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Milt Gabler Papers

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
Online Media:

Red Norvo Papers

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

The world's automobiles, 1881-1931. A monograph on fifty years of car-building, by G.R. Doyle ..

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

The Life and Art of Elizabeth Gould (Facebook Live)

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

Behind the Design | Celebrating Willi Smith Day

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

AN INFINITE ARCHIVE: A CONVERSATION WITH ES DEVLIN

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

MAG to SNAG: American Studio Jewelry 1940-1970

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

Where Light and Sound Bend

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

Where Light and Sound Bend

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

Where Light and Sound Bend

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

Where Light and Sound Bend

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

From the Deep: In the Wake of Drexciya with Ayana V. Jackson at the National Museum of African Art

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

Where Light and Sound Bend

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

Sneak Peek | When Stones Move: Journeys of the Tamil Yoginis

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

The Ezzat-Malek Soudavar Shahnama: Illustrating Firdawsi’s Book of Kings in the Early Qajar Period

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

A Journey Inside “An Atlas of Es Devlin�

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

Digital Dorothy

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

Publications, 1950, 1977, 1995, 2007, 2018-2021

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

Ambrostoma (Ambrostoma) omeishana

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
Online Media:

Frank Gouldsmith Speck photograph collection

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
Indians of North America -- Northeast  Search this
Indians of North America -- Maryland  Search this
Indians of North America -- Massachusetts  Search this
Indians of North America -- Canada  Search this
Indians of North America -- Delaware  Search this
Indians of North America -- Midwest  Search this
Indians of North America -- Virginia  Search this
Indians of North America -- North Carolina  Search this
Indians of North America -- Southeast  Search this
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
Online Media:

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