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Creator:

Armstrong, Lucille  Search this

Bechet, Sidney, 1897-1959  Search this

Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971  Search this

Condon, Eddie, 1905-1973  Search this

Calloway, Cab, 1907-1994  Search this

Commodore Records.  Search this

Feather, Leonard, 1914-1994  Search this

Gabler, Milt  Search this

Davis, Sammy, 1925-  Search this

Decca (recording company).  Search this

Granz, Norman  Search this

Hawkins, Coleman  Search this

Kaempfert, Bert, 1923-1980  Search this

Ives, Burl, 1909-  Search this

Holiday, Billie, 1915-1959  Search this

Norvo, Red, 1908-1999  Search this

Mills Brothers.  Search this

Krupa, Gene, 1909-1973  Search this

Kelly, Peck, 1898-  Search this

Williams, Cootie, 1911-1985  Search this

United Hot Clubs of America.  Search this

Stewart, Rex (William), Jr., 1907-1967 (cornetist)  Search this

Jordan, Louis, 1908-1975  Search this

Goodman, Benny (Benjamin David), 1909-1986  Search this

Names:

Crosby, Bing, 1904-1977  Search this

Goodman, Benny (Benjamin David), 1909-1986  Search this

Extent:

25 Cubic feet (75 boxes )

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Legal records

Magazines (periodicals)

Catalogs

Correspondence

Financial records

Music

Bank statements

Autobiographies

Articles

Tax records

Business records

Newsletters

Photographs

Recordings

Sheet music

Date:

1895-2001

Summary:

The collection documents Gabler's involvement in the recording industry and the evolution of Commodore Records. The documentation begins with the Commodore Radio Shop through its evolution to Commodore Music Shop. The collection also includes the beginnings of the Commodore record label and information detailing Gabler's 30 years as staff producer and later Vice-President in Charge of Artists and Repertoire at Decca Records (1941-1974). There is a small collection of black and white photographs chronicling the early years at the Commodore Music Shop, as well as jam sessions, often held at Jimmy Ryan's on 52nd Street. The collection also includes a vast array of audio recordings (mainly audiodiscs).

Scope and Contents:

Papers documenting Gabler's life and career, including: correspondence with family members, friends and people in the music business such as Sammy Davis, Jr. and Lucille Armstrong (Louis' wife); Gabler's writings, including an autobiography and numerous articles; music manuscripts and sheet music, the lyrics for some of which were written by Gabler, and other compositions written by others, including Red Norvo, Eddie Condon and others; legal and financial records, including royalty statements, tax papers and banking records; business records for Commodore and Decca, including correspondence from persons such as Norman Granz, Burl Ives, and Leonard Feather; Commodore and Decca legal records including licensing and trademark documents; publicity materials; production records, such as production logs and liner notes; printed materials such as catalogs, newsletters, magazines, and periodicals; papers relating to Gabler's affiliation with Bert Kaempfert, including correspondence, sheet music and lyrics, and production records; photographs of Gabler and his family and of numerous others in the music industry, including Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis Jr., Bert Kaempfert, the Mills Brothers, Rex Stewart, Cootie Williams, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Krupa, Louis Jordan, Peck Kelly, Sidney Bechet, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, and numerous others, many taken in the studio during recording sessions; and audio recordings.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into twenty-seven series.

Series 1: Personal Correspondence

Series 2: Writings by Milt Gabler

Series 3: Music Manuscripts and Sheet Music

Series 4: Personal Financial and Legal Records

Series 5: Commodore and Decca Correspondence and Gabler Rolodex

Series 6: Commodore and Decca Legal Records

Series 7: Commodore and Decca Financial

Series 8: Publicity

Series 9: Commodore and Decca Projects

Series 10: Production Records

Series 11: Commodore General Correspondence

Series 12: Commodore Financial Records

Series 13: Commodore Legal Records

Series 14: Commodore Production Records

Series 15: Commodore, Various Projects and Topical Files

Series 16: Commodore Publicity Records

Series 17: Business Cards

Series 18: Catalogs

Series 19: Newsletters

Series 20: Serials

Series 21: Monographs

Series 22: Newsclippings, Periodical Articles, and Advertisements

Series 23: Correspondence with Organizations

Series 24: Organization Membership cards

Series 25: Bert Kaempfert

Series 26: Photographs

Series 27: Audio Discs

Biographical / Historical:

Milt Gabler was born in Harlem, New York on May 20, 1911. He began managing his father's radio and small appliance store, the Commodore Radio Shop, while still a teen. Gabler convinced his father to expand the business and sell audio recordings. Soon Gabler pioneered the concept of marketing reissues by leasing discontinued masters from various record companies (mainly Victor, Columbia, Vocalion, and Brunswick). Eventually the Gablers changed the name of the family business to the Commodore Music Shop. By the early 1930's Gabler founded the first mail order record label, United Hot Clubs of America, to reach an even greater audience of jazz enthusiasts. In 1935 Gabler began publicizing the music shop by staging a series of Sunday afternoon jam sessions at several different recording studios along 52nd Street. Later the jam sessions moved to the nearby jazz club, Jimmy Ryan's.

In 1938 Gabler founded the Commodore music label. It was the first American recording label created exclusively for jazz music. A recording session for Eddie Condon's Windy City Seven at Brunswick Studios was the first original Commodore recording. In 1939 Gabler recorded Billie Holiday's controversial "Strange Fruit", which became Commodore's first major commercial success. Other notable Commodore artists include Sidney Bechet, Jonah Jones, Peck Kelley, Red Norvo, Ralph Sutton, and Teddy Wilson. Gabler began as a staff producer at Decca Records in 1941 and worked with artists from many different musical genres: Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Brenda Lee, the Weavers, and Louis Jordan, among others. Gabler also began writing lyrics in collaboration with Decca songwriters/composers. In 1954 Gabler produced the first recordings by Bill Haley and the Comets. In addition, Gabler continued to run the Commodore recording label until 1957. Gabler also managed the Commodore Music Shop until 1958, when he began working full-time at Decca as Vice-President in Charge of Artists and Repertoire. Throughout the 1960's Gabler served as lyricist in a number of collaborations with Bert Kaempfert and Herbert Rehbein. Gabler retained his influential position at Decca until 1974 when the corporation moved to the West Coast. Through the Decca years, Gabler had saved the Commodore masters and in 1974 began to reissue the recordings through Atlantic, Columbia Special Products, and finally United Hot Clubs of America. In 1987 Mosaic Records also began to reissue the entire catalog of Commodore recordings.

In the last decades of his life Gabler remained active in a number of professional organizations, most notably the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which bestowed upon him a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 1991. Gabler died in New York on July 20, 2001.

Provenance:

Collection donated by Milt Gabler estate, through Lee Gabler.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use. Some materials restricted; but most are available for unrestricted research access on site by appointment.

Several items of personal correspondence contained private medical information about living individuals. The originals were removed and will remain sealed until 2030. Copies with the sensitive information redacted are available for research use in the collection.

Access to audio recordings for which no reference copy exists requires special arrangements with Archives Center staff. Please ask the reference archivist for additional information.

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:

Music publishers  Search this

Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this

Jazz -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Composition (Music)  Search this

Music trade  Search this

Music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Musicians -- United States  Search this

Genre/Form:

Legal records

Magazines (periodicals) -- 20th century

Catalogs

Correspondence -- 20th century

Financial records

Music -- Manuscripts

Bank statements

Autobiographies

Articles

Tax records

Business records -- 20th century

Newsletters -- 20th century

Photographs -- 20th century

Recordings

Sheet music -- 20th century

Citation:

Milt Gabler Papers, 1927-2001, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0849

See more items in:

Milt Gabler Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep844dc4ee2-1f0b-43c1-9566-5dc6b5b62ee2

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0849

Creator:

Norvo, Red, 1908-1999  Search this

Donor:

Corlin, Portia Norvo  Search this

Extent:

4 Cubic feet (7 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Awards

Biographies

Correspondence

Photographs

Clippings

Interviews

Date:

1932-1998

Summary:

Correspondence, transcripts of interviews, photographs, a biography, a discography, an award, printed material and other miscellany documenting the life and career of Red Norvo.

Scope and Contents:

The Red Norvo Papers consist of correspondence, transcripts of interviews with Red Norvo, miscellaneous publications (catalogues, monographs, newsletters, pamphlets, programs), periodicals, articles and clippings, photographs, and several miscellaneous documents: various advertisements, a hotel receipt, liner notes, an award from Metronome, a biography prepared by Capitol Records, a Red Norvo discography, a concert engagement advertisement in the form of a postcard, a poster (Benny Goodman), and a Red Norvo concert tour itinerary.

Arrangement:

Divided into 7 series: Series 1: Correspondence, 1939-1997; Series 2: Red Norvo Interview Transcripts, 1991-1993; Series 3: Miscellaneous Publications; Series 4: Miscellaneous Documents; Series 5: Periodicals, Series 6: Periodical Articles and News Clippings; Series 7: Photographs.

Biographical / Historical:

Along with Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo stands as one of the most celebrated and influential figures in the history of Jazz vibraphone. Norvo was born Kenneth Norville in Beardstown, Illinois on March 31, 1908. He began studying marimba at an early age and played in a rhumba band in 1925. After a brief stint as a tap dancer and conductor on the Vaudeville circuit, Norvo played xylophone with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. He later married the band's singer, Mildred Bailey, and together they were known as Mr. and Mrs. Swing. From the late 1930's through the early 1940's Norvo lead his own orchestra (with arrangements by Eddie Sauter) and his own sextet.

In 1944 Norvo switched permanently to vibraphone and joined the Benny Goodman Sextet. In 1945 the Red Norvo Selected Sextet (featuring Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie) recorded Hallelujah, Get Happy, Slam Slam Blues, and Congo Blues—an event that many critics regard as helping to commence the bebop era and the establishment of modern jazz. In 1946 Norvo played with Woody Herman's First Herd. But in Norvo's formative years it was the improvisational piano style of Teddy Wilson that most influenced his own style of play. In 1950 Norvo founded the Red Norvo Trio, which included Tal Farlow on guitar and Charles Mingus on bass. Norvo also performed and recorded with a quintet. He settled in Santa Monica, California and became a prolific recording musician with Capitol and other labels. Most of the essential singers of the period either performed or recorded with him: Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee to name a few. Norvo notably backed Sinatra on his Australian tour in 1959 and appeared with him in the 1960 film, Ocean's Eleven. In 1961 Norvo began to suffer hearing loss, a condition which worsened throughout the remainder of his life. In the 1970's he performed mainly in Las Vegas. He died April 6, 1999 in Santa Monica.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

Benny Carter Collection (NMAH.AC.0757)

Milt Gabler Papers (NMAH.AC.0849)

Jazz Oral History Program Collection(NMAH.AC.0808)

William Russo Music and Personal Papers(NMAH.AC.0845) Jack Siefert/Woody Herman Collection(NMAH.AC.0659) Ernie Smith Jazz Film Collection (NMAH.AC.0491)

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the Archives Center by Portia Norvo Corlin on April 1, 2004.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research and access on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.

Rights:

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

Topic:

Periodicals  Search this

Vibraphone  Search this

Jazz  Search this

Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this

Music -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Awards

Biographies

Correspondence -- 20th century

Photographs -- 20th century

Clippings -- 20th century

Interviews -- 1990-2000

Citation:

Red Norvo Papers, 1932-1997, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Portia Norvo Corlin.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0858

See more items in:

Red Norvo Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8b2c9ef61-86a8-4078-bfa5-98cf05e3fad7

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0858

Author:

Doyle, George Ralph  Search this

Physical description:

1 p. l., viii numb. l., ix-xvi, 4, 111, [l] p. illus., port. 19 cm

Type:

Directories

Date:

1931

[1931]

Topic:

Automobiles  Search this

Automobile industry and trade  Search this

Call number:

TL12.D6X

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_246575

Creator:

Smithsonian Libraries  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2019-03-22T19:47:59.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Library science  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianLibraries

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianLibraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_Di2H2HpAiDc

Creator:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum  Search this

Type:

Conversations and talks

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-02-24T06:23:47.000Z

YouTube Category:

Entertainment  Search this

Topic:

Design  Search this

See more by:

cooperhewitt

Data Source:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

YouTube Channel:

cooperhewitt

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_BKRVWwK9f5o

Creator:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum  Search this

Type:

Conversations and talks

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2023-11-30T17:19:59.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Design  Search this

See more by:

cooperhewitt

Data Source:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

YouTube Channel:

cooperhewitt

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_aprcG2VPgvs

Creator:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum  Search this

Type:

Lectures

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2018-04-11T23:39:00.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Design  Search this

See more by:

cooperhewitt

Data Source:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

YouTube Channel:

cooperhewitt

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_d5G_I1mE1iw

Creator:

National Museum of African Art  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2023-04-28T18:57:41.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, African  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_-LaXPYHARos

Creator:

National Museum of African Art  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2023-04-28T19:05:23.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, African  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_2U-fI4cGVHQ

Creator:

National Museum of African Art  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2023-04-28T19:03:13.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, African  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_3GoilBtQb48

Creator:

National Museum of African Art  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2023-04-28T18:43:13.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, African  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_FfEdEEyji0Y

Creator:

National Museum of African Art  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2023-05-11T15:14:44.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, African  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_pk5XuqjuFmM

Creator:

National Museum of African Art  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2023-04-28T18:34:50.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, African  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

Data Source:

National Museum of African Art

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAfricanAr

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_s46Vz5EGNGY

Creator:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery  Search this

Type:

Conversations and talks

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2023-06-08T17:25:00.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, Asian  Search this

See more by:

FreerSackler

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

YouTube Channel:

FreerSackler

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_3frLoERMUyE

Creator:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery  Search this

Type:

Conversations and talks

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-10-26T23:00:27.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, Asian  Search this

See more by:

FreerSackler

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

YouTube Channel:

FreerSackler

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_RYxvBH1IfF0

Creator:

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum  Search this

Type:

Blog posts

Smithsonian staff publications

Blog posts

Published Date:

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 16:44:40 +0000

Topic:

Design  Search this

See more posts:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Data Source:

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:posts_83a9c02969ab8612d524e9bc126b168b

Creator:

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum  Search this

Type:

Blog posts

Smithsonian staff publications

Blog posts

Published Date:

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 19:16:46 +0000

Topic:

Design  Search this

See more posts:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Data Source:

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:posts_df45f9e41b2cbf50e4269d53df80fc2f

Creator:

Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press  Search this

Uniform title:

Smithsonian contributions to paleobiology  Search this

Smithsonian contributions to anthropology  Search this

Smithsonian contributions to botany  Search this

Smithsonian contributions to zoology  Search this

Smithsonian contributions to museum conservation  Search this

Smithsonian contributions to marine sciences  Search this

Smithsonian contributions to history and technology  Search this

In the Smithsonian: Photography (Monograph : 1977)  Search this

Smithsonian Institution (Monograph : circa 1950)  Search this

Official Guide to the National Museum of American History (Monograph : 1990)  Search this

Bylaws of the Board of Regents and Charter Provisions of the Smithsonian Institution (Monograph : 1995)  Search this

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Warriors: A Photographic History by Gertrude Kasebier (Monograph : 2007)  Search this

Behind the Exhibit: Displaying Science and Technology at World's Fairs and Museums in the Twentieth Century (Monograph : 2019)  Search this

The Future of Madre de Dios: Smithsonian's Working Landscape Simulator for Sustainable Development (Monograph : 2019)  Search this

A Right to Bear Arms? The Contested Role of History in Contemporary Debates of the Second Amendment (Monograph : 2019)  Search this

Cutting a New Pattern: Uniformed Women in the Great War (Monograph : 2020)  Search this

Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues (Monograph : 2020)  Search this

Amarakaeri: Connecting Biodiversity (Monograph : 2020)  Search this

Only the Wing: Reimar Horten's Epic Quest to Stabilize and Control the All-Wing Aircraft (Monograph : 2020)  Search this

Arctic Crashes: People and Animals in the Changing North (Monograph : 2020)  Search this

Horatio Greenough and the Form Majestic: The Biography of the Nation's First Washington Monument (Monograph : 2020)  Search this

When the Circus Came to Town! An American Tradition in Photographs (Monograph : 2020)  Search this

Exhibiting America: The Smithsonian's National History Museum, 1881-2018 (Monograph : 2021)  Search this

Subject:

Smithsonian Books (Publisher)  Search this

Smithsonian Institution Press  Search this

Physical description:

1.5 cu. ft. (1 record storage box) (1 document box)

Type:

Books

Collection descriptions

Serials (publications)

Date:

2018

2018-2021

1950, 1977, 1995, 2007, 2018-2021

Topic:

Museum publications  Search this

Periodicals  Search this

Books  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 22-079

See more items in:

Publications 1847-2023 [Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_404720

Collector:

D. G. Graham  Search this

Preparation:

Pinned

Sex:

Male

Stage:

Adult

Type Citation:

Gressitt & Kimoto. 1963. Pacific Insects Monograph. 328.

Type Status:

Holotype

Place:

China; Szechuen; Mt. Omei; 10,000 feet, Sichuan, China

Collection Date:

12 Aug 1925 to 13 Aug 1925

Taxonomy:

Animalia, Arthropoda, Insecta, Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae

Published Name:

Ambrostoma (Ambrostoma) omeishana Gressitt & Kimoto, 1963

Barcode:

USNMENT00871521

Other Numbers:

Inquire SerNum : 39684

USNM Type Number : 70000

USNM Number:

USNMENT00871521

See more items in:

Entomology Types

Data Source:

NMNH - Entomology Dept.

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/399d7ee28-98d2-46e3-b388-7665fd218f2a

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmnhentomology_9139312

Creator:

Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950  Search this

Former owner:

Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation  Search this

Extent:

1428 Negatives (photographic)

40 Photographic prints (black & white)

Culture:

Mushuaunnuat (Barren Ground Naskapi)  Search this

Mistassini Cree  Search this

Lorette Huron  Search this

Mohawk  Search this

Montagnais Innu  Search this

Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg (Maniwaki Algonquin) [River Desert]  Search this

Maliseet (Malecite)  Search this

Mi'kmaq (Micmac)  Search this

Iroquois [Six Nations/Grand River (Brantford, Ontario)]  Search this

Penobscot  Search this

Passamaquoddy  Search this

Abenaki (Abnaki)  Search this

Wampanoag  Search this

Nauset  Search this

Mohegan  Search this

Niantic  Search this

Pequot  Search this

Nanticoke  Search this

Rappahannock  Search this

Chickahominy  Search this

Pamunkey  Search this

Mattaponi  Search this

Nansemond  Search this

Catawba  Search this

Eastern Band of Cherokee  Search this

Machapunga (Pungo River)  Search this

Innu  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Negatives (photographic)

Photographic prints

Negatives

Place:

Massachusetts

Maine

Maryland

Virginia

Canada

Delaware

North Carolina

Date:

1909-1937

Summary:

The Frank Gouldsmith Speck photograph collection includes portraits of individuals and families, as well as scenic shots and landscape views made between 1909 and 1937. Speck was an anthropologist and ethnographer, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and worked on behalf of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation collecting ethnographic materials across the Eastern United States and Canada. His collection of photographs includes materials from native communities ranging from Newfoundland to Ontario in Canada and from Maine to South Carolina in the United States.

Scope and Contents:

The Frank Gouldsmith Speck photograph collection includes negatives and a small amount of prints made by Speck throughout the course of his career as an anthropologist and ethnographer. The majority of the photographs in this collection were made while Speck conducted field trips on behalf of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation between 1924 and 1932, though there are photographs from before and after this time. This collection has been arranged into Series by geographical location and then into subseries by culture group or community. Series 1: Newfoundland and Labrador: Innu, Mushuaunnuat, 1916-1935; Series 2: Quebec: Innu, Mistassini Cree, Lorette Huron, Wawenock, Mohawk, Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg, 1910-1937; Series 3: New Brunswick and Nova Scotia: Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, 1909-1917; Series 4: Ontario: Six Nations/Grand River (Naticoke, Mohawk, Cayuga, Mahican, Tutelo), Oneida Nation, 1914-1937; Series 5: Maine and New Hampshire: Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Abenaki, 1910-1924; Series 6: Massachussets and Rhode Island: Wampanoag, Nauset, 1914-1931; Series 7: Connecticut: Mohegan, Niantic, Schaghticoke, Pequot, 1912-1931; Series 8: Delaware: Nanticoke and Rappahanock, 1911-1925; Series 9: Virginia and Maryland: Rappahanock, Chickahominy, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Nansemond, Potomac, Accomac, Powhatan, 1915-1924; Series 10: North Carolina and South Carolina: Catawba, Eastern Band of Cherokee, 1915-1930.

Many of Frank Speck's photographs are individual and family portraits of community members, many identified, posed outdoors in front of homes and community buildings. There are also landscape views as well as photographs taken during community events. There are a small amount of photographs that have now been restricted due to cultural sensitivity though for the most part Speck did not photograph culturally sensitive activities.

Arrangement:

The collection is intellectually arranged in 10 Series by geographic region and within each series by culture group. The negatives are physically arranged by catalog number.

Biographical / Historical:

Frank Gouldsmith Speck was born on November 8, 1881 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied under the prominent linguist John Dyneley Prince and anthropologist Franz Boas at Columbia University, receiving his BA in 1904 and MA in 1905. He received his Ph.D. in 1908 from the University of Pennsylvania. His doctoral dissertation on the ethnography of the Yuchi became a basis for an article which later appeared in the Handbook of American Indians. That same year Speck became an assistant in the University of Pennsylvania Museum and an instructor in anthropology at the University. He was made assistant professor in 1911, and professor and chairperson of the department in 1925, a position which he held until his death in 1950. Speck was the founder of the Philadelphia Anthropological Society, and was vice-president of the American Anthropological Association from 1945-46. Speck's research concentration was on the Algonkian speaking peoples. Speck studied every aspect of a culture: language, ethnobiology, technology, decorative art, myths, religion, ceremonialism, social organization, and music. Collecting material culture was also an integral part of Speck's fieldwork. His collections can be found in museums around the world, one of which is the National Museum of the American Indian. He is the author of numerous books and articles. Frank G. Speck died February 6, 1950. (A. Irving Hallowell, American Anthropologist, Vol. 53, No. 1, 1951)

Related Materials:

The Frank G. Speck Papers can be found at the American Philosophical Society (Mss.Ms.Coll.126) along with additional photographic materials by Speck.

Frank Speck published extensively in the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation publications; "Indian Notes" and "Indian Notes and Monographs." These publications are avialable through the Smithsonian Institution Libraries or online on the Internet Archive.

Separated Materials:

A small amount of notes from Speck's field work can be found in the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation records (NMAI.AC.001) in Box 273, Folder 18 through Box 274 Folder 2.

Close to 4000 ethnographic and archeological items were collected by Speck for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation (MAI) and are now in the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) collection. For more information about these objects contact the NMAI Collections Department.

Provenance:

The majority of the negatives were gifted to the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation (MAI) by Frank Speck in 1927. The group of Nanticoke photographs were purchased by the MAI in 1915 and smaller amounts of photographs were gifted and purchased by the MAI between 1923 and 1942.

Restrictions:

Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

Rights:

Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.

Topic:

Indians of North America -- Maine  Search this

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Genre/Form:

Negatives

Photographic prints

Citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Frank Speck photograph collection, Photo Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAI.AC.001.032

See more items in:

Frank Gouldsmith Speck photograph collection

Archival Repository:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv4a7ad21af-6cc2-49e2-a636-bcf01e1c4dc6

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmai-ac-001-032