Search Results

Creator:

Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this

Names:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival  Search this

Extent:

1 Cubic foot (approximate)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Business records

Correspondence

Memorandums

Sound recordings

Audiocassettes

Contracts

Negatives

Video recordings

Slides (photographs)

Plans (drawings)

Videotapes

Audiotapes

Digital images

Notes

Photographic prints

Place:

Caribbean Area

Trinidad and Tobago

Puerto Rico

Date:

June 23-July 4, 1988

Summary:

The Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998. The materials collected here document the planning, production, and execution of the annual Festival, produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present) and its predecessor offices (1967-1999). An overview of the entire Festival records group is available here: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.

Scope and Contents note:

This collection documents the planning, production, and execution of the 1988 Festival of American Folklife. Materials may include photographs, audio recordings, motion picture film and video recordings, notes, production drawings, contracts, memoranda, correspondence, informational materials, publications, and ephemera. Such materials were created during the Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as well as in the featured communities, before or after the Festival itself.

Arrangement note:

Arranged in 6 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Program Books, Festival Publications, and Ephemera

Series 2: American Folklore Society Centennial

Series 3: Festival Music Stage

Series 4: Ingenuity and Tradition: The Common Wealth of Massachusetts

Series 5: Migration to Metropolitan Washington: Making a New Place Home

Series 6: Music from the Peoples of the Soviet Union

Historical note:

The Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998.

The 1988 Festival of American Folklife was produced by the Smithsonian Office of Folklife Programs and cosponsored by the National Park Service.

For more information, see Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.

Introduction:

The 1988 Festival celebrated the centennial of the American Folklore Society, founded one hundred years earlier because of the need to document and study cultures that were seen as disappearing. Much of the Society's attention today, however, is engaged in the documentation and interpretation of emerging traditions and cultural expressions. Folklorists work in inner cities, conduct research on occupational groups, analyze processes of traditionalization and cooperate with other professionals in devising natural conservation and historical preservation strategies, which also promote cultural continuity, equity and integrity. Visitors to the 1988 Festival could learn about what it is that folklorists do and what impacts they have on the communities with which they work.

The other living exhibitions that made up this year's Festival also provided ample illustrations of this same view of the traditional. The Massachusetts program told a paradigmatic American story. Gay Head Wampanoag, Yankee settlers, Afro American migrants, and immigrants from Italy, Greece, Poland, the Cape Verde Islands, Puerto Rico, and Southeast Asia have not only preserved their traditions; through ingenious acts of individual and community creativity they have adapted them and endowed them with new meanings, as circumstances have changed. The Metropolitan Washington program pointed to the heightened consciousness of cultural issues associated with the migration experience. The program asked how immigrants from El Salvador, Ethiopia, China, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as domestic Anglo and Afro American groups historically migrating from nearby states, discard, reinvent, and reconstitute their traditions as they actively make a new place home. A varied contingent of musicians and performers from several republics of the Soviet Union demonstrated how truly ancient traditions nurtured in various pastoral, tribal, and religious environments have not merely survived but actually flourished in contemporary Soviet life. Also at the Festival were American musicians who, as part of a groundbreaking cultural exchange with the Soviet Union, would later travel to Moscow to participate in the International Folklore Festival in August 1988 and be reunited with the Soviet musicians participating in the Smithsonian's Festival.

The 1988 Festival took place for two five-day weeks (June 23-27 and June 30-July 4) between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive and between 10th Street and 14th Street, south of the National Museum of American History and the National Museum of Natural History (see site plan).

The 1988 Program Book included schedules and participant lists for each program; the Program Book essays provided a larger context for the Festival presentations, extending beyond the traditions actually presented at the 1988 Festival.

The Festival was co-presented by the Smithsonian Institution and National Park Service and organized by the Office of Folklife Programs.

Office of Folklife Programs

Richard Kurin, Acting Director; Diana Parker, Festival Director; Anthony Seeger, Curator, Folkways Records; Thomas Vennum, Jr., Senior Ethnomusicologist; Peter Seitel, Senior Folklorist; Marjorie Hunt, Phyllis M. May-Machunda, Heliana Portes de Roux, Frank Proschan, Nicholas R. Spitzer, Folklorists; Jeffrey Place, Assistant Archivist

National Park Service

William Penn Mott, Jr., Director; Manus J. Fish, Jr., Regional Director, National Capital Region

Shared Stewardship of Collections:

The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit https://folklife.si.edu/archives#shared-stewardship.

Forms Part Of:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1988 Festival of American Folklife forms part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival records .

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: Papers

1967 Festival of American Folklife records - [Ongoing]

Related Archival Materials note:

Within the Rinzler Archives, related materials may be found in various collections such as the Ralph Rinzler papers and recordings, the Lily Spandorf drawings, the Diana Davies photographs, the Robert Yellin photographs, and the Curatorial Research, Programs, and Projects collection. Additional relevant materials may also be found in the Smithsonian Institution Archives concerning the Division of Performing Arts (1966-1983), Folklife Program (1977-1980), Office of Folklife Programs (1980-1991), Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies (1991-1999), Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present), and collaborating Smithsonian units, as well as in the administrative papers of key figures such as the Secretary and respective deputies. Users are encouraged to consult relevant finding aids and to contact Archives staff for further information.

Restrictions:

Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.

Rights:

Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.

Topic:

World music  Search this

Food habits  Search this

Folk art  Search this

arts and crafts  Search this

Folk festivals  Search this

Folk music  Search this

Folklore  Search this

Genre/Form:

Business records

Correspondence

Memorandums

Sound recordings

Audiocassettes

Contracts

Negatives

Video recordings

Slides (photographs)

Plans (drawings)

Videotapes

Audiotapes

Digital images

Notes

Photographic prints

Citation:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1988 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

CFCH.SFF.1988

See more items in:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1988 Festival of American Folklife

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk59e9f3773-cd55-493f-94e0-c53650d914c4

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-cfch-sff-1988

Donor:

Becker, John M.  Search this

Gay Officers Action League. GOAL  Search this

Heritage of Pride (HOP)  Search this

Rohrbaugh, Richard  Search this

American Federation of Teachers  Search this

Department of Defense, Comprehensive Review Working Group  Search this

Gay Officers Action League. GOAL  Search this

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland  Search this

ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives  Search this

San Diego LGBT Pride  Search this

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network  Search this

Smith College  Search this

University of Connecticut  Search this

William Way Community Center  Search this

Biren, Joan E.  Search this

Bushnell, Megan  Search this

Davidson, James, Dr.  Search this

Dietrich, Joe  Search this

Exline, Gregory  Search this

Florence, Laura  Search this

Huebner, David  Search this

Jain, Shawn  Search this

Karazsia, Amy  Search this

Karazsia, William G.  Search this

Lombardi, Angela  Search this

Lynch, Patsy  Search this

Meinke, Mark  Search this

Nitz, Ryan  Search this

Reichard, Bradley  Search this

Robinson, Franklin A., Jr., 1959- (actor)  Search this

Ros, Silvia  Search this

Sabatino, Michael  Search this

Shannon, Michael A.  Search this

Sheets, Justin  Search this

Snodgrass, Adam  Search this

Voorheis, Robert  Search this

Creator:

Hirsch, Leonard  Search this

Guest, Barbara  Search this

Barna, Joseph T.  Search this

Guest, Michael E.  Search this

Other:

Larson, Gordon P., 1910-1988 -- 20th century  Search this

Names:

McWaine, Dwayne, Dr.  Search this

Extent:

66 Cubic feet (198 boxes, 21 map-folders)

64.2 Cubic feet (193 boxes, 21 map-folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Passports

Postcards

Photographs

Posters

Videocassettes

Advertising

Dvds

Songbooks

Periodicals

Place:

Canada -- Description and Travel

Germany -- description and travel

Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Washington, D.C. -- history

Los Angeles (Calif.)

New York, New York

Date:

1825-2023, undated

bulk 1960-2022

Summary:

This collection contains a variety of periodicals, photographs, correspondence, business and advertising ephemera (corporate and non-profit, personal), organizational records and ephemera, created by, for, and in reaction to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community.

Scope and Contents:

The Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection contains periodicals, ephemera, posters, postcards, advertisements, photographs, organizational records, publications, correspondence, and other materials related to all aspects of the LGBT community and the civil rights issues pertaining thereto. The collection was created by the Archives Center to bring together materials specifically pertaining to the LGBT community. This collection contains material from communities and individuals throughout the United States. The collection is currently strongest in periodicals, newspapers and ephemera and very strong in material from California and New York. The collection continues to add new items and the researcher would be wise to take a broad view in targeting their research topics in the collection.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into twenty-five series.

Series 1: Periodicals, 1937-2021

Series 2: Agencies, Associations, and Organizations, 1965-2023, undated

Series 3: Community Life and Subject Files, 1825-2022, undated

Subseries 3.1: Photographs and Slides, 1870-2009, undated

Subseries 3.2: Ephemera and Buttons, 1969-2022, undated

Subseries 3.3: Posters and Prints, 1825-2018, undated

Subseries 3.4: Subject Files, 1958-2019, undated

Subseries 3.5: Pride, 1976-2022, undated

Subseries 3.6: HIV and AIDS, 1987-2020, undated

Subseries 3.7: Gay Games, 1982-2018

Series 4: Advertising, Business, and Publications, 1970-2021, undated

Subseries 4.1: Advertising, 1970-2018, undated

Subseries 4.2: Business, 1986-2021, undated

Subseries 4.3: Television, Theater, and Motion Pictures, 1978-2022, undated

Subseries 4.4: Bar ephemera and advertisement, 1979-2018, undated

Subseries 4.5: Publications, 1976-2019, undated

Series 5: Biren, Joan E. (JEB), 195-2018, undated

Subseries 5.1: Xerographic Copies of Photoprints, 1971-1995, undated.

Subseries 5.2: Posters and Oversize Advertisement, 1973-2018, undated

Series 6: Dietrich, Joseph A., 1992-2010

Series 7: Mattachine Society Records, 1942-1996, undated

Subseries 7.1: Correspondence, 1952-1991, undated

Subseries 7.2: Board of Directors Minutes, 1954-1974, undated

Subseries 7.3: Organizational Information, 1942-1993, undated

Subseries 7.4: Councils, Chapters, and Committees, 1953-1965, undated

Subseries 7.5: Conventions, 1953-1960, undated

Subseries 7.6: Publications, 1944-1996, undated

Series 8: Rainbow History Community Pioneers, 2003-2012, undated

Series 9: Strub, Sean O., addendum, 1987-2011, undated

Series 10: Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore (GLCCB, 1990-2014, undated

Series 11: Ros, Silvia, 2009-2011

Series 12: Huebner, David, 2009-2014

Series 13: St. George, Philip, 1945-1955, undated

Series 14: Will & Grace, 1995-2006

Series 15: Barna, Joseph T. and Heritage of Pride (HOP), New York, New York, 1910-2014, undated

Subseries 15.1: Photographs, Photographic Negatives, and Slides, 1985-2010, undated

Subseries 15.2: Heritage of Pride (HOP), 1984-2014, undated

Subseries 15.3: Barna, Joseph T., 1910-2013, undated,

Series 16: Becker, John M., 1999-2014, undated

Series 17: Rohrbaugh, Richard, 1972-1986, undated

Series 18: Guest, Michael E., 2001-2009

Series 19: The Fosters, 2013

Series 20: Pride at Work, 1990-2015

Series 21: Sabatino, Michael and Voorheis, Robert, 1980-2016, undated

Subseries 21.1: Archilla, Gustavo A. and Lokkins, Elmer T., 1916-2014, undated

Series 22: Gay Officers Action League (GOAL), 1982-2016, undated

Series 23: Brown, Adele "Del" and Herizon's Bar, 1985-1991, undated

Subseries 1: Changing Herizons, and Herizons Newsletter, 1983-1991

Series 24: Universal Fellowship Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), 1957-2019, undated

Series 25: The Christmas House, Crown Media Family Networks, 2020-2021

Historical Note:

While the quest for equal rights has been pursued by generations, it is generally acknowledged that the modern day Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement began in New York City in June 1969 with the Stonewall Riots. Prior to this time a number of activists, individuals, and organizations such as The Mattachine Society, Daughters of Bilitis and others, fought to bring recognition of LGBT civil rights to the forefront of American society. While the movement was primarily, and most visably, centered in New York City and San Francisco, periodicals, guide books, and ephemeral material interconnected the larger LGBT community throughout the United States. The increased visibility of the LGBT movement inspired affinity groups at odds with the LGBT community's new found visibility and quest for broader civil rights. The challenge to what was termed "traditional" values encouraged these counter-LGBT groups to define and solidfy their constituency and also become more pro-active. This collection comprises material that is generated by individuals and organizations promoting both points of view.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

Michio and Aveline Kushi Macro-Biotics Collection (AC0619)

The Shamrock Bar: Photographs and Interviews (AC0857)

John-Manuel Andriote Victory Deferred Collection (AC1128)

Archives Center Wedding Documentation Collection (AC1131 )

Division of Science, Medicine, and Society HIV/AIDS Reference Collection (AC1134)

John-Manuel Andriote Hot Stuff: A Brief History of Disco Collection (AC1184)

Joan E. Biren (JEB) Queer Film Museum Collection (AC1216)

World AIDS Institute (WAI) Collection (AC1266)

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) Records (AC1282)

Helping Persons with AIDS (HPA) Records (AC1283)

DC Cowboys Dance Company Records (AC1312)

Bil Browning and Jerame Davis Papers (AC1334)

David Hadley Rockwell New York Disco Ephemera Collection (AC1342)

Leonard P. Hirsch Federal Globe Records (AC1357)

Corbett Reynolds Papers (AC1390)

Mark Segal Papers (AC1422)

The Mattachine Society of Washington "Love in Action" Collection (AC1428)

Academy of Washington Records (AC1458)

Matthew Shepard Papers (AC1463)

I'm From Driftwood Records (AC1503)

The Division of Political History holds artifacts related to gay activist Franklin Kameny and a variety of political buttons. They also hold LGBT related artifacts from Joan E. Biren (JEB).

The Division of Medical and Science holds objects donated from Dr. Renee Richards, Sean O. Strub, and Leonard Hirsch.

The Division of Entertainment and the Arts holds objects donated by The Fosters, Will & Grace, and The Christmas House.

Provenance:

This collection was assembled by the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian, beginning in 2004.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.

Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.

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:

Women's music  Search this

Transgender people -- Identity  Search this

Sexual orientation  Search this

Political activists  Search this

Lesbianism  Search this

Lesbian and gay experience  Search this

Gay activists  Search this

Homosexuality  Search this

HIV and AIDS  Search this

Feminism  Search this

Bisexuality  Search this

Bars (Drinking establishments)  Search this

Gay Pride  Search this

Genre/Form:

Passports

Postcards

Photographs -- 2000-2010

Posters

Videocassettes

Advertising

DVDs

Photographs -- 20th century

Songbooks

Periodicals

Citation:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1146

See more items in:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep80327b53b-2daa-47d1-8c11-89a7b3f4e1bd

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1146

Series Donor:

Becker, John M.  Search this

Gay Officers Action League. GOAL  Search this

Heritage of Pride (HOP)  Search this

Rohrbaugh, Richard  Search this

Series Creator:

Hirsch, Leonard  Search this

Guest, Barbara  Search this

Barna, Joseph T.  Search this

Guest, Michael E.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 19

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1985

Series Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.

Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.

Series Rights:

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

Series Citation:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection / Series 23: Brown, Adele "Del" and Herizon Social Club

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a8addea0-519f-4797-9514-48c6fce3fbfd

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-1146-ref1927

Series Donor:

Becker, John M.  Search this

Gay Officers Action League. GOAL  Search this

Heritage of Pride (HOP)  Search this

Rohrbaugh, Richard  Search this

Series Creator:

Hirsch, Leonard  Search this

Guest, Barbara  Search this

Barna, Joseph T.  Search this

Guest, Michael E.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 19

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1985

Series Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.

Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.

Series Rights:

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

Series Citation:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection / Series 23: Brown, Adele "Del" and Herizon Social Club

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep814e99804-c470-40f5-8c11-d8a61194ad99

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-1146-ref1929

Series Donor:

Becker, John M.  Search this

Gay Officers Action League. GOAL  Search this

Heritage of Pride (HOP)  Search this

Rohrbaugh, Richard  Search this

Series Creator:

Hirsch, Leonard  Search this

Guest, Barbara  Search this

Barna, Joseph T.  Search this

Guest, Michael E.  Search this

Container:

Map-folder 19

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1991

Series Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.

Do not use original materials when available on reference video or audio tapes.

Series Rights:

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

Series Citation:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection

Archives Center Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Collection / Series 23: Brown, Adele "Del" and Herizon Social Club

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a598e611-9ad7-4858-bbcf-7c2aef463792

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-1146-ref1930

Creator:

Smithsonian Institution Archives  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2013-02-01T19:30:10.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Museum administration  Search this

See more by:

SIArchives

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

YouTube Channel:

SIArchives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_8wpwHXrAFMA

Creator:

Smithsonian Institution Archives  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2013-02-01T19:29:28.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Museum administration  Search this

See more by:

SIArchives

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

YouTube Channel:

SIArchives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_ZK-NVsrQiE8

Creator:

National Postal Museum  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2009-06-02T21:48:50.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Postal service;Letter mail handling;Stamp collecting  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianNPM

Data Source:

National Postal Museum

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianNPM

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_tj_LoG7wStY

Creator:

National Museum of American History  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-05-28T21:15:50.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

American History  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAmHistory

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAmHistory

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_aL12R_sH_hI

Creator:

National Museum of American History  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-05-28T21:15:54.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

American History  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAmHistory

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAmHistory

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_eXlL_97fbvg

Artist:

Charles Johnson Post, 1873 - 1956  Search this

Sitter:

William Randolph Hearst, 29 Apr 1863 - 14 Aug 1951  Search this

Medium:

Watercolor

Dimensions:

54.6cm x 36.5cm (21 1/2" x 14 3/8"), Estimate

Type:

Painting

Date:

c. 1935

Topic:

Weapon\Gun\Rifle  Search this

Exterior\Landscape  Search this

Weapon\Sword  Search this

Nature & Environment\Animal\Horse  Search this

Symbols & Motifs\Flag\Military  Search this

William Randolph Hearst: Male  Search this

William Randolph Hearst: Politics and Government\Presidential candidate  Search this

William Randolph Hearst: Journalism and Media\Magazine publisher  Search this

William Randolph Hearst: Journalism and Media\Newspaper publisher  Search this

William Randolph Hearst: Performing Arts\Producer\Motion pictures  Search this

William Randolph Hearst: Visual Arts\Art collector  Search this

William Randolph Hearst: Politics and Government\US Congressman\New York  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

Object number:

256153/68974M

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm41646d6b1-3d65-47eb-aa7e-42db332a7359

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_256153_68974M

Artist:

Dewey Crumpler, born 1949  Search this

Sitter:

Malcolm X, 19 May 1925 - 21 Feb 1965  Search this

Martin Luther King, Jr., 15 Jan 1929 - 4 Apr 1968  Search this

Frederick Douglass, Feb 1818 - 20 Feb 1895  Search this

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, 23 Feb 1868 - 27 Aug 1963  Search this

Charles Richard Drew, 3 Jun 1904 - 1 Apr 1950  Search this

Langston Hughes, 1 Feb 1902 - 22 May 1967  Search this

Mary McLeod Bethune, 10 Jul 1875 - 18 May 1955  Search this

Paul Robeson, 9 Apr 1898 - 23 Jan 1976  Search this

John Brown, 9 May 1800 - 2 Dec 1859  Search this

Sojourner Truth, c. 1797 - 26 Nov 1883  Search this

Crispus Attucks, 1723 - 1770?  Search this

Medium:

Acrylic on canvas

Dimensions:

289cm x 590cm (113 3/4" x 232 5/16"), Estimate

Type:

Painting

Date:

1974

Topic:

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois: Male  Search this

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois: Literature\Writer  Search this

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor\University  Search this

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois: Literature\Writer\Poet  Search this

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Activist\Civil rights activist\Civil rights leader  Search this

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois: Literature\Editor  Search this

Charles Richard Drew: Male  Search this

Charles Richard Drew: Medicine and Health\Physician\Surgeon  Search this

Charles Richard Drew: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Professor\University  Search this

Charles Richard Drew: Medicine and Health\Researcher  Search this

Frederick Douglass: Male  Search this

Frederick Douglass: Literature\Writer  Search this

Frederick Douglass: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Lecturer  Search this

Frederick Douglass: Journalism and Media\Newspaper publisher  Search this

Frederick Douglass: Politics and Government\Diplomat\Minister  Search this

Frederick Douglass: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Abolitionist  Search this

Frederick Douglass: Society and Social Change\Enslaved person  Search this

Mary McLeod Bethune: Female  Search this

Mary McLeod Bethune: Education and Scholarship\Founder\School  Search this

Mary McLeod Bethune: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Teacher  Search this

Mary McLeod Bethune: Society and Social Change\Philanthropist  Search this

Mary McLeod Bethune: Education and Scholarship\Administrator\College administrator\President  Search this

Sojourner Truth: Female  Search this

Sojourner Truth: Education and Scholarship\Educator\Lecturer  Search this

Sojourner Truth: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Abolitionist  Search this

Sojourner Truth: Society and Social Change\Enslaved person  Search this

Crispus Attucks: Male  Search this

Crispus Attucks: Business and Finance\Transportation\Seaman\Sailor  Search this

Paul Robeson: Male  Search this

Paul Robeson: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Theater  Search this

Paul Robeson: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer  Search this

Paul Robeson: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Activist\Civil rights activist  Search this

Paul Robeson: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Movie  Search this

Malcolm X: Male  Search this

Malcolm X: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Activist  Search this

Malcolm X: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Activist\Civil rights activist\Civil rights leader  Search this

Langston Hughes: Male  Search this

Langston Hughes: Literature\Writer\Poet  Search this

Langston Hughes: Literature\Writer\Librettist  Search this

Langston Hughes: Journalism and Media\Journalist\Columnist  Search this

Langston Hughes: Literature\Writer\Novelist  Search this

Langston Hughes: Education and Scholarship\Scholar\Translator  Search this

Langston Hughes: Literature\Writer\Playwright  Search this

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Male  Search this

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Activist\Civil rights activist\Civil rights leader  Search this

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Religion and Spirituality\Clergy\Minister  Search this

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Nobel Prize  Search this

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Presidential Medal of Freedom  Search this

Martin Luther King, Jr.: Congressional Gold Medal  Search this

John Brown: Male  Search this

John Brown: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Abolitionist  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

Owner: City and County of San Francisco

Object number:

353 CCSF2

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Catalog of American Portraits

Data Source:

Catalog of American Portraits

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4fd99a3e7-f812-4982-9b7d-acaa9d5690a9

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_353_CCSF2

Author:

Santa Ana, Jeffrey 1965-  Search this

Physical description:

1 online resource (ix, 277 pages)

Type:

Electronic resources

Electronic books

Criticism, interpretation, etc

History

Place:

United States

États-Unis

USA

Date:

2015

Topic:

American literature--Asian American authors--History and criticism  Search this

Asian Americans in literature  Search this

Capitalism and literature  Search this

Asian Americans--Ethnic identity  Search this

Asian Americans in popular culture  Search this

Asian Americans in motion pictures  Search this

Literature and society--History  Search this

Littérature américaine--Auteurs américains d'origine asiatique--Histoire et critique  Search this

Américains d'origine asiatique dans la littérature  Search this

Capitalisme et littérature  Search this

Américains d'origine asiatique--Identité ethnique  Search this

Américains d'origine asiatique dans la culture populaire  Search this

Américains d'origine asiatique au cinéma  Search this

Littérature et société--Histoire  Search this

LITERARY CRITICISM--American--Asian American  Search this

SOCIAL SCIENCE--Ethnic Studies--Asian American Studies  Search this

LITERARY CRITICISM--American--General  Search this

American literature--Asian American authors  Search this

Literature and society  Search this

Asiaten  Search this

Wirtschaftssoziologie  Search this

Kapitalismus  Search this

Literatur  Search this

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_1156541

Published by:

Johnson Publishing Company, American, 1942 - 2019  Search this

Subject of:

Sidney Poitier, Bahamian American, 1927 - 2022  Search this

Hilda Simms, American, 1918 - 1994  Search this

Emmett Till, American, 1941 - 1955  Search this

Medium:

ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W x D (Closed): 5 15/16 × 4 3/16 × 1/8 in. (15.1 × 10.6 × 0.3 cm)

H x W x D (Open): 5 15/16 × 8 5/16 × 1/8 in. (15.1 × 21.1 × 0.3 cm)

Type:

magazines (periodicals)

Place printed:

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America

Date:

November 24, 1955

Topic:

African American  Search this

Actors  Search this

Black Press  Search this

Entertainers  Search this

Film  Search this

Hate crimes  Search this

Mass media  Search this

Credit Line:

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Elmer J. Whiting, III

Object number:

2011.17.10

Restrictions & Rights:

© Jet Media Group LLC. Permission required for use.

See more items in:

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification:

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Exhibition:

Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968

On View:

NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053

Data Source:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5c69bcd77-0fcd-4c32-a678-b97282218c4f

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmaahc_2011.17.10

Published by:

Johnson Publishing Company, American, 1942 - 2019  Search this

Subject of:

Vanity, Canadian, 1959 - 2016  Search this

Owned by:

Julius J. Carry III, American, 1952 - 2008  Search this

Medium:

ink on paper

Dimensions:

H x W: 7 7/16 x 5 1/8 in. (18.9 x 13 cm)

Type:

magazines (periodicals)

Date:

March 25, 1985

Topic:

African American  Search this

Actors  Search this

Black Press  Search this

Film  Search this

Singers (Musicians)  Search this

Credit Line:

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, "I am the Master, Sho'Nuff!" Gift of Naomi Carry in loving memory of Julius J. Carry, III

Object number:

2013.49.12

Restrictions & Rights:

© 1985 Johnson Publishing Company. Permission required for use.

See more items in:

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification:

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5da219620-4c0d-40a5-ab77-c776afe5b113

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmaahc_2013.49.12

Creator:

Nesbitt, Esta  Search this

Names:

Parsons School of Design -- Faculty  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Xerox Corporation  Search this

Ambert, Anibal  Search this

Beckett, Samuel, 1906-1989  Search this

Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955  Search this

English, Merle  Search this

Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-  Search this

Leder, Alan J.  Search this

Lyle, David  Search this

Wood, R. F.  Search this

Extent:

10.05 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sketches

Transcripts

Diaries

Sound recordings

Photographs

Date:

circa 1942-1981

bulk 1964-1975

Summary:

The papers of illustrator, xerography artist, filmmaker, and educator Esta Nesbitt measure 10.05 linear feet and date from circa 1942-1981. Found within the papers are biographical material, correspondence, writings, xerography research files, project and exhibition files, and printed material. Much of the collection relates to Nesbitt's xerography art work. Additionally, the collection includes motion picture film and sound recordings related to her film and performance work.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of illustrator, xerography artist, filmmaker, and educator Esta Nesbitt measure 10.05 linear feet and date from circa 1942-1981. Found within the papers are biographical material, correspondence, writings, xerography research files, project and exhibition files, and printed material. Much of the collection relates to Nesbitt's xerography art work. Additionally, the collection includes motion picture film and sound recordings related to her film and performance work.

Nesbitt's primary collaborators, correspondents, and subjects of investigation are not concentrated in any one series but rather recur throughout the collection. Nesbitt worked closely with Anibal Ambert, Merle English at Xerox Corporation, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She read and wrote about the accrual of information, Albert Einstein, Asian religion and philosophy, communication, computer technology, documentation practices, energy, psychology, Samuel Beckett, and states of consciousness. Chinese characters and an image of Allen Ginsberg appear repeatedly in Nesbitt's works. Subjects of study and experimentation include 3M and Kodak technologies, color, film, morphology, participatory and performance art, shadows, sound, street works, xerography, and Xerox machines.

Biographical material revolves mostly around Nesbitt's work as a professor at Parsons School of Design. Records include Nesbitt's resumé, an exhibition history, motion picture film of the inside of her studio, and teaching files.

Correspondence contains personal letters from family members, and professional correspondence with fellow artists and employees of Xerox Corporation. Much of the series is correspondence between Nesbitt and fellow artists Alan Leder, David Lyle, and R.E. Wood, and is philosophical in nature. Correspondence with Xerox Corporation documents her relationship with the corporation between 1970 and 1972, when they underwrote her experiments in xerography.

Writings include illustrated journals, journals, notebooks, loose notes, and transcripts. The content of the writings varies widely throughout the series and includes artwork, sketches, diagrams, annotated clippings, transcripts of conversations, Nesbitt's writings about her dreams and family, details about her daily life, and notes about artists' materials, film, and sound.

Xerography Research Files document Nesbitt's experiments with xerography, which she often refers to in her papers as "Xerox Xplore." Contents include Nesbitt's definitions of xerography terms; Xerox equipment brochures; clippings; xerography studies; notebooks about Nesbitt's plans, work with color, and xerography study details; and slides and transparencies of completed xerography prints.

Project and Exhibition Files consist of a variety of documentation related to Nesbitt's books, exhibitions, films, performance and participatory art, and other projects. This series contains the bulk of the collection's motion picture films and sound recordings. The film and sound performance piece titled "Everyman as Anyman, or Putting On, On, On, On, On," the piece Walk Up --Tape On, the film "Light Times 499," and exhibitions of Nesbitt's xerography work and her series of work called Shadow Paintings are the most prominent subjects of the series.

Printed Material includes books, clippings, magazines, exhibition announcements, catalogs, and press releases about Nesbitt's interests, artwork, exhibitions, and galleries that exhibited her work. Some of the material is annotated.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 6 series:

Missing Title

Biographical Materials, 1964-circa 1981 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, 11)

Correspondence, 1942, 1964-1976 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, OV 14)

Writings, 1959-circa 1973 (1.3 linear feet; Box 1-2, 12, OV 15)

Xerography Research Files, circa 1966-1974 (2.5 linear feet; Box 2-4, 11, OV 16)

Project and Exhibition Files, circa 1966-1981 (5.2 linear feet, Box 4-8, 11, 13, OV 17-19, 21, FC 22-23)

Printed Material, 1942-circa 1944, circa 1963-1977 (0.9 linear feet; Box 9-10, OV 20)

Biographical / Historical:

Esta Nesbitt (1918-1975) was an illustrator, xerography artist, filmmaker, and educator who lived and worked in New York City. She was a fashion illustrator for about two decades before becoming a children's book illustrator, performance artist, xerography artist, and filmmaker.

Nesbitt taught at Parsons School of Design from 1964 to 1974. Around 1970, Nesbitt created the piece Walk Up --Tape On with her Parsons students. The piece involved documenting social interaction by taping themselves to each other and then others as they walked through New York City, creating what Nesbitt called a "living organism," before presenting themselves to the Whitney Museum of American Art. The event was documented with film, photography, and audio recordings.

In 1970, Nesbitt contacted Xerox Corporation about creating experimental art investigations of the Walk Up --Tape On documentation using Xerox machines in their New York City office. During Nesbitt's time at Xerox, she experimented with many different copying machines, materials, and techniques to create what came to be known as xerographic artworks. She invented three xerography techniques: transcapsa, photo-transcapsa, and chromacapsa. A transcapsa work is created by moving a piece of material over the copier's window during the printing cycle. A photo-transcapsa work is created by moving a photographic image over the copier's window during the printing cycle. Chromacapsa is a process of adding color to xerographic works using Xerox copiers. Nesbitt referred to her work at Xerox as "Xerox Xplore," which culminated with the exhibition "Xerography - Extensions in Art" (1971-1972) and the commission of the print All the Lines are Nines.

To demonstrate "the media bombardment surrounding 'everyman' today," Nesbitt created a film and sound performance piece titled "Everyman as Anyman, or Putting On, On, On, On, On" in 1969. The performance consisted of five Super 8 film projectors and a multi-layered soundtrack. Nesbitt further experimented with filmmaking and xerography with the films "Folding/Struck" and "Light Times 499," which was created with Anibal Ambert. Her interest in xerography is further illustrated in the exhibition "Electrostatic Structures: 'New Morphs'" (1972-1973). The exhibition "1000 Empty 49.3 Grams: A participatory environment" was a culmination of her interest in participatory art.

Nesbitt died November 30, 1975 in New York City. Three posthumous exhibitions include "Esta Nesbitt: Xerography Prints" (1976) at The Art Center of Waco, "Memorial Exhibition of Drawing and Illustrations by Esta Nesbitt" (1977) at Parsons School of Design, and "Electroworks" (1979-1981) at the George Eastman House.

Related Materials:

The Esta Nesbitt papers at Center for Creative Photography at University of Arizona contain 3 linear feet related to her xerography artwork and exhibitions, dated 1966-1983.

Papers related to Nesbitt's fashion illustrations are found at the Kellen Design Archives at The New School in New York City. T

he Esta Nesbitt papers at the University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections are related to Nesbitt's children's book illustrations, dated 1964-1969.

Provenance:

The Esta Nesbitt papers were donated by Saul Nesbitt, her husband, to the Archives of American Art in 1981.

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.

Occupation:

Educators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Motion pictures (visual works)  Search this

Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Xerography  Search this

Copy art  Search this

Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Women filmmakers  Search this

Women illustrators  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sketches

Transcripts

Diaries

Sound recordings

Photographs

Citation:

Esta Nesbitt papers, circa 1942-circa 1981, bulk 1964-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' Hidden Collections grant program.

Identifier:

AAA.nesbesta

See more items in:

Esta Nesbitt papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c57916c9-f891-4116-a32d-d1f4e83c624f

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-nesbesta

Creator:

Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this

Names:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival  Search this

Extent:

1 Cubic foot (approximate)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Contracts

Negatives

Plans (drawings)

Photographic prints

Business records

Video recordings

Correspondence

Videotapes

Audiotapes

Memorandums

Notes

Audiocassettes

Digital images

Slides (photographs)

Date:

July 1-5, 1970

Summary:

The Smithsonian Institution Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998. The materials collected here document the planning, production, and execution of the annual Festival, produced by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present) and its predecessor offices (1967-1999). An overview of the entire Festival records group is available here: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.

Scope and Contents note:

This collection documents the planning, production, and execution of the 1970 Festival of American Folklife. Materials may include photographs, audio recordings, motion picture film and video recordings, notes, production drawings, contracts, memoranda, correspondence, informational materials, publications, and ephemera. Such materials were created during the Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as well as in the featured communities, before or after the Festival itself.

Arrangement note:

Arranged in 5 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Program Books, Festival Publications, and Ephemera

Series 2: Arkansas

Series 3: Crafts

Series 4: Performances

Series 5: Southern Plains Indians

Historical note:

The Festival of American Folklife, held annually since 1967 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was renamed the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 1998.

The 1970 Festival of American Folklife was produced by the Smithsonian Division of Performing Arts.

For more information, see Smithsonian Folklife Festival records.

Introduction:

The 1970 Festival took place for five days (July 1-5) on the National Mall, between Madison Drive and Jefferson Drive and between 10th Street and 14th Street, south of the National Museum of History and Technology and the National Museum of Natural History (see site plan). It was the third Festival to feature one of the fifty States - in 1970, Arkansas was the focus - and the first to give a new prominence to Native American programming, with Indians of the Southern Plains featured. Craft presentations focused on those associated with milk and dairy products, while musical performances again offered a potpourri of diverse music and dance traditions. Each evening, a pow wow filled the center of the National Mall, complemented by evening concerts at the Sylvan Theater on the Washington Monument grounds.

The 1970 Festival was organized by the Division of Performing Arts, where James R. Morris was Director and Richard Lusher was Deputy Director. Ralph Rinzler continued as Festival Director.

The 1970 Program Book included information on all of the programs.

Shared Stewardship of Collections:

The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit https://folklife.si.edu/archives#shared-stewardship.

Forms Part Of:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1970 Festival of American Folklife forms part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival records .

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: Papers

1967 Festival of American Folklife records - [Ongoing]

Related Archival Materials note:

Within the Rinzler Archives, related materials may be found in various collections such as the Ralph Rinzler papers and recordings, the Lily Spandorf drawings, the Diana Davies photographs, the Robert Yellin photographs, and the Curatorial Research, Programs, and Projects collection. Additional relevant materials may also be found in the Smithsonian Institution Archives concerning the Division of Performing Arts (1966-1983), Folklife Program (1977-1980), Office of Folklife Programs (1980-1991), Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies (1991-1999), Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (1999-present), and collaborating Smithsonian units, as well as in the administrative papers of key figures such as the Secretary and respective deputies. Users are encouraged to consult relevant finding aids and to contact Archives staff for further information.

Restrictions:

Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.

Rights:

Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.

Topic:

Folklore  Search this

Folk music  Search this

arts and crafts  Search this

Folk festivals  Search this

World music  Search this

Folk art  Search this

Food habits  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Contracts

Negatives

Plans (drawings)

Photographic prints

Business records

Video recordings

Correspondence

Videotapes

Audiotapes

Memorandums

Notes

Audiocassettes

Digital images

Slides (photographs)

Citation:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1970 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections , Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

CFCH.SFF.1970

See more items in:

Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1970 Festival of American Folklife

Archival Repository:

Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk545d57554-f5a6-4daf-9cc8-308cb0ed5ecf

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-cfch-sff-1970

Collector:

Robinson, Franklin A., Jr., 1959- (actor)  Search this

Names:

Capital Transit Company (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

Serenity Farm, Inc.  Search this

Howes, Grace Bourne, ?-1976  Search this

Robinson, Adina Theresa, 1963-  Search this

Robinson, Amanda Baden, 1849-1940  Search this

Robinson, Elizabeth Bourne, 1892-1976  Search this

Robinson, Frank A., 1883-1970  Search this

Robinson, Franklin A., 1841-1905  Search this

Robinson, Franklin A., Sr., 1932-  Search this

Robinson, Martha Walls, 1807-1897  Search this

Robinson, Robert David, 1962-  Search this

Robinson, Robert Henry, 1851-1937  Search this

Robinson, Thomas Wells, 1803-1869  Search this

Townshend, Martha Robinson, 1880-1961  Search this

Via, Adina Mae, 1937-1966  Search this

Via, Ida Virginia Woods, 1914-2010  Search this

Via, Robert Delano, 1933-  Search this

Via, Robert Milton, 1906-1983  Search this

Creator:

Conner, Mary Robinson, 1930-2009  Search this

Extent:

23.1 Cubic feet (71 boxes, 3 map-size folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Motion pictures (visual works)

Correspondence

Photographs

Postcards

Baby books

Phonograph records

Postcard albums

Ephemera

School yearbooks

Diaries

Albums

Housebooks

Snapshots

Home movies

Family papers

Scrapbooks

Funeral registers

Architectural drawings

Place:

Maryland -- Family farms

Washington (D.C.)

Prince George's County (Md.)

Arizona -- Motion pictures

Benedict (Md.)

Charles County (Md.) -- Family farms

Calvert County (Md.) -- Family farms

California -- Motion pictures

Bahamas -- Motion pictures

Yosemite National Park (Calif.)

Puerto Rico -- Motion pictures

Washington -- motion pictures

Oregon -- Motion pictures

Disneyland (California)

Brandywine (Md.)

St. Thomas, V.I. -- Motion pictures

Florida -- Motion pictures

United States of America -- Maryland -- Carroll County -- Westminster

United States of America -- Maryland -- Carroll County -- Marston

United States of America -- Maryland -- Carroll County -- New Windsor

Date:

1838-2017, undated

bulk 1872-1985

Summary:

Papers documenting the farming and family life of the Robinson family of Prince George's County and after 1975, Charles County, Maryland. Papers documenting the farming and family of the Via family of Greene County, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Prince George's and Calvert Counties, Maryland, by 1949.

Scope and Contents:

An extensive and comprehensive collection of papers relating to family, farming, and the Southern Maryland tobacco culture, the Robinson and Via Family Papers cover many aspects of family and farm life. The papers are particularly important in regard to the tobacco culture that defined Southern Maryland for generations. The papers concern two distinct family groups, the Robinson and Via families who are connected through the marriage of Franklin A. Robinson and Adina Mae Via. The papers consist of material generated by the Robinson and Via families in their personal and working lives and as farm owners and operators.

The papers are especially strong in 20th century material. They consist of various types of farm records: account books, bills, receipts, tenant farming agreements, ephemera, land rental and purchase agreements, insurance policies, photographs and 8mm and 16mm films of farming practices and procedures, equipment and landscapes, related to the farming of tobacco, small grains, and livestock. The personal records include diaries, letters both personal and business, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, high school yearbooks, baby books, house plans, recipe books, photographs and 8mm films of birthdays, holidays, weddings, baptisms, family occasions, and family travel, oral histories, and funeral ephemera including photographs, and transcription discs. Of particular interest are the "Serenity Farm Tobacco Production Photographs" documenting the crop year 1999-2000 and the films detailing agricultural practices. There is a memorandum book for Black Walnut Thicket, 1885-1901, the Baden farm in Baden, Prince George's County.

This collection includes a comprehensive range of 8mm and 16mm films and photographs documenting farming practices and landscapes as well as family gatherings, birthdays, holidays, and vacations. The researcher is alerted to the fact that in some cases with the memorandum and account books, books printed for a given year were often saved and used for subsequent years, some were dated, some were not.

The collection is divided into seven series arranged by subject and most often chronologically at folder level within each series.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into seven series:

Series 1: Ferndale Farm (Potomac Landing), Prince George's County, Maryland, 1861-1973, undated

Subseries 1.1: Farm papers, bill, and receipts, and publications, 1861-1973, undated

Subseries 1.2: Farm papers, bill, and receipts, 1945-1960, undated

Subseries 1.3: Farm papers, bills, and receipts, 1960-1965, undated

Series 2: Robinson Family, 1845-2017, undated

Subseries 2.1: Family Papers and Publications, 1845-1993, undated

Subseries 2.2: Townshend, Martha Robinson, 1896-1961, undated

Subseries 2.3: Robinson, Frank A., 1899-1970, undated

Subseries 2.4: Robinson, Elizabeth Bourne, 1841-1976, undated

Subseries 2.5: Conner, Mary Robinson, 1938-1985, undated

Subseries 2.6: Robinson, Franklin A., 1932-1997, undated

Subseries 2.6.1: Farming, 1948-1976, undated

Subseries 2.6.2: Financial, 1948-1988, undated

Subseries 2.6.3: 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA), 1945-1954, undated

Subseries 2.6.4: Travel, 1959-1970, undated

Subseries 2.7: Robinson, Jr., Franklin A., 1959-2001, undated

Series 3: Serenity Farm, Charles County, Maryland, 1962-2000, undated

Series 4: Via Farm, Calvert County, Maryland, 1954-1987, undated

Series 5: Via Family, 1932-2010, undated

Subseries 5.1: Family papers, 1941-1983, undated

Subseries 5.2: Via, Robert M., 1933-1987, undated

Subseries 5.3: Via, Ida Virginia, 1928-2010, undated

Subseries 5.4: Via, Robert D., 1933-1988, undated

Subseries 5.5: Robinson, Adina Via, 1937-1966, undated

Series 6: Photographs, Photographic Slides, and Photographic Negatives, 1860-2000, undated

Subseries 6.1: Photographs, 1872-2000, undated

Subseries 6.2: Photographic negatives, 1927--2000, undated

Subseries 6.3: Photographic Slides, 1955-1979, undated

Series 7: AudioVisual, 1943-1988

Biographical / Historical:

Robinson Family

The Robinson family is thought to be of Scottish origin and appear in the records of Prince George's County, Maryland by the early 18th century. The line has been definitively traced to James Robinson (?-1849). James' father was probably Benjamin Robinson (?-1810), of Prince George's County, Maryland. (Will Book TT1, pg. 15, Records of Prince George's County, Maryland, Maryland State Archives (MSA))

James Robinson and Sarah Wynn were issued a marriage license on February 28, 1802 in Prince George's County, Maryland. (Marriage Records of Prince George's County, Maryland) Eleven children lived to maturity (not listed in birth order); Thomas Wells (1803-1869), Ann, Priscilla, James Monroe, Benjamin (1813-1882), John C. (1819-1895), Mary Sophia, Thomas Stanley (1800-1874), Alfred, Sarah Ann, Matilda, and Rebecca Maria.

James worked as a farm manager for Benjamin Oden near Upper Marlborough, Prince George's County. (Oden Papers, Maryland Historical Society) The Robinsons and their children, moved to Wood County, Virginia (now West Virginia) by April 18, 1818 where James acted as Oden's land agent (Deed Book 6, pg. 123, Land Records of Wood County, West Virginia). They brought with them three enslaved described in the above reference as, "Kate a woman 45 years of age very black; Colonel a boy aged 8 years yellow complexion: and George a boy aged six years of a dark brown complexion." They settled on part of what was known as the "Burnt Mill" tract in the general area where the Hughes River meets the Little Kanawha River. (Deed Book 9, pg. 110 and Deed Book 14, pg. 40, Land Records of Wood County)

Thomas Wells Robinson may not have accompanied his family to Virginia as he has a presence in Prince George's County prior to 1822 and was employed as a farm manager for Benjamin Oden at least until 1832. He married Elizabeth J. Richards on December 15, 1829 (Robinson Family Bible). They had nine children; Richard Thomas (1831 1906), Rebecca Maria (1832-1895), Mary Wynn (1834-1916), James George (1835-1883), Virlinda Victoria (1837-1838), Elizabeth Ann (1839-1916), Sarah Ann Sophia (1840-1874), Franklin Alexander (1841-1905) and John Alfred (1843); seven lived to maturity. (Robinson Family Bible) Elizabeth died on August 17, 1843 from complications in childbirth. She was buried in the graveyard of Page's Chapel (later known as St. Thomas Episcopal Church), Croom, Prince George's County. In 1843, Thomas purchased the plantation of Dr. Benjamin B. Hodges for $10,000 or approximately $15 an acre. Hodges was a brother-in-law of Benjamin Oden. The deed dated September 7, 1843 describes the parcel as containing, "Six hundred and twenty nine acres of land more or less and constitute that plantation or Estate of the said Benjamin Oden heretofore commonly called "Brown's Quarter Place" being the Land tracts and parcels of land sold by the said Benjamin Oden to the said Benjamin B. Hodges and by deed bearing date the tenth day of December eighteen hundred and thirty five and recorded in Liber AB no. 10 folio 162 also one of the land Records of the County aforesaid". (JBB no. 3 pgs. 312 314, Land Records of Prince George's County) The land was level to rolling bordered on the north by a tributary of Piscataway Creek and generally termed "white oak land". Underlying the whole property was a large strata of gravel and sand. The entire parcel went by the name, Potomac Landing.

Thomas supplemented his land holdings with later purchases. With the exception of twenty acres purchased from Sarah Talbert in 1844, (JBB no. 3 pg. 475, Land Records of Prince George's County) and the purchase of lot #3 consisting of 195 acres, part of the estate of John Townshend in 1856, these purchases were not contiguous to Potomac Landing. By the time of his death in 1869 these non-contiguous parcels had been sold. Thomas sold eighty-six acres of Potomac Landing and Jeffries to Edward Eversfield in October of 1843. (JBB no. 3, pg. 198, Land Records of Prince George's County) On January 13, 1846 Thomas married the widow Martha Ann Walls, daughter of George and Martha Naylor Walls. They had two sons; Benjamin Wells (1848-1849) and Robert Henry (1851-1937).

In addition to his sons, Thomas owned enslaved. The number varied from six in 1849 (JBB 6, folio 186, Land Records of Prince Georges' County) to eleven as noted in the census for 1850, and finally six as noted in the census of 1860. The 1867 Maryland Slave Statistics noted that, "at the time of the adoption of the Constitution of Maryland, in the year 1864, . . ." Thomas owned six enslaved, their names and ages being; Isaac Franklin age 31, Alfred West age 19, Susan West age 17, Margaret Franklin age 14, Fannie Franklin age 12, and Peter Franklin age 9. All were noted as being in good physical condition. (Prince Georges' County Slave Statistics 1867 1869, C 1307 1, MdHR:6198, page 185, MSA)

Thomas's financial problems began in the mid-1800s when Deeds of Trust appear in the county records securing outstanding loans. In 1856 and 1857 Thomas joined with others as bondsman for his son, Richard who was serving as "Collector of the State and County Taxes" for the 4th collection district, making he and the other signatories liable for any uncollected taxes. This, coupled with poor investments, led to his almost being "sold out" in 1859-1860 by J.W. & E. Reynolds of Baltimore to pay his debts. He executed three drafts on Penn & Mitchell, also of Baltimore, to pay off J.W. & E. Reynolds. (Equity Case #597, Prince Georges' County) Thomas was in poor health and his son James managed the farm in 1857 and 1858, and again from 1861 to October of 1862 (Equity Case #873, Prince Georges' County)

In October of 1862 Thomas' two sons, James and Franklin, traveled to Richmond to join the Confederate States Army. James enrolled in the 5th Battalion, Local Defense Arsenal and Franklin enrolled in the 5th Virginia Infantry, the Stonewall Brigade. (CSA Military Records, National Archives) James visited home frequently but was captured by the Union Army in St. Mary's County, Maryland on May 15, 1864 and spent the remainder of the war in Point Lookout Prison Camp. He was released on May 14, 1865. Franklin was not able to visit home at all during the war but survived to return home in 1865. In 1865, Thomas surveyed a parcel of 172 acres for his daughter Rebecca Maria. Rebecca had married her second cousin, William B. Robertson, on November 18, 1855. He made a gift of fifty acres, and Rebecca agreed to purchase the remainder. The Robertsons named this parcel Holly Grove. In Equity Case #849 (1872) filed after Thomas' death, his widow Martha and Samuel H. Berry, as executrix and executor, sought to recover payment for this land. At that time, William B. Robertson described this 172 acres of Potomac Landing: "There was no fences on the line which separated this land from the old gentleman's land, but he was to put a fence on it which he agreed to do before we agreed to come there. The land was thin, unimproved, with gullies and scrubby pine. If witness had been a judge of land he would not have given five dollars for it. All the improvements were one comfortable quarter the other indifferent with a poor oak shingle roof, worn out which made it not tenantable." Further along in his testimony, William gave an account of a conversation, "In a few days my father in law Thos. W. Robinson came to Washington and told me there his children had returned from the South, his two sons, that his debts were small and he was a happy man." Rebecca and William built a house on the property, a side-hall, double parlor plan that most likely her brother James was builder. They also built accompanying farm structures. (Records of Prince George's County, Maryland, Equity Case #849, MSA)

Thomas' son, Franklin, managed the farm after the War. In December 1868 Thomas entered into a sharecropping agreement with Edward Hanson, an African-American. After about a year-long illness, on May 16, 1869, Thomas died, deeply in debt. He was buried beside Elizabeth in the graveyard at St. Thomas' Church. He named as executrix his wife, Martha, and his friend and lawyer, Samuel H. Berry, as executor. His will divided the farm into thirds, one third going to his wife and their son Robert Henry, one third to his son James, and one third to his son Franklin. The land was surveyed according to the will. His personal property was sold but not enough profit was realized to pay off his creditors. The Commissioners of Prince George's County sued the estate on behalf of Thomas' creditors. The outcome was that in 1876 the property was sold at public auction. The Notice of Sale dated September 1, 1876 in the local county newspaper, The Prince Georgian, describes the farm as, "containing 514 2/3 acres More or less. The Improvements consist of a SMALL DWELLING, Three Barns, Stabling, and other necessary outbuildings. It is well wooded and watered, and the soil of fair quality. It has recently been divided into three lots and will be offered in lots, a description of which will be given at the time of sale." The sale was held on September 27, 1876, Lot No. 1 was purchased by Robert for $6.00 an acre, Lot #2 was purchased by Franklin for $5.00 an acre and Lot #3 was purchased by James for $4.00 per acre. Robert and Franklin eventually paid off their mortgage, but James defaulted on his purchase and later moved to St. Mary's County, Maryland. His portion later came to be owned by the Hawkins family, some members who had worked on the Robinson farm. (Equity Case #873, Prince Georges' County, MSA)

Lot #1, purchased by Robert from his fathers' estate, consisted of 177-1/3 acres, including the dwelling and farm buildings. On July 24, 1872, he married Amanda Malvina Baden (1849-1940), daughter of Robert W. G. and Margaret Caroline Early Baden. The Baden and Early families were both prominent south county families. Robert and Amanda had eight children; Caroline Early (1873 1967), Lucy Tennent (1875 1958), Albert Henry (1878 1914), Martha Perry (1880 1961), Robert Gover (1882 1882), Frank Alexander (1883 1970), Margaret Baden (1886 1956) and Grace Malvina (1889 1965).

By 1880 Robert had paid off his debt on the property and was fully engaged in farming. Unlike his father, or perhaps because of his father, Robert did not add to his land holdings, choosing to remain relatively debt free for his lifetime. The only land transactions he participated in were the sales of 79-3/4 acres in 1921 of Amanda's inheritance from her father and her interest in two smaller parcels of her father's land sold in 1894 and 1928 respectively. In 1928 he transferred 3.09 acres to his son Frank.

As late as the Federal census of 1880, Franklin was living with Robert and his household, both men engaged in farming. Sometime after 1880, Franklin took up residence on his part of Potomac Landing. His brother James most likely built the side-hall double parlor house that copied the main house at Potomac Landing. On February 18, 1897, Martha Robinson, died at the age of ninety. She was buried in the graveyyard of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baden, Prince George's County. Robert continued cultivation of tobacco and small grains as his father before him. The first reference to the farm being named Ferndale is found in the "Communion Record" of Robert's daughter, Martha Perry "Pattie", dated 1896. (Robinson and Via Family Papers) The exact origin or reason for this new name is lost but perhaps the name Potomac Landing held such bitter memories of debt and hardship that, as a symbolic break with the past, a new name was found. It also may have simply been a way to distinguish this portion of Potomac Landing from the others. The farm continued to be listed on tax bills as Potomac Landing well into the 20th century, but was known to the general public and businesses as the Ferndale Farm. (Robinson and Via Family Papers)

Robert served as deputy inspector at the State Tobacco Warehouse in Baltimore for eight years under W.B. Bowie. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Brandywine. In July of 1905, Franklin died, a bachelor farmer. He was buried facing south in the graveyard of the Church of the Atonement, Cheltenham, (a chapel in St. Thomas' Episcopal Parish) where he had served as vestryman, treasurer, and cemetery custodian. Franklin died intestate and a lengthy process of dividing his estate began. This resulted in the sale of his part of Potomac Landing (Lot #2) in July 1908 to William E. Boswell. The court declared Robert ineligible for any inheritance due to his being " . . . a brother of the half blood." The Boswell family later sold the property to the Billingsley family of St. Mary's County. (Equity Case 3209, Prince George's County)

In 1910, after living in the farm's original home for approximately sixty seven years, the Robinson family built a new home. It was described in a 1956 insurance policy as, "2 story, frame, metal roof, 16x43, wing 14x28, 9 rooms." (Robinson and Via Family Papers) The house design was a simple Victorian with plastered walls, and lit by carbide gas. Electrical lighting was installed in 1951. The house was built with monies from Robert and Amanda, and their son Frank, who served as builder and contractor.

On Tuesday March 9, 1937, "During a celebration in honor of his wifes birthday anniversary, Mr. Robinson collapsed at the table and died immediately without a word or a sigh." (Robinson and Via Family Papers) Robert was buried beside his mother in the cemetery at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baden.

At Robert's death, Ferndale Farm was valued at $30.00 an acre, the total acreage, 174 acres, being valued in the whole at $5,220.00. Robert died intestate, again the fate of the land was in question. He left eight heirs, his widow, Amanda, six of his children and his son Albert Henry's only surviving child, R. Henry Robinson. Rather than have the farm sold and his mother's life disrupted, Frank purchased the estate and personal property from the heirs. Before this could take place, a deed had to be granted the heirs for the property since one had never been recorded after the 1876 sale. Equity case 873 was reopened sixty-two years after its supposed resolution. Frank testified, "over a period of about thirty years I would on a number of occasions, talk about the fact that he had purchased and paid for this property and that a deed had never been executed to him and [he] kept saying he was going to have someone straighten this matter out for him." It was discovered that Robert had fully paid for his part of Potomac Landing. On February 14, 1938 the farm was deeded from Amanda along with Robert''s heirs to Frank. (Book 499, page 334, Land Records of Prince George's County) According to the deed and a 1937 fire insurance policy the farm consisted of 177 1/3 acres, "1 two story dwelling, one tenant house, 1 barrack, 1 tobacco barn, 1 corn house & cow stable, 1 Stable, and 1 Granary & Stable." (Robinson and Via Family Papers)

Frank A. Robinson, now the sole owner of Ferndale Farm, was born August 17, 1883. He learned farming and in addition took up the trade of builder and contractor. As a young man, he worked in the general store of his uncle Robert Baden. He was the contractor for the first Bank of Brandywine and many homes in and around the town of Brandywine, including the home of his cousin Robert E. Baden, DDS. He was secretary of the Building Committee for construction of the Chapel of the Incarnation in Brandywine, a mission chapel for St. Thomas' Episcopal Parish. His success in the building trade gave him disposable income that he invested in land. His first purchase was in August, 1915 of a 2-9/100 acre of land in Brandywine that was being sold by the Board of County School Commissioners; the purchase price was $300. In March 1916 he purchased 38.09 acres of his Uncle Franklin's farm. This property adjoined Ferndale Farm. Over the next fifty-four years of his life, Frank bought and sold many pieces of real estate. Perhaps his most significant purchases were: 18-1/3 acres purchased from The German American Colonization Land Company of Maryland in October 1915 (Book 115, pg. 140, Land Records of Prince George's County); 147.99 acres purchased from August and Wilhelmina Noltensmeir in December 1917 (Book 129, pg. 263, Land Records of Prince George's County) and 320 acres called the Vineyard purchased from William M. Wilson in March 1928. Frank used these three parcels as collateral for other purchases. Never once did he mortgage Ferndale Farm, insuring that no matter what financial stormy seas might blow, his home was secure. Over the course of his life, especially in the case of the Noltensmeir farm, when cash was needed a parcel of land would be surveyed off and sold. He inherited his grandfather Thomas' love of land but had fortunately developed a shrewd business sense to go along with it.

On November 20, 1929, he married Elizabeth Freeland Bourne, daughter of Joseph Blake and Maria Gantt Bourne of Calvert County, Maryland. They had three children: Mary Elizabeth (1930-2009), Franklin Alexander (1932-2023), and Robert Lee (1935-1997). In addition to his construction business he continued farming, raising tobacco, hay, and small grains. He engaged in sharecropping with tenants on his various properties. He was active in community affairs serving on the Board of The Maryland Tobacco Growers Association (MTGA), the Vestry of St. Thomas Parish, and as sheriff of Brandywine. On January 9, 1940 Amanda Baden Robinson died. She was buried next to her husband at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Baden. In February 1958, Frank and Elizabeth conveyed 1.57 acres of Ferndale Farm to son Franklin where he and his fiancée, Adina M. Via, were building their new home prior to their marriage in July of that same year.

The booming economy and suburbanization of the Washington metropolitan area in the early 1960's led to the high quality gravel lying beneath Ferndale into becoming a valuable commodity. In October 1962, Franklin and his parents granted a three-year lease to William C. Nolte for mining sand and gravel on the Ferndale Farm at .174 per yard. (Book 2747, pg. 11, Land Records of Prince George's County) From now until 1975 when the property was sold, gravel would be mined from under the farm by various companies. In November 1962, Elizabeth and Frank transferred to Franklin the 38.09 acres Frank had purchased from Fitzhugh Billingsley in 1916. (Book 2754, pg. 99, Land Records of Prince George's County) That same year they transferred 6.754 acres, part of the Vineyard, to son Robert and his wife Lois, (Book 2765, pg. 201, Land Records of Prince George's County)

On December 28, 1965, Frank and Elizabeth participated in a land exchange/purchase of the farm of Ralph W. and Cordelia H. Brown located along the Patuxent River in Benedict, Charles County, Maryland. Franklin had rented this farm the year before and was impressed enough by its location and arability to work out a purchase. Frank and Elizabeth traded 65.9920 acres that would eventually become Franklin's under Frank's will. On February 21, 1966 they deeded the Charles County farm to Franklin and Adina. Adina named this property Serenity Farm. The property consisted of 480.66 acres. (Liber 179, page 708 etc., Land Records of Charles County)

On February 5, 1970, after a short illness, Frank died at Cafritz Memorial Hospital. He was buried at St. Paul's Episcopal Church near his parents. In his will, probated March 4, 1970 he left thirty acres of the property purchased from the German American Land Company and A. Noltensmeir to Elizabeth. He willed forty acres of the same parcel to daughter Mary Robinson Conner. The remainder of Ferndale Farm was willed to Franklin and the remaining acreage of the Vineyard was left to Robert Lee. Franklin Alexander Robinson was born August 13, 1932 at the Garfield Hospital in Washington, D.C.. He received his schooling in the public school system of Prince George's County, graduating from Gwynn Park High School in June 1951. He was a charter member of Gwynn Park's chapter of The Future Farmers of America. He was extremely active in FFA, achieving the Degree of Maryland Farmer in 1950 and their highest award, the Degree of American Farmer at their convention in Kansas City, Missouri in October 1953. He obtained his private pilots license in 1954. He entered the United States Army in February 1955 and went through basic training at Camp Gordon, Augusta, Georgia. After basic training he was transferred to Camp Hanford, Washington State. There he worked part time on the farm of Dick and Theresa Laurent during his off duty hours and began a lifelong friendship with them. He returned home to farming on an agricultural discharge in October of 1956. On July 27, 1958 he married his high school sweetheart, Adina Mae Via, daughter of Robert Milton and Virginia Woods Via. They had three children: Franklin Alexander (1959), Robert David (1962), and Adina Theresa (1963).

Franklin continued expanding and improving the farming operation by modern methods and means. At times, he farmed over one thousand acres, both owned and rented. On February 21, 1966, his parents deeded their purchase of the Ralph W. and Cordelia H. Brown farm in Benedict to he and Adina, later known as Serenity Farm Franklin and Adina engaged an architect to draft house plans for an anticipated new residence. A small A frame vacation home was built on the property so the family could spend weekends there.

On December 14, 1966, after a long illness, Adina died from complications associated with Hodgkin's Disease. She was buried in Trinity Memorial Gardens, Waldorf, Charles County. Franklin married Margaret Walker Lennox (nee Tallen, known as Rita) on August 21, 1970 (Marriage Records of Prince George's County, Maryland). This marriage ended in divorce in 1977. There were no children from this marriage.

On July 14, 1975 the Robinson family, Franklin, his second wife, Margaret, her daughter Margaret W. Lennox, Franklin, Jr., R. David, A. Theresa and Elizabeth B. Robinson, moved to Serenity Farm. On July 17, 1975 Franklin and Elizabeth sold the remaining acreage of Ferndale Farm to Brandywine Sand and Gravel, thus ending 131 years of ownership by the Robinson family. Elizabeth Bourne Robinson died on July 15, 1976 and was buried beside her husband at St. Paul's Church, Baden. Franklin married Hiltrud (Ceddie) Harris (nee Sedlacek) on July 15, 1978. (Robinson Family Bible) This marriage ended in divorce in 1986. There were no children from this marriage. Franklin married Diedre Gale Merhiage on April 19, 1989; this marriage ended in divorce in 1997. There were no children from this marriage. He married Remelda Henega Buenavista on January 13, 2007.

The Robinson family continue day-to-day operations of Serenity Farm. The land is well suited to the growing of tobacco and small grains, which crops, (with the exception of tobacco) along with a flock of sheep, are cultivated there to the present time. After the crop year 2001 the Robinson family took the tobacco buyout program offered by the state of Maryland and ceased growing tobacco. Franklin is active in farming and community affairs having served on the vestry of St. Thomas Episcopal Parish, the Board of Directors of the Maryland Tobacco Growers Association (MTGA), the Board of the Production Credit Association, the Boards of three schools, Holy Trinity Day School, Queen Anne School, and Calverton School, and numerous other organizations. Currently the farm consists of approximately 275 acres. In 1981 a state agricultural land preservation district of 222.755 acres was created. This was the first such district in Charles County and one of the first in the state of Maryland.

Via Family

The Via family traces its origins to the colony of Virginia, where the probable progenitor of the line, Amer Via, a French Huguenot, settled in Manakin Town, Albemarle County between 1670-1700. It is impossible to trace the Via line definitively due to the loss of Virginia county records during the Civil War.

The Via family line covered in this collection can be definitively traced to William Via of Fredericksville Parish, Louisa (later Albemarle) County, Virginia. The William Via family lived west of the present day town of Whitehall at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, an area commonly known as Sugar Hollow. William Via III served in the Virginia Line during the Revolutionary War. He married Mary Craig, daughter of Thomas Craig and Jane Jameson, on March 17, 1784. William died on June 27, 1836, in Albemarle County (Rev. War Pension Appl. 6363, National Archives). His son Thomas married Sally, widow Griffin, on January 1, 1811 (Albemarle County Marriage Records). Their son, Hiram Karl Via (1812-1893), married Harriet Ardenia Naylor by license dated March 7, 1836 (Albemarle County Marriage Records).

Hiram and Harriet's son, Robert St. Clair Via (1844-1925), served as a private in Company I, 7th Virginia Infantry of the Confederate States Army (CSA Military Service Records, National Archives). After the war he married his first cousin, Mary Frances Naylor, daughter of Samuel Chapman Naylor and Eliza Jane Gardner, on April 3, 1866 in Rockingham County (Rockingham County, Virginia, Marriage Records). Sometime between 1870 and 1872, they moved to Linn County, Missouri, and settled about seven miles from the town of Bucklin. Their son, Hiram Chapman Via (1872-1933), was born there. In 1893, the family returned to Virginia, and settled on a farm in Greene County near the town of Stanardsville.

Hiram Chapman Via operated a mill as well as a farm. On March 15, 1899, he married Adina Eleanor Eusebia Runkle, daughter of Milton D. L. Runkle and Roberta A. Beadles (Greene County, Virginia, Marriage Records). They had three children: Bernice Olive (1902-1999), Robert Milton (1906-1983), and Deward Daniel (1909-1977).

Robert moved to Washington, D.C.. In December 1927 he began employment with the Capitol Traction Company as a streetcar conductor (Robinson and Via Family Papers). During the early 1930s, Robert rented a townhouse at 715 A St., SE, where he lived with his sister Bernice V. McMullan and her son, William C. McMullan; his brother and sister in law, and his parents. Next door, at 717, lived the Moses Albright family, including Moses's stepdaughter Ida Virginia Woods (1914-2010), daughter of Jesse Lee Woods (1894-1918) and Donna Mae Barker (1896-1928) of Frederick County, Maryland. Robert and Virginia began a courtship and on September 3, 1932 were married in Frederick, Frederick County, Maryland (Frederick County, Maryland, Marriage Records).

After their marriage, Robert and Virginia lived in various locations in the Washington metropolitan area. Their first child, Robert Delano, was born on March 24, 1933, and their second child, Adina Mae, was born on April 12, 1937. Virginia was employed outside the home while her children were in school. Her first job before her marriage had been with Woolworth's in Martinsburg, WV working the candy counter and then before the birth of her son at The Hecht Company on F St. in Washington, D.C.. After her marriage she worked briefly for the United States Postal Service in Capitol Heights, Maryland. Beginning in the 1950s, she worked first at the Hecht Company department store on 7th Street in the District and later for Charles of the Ritz as a receptionist in their beauty salon located in Woodward & Lothrop's F Street store in Washington, D.C.. She also worked as salon manager at the Charles of the Ritz salons in the Woodward & Lothrop stores in Seven Corners, Virginia, and Chevy Chase, Maryland. She retired due to health reasons in 1973.

On September 10, 1941, Robert and Virginia purchased Lot #43 in Woodlane subdivision in Prince George's County. (Book 619, pg. 12, Land Records of Prince George's County) A house was designed for them for this lot by Clyde E. Phillips. They did not construct a home on this property due to the outbreak of World War II. Robert, due to his employment in public transportation, did not serve with the Armed Services in World War II. On October 18, 1946, they purchased approximately thirty acres bordering on Burch's Creek near the towns of Clinton, also know as Surrattsville, and T.B. in Prince George's County from Joseph H. and M. Pauline Blandford. (Book 873, pg. 483, Land Records of Prince George's County) Over the next three years, hiring private contractors, doing work themselves, and with the help of Robert's brother Deward, they built the two story house designed by Phillips in 1941. They moved to the farm from Capitol Heights in 1949. Robert raised hogs, small grains and a crop of tobacco yearly on this farm and also maintained his job with Capitol Transit (formerly Capitol Traction). In 1954, Robert and Virginia purchased a farm of approximately 150 acres in Island Creek, Calvert County, Maryland. The intention was for Robert and his son to enter into a full time farming operation on expanded acreage. Robert D. Via, known as Delano, graduated from Gwynn Park High School in June 1951. Delano was a part-time farmer and pursued a career as a country and western singer with Bashful Bob and the Rhythm Rangers, he being Bashful Bob. He was employed in various jobs, and began a tour in the Army in 1953. By the time the Via family moved to Calvert County in 1956, he decided to pursue careers other than farming. He eventually traveled and worked in various parts of the United States. He married first Delores Cooper, second Gloria J. Irick, and finally Candice Marinelli in December 1974, they had two children, Robert Marin (1975) and Kirstin Marin (1976).

On June 1, 1956 Robert resigned from his position at Capitol Transit due to health reasons. He and his family moved to the farm in Island Creek, Calvert County where he began full time farming. He and Virginia sold the thirty-acre farm in Prince George's County on June 21, 1956 to Melvin C. and Geraldine H. Rardia. (Book 2003, pg. 564, Land Records of Prince George's County) Virginia continued her employment with Charles of the Ritz. Adina, now a graduate of Gwynn Park High School, was employed by the USAF at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland. They both commuted daily from Calvert County to their places of employment.

Robert farmed in Calvert County, raising hogs, cattle, small grains and tobacco. Over the course of the next twenty-seven years, Robert and Virginia sold smaller parcels off the farm. In 1974, Robert and Virginia built a small retirement home designed for them by Calvert Masonry Contractors. Robert died on December 22, 1983. He was buried beside his daughter Adina in Trinity Memorial Gardens. At the time of Robert's death, the farm consisted of 28.694 acres. In 1998, Virginia deeded the remainder of the farm, then less than six acres, to her grandson, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr. who sold all but a one-acre lot in April 1999.

Virginia continued to live on the farm in Calvert County, maintaining a small herd of cattle. In the fall of 1989 Franklin, Jr. went to live with her. In 1993, the onset of Alzheimer's Disease required her to move to Serenity Farm and take up residence with her granddaughter A. Theresa. Virginia participated in various studies on Alzheimer's Disease conducted by the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland beginning in 1992. She was profiled in the September 1997 issue of Washingtonian Magazine. In October of 1998 she moved to All American Senior Care in Brandywine, Maryland and in 1999 she moved to Morningside, an elderly care facility in Waldorf, Maryland. In 2002, she moved to St. Mary's Nursing Center in Leonardtown, Maryland. The remainder of the farm was sold in 1999 and 2002. She died January 14, 2010 and was buried at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf.

Adina Mae Via was born April 12, 1937 at the Homeopathic Hospital in Washington, D.C.. Adina grew up in Washington, D.C. attending public schools. She moved with her family to the Burch's Creek farm, Prince George's County, in 1949. She enrolled in the Prince George's County school system, and graduated from Gwynn Park High School in June of 1955. After graduation, she was employed by the USAF at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs.

In July of 1956, she moved with her family to the Via farm in Island Creek, Calvert County. On July 27, 1958 she married Franklin A. Robinson at the Chapel of the Incarnation. They had three children: Franklin Alexander (1959), Robert David (1962) and Adina Theresa (1963). In the fall of 1958, she and Franklin took up residence in the home they had built on Ferndale Farm. She resigned from her position with the USAF in 1959.

On December 14, 1966, at Providence Hospital in Washington, DC, Adina died from complications due to Hodgkin's Disease. She had been battling this disease for many years prior to her death. She was buried in Trinity Memorial Gardens, Charles County.

Related Materials:

Materials at Other Organizations

The Maryland Historical Society holds items (costume, farming related implements) related to the Robinson and Via families.

Separated Materials:

Materials at the National Museum of American History

The Division of Work and Industry (Agriculture Collection) holds agricultural implements and artifacts associated with both the Robinson farms and the Via farm; the Division of Home and Community Life holds clothing, textiles (crib quilt), jewelry, cosmetics and Adina M. Robinson's sewing box and dress patterns; (Costume and Textiles Collection). See accession numbers: 1989.0688, 1990.0394, 1991.0010; 1991.0722, 1992.0184, 1992.0283, 1992.0321, 1992.0474, 1992.3106, 1994.0064, 1994.0304, 1997.0327, 1998.0038, 1998.0129, 2001.0196, 2002.0087, 2003.0015, 2005.0009.

Division of Armed Forces History (now Division of Olitical and Military History, National Numismatics Collection) holds the Robert M. Via Trolley Token Collection.

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History, Archives Center, by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., in November 1993.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but negatives and audiovisuial materials are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Some papers of living persons are restricted. Access to restricted portions may be arranged by request to the donor. Gloves required for unprotected photographs. Viewing film portions of the collection and listening to LP recording requires special appointment. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

The Archives Center does not own exclusive rights to these materials. Copyright for all materials is retained by the donor, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr.; permission for commercial use and/or publication may be requested from the donor through the Archives Center. Military Records for Franklin A. Robinson (b. 1932) and correspondence from Richard I. Damalouji (1961-2014) are restricted; written permission is needed to research these files. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

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Parks -- California  Search this

Rural families  Search this

Tobacco -- Harvesting  Search this

Tobacco -- Storage  Search this

Street-railroads  Search this

Street-railroads -- Employees  Search this

Travel  Search this

Urban transportation  Search this

Work and family  Search this

Tobacco curing  Search this

Women in agriculture  Search this

Farm equipment  Search this

Farm buildings  Search this

Family recreation  Search this

Family festivals  Search this

Farm ownership  Search this

Farm life -- 20th century  Search this

Farm management  Search this

Illiterate persons  Search this

Christmas  Search this

Soldiers  Search this

Students  Search this

Family -- 20th century  Search this

Family farms  Search this

Easter  Search this

Electric railroads  Search this

Acting -- 1980-2000  Search this

Amateur films  Search this

Agricultural machinery  Search this

Agriculture -- 20th century -- Maryland  Search this

Tobacco farmers  Search this

Housewives -- United States  Search this

Weddings  Search this

Farmers  Search this

Dairy farms  Search this

Genre/Form:

Motion pictures (visual works)

Correspondence -- 1930-1950

Photographs -- 20th century

Postcards

Baby books

Phonograph records

Postcard albums

Ephemera

School yearbooks

Diaries

Albums

Housebooks

Photographs -- 19th century

Snapshots

Home movies

Family papers

Scrapbooks

Funeral registers

Architectural drawings

Citation:

The Robinson and Via Family Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Sponsor:

Preservation of the 8mm films in this collection was made possible, in part, by a grant from the National Film Preservation Fund.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0475

See more items in:

Robinson and Via Family Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep86b1972cf-a789-45ec-8f3e-fb780d43456d

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0475

Extent:

15 Film reels

2 Videocassettes (BetacamSP)

1 Videocassettes (VHS)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Film reels

Videocassettes (betacamsp)

Videocassettes (vhs)

Videotapes

Motion pictures (visual works)

Date:

1930-1978

Scope and Contents:

An artificial collection of film and video on various subjects, created for the purpose of controlling the acquisition of single items or small groups of films and videotapes.

Arrangement:

Collection is arranged into one series.

Biographical / Historical:

This artificial collection was created for the purpose of controlling the on-going acquisition of single items or small groups of films and videotapes. Each acquisition is carefully considered for its contribution to the overall strengths of Archives Center and National Museum of American History collections, although each may not warrant the creation of a separate collection identity.

Provenance:

Immediate source of acquisition unknown unless otherwise noted. Artificial collection.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Only reference copies may be used.

Rights:

Reproduction may be restricted due to copyright or trademark. Contact Archives Center staff for more information.

Genre/Form:

Videotapes

Motion pictures (visual works)

Citation:

Archives Center Miscellaneous Film and Videotape Collection, 1930-1978, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0358

See more items in:

Archives Center Miscellaneous Film and Videotape Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8f76b6e2c-c964-4323-aaeb-ff03977568cb

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0358

Extent:

1 Motion picture film (Total Running Time: 03:00., 16mm color silent print, 250 ft. (faded to magenta), BetaCam SP video master)

Container:

Reel AC0358-OF0005

Video MV358.5

Type:

Archival materials

Moving Images

Motion picture films

Date:

1978

Scope and Contents:

A demonstration of a working National Museum of American History automaton filmed by John Hiller in 1978. Reference video available.

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Only reference copies may be used.

Collection Rights:

Reproduction may be restricted due to copyright or trademark. Contact Archives Center staff for more information.

Collection Citation:

Archives Center Miscellaneous Film and Videotape Collection, 1930-1978, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

See more items in:

Archives Center Miscellaneous Film and Videotape Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep82f1868c0-0e9c-446c-9c95-dca1796a1915

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0358-ref20