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Objects We Love: Tea Bowl by Wakao Toshisada

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

Type:: YouTube Videos

Uploaded:: 2020-09-03T13:30:02.000Z

YouTube Category:: Education Search this

Topic:: Art, Asian Search this

See more by:: FreerSackler

Data Source:: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

YouTube Channel:: FreerSackler

EDAN-URL:: edanmdm:yt_X-ZuUKTY1gI

Handi-hour Crafting: Plants

Creator:: Smithsonian American Art Museum Search this

Type:: YouTube Videos

Uploaded:: 2013-06-25T20:32:06.000Z

YouTube Category:: Howto & Style Search this

Topic:: Art, American Search this

See more by:: americanartmuseum

Data Source:: Smithsonian American Art Museum

YouTube Channel:: americanartmuseum

EDAN-URL:: edanmdm:yt_COQsbMg8l_U

Conservation & Exhibition Planning: Material Testing for Design, Display, & Packing - Session 1

Creator:: Smithsonian American Art Museum Search this

Type:: YouTube Videos

Uploaded:: 2016-04-05T16:02:31.000Z

YouTube Category:: Education Search this

Topic:: Art, American Search this

See more by:: americanartmuseum

Data Source:: Smithsonian American Art Museum

YouTube Channel:: americanartmuseum

EDAN-URL:: edanmdm:yt_w2yyde1dBeE

Saul Nesbitt Papers

Creator:: Nesbitt, Saul, 1920-1993 Search this

Names:: Archway Cookies, Inc. Search this; Borden's Farm Products Co. of Illinois Search this; Campbell Soup Company Search this; Cooper-Hewitt Design Archive Search this; Eastman Kodak Company Search this; Florists' Telegraph Delivery Association Search this; Franco American Food Co. Search this; Lever Brothers and Unilever, ltd. Search this; National Distillers and Chemical Corporation Search this; Nesbitt Associates, Ltd. Search this; P. Ballantine & Sons Search this; Philip Morris Incorporated Search this; Revlon, Inc. Search this; Schick (Firm) Search this; Scott Paper Company Search this; Seagram Company Search this

Collector:: Cooper-Hewitt Design Archive Search this

Extent:: 3.5 Cubic feet (11 boxes)

Type:: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Slides; Sketches; Transparencies; Press releases; Correspondence; Photographs; Media lists; Blueprints; Drawings; Clippings; Client lists

Date:: 1951-1984

Scope and Contents:: Background and biographical information consists of Nesbitt's resume, an artist/designer statement, list of clients and accomplishments of Nesbitt Associates, Ltd., press releases, articles, and photographs of the designer.,The materials in this collection document Nesbitt's work from 1951 through 1984.; The records of the office of public relations cover the years 1955-1963 and include press releases and clippings describing some Nesbitt's products, his theories on consumer motivation, and the results of his surveys, as well as correspondence with members of the press. General office correspondence is boxed separately.; Color slides, color and black & white transparencies, and black & white photographs of most of Nesbitt's designs for packaging from 1951-1981 are included. Oversized materials include books jackets and booklets designed by Nesbitt, as well as some renderings for packaging designs done in color.; Three samples of fitted presentation boxes designed by Nesbitt are included, as well as a prototype for a design award for Parsons School of Design in New York, and two "Multiplication" cubes commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Arrangement:: This collection has been reboxed in archivally-sound containers, but the materials have only been partially processed and arranged. Record groups include: 1) Backgound and Biographical Information; 2) Records of the Public Relations Office, 1955-1963; 3) Correspondence; 4) Slides, Transparencies, and Photographs; 5) Oversized Materials; and 6) Samples.

Biographical / Historical:: Packaging, industrial, and graphic designer. Born in New York City, August 10, 1920. Nesbitt was a student of sculptor Chaim Gross and studied art at many New York institutions including: Art Students League; New York University; Columbia University; Pratt Institute of Art; and the New School.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945 where he worked as a cartographer and as the head of the visual aid section in a military intelligence training center. In 1945, he joined the staff of Harper's Bazaar magazine where he was an illustrator assisting art director Alexey Brodovich. In 1946, Nesbitt was hired by the industrial design studio of Raymond Loewy as a handletterer and packaging designer.

He worked with Lippincott Industrial Design from 1948 to 1951. Nesbitt opened his own design studio, Nesbitt Associates, Ltd. in 1951. The firm specialized in package design, trademarks, and corporate identities. Some of his most recognizable designs were for the label for Campbell's Soup and the Florists' Telegraph Delivery (F.T.D.) Winged Mercury 'Interflora' figure, still used today. Nesbitt's other clients included: Franco American; Revlon; Ballantine Beer; Borden; Champion spark plugs; Kodak; Philip Morris cigarettes; Schick razors; and Archway cookies. In addition, Nesbitt developed the "Karry Kit" for Ballantine Beer which came to be widely used and known as the six pack.

Nesbitt was known for his revealing studies and surveys of the buying needs and preferences of the "average American housewife" and consumers in general. His opinions on what he referred to as "underpackaging" were widely publicized in professional magazines and journals. In 1984, Nesbitt retired from the design field and went to California to resume his career as a sculptor until his death in 1993.

Related Materials:: Materials in the Archives Center

NMAH.AC.0367 Campbell Soup Advertising Oral History and Documentation Project

NMAH.AC.0552 Caroline R. Jones Papers

NMAH.AC.0060 Warshaw Collection of Business Americana

NMAH.AC.0939 Revlon, Incorporated Advertising Collection

NMAH.AC.0561 Albert W. Hampson Commercial Artwork Collection

Materials at the Smithsonian Institution

Archives of American Art, Esta Nesbitt Papers, circa 1942-1981

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Archives Collection Management Records, 1989-2006

Provenance:: Collection donated by the designer's wife, Mrs. Saul Nesbitt, in 1994.

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

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

Occupation:: Industrial designers Search this; Packaging designers Search this; Graphic designers Search this

Topic:: Consumers -- Research Search this; Consumers' preferences -- United States Search this; Housewives as consumers Search this; Labels -- Design Search this; Corporate image -- Design Search this; Logos (Symbols) -- Design Search this; Graphic arts -- United States Search this; Design, Industrial -- United States Search this; Packaging -- Design Search this

Genre/Form:: Slides; Sketches; Transparencies; Press releases; Correspondence; Photographs -- 20th century; Media lists; Blueprints; Drawings; Clippings; Client lists

Citation:: Saul Nesbitt Papers, 1951-1984, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:: NMAH.AC.1275

See more items in:: Saul Nesbitt Papers

Archival Repository:: Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:: https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep857e2f039-d3d5-4307-a474-a5e5072e4e74

EDAN-URL:: ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1275

Department of Anthropology records

Creator:: National Museum of Natural History (U.S.). Department of Anthropology Search this; Smithsonian Institution. Department of Anthropology Search this; Smithsonian Institution. United States National Museum. Department of Anthropology Search this

Extent:: 330.25 Linear feet (519 boxes)

Note:: Some materials are held off-site; this will be indicated at the series or sub-series level. Advanced notice must be given to view these portions of the collection.

Type:: Collection descriptions; Archival materials

Date:: 1840s-circa 2015

Summary:: The Department of Anthropology records contain administrative and research materials produced by the department and its members from the time of the Smithsonian Institution's foundation until today.

Scope and Contents:: The Department of Anthropology records contain correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, memoranda, invoices, meeting minutes, fiscal records, annual reports, grant applications, personnel records, receipts, and forms. The topics covered in the materials include collections, exhibits, staff, conservation, acquisitions, loans, storage and office space, administration, operations, research, budgets, security, office procedures, and funding. The materials were created by members of the Section of Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution, the Division of Anthropology of the United States National Museum, the Office of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History, and the Department of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History and range in date from before the founding of the Smithsonian Institution to today. The Department of Anthropology records also contain some materials related to the Bureau of American Ethnology, such as documents from the River Basin Surveys.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.

Arrangement:: This collection is arranged in 28 series: (1) Correspondence, 1902-1908, 1961-1992; (2) Alpha-Subject File, 1828-1963; (3) Alpha-Subject File, 1961-1975; (4) Smithsonian Office of Anthropology Subject Files, 1967-1968; (5) River Basin Survey Files, 1965-1969; (6) Research Statements, Proposals, and Awards, 1961-1977 (bulk 1966-1973); (7) Publication File, 1960-1975; (8) Memoranda and Lists Concerning Condemnations, 1910-1965; (9) Notebook on Special Exhibits, 1951-1952 (10) Section on Animal Industry; (11) Administrative Records, 1891-1974; (12) Administrative Records, 1965-1994 (bulk 1975-1988); (13) Fiscal Records, 1904-1986; (14) Annual Reports, 1920-1983; (15) Chairman's Office Files, 1987-1993; (16) Division of Archaeology, 1828-1965; (17) Division of Ethnology, 1840s, 1860-1972, 1997; (18) Division of Physical Anthropology; (19) Division of Cultural Anthropology, 1920-1968; (20) Records of the Anthropological Laboratory/Anthropology Conservation and Restoration Laboratory, 1939-1973; (21) Collections Management, 1965-1985; (22) Photographs of Specimens and Other Subjects (Processing Laboratory Photographs), 1880s-1950s; (23) Exhibit Labels, Specimen Labels, Catalog Cards, and Miscellaneous Documents, circa 1870-1950; (24) Antiquities Act Permits, 1904-1986; (25) Ancient Technology Program, circa 1966-1981; (26) Urgent Anthropology; (27) Records of the Handbook of North American Indians; (28) Personnel; (29) Repatriation Office, 1991-1994

Administrative History.:: The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846. Although there was no department of anthropology until the creation of the Section of Ethnology in 1879, anthropological materials were part of the Smithsonian's collection from its foundation. The Section of Ethnology was created to care for the rapidly growing collection. In 1881, the United States National Museum was established. Soon thereafter, in 1883, it was broken up into divisions, including the Division of Anthropology. In 1904, Physical Anthropology was added to the Division.

The Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) was created in 1879 as a research unit of the Smithsonian, separating research from collections care. However, during the 1950s, research became a higher priority for the Department of Anthropology and, in 1965, the BAE was merged with the Department of Anthropology to create the Office of Anthropology, and the BAE's archives became the National Anthropological Archives (NAA).

In 1967, the United States National Museum was broken up into three separate museums: the Musuem of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History), the National Museum of American Art, and the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The Office of Anthropology was included in NMNH and was renamed the Department of Anthropology in 1968.

New divisions were added to the Department, including the Human Studies Film Archives (HSFA) in 1981, the Research Institute on Immigration and Ethnic Studies (RIIES) in 1982, and the Repatriation Office in 1993. In 1983, the Smithsonian opened the Museum Support Center (MSC) in Suitland, Maryland, as offsite housing for collections with specialized storage facilities and conservation labs.

The Department of Anthropology is currently the largest department within NMNH. It has three curatorial divisions (Ethnology, Archaeology, and Biological Anthropology) and its staff includes curators, research assistants, program staff, collections specialists, archivists, repatriation tribal liaisons, and administrative specialists. It has a number of outreach and research arms, including the Repatriation Office, Recovering Voices, Human Origins, and the Arctic Studies Center.

The Museum is home to one of the world's largest anthropology collections, with over three million specimens in archaeology, ethnology, and human skeletal biology. The NAA is the Smithsonian's oldest archival repository, with materials that reflect over 150 years of anthropological collecting and fieldwork. The HSFA is the only North American archive devoted exclusively to the collection and preservation of anthropological film and video.

Sources Consulted

National Museum of Natural History. "Department of Anthropology: About" Accessed April 13, 2020. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/anthropology/about

National Museum of Natural History. "History of Anthropology at the Smithsonian." Accessed April 13, 2020. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/media/file/history-anthropology-si.pdf

National Museum of Natural History. "History of the Smithsonian Combined Catalog." Accessed April 13, 2020 https://sirismm.si.edu/siris/sihistory.htm

Chronology

1846 -- The Smithsonian Institution is founded

1879 -- George Catlin bequeaths his collection to the Smithsonian The Section of Ethnology is established to oversee ethnological and archaeological collections The Bureau of Ethnology is established by Congress as a research unit of the Smithsonian

1881 -- The U.S. National Museum (USNM) is established as a separate entity within the Smithsonian Institution

1883 -- The staff and collections of the USNM are reorganized into divisions, including a Division of Anthropology

1897 -- The United States National Museum is reorganized into three departments: Anthropology headed by W. H. Holmes; Biology with F. W. True as head; and Geology with G. P. Merrill in charge The Bureau of Ethnology is renamed the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) to emphasize the geographic limit of its interests

1903 -- The Division of Physical Anthropology established

1904 -- The Division of Physical Anthropology is incorporated into the Division of Anthropology

1910 -- The USNM moves into the new Natural History Building

1965 -- The Smithsonian Office of Anthropology is created on February 1 The BAE is eliminated and merged with the Office of Anthropology

1968 -- The Smithsonian Office of Anthropology (SOA) of the National Museum of Natural History is retitled the Department of Anthropology on October 29

1973 -- The Research Institute on Immigration and Ethnic Studies (RIIES) is established at the National Museum of Natural History's (NMNH) Center for the Study of Man (CSM) to study the waves of immigration to the United States and its overseas outposts that began in the 1960's

1975 -- The National Anthropological Film Center is established

1981 -- The National Anthropological Film Center is incorporated into the Department of Anthropology

1982 -- The RIIES, part of the CSM at the NMNH, is transferred to the Department of Anthropology

1991 -- NMNH establishes a Repatriation Office

1993 -- The Repatriation Office is incorporated into the Department of Anthropology

Head Curators and Department Chairs

1897-1902 -- William Henry Holmes

1902-1903 -- Otis T. Mason (acting)

1904-1908 -- Otis T. Mason

1908-1909 -- Walter Hough (acting)

1910-1920 -- William Henry Holmes

1920-1923 -- Walter Hough (acting)

1923-1935 -- Walter Hough

1935-1960 -- Frank M. Setzler

1960-1962 -- T. Dale Stewart

1963-1965 -- Waldo R. Wedel

1965-1967 -- Richard Woodbury

1967-1970 -- Saul H. Riesenberg

1970-1975 -- Clifford Evans

1975-1980 -- William W. Fitzhugh

1980-1985 -- Douglas H. Ubelaker

1985-1988 -- Adrienne L. Kaeppler

1988-1992 -- Donald J. Ortner

1992-1999 -- Dennis Stanford

1999-2002 -- Carolyn L. Rose

2002-2005 -- William W. Fitzhugh

2005-2010 -- J. Daniel Rogers

2010-2014 -- Mary Jo Arnoldi

2014-2018 -- Torbin Rick

2018- -- Igor Krupnik

Related Materials:: The NAA holds collections of former head curators and department chairs, including the papers of Otis Tufton Mason, Walter Hough, T. Dale Stewart, Waldo Rudolph and Mildred Mott Wedel, Saul H. Riesenberg, Clifford Evans, and Donald J. Ortner; the photographs of Frank Maryl Setzler; and the Richard B. Woodbury collection of drawings of human and animal figures.

Other related collections at the NAA include the papers of Gordon D. Gibson, Eugene I. Knez, and Betty J. Meggers and Clifford Evans; and the records of the Bureau of American Ethnology, the Center for the Study of Man, and the River Basin Surveys.

Provenance:: This collection was transferred to the National Anthropological Archives (NAA) by the National Museum of Natural History's Department of Anthropology in multiple accessions.

Restrictions:: Some materials are restricted.

Access to the Department of Anthropology records requires an appointment.

Rights:: Contact the repository for terms of use.

Topic:: Anthropology Search this; Ethnology Search this; Archaeology Search this

Citation:: Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:: NAA.XXXX.0311

See more items in:: Department of Anthropology records

Archival Repository:: National Anthropological Archives

GUID:: https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3da0f5297-c324-47c1-96dd-171f6edd11b6

EDAN-URL:: ead_collection:sova-naa-xxxx-0311

Skylab Food Heating / Serving Tray Collection

Creator:: United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Search this

Names:: Skylab Program Search this; United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Search this

Extent:: 0.45 Cubic feet ((1 legal document box))

Type:: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Reports; Drawings

Date:: [ca. 1970s]

Scope and Contents:: This collection consists of the NASA Acceptance Data Packages and drawings for Skylab Food Heating / Serving Trays Serial Numbers 4904, 4913 and 4914, as well as material relating to tray Serial Number 4912.

Biographical / Historical:: Skylab was a manned space station launched into Earth orbit by the United States in May 1973. To prepare meals, the Skylab crew placed desired food packages into the food warmer tray. This was the first device capable of heating foods (by means of conduction) during space flight. Foods consisted of products such as ham, chili, mashed potatoes, ice cream, steak, and asparagus.

General:: NASMrev

Provenance:: Collections Management, NASM, Transfer, 1999, 1999-0019, unknown

Restrictions:: No restrictions on access

Rights:: Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests

Topic:: Manned space flight Search this; Space vehicles Search this; Astronautics Search this; Space vehicles -- Equipment and supplies Search this

Genre/Form:: Reports; Drawings

Identifier:: NASM.1999.0019

Archival Repository:: National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:: https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg22dc0fa88-4561-40a7-8e5d-6c8583e7b9fb

EDAN-URL:: ead_collection:sova-nasm-1999-0019

Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation records

Creator:: Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation Search this

Director:: Heye, George G. (George Gustav), 1874-1957 Search this; Dockstader, Frederick J. Search this

Names:: Ford-Bartlett East Greenland Expedition 1930 Search this; Harriman Alaska Expedition (1899) Search this; Hendricks-Hodge Expedition (1917-1923). Search this; Huntington Free Library Search this; Hyde Exploring Expedition (1902-1903) Search this; Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation Search this; Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Search this

Collector:: Barrett, S. A. (Samuel Alfred), 1879-1965 Search this; Churchill, Clara G. Search this; Churchill, Frank C. (Frank Carroll), 1850-1912 Search this; Davis, Edward H., b. 1862 Search this; Emmons, George Thornton Search this; Gridley, Marion E. (Marion Eleanor), 1906-1974 Search this; Harrington, M. R. (Mark Raymond), 1882-1971 Search this; Harvey, Byron Search this; Harvey, Fred Search this; Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956 Search this; Johnson, Frederick, 1904-1994 Search this; Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956 Search this; Lothrop, S. K. (Samuel Kirkland), 1892-1965 Search this; Pepper, George H. (George Hubbard), 1873-1924 Search this; Skinner, Alanson, 1886-1925 Search this; Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950 Search this; Stiles, William F., 1912-1980 Search this; Verrill, A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt), 1871-1954 Search this; Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), 1885-1936 Search this; Wildschut, William Search this

Former owner:: Burnett, Edwin K. Search this; Force, Roland W. Search this

Extent:: 400 Linear feet

Culture:: Indians of North America Search this

Type:: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Administrative records; Photographs; Annual reports; Field notes; Correspondence; Ledgers (account books); Minutes

Date:: 1890-1998

Summary:: These records document the governance and programmatic activities of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation (MAI) from its inception in 1904 until its sublimation by the Smithsonian Institution in 1990. The types of materials present in this collection include personal and institutional correspondence, individual subject files, minutes and annual reports, financial ledgers, legal records, expedition field notes, research notes, catalog and object lists, publications, clippings, flyers, maps, photographs, negatives and audio-visual materials. These materials span a varied range of subjects relating to the activities of the museum which are more fully described on the series level.

Scope and Contents:: These records document the governance and programmatic activities of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation (MAI) from its inception in 1904 until its sublimation by the Smithsonian Institution in 1990. The types of materials present in this collection include personal and institutional correspondence, individual subject files, minutes and annual reports, financial ledgers, legal records, expedition field notes, research notes, catalog and object lists, publications, clippings, flyers, maps, photographs, negatives and audio-visual materials. These materials span a varied range of subjects relating to the activities of the museum which are more fully described on the series level.

Arrangement:: The MAI, Heye Foundation records have been arranged into 21 series and 50 subseries: Series 1: Directors, 1908-1990 (1.1: George Gustav Heye, 1863-1962, 1.2: Edwin K. Burnett, 1943-1960, 1.3: Frederick Dockstader, 1950-1976, 1.4: Alexander F. Draper, 1972-1977, 1.5:Roland W. Force, 1963-1990, 1.6: George Eager, Assistant Director, 1977-1990) Series 2: Board of Trustees, 1916-1990 (2.1: Board of Trustee Minutes, 1916-1990, 2.2: Individual Board Correspondence, 1943-1990, 2.3: Subject Files, 1917-1990) Series 3: Administrative, 1916-1989 (3.1: Subject Files, 1904-1991, 3.2: Personnel, 1956-1991, 3.3: Legal, 1900-1989, 3.4: Task Force, 1976-1986, 3.5: George Abrams, 1980-1991) Series 4: Financial, 1916-1990 (4.1: Ledgers, 1900-1962, 4.2: Correspondence, 1905-1985, 4.3: Subject Files, 1916-1990) Series 5: Expeditions, 1896-1973Series 6: Collectors, 1872-1981Series 7: Registration, 1856-1993Series 8: Collections Management, 1937-1988Series 9: Curatorial, 1963-1990 (9.1: Curatorial Council, 1973-1990, 9.2: Gary Galante, 1979-1991, 9.3: Mary Jane Lenz, 1974-1994, 9.4: James G. E. Smith, 1963-1990, 9.5: U. Vincent Wilcox, 1968-1984, 9.6: Anna C. Roosevelt, 1973-1988) Series 10: Exhibits, 1923-1991 (10.1: MAI Exhibits, 1923-1990, 10.2: Non-MAI Exhibits, 1937-1991) Series 11: Public Programs, 1935-1990Series 12: Publications, 1904-1994 (12.1: Annual Reports, 1917-1989, 12.2: Publications by MAI, 1904-1990, 12.3: Publications by Other Sources, 1881-1990, 12.4: Administration, 1920-1988, 12.5: Archival Set of Official Publications, 1907-1976) Series 13: Public Affairs, 1938-1991Series 14: Development, 1927-1991 (14.1: Administration, 1979-1990, 14.2: Donors, 1978-1990, 14.3: Fundraising, 1973-1990, 14.4: Grants, 1970-1990, 14.5: Subject Files, 1976-1990) Series 15: Other Departments, 1914-1990 (15.1: Archives, 1914-1990, 15.2: Conservation, 1972-1989, 15.3: Education, 1921-1990, 15.4: Indian Information Center, 1977-1989, 15.5: Museum Shop, 1947-1989, 15.6: Photography, 1918-1990, 15.7: Physical Anthropology, 1919-1956) Series 16: Huntington Free Library, 1926-1991Series 17: Museum Relocation, 1969-1992 (17.1: Subject Files, 1979-1990, 17.2: American Museum of Natural History, 1980-1987, 17.3: Dallas, Texas, 1984-1987, 17.4: Smithsonian Institution, 1979-1990, 17.5: U.S. Custom House, 1977-1990, 17.6: Other Locations, 1974-1987) Series 18: MediaSeries 19: PhotographsSeries 20: Miscellaneous, 1837-1990Series 21: Oversize, 1873-1972 (21.1: Maps, 1873-1975, 21.2: Miscellaneous, 1884-1982)

History of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation:: The Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation was established by wealthy collector George Gustav Heye in 1908. Heye began collecting American Indian artifacts as early as 1897 and his collection rapidly increased over the next several years. Based in New York, Heye bought collections and documentary photographs, sponsored expeditions, and traveled and collected items himself. In addition, once MAI was established he sponsored numerous expeditions across the Western Hemisphere, including North American, Canada, South America and Central America.

From 1908 to 1917 Heye housed his artifacts on temporary loan at the University of Pennsylvania's University Museum, Pennsylvania, in lofts on East 33rd Street in New York City, and at other depositories. In 1917, the collections moved from his apartment to their permanent museum location at Audubon Terrace, at 155th Street and Broadway in New York City. The museum, containing ethnographic and archaeological collections from North, Central and South America, opened to the public in 1922. Less than ten years later, Heye completed a storage facility in the Pelham Bay area of the Bronx, known as the Research Branch. Heye served as Chairman of the Board and Museum Director until his death in 1957. After growing concern about the financial and other management of the collections came to a head, the museum became part of the Smithsonian Institution in 1989 and in 1994 opened exhibit space in the U.S. Customs House at Bowling Green near New York City's Battery Park. The Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, Maryland later opened in 1999 and the main Washington, DC museum opened in 2004.

Please visit the following links for more information about the history of the museum; History of the Collection, Collections Overview, and Significance of the Collection. Moreover, for information about how the museum currently cares for and exhibits the collection, please see the Conservation department and recent entries regarding Exhibitions and Conservation on the NMAI Blog. In addition, see portions of the NMAI Archive Center's collections highlighted in the SIRIS Blog.

Related Materials:: In 2004, the Huntington Fee Library, once part of the MAI/Heye Foundation, was transferred to the Cornell University Library Rare Book and Manuscript Collection. While this collection mainly contained books, it also contained a significant amount of archival materials. The Huntington Free Library's Native American Collection contains outstanding materials documenting the history, culture, languages, and arts of the native tribes of both North and South America, as well as contemporary politics and human rights issues are also important components of the collection. Further information about the collection and links to finding aids can be found here: rmc.library.cornell.edu/collections/HFL_old.html.

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

Rights:: Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadcast materials from the collection must be requested from the National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.

Topic:: Excavations (Archaeology) -- Peru Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Tennessee Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- New York (State) Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Panama Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- New Jersey Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- New Mexico Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Missouri Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Nevada Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- California Search this; Indians of South America Search this; Indians of Central America Search this; Pre-Columbian objects Search this; Museum exhibits Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Texas Search this; Museums -- Collection management Search this; Archaeological expeditions Search this; Ethnological expeditions Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) Search this; Museums -- Acquisitions Search this; Museums -- Curatorship Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Cuba Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Ecuador Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Arkansas Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Canada Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Guatemala Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Haiti Search this

Genre/Form:: Administrative records; Photographs; Annual reports; Field notes; Correspondence; Ledgers (account books); Minutes

Citation:: Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation Records, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.