons, travel documents, menus, Christmas cards, jewelry box, postal guide, typed religious materials and flyers.

Series 5, Diaries, 1866-1901, contains twenty nine diary books that document both Hutton's personal and professional life. These diaries provide not only a record of Hutton's life, but were also used by Hutton himself as a reference tool. When working on projects he would refer to notes and observations he made in his diary (as evidenced by notes made in his diaries). The first pages of the diaries often list his height, weight and clothing sizes as they varied from year to year. A researcher could probably use the cashbooks (see Series 7) and the diaries in conjunction as both detail the purchases made by Hutton. Many of the diaries also include a short record of accounts in the back. The diaries are arranged chronologically.

Topics found in the diaries include short form accounts of daily activities and appointments, records of the weather, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal project, construction progress on projects, steam pumps, sketches and calculations, extension of Washington railroads, cost of food, work supplies, travel costs, costs of goods and food, work deadlines, home renovations, visits to family, cash accounts, accounts of household duties, produce on Woodlands property, records of deaths, debts owed, account of clearing Woodlands property, church visits, Hancock and Tonoloway Aqueduct, canals, Drum Point Railroad, Montgomery C. Meigs, Washington Aqueduct, Annapolis Water Works, telegram costs, wages for Chesapeake and Ohio Canal project, William Craighill, Morris Canal, Annapolis Railroad and Canal, professional duties (inspections), Kanawha River Canal, travel schedules, professional expenses, cash received from Chesapeake and Ohio Canal project, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, John's Dam, cathedral construction (St. Patricks?), Piedmont Bridge, Cumberland, account of farm property belonging to Major Campbell Bruns, Cunard Pier, Marquise de Portes, rent costs, Baltimore Canal, Kingston Water Supply, Croton Orange Estate, Pierre Casson, Hudson River Tunnel, Washington/Harlem River Bridge, entertainment costs, Greenwood cemetery, train schedule, notes on illness, real estate sales, Hutton Park, Benjamin H. Hutton estate and heirs, estimates, accounts of correspondence received and sent, Central Railroad, rent on Orange properties, addresses, contracts and building supplies for projects, personal finances, Joseph Hutton property on Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, amounts paid and received, medical appointments, Ramapo Water Company, drawing progress of maps and diagrams, Harbor Board (New York), property repairs, inspection and test reports, reservoirs, lists of birthdays, Boston Tunnel, family financial issues, tax payments, and prayers.

Series 6, Notebooks, 1860-1900, document the engineering and architectural projects worked on by Hutton. The series has been divided into three subseries: Subseries 1, Engineering and Survey Field Notes, 1860-1899; Subseries 2, Notebooks, 1871-1886; and Subseries 3, Notes, 1863-1900. Subseries 1, Engineering and Survey Field Notes, 1860-1899, contains sixteen field notebooks used by Hutton. Subseries 2, Notebooks, 1871-1886, contains seven notebooks. Subseries three, Notes, 1863-1900, contains four documents.

Some notebooks correspond to specific projects such as the Kanawha River Canal (lockgate and Phoenix Waterline), Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Buffalo Reservoir, Potomac Lock and Dock Company, Northern Adirondack Railroad account, Washington Aqueduct, Little Rock Bridge, Wilson-Adam Dock, Croten Brick Works, Hutton Park, Centennial Iron Works, Cumberland Canal, Williamsport Aqueduct, Catoctin Aqueduct, Alexandria Canal, Miller's Saw Mill, Seneca Dam, Union Tunnel, Cumberland Waterworks, Victoria Bridge, Welland Canal, North Sea Canal, Ramapo Water Company, Annapolis Water Company, Antietam Aqueduct, Interoceanic Canal, San Quentin Canal, Suez Canal, Amsterdam Canal, Harlem Bulkhead, Morris Canal, Blue Lake Canal, and Nicaragua Canal.

These notebooks should be used in conjunction with the other materials in the collection related to professional projects, as they often provide more detailed accounts of the construction and land surveys. Some of the notebooks contain entries from several different sources. The notebooks were probably shared among the engineers working on these projects. The notebooks also contain looseleaf ephemera such as hand written calculations, newspaper clippings, and blueprints. Languages found in this series are English and French.

Notebook topics include construction projects, supply needs, costs for labor, sketches (Woodland Mills, landscapes, dams, railway cars, Noland Tunnel), costs of crops, survey measurements, cost of livestock, aqueducts, inspections, canal bridges, seed prices, dams, measurements, coffer dam, canal maintenance, worker salaries, calculations, towpath sketches and measurements, shipping rates, worker accidents, water and coal used, geometrical sketches (Washington Aqueduct), locks, damage reports, interactions with other engineers (William Reading), coal shipments on the canal, travel expenses, land survey notes, drafts for correspondence, William Craighill, Victoria docks, lists of personal supplies used, construction time estimates, surveying expenses, telegram costs, sand pump, canal from Sherling to Tuxedo Bay, analysis of several artificial lakes and reservoirs, distances of reservoirs to main pipes, calculations for the Austin Wheel, engine construction, bridges, gauging water depth, results and observations of tests and performance, problems with construction, to-do lists, cost of land surrounding towpaths, Fawcett's Lock, Tarman's Lock, comparison of costs in transporting coal by water and by rail, inspection notes, iron work, drainages, leaks, cost of supplies, watergates, harbor ferries, railroad station distances, flood protection, Panama Canal via the Nicaraguan route, cost of jetties, water levels, pressure of steam, boilers, steam and water cycle, water depth, cement, Great Falls, Virginia, waterflow, soundings, time of floats, flow of currents, rain fall measurements, tunnel measurements, cost of trenching San Francisco water supply, record of livestock, cost of food, rates of sawing woods and mills, preliminary railroad line measurements, profile of final line, and railroad line profiles.

Series 7, Cash Books, 1856-1899, contains seven cashbooks which list prices for personal items purchased by Hutton. Topics include groceries, church dues, clothes, hygiene products, cigars, some short journal entries about his work (Williamstown), concerts, dinners, family addresses, cakes, meals, cars, stamps, office supplies (pencils and papers), valentines, glasses, gloves, fabric, medicine, needles, diapers, tobacco, shoes (adult and childrens), travel expenses, telegrams, candles, newspapers, liquor, coal oil, jewelry, allowances given to family members, bank deposits, monies paid and received, taxes, subscriptions, tailoring costs, deposits and payments into estate trusts, and notes about payments to Benjamin H. Hutton heirs. The cashbooks also contain some personal loose leaf ephemera such as prayers, sketches, and engineering notes collected by Hutton.

Series 8, Professional Projects, 1830-1965, contains documents about engineering and architectural projects throughout Hutton's career, including information about the professional organizations and the legal issues in which he was involved. This series has been divided into eight subseries based on project, document form, and document subject. Some materials are in French and Italian.

Series 8, Professional Projects, also includes correspondence related to specific projects, primarily the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, the Hudson River Tunnel, the Washington/Harlem River Bridge, and the Georgetown Incline.

Topics include construction and repair to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, engineering and use of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, worker contracts, supply and labor purchases, design plans and proposals, construction and repair costs, supply notes and costs of supplies, water pressure and power, shipping materials and routes (specifically the shipping of coal), inspections and their findings, condition of canal dam and locks, water supply, drainage, sketches, board proceedings, business meetings, deeds, cost comparisons to other shipping methods, hiring processes, wages, cost estimates, Hutton's consulting fees, measurements and calculations, funding issues, worker conflicts, negotiations with municipal governments, payment schedules, bills for services, air pressure in Hudson River Tunnel, permission for construction, specifications, mortality rate among workers on the Hudson River Tunnel, construction reports, outlet incline, proposals for construction, letters of introduction, railroad versus water for trade, controversy with Tiersey, construction contracts, construction schedules, construction issues, construction progress, construction damage, basis for estimates, supply requests, internal politics, changes to construction plans, contract and price adjustments, issues with suppliers, construction delays, work permits, bills, worker issues, engineering notes, construction excavations, expenses, construction instructions, Union Bridge Company, lighting installations, construction processes, hiring practices, electrical conductors, water proofing, hydraulics, cement, concrete, payment of contributors, processes of approval for construction, meeting dates of the Harlem River Bridge Commission, and contract restrictions.

Correspondents include the following: W.W.M. Kaig, Henry Dodge, E. Mulvany, John Shay, James Clarke, H.D. Whitcomb, Horace Benton, J. Rellan, J.R. Maus, W.E. Merrill, A.P. Gorman, J.H. Staats, Vernon H. Brown, Charles H. Fisher (New York Central and Hudson River Railway Company), B. Baker, John Fowler, Benjamin and John Dos Passos, Charles B. Colby, Charles B. Brush, S. Pearson, Stanford White, Horace E. Golding, R.H. Smith, Daniel Lord, A. Fteley, Herbert Hinds, J.R. Bartlett, D.M. Hirsch, M.H. Bartholomew, Thomas O. Driscoll, W.E. Porter, Thomas F. Rowland, George Edward Harding, R.H. Dames, William Watson, James B. Eads, J.D. Bright, H. Aston, Charles Suley, A.M. Maynard, W.R. Henton, G. Geddes, H.P. Gilbut, Malcolm W. Niver (Secretary of the Harlem River Bridge Commission), J.D. Patterson, George Devin (Assistant Engineer Washington/ Harlem River Bridge), J.B. Wheeler, John Bogart, Charles Burns, J. McClellon, Rob Bassee, B. Williamson, Theodore Cooper, Lewis Cass Ledyard, R.M. Hunt, John Cooper, Henry Wilson, A.A. Caille, Myles Tierney, W. Pentzen, L.B. Cantfield, George Q. Grumstaid Junior, M.J. Funton, George Pierce, W.O. Fayerweather, Noah S. Belthen, Herbert Steward, W.M. Habirsham. Subseries 1, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, 1828-1965, consists of plans, blueprints, land profiles, drawings, boat rates, contract forms, order forms, descriptions of the canal, design information, engineering data, sketches, cost estimates, land titles, microfilm, business papers, supply bills, patent bills, news clippings, reports, specifications, stockholder's reports, receipts, water leases, printed materials, and correspondence.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal project was started in 1828 and completed twenty two years later in 1850. The canal's main objective was to connect Georgetown to the coal banks above Cumberland, Maryland, providing a short and cheap trade route between the eastern and western United States. It was also hoped that the canal would provide greater communication and travel between these two regions. Plagued by natural disasters, and construction setbacks, the canal was never completed in time to be useful and became obsolete shortly after its completion. Canal trade was eventually put out of business by the increase of railroads. Although it was an important development in engineering at its inception, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is no longer in use and has become what locals affectionately refer to as "the old ditch." The canal was designated a National Historical Park in 1971 and consists of 184.5 miles of hiking and biking trails.

Subseries 2, Hudson River Tunnel, 1887-1901, consists of agreements for construction, certificates, contracts, and cost estimates, construction reports, engineering notebooks, engineering notes, sketches, land profiles, maps, progress profiles, plans, proposals, printed material, statements of expenses, and correspondence.

The Hudson River Tunnel project was started in 1874, and the final tubes were opened in 1910 after several construction setbacks. The tunnel connects Weehawken, New Jersey and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, New York City. Today the Hudson River Tunnel, known as the North River Tunnels is used by Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and New Jersey Transit rail lines.

Subseries 3, Harlem River Bridge, 1878-1982, consists of blueprints, printed materials, photographs, engineer's estimates, schedules, costs, reports, proposals, contracts, specifications, and correspondence.

The Harlem River Bridge project was started in 1885 and was completed in 1889. It spans the Harlem River in New York City, New York and connects the Washington Heights section of Manhattan with the Bronx. It was later named and is still known as the Washington Bridge and has been adapted over time to carry highway traffic. These adaptations have allowed the bridge to remain in use today.

Subseries 4, Other Projects, 1858-1832, consists of drawings, maps, blueprints, plans, proposals, cost estimates, bills, correspondence, sketches, land profiles, dimensions, engineering notes, account records, photostats, supply lists, calculations, legal documents, surveys, inspection reports, financial data, and measurements on architectural and engineering projects. Highlights of this subseries include: Western Maryland Railroad, Washington Aqueduct, Panama Canal, Ramapo Water Company, Piedmont Bridge, Northern Adirondack Railroad, Columbia Railroad, Morris Canal, Pittsfield and Williamstown Railroad, Suez Canal, St. Gothard Canal, Tansa Dam, Colorado Midland Railroad Company, Memorial Bridge, Mersey Tunnel, Little Rock Bridge, Kingston Water Supply, Kanawha River Canal, Florida Ship Canal, East Jersey Water Company, Consolidated Coal Company, Dismal Swamp Canal, Boston and Baltimore Tunnels, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Annapolis Water Company, Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad Company, and the Baltimore Beltline.

Subseries 5, Unidentified Project Files, 1872-1900, consists of bills of sale, engineering forms and regulations, cement test results and methods, census bulletin, contracts, cost estimates, correspondence, notes on publications, engineering data and notes, drawings, surveys, sketches, payrolls, photographs, and reports.

Subseries 6, Specifications, 1870-1900, consists of documents related to some of Hutton's projects, including specifications for bridges, reservoirs, canals, viaducts, docks, buildings, water works, and tunnels. Some specifications are more general, and some are blank proposal/specification forms. There are also proposals for estimates and a "call" or advertisement to contractors to bid on certain projects. Many of the specifications deal with projects in New York State, but projects in Pennsylvania, the City of Baltimore, and Europe are represented. The materials are arranged alphabetically by project name. There is one folder of documentation for the Potomac River Bridge (Arlington Memorial Bridge) in Washington, D.C. The Arlington Memorial Bridge was part of the 1901 McMillan Commission's plan for restoring Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant's original plan for the capital. Two decades passed before construction was initiated by the architectural firm McKim, Mead, and White. The documentation for the Memorial Bridge consists of calculations and monetary figures for materials such as granite.

Subseries 7, Legal Documents, 1886, contains documents related to a patent infringement suit for moveable dams involving Alfred Pasqueau vs. the United States. This file contains both a printed version of the case and a handwritten statement from Hutton.

Subseries 8, Professional Organizations, 1870-1902, contains documents related to professional organizations where Hutton held membership. Specific organizations represented are American Institute of Architects, American Society of Civil Engineers, Institution of Civil Engineers, Boston Society of Civil Engineers, Societe des Ingenieurs Civils de France, Librarie Polytechnique, American Agency of "Engineering" in London, Imperial Institute, League of Associated Engineers, Railroad Corporation, American Institute of Mining Engineers, and the Century Association. Material in the subseries includes correspondence, candidates for membership, membership payments, membership lists, meeting minutes, schedule of terms, professional practices, charges, articles of association, invitations for membership, and election notes. Some materials are in French.

Series 9, Printed Materials, 1850-1913, contains a variety of printed materials relating to engineering and architectural projects written by Hutton and fellow engineers. This series can be used to examine not only professional developments of the period and responses to those developments, but also to track how ideas were transferred between engineers across countries and continents. This series should be used in conjunction with the professional correspondence found in this collection, as many of the authors also appear there. Some materials are in French, German, Spanish, and Italian.

Subseries 1, Printed Materials by Hutton, 1852-1900, includes printed papers on the Missouri flood wave, the Ravine du Sud, the Potomac waterfront, the Colorado midlands, and the application of water supply machinery.

Subseries 2, Printed Materials by Others, 1826-1913, includes printed materials on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canals, Tehuantec Ship Railway, Interoceanic canals and railways, jetties, Nicaragua Canal, uses of cements, mortars, concretes, steam power, harbors, Niagara Falls, Kanawha River canal, Mississippi River, Hudson River Bridge, sewage disposal, Washington Aqueduct, specifications, construction progress reports, hydraulic experiments, water supply, drainage, road surfacing, sea walls, water-cooling apparatus, pollution reports, bridges, pipes, channels, reservoirs, irrigation, water power, and sewers.

Subseries 2 contains an issue of The North American Review in which Hutton has specifically highlighted an article entitled, "The Inter-Oceanic Canal." Please see the container list for names of authors.

Subseries 3, Printed Materials with No Author, 1852-1903, includes printed materials on harbor reports, Annapolis Water Company, Ramapo Water Company, water departments and boards, maps, engineer's reports, sea walls, preservation of structures, annual reports, Coal and Iron Railway Company, sewers, Baltimore and Drum Point Railroad, contract specifications, proposals, social club life, Croton Water Supply, law suits, water supplies, moveable dams, reservoirs, East River Bridge, Eastern Canal, water filtration, Kingston New Water Supply, water pipes, locks, docks, contracts, construction reports, Croton Water Supply, and surveys. Also included are issues of journals such as Le Correspondant, Circular of the Office of Chief Engineers, The Club, VIII Congres International de Navigation, Journal of the Association of Engineering Studies, and Journal of the Franklin Institute.

Subseries 4, Newspaper, Journals and Magazine Clippings, 1873-1900, contains clippings from a variety of newspapers such as Scientific American, andRailroad Gazette. Subjects included are the Union Tunnel opening in Baltimore, Drum Point Railroad, railroad company conflicts, Washington/Harlem River Bridge, Metropolitan Railroad, Western Maryland Railroad, crop prospects, lumber trade, North Avenue Bridge, Nicaraguan Canal, harbors, river improvements, reactions to engineering projects, Belt tunnel, city transit, Washington, D.C. flood in 1880, tunnel shields, Springfield Bridge, railroad patents, Panama Canal, jetties, Hudson Tunnel, steel boilers, composition and use of cement, and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Subseries 5, Oversized Printed Materials, 1889-1892, contains large printed materials related to the Washington Aqueduct, General Post Office Building, subway arches, cornices, Warwick's Castle, Neuschwanstein Castle, Renaissance paintings, botanical drawings, school buildings, church architecture, the Hospital for the Insane of the Army and Navy and the District of Columbia, the Panama Canal, Morningside Park, and the Mississippi Jetties. Also includes engravings of Hutton, T.N. Talfound, and F. Jeffrey and photographs of Montgomery C. Meigs, and Hutton. Some materials are in German and French.

References:

1. Ward, George Washington, "The Early Development of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Project," Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science Series XVII, no. 9-11 (1899): 8.

2. Ibid., 88.

3. Ibid., 55.

4. Ibid., 90.

5. Sanderlin, Walter S., "The Great National Project: A History of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal," Johns Hopkins University Studies in Historical and Political Science Series LXIV, no. 1 (1946): 21.

6. Ibid., 282.

7. Gies, Joseph, Adventure Underground (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday and Company Inc., 1962): 134.

8. Ibid., 131-132.

9. Ibid., 135-136.

10. Ibid., 145.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into ten series.

Series 1, Letterpress Copybooks, 1858-1901

Series 2, Professional Correspondence, 1861-1901

Subseries 1, Project Correspondence, 1876-1899

Subseries 2, General Correspondence, 1861-1901

Series 3, Personal Correspondence, 1850-1942

Series 4, Personal Materials, 1835-1946

Subseries 1, Financial Records, 1876-1901

Subseries 2, Estate and Real Estate Records, 1835-1921

Subseries 3, Other Huttons, 1874-1936

Subseries 4, Personal Materials, 1878-1946

Series 5, Diaries, 1866-1901

Series 6, Notebooks, 1860-1900

Subseries 1, Engineering and Survey Field Notes, 1860-1899

Subseries 2, Notebooks, 1871-1886

Subseries 3, Notes, 1863-1900

Series 7, Cashbooks, 1856-1899

Series 8, Professional Projects, 1830-1965

Subseries 1, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, 1828-1965

Subseries 2, Hudson River Tunnel, 1887-1901

Subseries 3, Harlem River Bridge, 1878-1892

Subseries 4, Other Projects, 1858-1932

Subseries 5, Identified Project Files, 1872-1900

Subseries 6, Specifications, 1870-1900

Subseries 7, Legal Documents, 1886

Subseries 8, Professional Organizations, 1870-1902

Series 9, Printed Materials, 1826-1913

Subseries 1, Printed Materials by Hutton, 1852-1900

Subseries 2, Printed Materials by Others, 1826-1913

Subseries 3, Newspaper, Journals, and Magazine Clippings, 1855-1901

Subseries 4, Oversized Printed Material, 1889-1892

Series 10: Drawings, 1875, 1883

Biographical / Historical:

Not much is known about the history of William Rich Hutton outside of his role in architectural and engineering projects of the late 1800s and early 1900s. In many cases, he is spoken of only in reference to his projects, and the short biographies that have been written read more like a resume than a life story. Because of this lack of information, this note will focus on Hutton's professional accomplishments, but will attempt to make some comments on his personal life.

William Rich Hutton was born on March 21, 1826 in Washington, D.C., the eldest son of James Hutton (died 1843) and his wife, the former Salome Rich (1). He was educated at the Western Academy (Washington, D.C.) from 1837-1840 under George J. Abbot and then at Benjamin Hallowell's School in Alexandria, Virginia, where he received special training in mathematics, drawing, and surveying (2). Hutton began his professional career in California when he, along with his younger brother James, accompanied their uncle William Rich to work for the United States Army. His uncle was a paymaster for the army and Hutton became his clerk. They traveled around the new state paying the various platoons stationed there, but Hutton also occupied his time by drawing the landscapes and structures he saw in the settlements of Los Angeles, San Francisco, La Paz, Mazatlan, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Pedro, San Diego, and Cape San Lucas (3). These drawings are now held by the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. Hutton held the position of clerk until the spring of 1849, and in July of that year he began working with Lieutenant Edward O.C. Ord and completed the first survey of Los Angeles and its surrounding pueblo lands and islands. Hutton continued surveying in California from 1850-1851. He was hired by William G. Dana to survey the Nipomo Ranch in San Luis Obispo County and also surveyed the ranches Santa Manuela and Huer-Huero, both owned by Francis Z. Branch. After his employment with Dana, he became the county surveyor for San Luis Obispo County, where he prepared the first survey and map of the region. He also continued to survey ranches for Captain John Wilson during this time. In August 1851, he resigned from his position as county surveyor and moved to Monterey where he worked as an assistant to Captain (later General) Henry W. Hallack, superintendent of the New Almaden Quicksilver Mine in Santa Clara County (4). He remained in this position until March, 1853 when he returned to Washington, D.C. by way of Mexico (5).

Hutton began his career as a civil engineer in Washington, D.C. He was first assigned to the position of assistant engineer on a survey of the projected Metropolitan Railroad in 1853, which was chartered to connect Washington, D.C. with the mainline of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. In 1855 he began his professional relationship with Montgomery C. Meigs when he was appointed to the position of assistant engineer on the Washington Aqueduct. He also served as division engineer on this project until construction was shut down in 1861 because of the outbreak of the Civil War. Fortunately for Hutton, the construction on the Aqueduct was resumed in 1862, and when Congress transferred the supervision of the aqueduct project from the War Department to the Department of the Interior, Hutton was made chief engineer. By the end of the Civil War, Hutton's reputation as a civil engineer was established (6).

During this decade Hutton also served as the chief engineer for the Annapolis Water Works (1866) and as chief engineer for one of his most famous projects, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (1869-1871). Although some historians minimize Hutton as just one of many engineers to work on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, he did make one major contribution to its construction: the Georgetown Canal Incline. Perhaps the final effort of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal company to compete with the emerging and fast expanding railroad, the Georgetown Incline was designed to allow canal boats to travel through the canal with low water levels and to alleviate canal congestion. Unfortunately, by the time the incline was completed use of the canal had decreased so significantly that it was no longer needed to help control traffic (7). Despite this, Hutton continued to work as a consulting engineer for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company until 1881, when he was let go because of the dwindling fortunes of the company (7).

In the 1870s and 1880s Hutton was busy with several engineering projects. During 1871-1873, he was the chief engineer in the completion of the Western Maryland Railroad to Hagerstown and Williamsport (9). He also practiced as an architect with his brother, the prominent Baltimore architect Nathanial Henry Hutton, during the years 1873-1880. He relocated to New York in 1880, serving as chief engineer for the Washington Bridge in 1888 and 1889 and the Hudson River Tunnel from 1889 to 1891. In 1886, he became the consulting engineer for the New Croton Aqueduct and served in the same position for the Colorado Midland Railway between the years of 1886-1889 (10).

As his personal and professional correspondence shows, Hutton continued to work on various engineering and architectural projects until his death on December 11, 1901. In addition to these projects, he also invented the innovative system of locks and moveable dams used in the Kanawha River Canal. He was awarded the Diplome d'Honneur for this featat the Paris Exposition in 1878 (11). His correspondence also demonstrates how Hutton was respected within his professional community. These letters refer to the accuracy of his work, his willingness to help other colleagues and supply them with reference materials and information, and, in addition to all this, his politeness. It seems that these qualities defined not only his personality but also his ideology. In one of the cashbooks in the collection, dated 1899, a hand written note contains a religious parable of "The Straw." The phrase in this parable that speaks most to Hutton's work ethic, and to the spirit of inventors everywhere, is this: "Even so however lowly may be the act, however little opportunities we may have of assisting others, we may still do something. Let us beg to fulfil our duty in this regards by making ourselves useful to others by some little act of thoughtful charity..." (12). Hutton, in his dedication to civil engineering, seems to have lived up to this virtue, and in his work he changed the landscape of Washington, D.C. and New York.

The Fairy Godfather: Hutton's Personal History

His professional records reveal a man who was fiercely dedicated to his work. His obituary references his professional life more than his personal life (13). Despite his reputation in the professional engineering community, his personal records demonstrate that Hutton was also dedicated to his family and children. In 1855, he married Montgomery County native Mary Augusta Clopper (died 1915). Together they lived on her family's estate known as the Woodlands, and had five children: Frank C. Hutton, Mary Hutton, Elizabeth Hutton (later Caulfield), Rosa Hutton, and Annie Salome Hutton (14). It is at this estate that Hutton died and was buried. The personal letters to his wife found in the Woodlands Collection held at the Montgomery County Historical Society show a man in love and willing to take time from his work to write to his wife. His letters to his children show a similar interest and compassion. In the many letters found in this collection from his daughter Elizabeth (Bessie) one can see a father who is interested in not only his daughter's activities abroad, but also in her opinion. This interest also extends to his son Frank Hutton, as their correspondence shows Hutton offering his son advice on his own engineering projects.

Hutton also served as executor to many of his extended family's estates. Many letters show the conflicts that Hutton had to mediate and the dependence of his cousins on him for advice and money. Although his family was wealthy (his cousin was Benjamin H. Hutton whose daughters married into the court of Napoleon III), they were volatile, and his records seem to indicate that he served as a mediator for many of their disputes. In addition to this, as his nickname of Fairy Godfather suggests, Hutton was always willing to lend his family either financial or moral support when needed. Unfortunately, little other documentation concerning Hutton's personal life exists outside of this collection and the one held at the Montgomery County Historical Society.

References:

1. Waters, Willard O., "Introduction," California 1847-1852 (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1942).

2. Waters, Willard O., "Memoir," Glances at California 1847-1853 (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1942): ix.

3. Waters, Willard O., "Introduction," California 1847-1852 (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1942). and Waters, Willard O., "Memoir," Glances at California 1847-1853 (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1942): x-xi.

4. Waters, Willard O., "Introduction," California 1847-1852 (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1942).

5. Waters, Willard O., "Memoir," Glances at California 1847-1853 (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1942): xvii.

6. Waters, Willard O., "Memoir," Glances at California 1847-1853 (San Marino: The Huntington Library, 1942): xvii-xviii.

7. Skramstad, Harold, "The Georgetown Canal Incline," Technology and Culture, Vol. 10, no. 4 (Oct. 1969): 555.

8. Business Correspondence, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, 22 February 1881, William R. Hutton Papers, 1830-1965, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, box number 27, folder number 29.

9. "William Rich Hutton," The Club: A Journal of Club Life for Men and Women,(July 1894):37

10. Ibid.

11. Monzione, Joseph, "William R. Hutton," A.P.W.A. Reporter (Sept. 1977): 7.

12. Cashbook, 1899, William R. Hutton Papers, 1830-1965, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, box number 23, folder number 5.

13. The Woodlands Collection, Montgomery County Historical Society.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

The Montgomery C. Meigs Papers, 1870-1890, (AC0987). Contains materials relating to the construction of the Washington Aqueduct including a book of drawings illustrating reservoirs, tunnels, culverts, and other structural elements, a Government Senate Document relating to construction progress, scrapbooks created by Meigs that include newspaper clippings about the Washington Aqueduct project, water supply, engineering projects, building construction, architecture and other subjects. Collection is currently unprocessed, but is available for research.

Materials in Other Organizations:

The William Rich Hutton Papers, 1840-1961, are located at the Huntington Library in California (see http://catalog.huntington.org).

The collection contains 95 drawings, 13 letters, and 39 facsimile copies of letters and manuscripts. The illustrative material includes both watercolor and pencil drawings of California (including Los Angeles, Monterey, San Francisco, the New Almaden Quicksilver Mine, and the California missions), Baja California, Mexico, and Peru. There are also five pieces in the collection related to the author María Amparo Ruiz de Burton. In 1942, the Huntington Library published Glances at California 1847--853: Diaries and Letters of William Rich Hutton, Surveyor and California 1847--852: Drawings by William Rich Hutton.

The Hutton family papers are located at the Montgomery County Historical Society, Sween Library (see http://www.montgomeryhistory.org/sites/default/files/Family_Files.pdf).

The collection contains account books from the Woodlands estate, recipe books, livestock records, records of Mary Augusta Hutton (wife), Mary and Rose Hutton (daughters), newspaper clippings (including his obituary), correspondence, record books, deeds, bills and receipts, engineering papers, religious momentos (funeral service cards), and insurance papers.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Mr. and Mrs. James J. Madine, a relative of Hutton's and last owners of the Woodlands estate; the Department of Forests and Parks, Maryland; Louis Fischer; and Mr. and Mrs. Mayo S. Stuntz, 1965-1966, 1974.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives.

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:

Dams  Search this

Hydraulic engineering  Search this

Canals  Search this

Underwater tunnels  Search this

Railroad bridges  Search this

Railroad construction  Search this

Water-supply  Search this

Construction workers  Search this

Construction equipment  Search this

Concrete construction  Search this

Concrete  Search this

Coal -- Transportation  Search this

Civil engineers  Search this

Civil engineering  Search this

Canals -- Panama  Search this

Canals -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Canals -- Maryland  Search this

Canals -- Design and construction  Search this

Bridges -- United States  Search this

Waterworks  Search this

Tunnels  Search this

Tunnels -- New York (N.Y.)  Search this

Construction -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Underground construction  Search this

Locks and dams  Search this

Shipping  Search this

Iron and steel bridges  Search this

Sewage disposal  Search this

Railroads -- Maryland  Search this

Railroads -- 19th century  Search this

Railroad engineering  Search this

Railroad companies  Search this

Aqueducts  Search this

Arch bridges  Search this

Architects -- 19th century  Search this

Books  Search this

Bridges -- New York (N.Y.)  Search this

Bridges -- Design and construction  Search this

Bridge construction industry -- United States  Search this

Engineering notebooks  Search this

Docks  Search this

Domestic and family life  Search this

Architecture -- United States  Search this

Architecture -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Harlem River Bridge  Search this

Western Maryland Railroad  Search this

Annapolis Waterworks  Search this

Steam engineering  Search this

Harlem River Bridge Commission  Search this

Washington (D.C.) -- 19th century  Search this

Reservoirs  Search this

Patents  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Letterpress copybooks

Blueprints

Diaries

Drawings

Photographs -- 19th century

Cashbooks

Business records -- 19th century

Business letters

Notebooks

Topographic maps

Tax records

Technical drawings

Stock certificates

Technical literature

Photoengravings

Notes

Maps -- 19th century

Microfilms

Linen tracings

Letter books

Letters

Land titles

Legal documents

Sketches

Salted paper prints

Reports

Receipts

Plans (drawings)

Photostats

Photographic prints

Architectural drawings

Administrative records

Albumen prints

Albums

Annual reports

Booklets

Account books -- 19th century

Books -- 19th century

Family papers -- 18th century

Financial records -- 19th century

Diaries -- 19th century

Drawings -- 19th century

Cyanotypes

Correspondence -- 19th-20th century

Deeds

Printed material

Correspondence

Contracts

Photograph albums

Specifications

Christmas cards

Menus

Citation:

William R. Hutton Papers, dates, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0987

See more items in:

William R. Hutton Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep84f6824ce-7291-4ac4-ab0f-abaa2071815e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0987

Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Extent:

12 Linear feet

392 Sound recordings (50 open reel 1/4" sound recordings ; 5 microcassette sound recordings ; 337 audio cassette sound recordings)

266 Video recordings (1 Super 8 film reel ; 152 open reel 1/2" video recordings ; 3 U-matic 3/4" video recordings ; 110 VHS 1/2" video recordings)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Museum records

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Date:

1967-1989

Scope and Contents note:

This collection contains video and audio recordings of events, talks, and ceremonies hosted at or by the Anacostia Community Museum. It also contains audiovisual PR materials for the museum and its events. The collection includes recordings of a wide array of events, including the opening of the Anacostia Community Museum, award and dedication ceremonies, and documentation of on- and off-site events and talks, such as recordings of lectures and sermons delivered by founding Museum Director John Kinard.

General:

Many of the video recordings originally recorded onto 1/2" open reel were transferred to VHS in 1990.

Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Genre/Form:

Museum records

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Citation:

Anacostia Community Museum Programs and Projects, 1967-1989, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7ac90de80-1771-4cbc-a6f4-6cea794cedc5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-acma-09-023

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

1 Video recording (open reel, 1/2 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Video recordings

Music

Place:

Africa

Africa, East

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

1976

Scope and Contents:

Student performance and celebration about Kwanzaa spirit. Students speak of the meaning of Kwanzaa; they sing and dance. Performance followed by a Kwanzaa party.

Music and dance performance. Part of Kwanzaa Programs 1976-1989: ACM Education Department Audiovisual Records. Performance and party until 003152, followed by The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro. Poor sound and image quality. Dated: 19761222.

Biographical / Historical:

The collection - Kwanzaa Programs 1976-1989: ACM Education Department - contains the audiovisual output of the Kwanzaa events hosted by Anacostia Neighborhood Museum's Education Department between the years of 1976-1989. It includes video documentation of Kwanzaa workshops and school events as well as Kwanzaa-related films, plays, and storytelling.

General:

Title transcribed from physical asset.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Children  Search this

African American students  Search this

Students  Search this

Schools  Search this

Kwanzaa  Search this

Music  Search this

Dance  Search this

Dance  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Music

Citation:

Kwanzaa: Woodbridge Elementary School, Record Group AV09-007.3, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV003269

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989 / Series ACMA 09-007.3: Kwanzaa Programs 1976-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7ab63343c-00e0-4a17-9189-68060c9678df

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref1557

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

1 Sound recording (open reel, 1/4 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Music

Place:

Africa

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

circa 1970

Scope and Contents:

Man leads children in a discussion about cities in West Africa and African culture, including African dance and African drumming. Children participate in a dance and singing lessons. Man also explains how the African talking drum is constructed and how the Yoruba language was reproduced using the talking drum, and shows an example of the Kente cloth of the Ashanti in Ghana. African drumming in the background throughout recording.

Workshop, including music and dance. Part of ACM Education Department Programs Audiovisual Records 1967-2008. Transcribed from physical asset: Percir Borde. Undated.

Local Numbers:

ACMA AV003488-2

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African culture  Search this

Music  Search this

Dance  Search this

Talking drum  Search this

Yoruba (African people)  Search this

Ashanti (African people)  Search this

Dance  Search this

African Americans  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Music

Citation:

Workshop for Children: African Culture, Record Group 09-007.7, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV003488-1

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989 / Series ACMA 09-007.7: ACM Education Department Programs Audiovisual Records

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7a887ff40-8980-4bff-88f8-8d3b6c278dc4

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref1574

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

4 Video recordings (open reel, 1/2 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Video recordings

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

1975

Scope and Contents:

Children participate in a dance and dramatic performance at the Ft. Dupont Activity Center in southeast Washington, D.C. They perform to music, narration, and a portion of Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech.

Dance performance. Part of ACM Museum Events, PR, and Ceremonies Recordings. AV000800: #1, no sound, dated 19750215. AV003475: #2, dated 19750215. AV004350: p. 1, undated. AV003189: p. 2, undated. Poor or no sound.

Local Numbers:

ACMA AV003475

ACMA AV004350

ACMA AV003189

General:

Title transcribed from physical asset.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Children  Search this

African American children  Search this

Dance  Search this

Dance  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Citation:

Black Awareness Through Dance, Record Group AV09-023, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV000800

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7ae600b75-6489-4103-ba9c-ce77e14e6e7d

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref522

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Kramer Junior High School (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

1 Video recording (open reel, 1/2 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Video recordings

Poetry

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

circa 1970s

Scope and Contents:

Kramer Junior High School Modern Dance Group performs dance routines and reads poetry related to and challenging current world attitudes. Student provides a brief introduction about the dance group prior to performance.

Performance. Part of ACM Museum Events, PR, and Ceremonies Recordings. Undated.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Youth  Search this

African American youth  Search this

Schools  Search this

African American schools  Search this

Students  Search this

African American students  Search this

Dance  Search this

Poetry  Search this

Dance  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Poetry

Citation:

Kramer Junior High School Modern Dance Group Performance, Record Group 09-023, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV000797

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa70d65774d-d3fe-4437-8e2a-94706e48d302

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref530

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

2 Video recordings (open reel, 1/2 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Video recordings

Music

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

1974

Scope and Contents:

Dance and musical performances by professional dancers from the Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble and students from Hart School in Washington, D.C. Performances encompass African, Caribbean, Afro-American history and culture.

Performance. Part of ACM Museum Events, PR, and Ceremonies Recordings. AV000793: part 1. ACMA AV003168: part 2. Dated 19740228.

Biographical / Historical:

Created in 1958, Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble's repetorie of music and dance blends African, Caribbean, and Afro-American cultures. Each traditional dance is authentically costumed and choreograped to convey its meaning within the original society. Subjects of their work include slavery and revolution; requirem for Malcolm; traditional dance; and mosiac of Afro-American culture and thought.

Local Numbers:

ACMA AV003168

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Dancers  Search this

African American dancers  Search this

African culture  Search this

Students  Search this

African American students  Search this

Dance  Search this

Music  Search this

Dance  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Music

Citation:

Performances by Arthur Hall Dancers and Hart School Students, Record Group AV09-023, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV000793

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa75bda09b2-af48-4d73-97f9-fef4012cf1aa

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref550

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

1 Video recording (open reel, 1/2 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Video recordings

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

circa 1970s

Scope and Contents:

Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble perform traditional African dances at the opening of an exhibition. Footage of artwork and artifacts from exhibition included.

Performance. Part of ACM Museum Events, PR, and Ceremonies Recordings. Undated.

Biographical / Historical:

Created in 1958, Arthur Hall Afro-American Dance Ensemble's repetorie of music and dance blends African, Caribbean, and Afro-American cultures. Each traditional dance is authentically costumed and choreograped to convey its meaning within the original society. Subjects of their work include slavery and revolution; requirem for Malcolm; traditional dance; and mosiac of Afro-American culture and thought.

General:

Title transcribed from physical asset.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Dancers  Search this

African American dancers  Search this

African culture  Search this

Dance  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Dance  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Citation:

Opening: B. Cider Show and Arthur Hall Dancers, Record Group AV09-023, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV003240

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa72db92e7d-c65b-4e7e-ac58-1fca92bfa165

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref552

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Sarah Lawrence College  Search this

Reynolds, Greg  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

1 Video recording (open reel, 1/2 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Video recordings

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

circa 1970s

Scope and Contents:

Dancers from Sarah Lawrence College and an Anacostia youth dance company perform in a joint concert. Sharon Miner of the Anacostia youth dance company and Gregory Reynolds, who organized the participation of the dancers from Sarah Lawrence College, provide an introduction for the performance.

Performance. Part of ACM Museum Events, PR, and Ceremonies Recordings. Undated.

General:

Title transcribed from physical asset.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Dancers  Search this

African American dancers  Search this

Dance  Search this

Dance  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Citation:

Dance Series: Sarah Lawrence Dance Troupe, Record Group AV09-023, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV003549

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7c4d6155a-532b-4d42-a2e1-831f9640ad61

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref559

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

1 Video recording (open reel, 1/2 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Video recordings

Music

Place:

Africa, West

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

1972

Scope and Contents:

African dance and music performance.

Dance. Music. Part of ACM Museum Events, PR, and Ceremonies Recordings. Performance until 000539 (followed by Interview with Margaret Christensen from Ghana; African Children Play Music; and African Liberation Day in Washington, D.C.). Dated: January 1972 (transcribed from title card at beginning of recording).

General:

Title transcribed from title card at beginning of recording.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

Africans  Search this

Dance  Search this

Music  Search this

African culture  Search this

Dance  Search this

African Americans  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Music

Citation:

Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa: A Trilogy, Record Group AV09-023, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV000829

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7664dd887-9a78-4bc7-b196-8e0a7d35a37c

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref566

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Capitol Ballet Company  Search this

Jones-Haywood School of Ballet (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

1 Video recording (open reel, 1/2 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Video recordings

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

1975

Scope and Contents:

One of the dancers provides a short history of the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet and Capitol Ballet Company. The dance performance includes a classical ballet piece by the children's company and an upbeat contemporary piece by the jazz company of Jones-Haywood School of Ballet. Prior to the dance pieces, the dancers demonstrate warm-up exercises so the audience understands the work involved in being a dancer.

Dance perfomance. Part of ACM Museum Events, PR, and Ceremonies Recordings. Dated 19750310.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Dancers  Search this

Dance  Search this

Ballet  Search this

Jazz dance  Search this

Dance  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Citation:

Performance by Capitol Ballet Company, Record Group AV09-023, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV000801

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7549aa537-713a-410f-9e8f-0b0f9454877a

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref577

Creator:

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Reynolds, Greg  Search this

Collection Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Extent:

1 Video recording (open reel, 1/2 inch)

Type:

Archival materials

Video recordings

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

circa 1970s

Scope and Contents:

Dance performances of several styles of dance and types of music. Gregory Reynolds is one of the dancers.

Dance performance. Part of ACM Museum Events, PR, and Ceremonies Recordings. Undated.

General:

Title transcribed from physical asset.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Youth  Search this

Dance  Search this

Dance  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Citation:

Dance Series and Dance Troupe, Record Group AV09-023, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-023, Item ACMA AV004310

See more items in:

Museum Events, Programs, and Projects, 1967-1989

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa720f0c434-1bed-428b-903d-55a96ee5a945

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-acma-09-023-ref587

Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Extent:

14 Video recordings (open reel, 1/2 inch)

15 Sound recordings (open reel, 1/4 inch)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Washington (D.C.)

United States

Date:

circa 1970s

Scope and Contents:

This collection includes news programs, television shows, and music recorded from local and national radio and television broadcasts as well as prerecorded programs, such as The Negro Texans and Alex Haley Lecture for the Doubleday Lecture Series. Anacostia Community Museum does not hold the copyright of the broadcast programs and prerecorded programs in this collection. Content includes news coverage of Anacostia and Washington, DC events; announcements about and coverage of the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum events; broadcasts of Martin Luther King, Jr's speeches; interviews with civil right leaders; and short documentaries.

Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

Community museums  Search this

Civil rights leaders  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Citation:

Broadcast Programs, Record Group 09-037, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

ACMA.09-037

See more items in:

Broadcast Programs

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa76864c60f-551a-43c4-ab84-a62755c532e8

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-acma-09-037

Creator:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Names:

Anacostia Community Museum  Search this

Anacostia Neighborhood Museum  Search this

Extent:

3 Linear feet

7 Sound recordings (7 audio cassette sound recordings)

59 Video recordings (29 open reel 1/2" video recordings ; 30 VHS 1/2" video recordings)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Conferences

Museum records

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Date:

1973-1992

bulk 1976-1976

Scope and Contents note:

This collection contains video and audio recordings of conference sessions and seminars held at, hosted by, or attended by personnel of the Anacostia Community Museum. It includes recordings from the years 1973-1992, with the majority being created in 1976. Notable conferences documented in the collection include the First Annual Black History Museums Seminar in 1976, the Black Records Conference, and the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum's Sixth Anniversary Seminar.

Provenance:

Many of the video recordings originally recorded onto 1/2" open reel were transferred to VHS in 1990.

Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

Genre/Form:

Conferences

Museum records

Sound recordings

Citation:

Conference Recordings, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

ACMA.AV09-021

See more items in:

Conference Recordings

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7c7f5c637-4ce3-4731-a12b-46c1cd193a0d

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-acma-av09-021

Creator:

Hombordy, Hanna Lore  Search this

Names:

A.W. Lewin (Firm)  Search this

Colonial House Candies  Search this

Cooper-Hewitt Design Archive  Search this

General Electric Company  Search this

Houbigant, Inc.  Search this

Kohn Bros.  Search this

L.S. Brach Manufacturing Corporation  Search this

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Pratt Institute. Department of Graphic Arts  Search this

Berkowitz, Irving  Search this

Schaus, Christian Frederick, 1959-  Search this

Young, Bill  Search this

Extent:

0.5 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Drawings

Trade catalogs

Advertisements

Clippings

Date:

[194-]-1955

Scope and Contents:

The project files include booklets: "Elements of Design" (1953-54); "Appearance Design" (1954); packaging and label designs and prototypes, photographs of drawing machinery, clippings, and misc. designs and printed advertisements for shoes, antennas, and candies.,This collection documents Hombordy's work as a graphics designer in the late 1940s and 1950s while employed at A.W. Lewin, General Electric, and Houbigant, Inc.

Arrangement:

Unprocessed; The archive material consists of labels, booklets, drawings, photographs and printed materials related to Hanna Lore Hombordy's work while employed at A.W. Lewin advertising agency, General Electric and Houbigant, Inc. in the 1940s-1950s.

Biographical / Historical:

Hanna Lore Hombordy (née Galle) holds a BFA, with honors, from the School of Art and Design, Pratt Institute, New York. Before moving to Ventura, Calif. in 1973 her main occupation was in the field of creative design and graphic arts. She was employed as a designer by General Electric Co. in the Appearance and Design department; Houbigant, Inc. doing packaging design; and advertising agencies in New York doing catalog design, newspaper ads, and illustrations. Since 1973 most of her art has been three-dimensional.

Recent work has been included in twenty national juried shows and in 1987 she received the Monarch Best Tile Award. In California, she won an Award of Merit at the State Fair. Locally, she has received numerous awards, among them 1st place in the Thousand Oaks City Competition, the Oxnard Art Association Competition, the Ventura Assembly of the Arts and the Ventura County Fair. She has had fourteen solo exhibits in the southern California area. Hombordy works at her studio home in Ventura, Calif. She creates clay and sculpture and vessels as well as decorative custom tiles and house numbers. She does research and experimental work in clay and uncommon fine art materials such as expanded polystyrene foam. Discoveries in airbrushing on clay are documented in the December 1991 issue of Ceramics Monthly. An article on her work has been published in Ceramic Review, the British ceramics magazine. Recent publications include: Pottery Making Illustrated (Spring 1999) and Clay Times (November 2000 and 2001).

Related Archival Materials:

Works by Hombordy are in the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art collection in Logan, Utah; Moorpark College, UCSD, Santa Paula Savings and Loan, and Monarch Tile Co., in Texas.

Provenance:

Collection donated by Hanna Lore Hombordy in 1993.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

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

Occupation:

Packaging designers -- United States  Search this

Graphic designers -- United States  Search this

Topic:

Commercial art -- Sources -- History -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- 20th century

Drawings

Trade catalogs

Advertisements

Clippings

Citation:

Hanna Lore Hombordy Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1273

See more items in:

Hanna Lore Hombordy Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep81b8d8577-d3cb-483e-b69d-21ba5fa1a25d

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1273

Creator:

Providence Engineering Works  Search this

Collector:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering  Search this

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this

Names:

Providence Steam Engine Company  Search this

Rice and Sargent Company  Search this

Extent:

2.5 Cubic feet (10 boxes, 1 map-folder)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Blueprints

Order books

Drawings

Photographs

Trade literature

Place:

Providence (RI)

Date:

1850-1933

Scope and Contents:

Collection includes order books, 1883-1898, 1898-1918, 1894-1923; shipping book, 1883-1892; detailed cost record, 1892-1896; parts listing; pattern list, 1890-1907; miscellaneous order book, 1916-1920; book of standard and special engine details, 1881-1889; and drawing list, 1881-1908; also photographs, glass negatives, drawings, publications, and other material concerning Corliss engines and Rice and Sargent steam engines.

Arrangement:

1 series.

Biographical / Historical:

Engineers specializing in stationary engines and general machinery. It was incorporated in 1863 as the Providence Steam Engine Company, and merged in 1889 with the Rice and Sargent Engine Company to become the Providence Engineering Works.

Provenance:

Donated to the Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering by Charles T. Main, Inc. in 1965.

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:

Steam-engines  Search this

Genre/Form:

Blueprints

Order books

Drawings

Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Glass -- 19th-20th century

Trade literature

Citation:

Providence Engineering Works, 1850-1933, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1076

See more items in:

Providence Engineering Works Records

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep88d3e8c8b-decb-41d1-b1ae-381d8fd008e4

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1076

Collection Creator:

Sanford, Marion  Search this

Container:

Box 3, Folder 8

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1932-1939

Scope and Contents:

Oversized material housed in Box 5.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Collection Rights:

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

Collection Citation:

Marion Sanford and Cornelia Chapin papers, 1929-1988. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Funding for the preservation of the Cornelia Chapin Home Movies was provided by the National Film Preservation Foundation.

See more items in:

Marion Sanford and Cornelia Chapin papers

Marion Sanford and Cornelia Chapin papers / Series 4: Scrapbooks

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a9794a3d-db3e-4c9e-b70b-1816b29b3f0b

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-sanfmari-ref46

Creator:

Foster Brothers (Boston, Mass.)  Search this

Names:

Foster, John Roy, 1863-1931  Search this

Foster, Stephen Bartlett, 1856-1932  Search this

Osborne, Helen Foster  Search this

Osborne, S. W.  Search this

Richter, C. F.  Search this

Extent:

13 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Stencils

Photographs

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Date:

1875-1973

bulk 1893-1942

Summary:

The records of Boston picture frame company Foster Brothers measure 13 linear feet and date from 1875-1973 with the bulk of the material falling between 1893 and 1942. Correspondence, stock records, financial records, writings, miscellaneous business records, printed material, scrapbooks, and photographs document the history of this company that operated a factory, retail store, and wholesale and mail order businesses between 1893 and 1942. A small number of family papers are included, with items pre-dating and post-dating the business.

Scope and Content Note:

The records of the Boston picture frame company Foster Brothers measure 13 linear feet and date from 1875 to 1973 with the bulk of the material falling between 1893 and 1942. Correspondence, stock records, financial records, writings, miscellaneous business records, printed material, scrapbooks, and photographs document the history of the picture frame company that operated a factory, retail store, and wholesale and mail order businesses between 1893 and 1942. A small number of family papers are included, including items from periods when Foster Brothers was not in business. Scattered throughout the collection are small slips of papers with explanatory notes and background information supplied by the donor, Helen Foster Osborne.

Correspondence mostly concerns routine business with suppliers, distributors, and wholesale and retail customers and is relatively sparse for 1897-1941. Foster Brothers' last year in business, 1942, is well documented and includes letters from S. W. Osborne (Margaret Foster's husband) written while traveling to meet with wholesale clients in cities throughout the Northeast and Midwest.

Stock records include stock cards, inventory records and price lists. Also found are a large number of paper stencils that were used to transfer carving designs to frames, and extensive drawings of frames and moldings including finished, colored drawings by master craftsman C. F. Richter.

Financial records consist mainly of routine accounting records, but also include annual financial reports, orders, and sales records. Among the writings and lists are an unsigned article concerning Foster Brothers' craftsmen and their early use of machinery. Notes include material for a history of mirrors by Helen J. Foster, and "The Art of Framing" by John R. Foster.

The majority of printed material relates to advertising and consists of catalogs and brochures about frames, mirrors, and published reproductions. Eight volumes of scrapbooks also contain printed material consisting of advertising, brochures and catalogs, form letters, and reproductions of miniatures and silhouettes published by Foster Brothers.

Family papers consist of a small number of personal papers of the founders, John Roy and Stephen Bartlett Foster, and also of Helen Foster Osborne (John's daughter). They include Foster Oborne's 1973 reminiscence of having her portrait painted by William Paxton in 1923, John R. Foster's personal account book and Foster Osborne's correspondence with Ernest Donnelley concerning the sale of printing plates and dies from the miniature reproduction business.

Photographs are of founders John Roy and Stephen Bartlett Foster, some of their employees, and early pictures of the first Foster Brothers frame factory on Cambridge Street.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 9 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1897-1942 (Box 1; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 2: Stock Records, 1905-1942 (Boxes 2-6, 11, OVs 23-24, BVs 13-15; 6.2 linear feet)

Series 3: Financial Records, 1892-1959 (Boxes 7-9; BVs 16-19; 3.3 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings and Lists, 1920s-circa 1942 (Box 9; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 5: Miscellaneous Business Records, 1898-1939 (Box 10; 7 folders)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1893-1947 (Box 10, OV 25; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1906-1942 (Boxes 10, 12, BVs 20-22; 1.3 linear feet)

Series 8: Family Papers, 1875-1973 (Box 10; 6 folders

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1880s-1918 (Box 10; 5 folders)

Biographical/Historical note:

Established by Stephen Bartlett Foster (1856-1932) and John Roy Foster (1863-1931), Foster Brothers opened in 1893 at 164 Boylston Street, Boston. By 1896, Foster Brothers had moved to 3 Park Square, just around the corner from its first location. Eventually, the business relocated to 4 Park Square, where it stayed for the remainder of its existence. The original Foster Brothers factory was housed in the old Parkman's Market building on Cambridge Street in Boston. In 1918, the Fosters built a new factory in Arlington, the suburb in which the brothers lived.

Foster Brothers was known for high quality frames that featured expert carving and gilding by fine craftsmen, consistent with the esthetic and philosophy of the Arts and Crafts movement of the time. Their frames that incorporated elements of early Dutch frames especially appealed to Boston School artists such as Edmund Tarbell and William MacGregor Paxton. Custom orders were welcomed from museums, galleries, collectors, and artists. In the 1890s, Foster Brothers operated a small gallery that featured watercolors and sketches by local artists; sporadic exhibitions continued throughout the 1930s. Early business cards and advertisements indicate that the company sold "wedding presents, etchings, engravings, water colors and picture frames." Among its best selling merchandise were mirrors in a wide variety of styles. As early as 1898, Foster Brothers began to copyright and publish reproductions of paintings, drawings, silhouettes, and miniatures. These were framed in sets and sold by Foster Brothers in its retail shop and by mail order; in addition, they were distributed through department stores, furniture stores, gift shops, and interior decorators.

John Roy Foster was in charge of promotion and merchandising, designing the retail line, and managing the company's wholesale and mail order businesses. Stephen Bartlett Foster managed the factory and oversaw all aspects of the manufacturing. Helen J. Foster, John's daughter, studied art at Smith College and by the late 1920s was a successful manager and saleswoman in the retail store. The Depression brought a sharp decline in sales. After the deaths of John and Stephen Foster, Helen and her husband, Shattuck Osborne, owned and managed Foster Brothers for another decade. Although the business closed in 1942, Foster Brothers frames continue to command high prices and are highly prized and sought after today.

Provenance:

Helen Foster Osborne, daughter of John R. Foster, donated the Foster Brothers records to the Archives in four installments between 1973 and 1976.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.

Rights:

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

Topic:

Picture frames and framing  Search this

Art -- Economic aspects  Search this

Picture frame industry -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Genre/Form:

Stencils

Photographs

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Citation:

Foster Brothers records, 1875-1973 (bulk 1893-1942). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art

Identifier:

AAA.fostbrot

See more items in:

Foster Brothers records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9760e1f4f-d795-412d-9093-7d0b68a71cce

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-fostbrot

Creator:

De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this

Names:

American Iron and Steel Institute  Search this

Exposition universelle et internationale (1958 : Brussels, Belgium)  Search this

New York World's Fair (1964-1965)  Search this

Smithsonian Institution  Search this

Ashton, Dore  Search this

Goldsmith, Howard  Search this

Marter, Joan M.  Search this

Extent:

5.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Drawings

Collages

Sketchbooks

Interviews

Transcripts

Sketches

Motion pictures (visual works)

Blueprints

Photographs

Date:

1930-1991

Summary:

The papers of sculptor José de Rivera date from 1930 to 1991 and measure 5.6 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical materials, letters, scattered personal business records, commission files, art work including four sketchbooks, printed material, and photographs. One of the commission files includes a motion picture film.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of sculptor José de Rivera date from 1930 to 1991 and measure 5.6 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical materials, letters, scattered personal business records, commission files, art work including four sketchbooks, printed material, and photographs. One of the commission files includes a motion picture film.

Biographical material consists of a biographical account, resumé, military service records, an interview transcript, certificates, addresses, and miscellaneous notes and writings.

Twenty-nine folders of letters are primarily from de Rivera's patron, attorney Howard Goldsmith, but also include single letters from Marcel Breuer, John Canaday, Emlen Etting, Dag Hammarskjold, and G. Vantongerloo.

Scattered personal business records include rental records, sculpture inventories, a contract, receipts, and miscellaneous records.

Commission files contain letters, contracts, receipts, clippings, blueprints, miscellaneous printed material, and photographs concerning several of de Rivera's commissions, including Brussels Construction for the Brussels Universal and International Exhibition, his sculpture for the 1964 New York World's Fair, and Infinity, commissioned for the Smithsonian. A file for Construction #73 completed for the American Iron and Steel Institute also contains a reel of 16mm motion picture film.

Art work consists of four sketchbooks, drawings, and geometric collages including detached cut out shapes.

Printed material includes primarily clippings and exhibition announcements and catalogs. There is also a copy of the book José de Rivera Constructions by Dore Ashton and Joan M. Marter. Photographs are of de Rivera, miscellaneous art-related events, his studio, his art works, and of miscellaneous exhibition installations. Commission files also contain photographs.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1942-1984 (Box 1; 11 folders)

Series 2: Letters, 1938-1988 (Box 1; 29 folders)

Series 3: Personal Business Records, 1947-1984 (Box 1; 11 folders)

Series 4: Commission Files, 1955-1977 (Box 1-2, 6-7, OVs 10-11, FC 13; 1.1 linear feet)

Series 5: Art Work, 1960-1984 (Box 2, 6, OV 8; 0.9 linear feet)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1931-1991 (Box 2-4, 6; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 7: Photographs, 1930-1985 (Box 4-7, OV 9-OV 10, 12; 1.7 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

José de Rivera (1904-1985) worked primarily in New York as an abstract expressionist sculptor known for twisting steel or bronze bands into space-defining three-dimensional shapes.

José A. Ruiz was born on September 18, 1904 in West Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the son of Joseph and Honorine Montamat Ruiz. He would later take the surname of his maternal grandmother, de Rivera. Early in his life his family moved to New Orleans where his father was a sugar mill engineer on a plantation. De Rivera became adept at repairing machinery and doing blacksmith work with his father. Shortly after completing high school in 1922, de Rivera moved to Chicago where he was employed in foundries and machine shops as a pipe fitter and tool and die maker. His 1926 marriage to Rose Covelli ended in divorce.

Beginning in 1928 de Rivera attended night drawing classes conducted at the Studio School by painter John W. Norton. De Rivera was impressed by the Egyptian collections at the Field Museum. The work of Mondrian, Brancusi, and Georges Vantongerloo also exerted a strong influence on him. In 1932, he traveled through southern Europe and North Africa visiting Spain, Italy, France, Greece, and Egypt. Upon his return to the United States he decided to become a sculptor.

From 1937-1938, de Rivera was employed by the Works Progress Administration-Federal Art Project and created the sculpture Flight for the Newark, New Jersey airport. During World War II, he first served in the U.S. Army Corps from 1942 to 1943. For the following three years, he designed and constructed ship models used as training aids in the U. S. Navy.

De Rivera's first solo exhibition was in 1946 in New York at the Mortimer Levitt Gallery. In 1953, de Rivera taught sculpture at Brooklyn College. For the following three years, he was a critic in sculpture at Yale University and taught at the School of Design at North Carolina State College from 1957 to 1960. De Rivera married Lita Jeronimo in 1955.

In 1961 de Rivera was given a retrospective exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art. One of his most notable works Infinity was commissioned by the Smithsonian Institution for the front of its newly built Museum of History and Technology in 1963.

José de Rivera died on March 19, 1985 in New York City.

Separated Material:

The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reel N70-32) including biographical material, correspondence, writings, drawings, printed material, and photographs. Loaned material was returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Provenance:

In 1970, José de Rivera loaned the Archives of Amrican Art material for microfilming. The artist and the Grace Borgenicht Gallery donated additional papers in 1982 and De Rivera's son, Joseph A. Ruiz II, gave more material in 1998.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of 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.

Topic:

Hispanic American artists  Search this

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Sculpture, American -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Collages

Sketchbooks

Interviews

Transcripts

Sketches

Motion pictures (visual works)

Blueprints

Photographs

Citation:

José de Rivera papers, 1930-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.derijose

See more items in:

José de Rivera papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90e6c5475-2b48-4c4c-8467-5370b77740fc

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-derijose

Collection Creator:

Chicago City Railway Company.  Search this

West Chicago Street Railroad Company.  Search this

Pennsylvania & West Virginia Railway.  Search this

Chicago Transit Authority.  Search this

Chicago Surface Lines.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 6

Type:

Archival materials

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:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings, 1880-1948, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings

Chicago Surface Lines Drawings / Series 1: West Chicago Street Railroad Company

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f37deef6-483b-480a-9ab1-000a7f8df6f4

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0212-ref114