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George Sidney Collection

Collector:
Sidney, George, 1916-2002  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Music, Sports and Entertainment  Search this
Names:
Columbia Pictures  Search this
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer  Search this
Paramount Pictures  Search this
Goodman, Benny (Benjamin David), 1909-1986  Search this
Margret, Ann-, 1941-  Search this
Robinson, Edward G., 1893-1973  Search this
Sidney, George, 1877-1945  Search this
Sidney, Hazel Mooney  Search this
Sidney, Louis K.  Search this
Sullivan, Ed, 1901-1974  Search this
Donor:
Sidney, Corinne Entratter  Search this
Extent:
54 Film reels
96 Cubic feet (288 boxes, 6 oversize folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Film reels
Photographs
Place:
Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Date:
1885-2002
bulk 1940-1967
Summary:
George Sidney (1916-2002) was a film director during the Golden Age of Hollywood filmmaking (1927-1954). He spent the longest period of his career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) until the 1950s. He later produced and directed films for Columbia Pictures and Paramount Pictures. He was a president of the Directors Guild of America and an avid photographer. He was the recipient of three awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscar). The collection consists of photographs, photographic negatives, personal and business materials, and film. The collection also contains material created by George Sidney's uncle, George Sidney, vaudevillian and motion picture actor.
Scope and Contents:
The George Sidney Collection consists of approximately eighty-eight cubic feet of photographs and materials from the Hollywood director George Sidney, most dealing with his career in motion pictures. Sidney was an avid photographer and collector of photographs documenting extremely well the Hollywood film community during the Studio Era (1927-1954) of filmmaking. The bulk of the collection is from Sidney's most productive years, circa 1937-1968.

MGM's motto was "More Stars than there are in Heaven" and the researcher would be advised that the extent of this collection is such that it is impossible to list and identify all of the celebrities and personalities photographed, both behind and in front of the camera. There are stills from Sidney's many productions as well as his on-set personal photographs. There are photographs from dinner parties, and many studio and film community functions. Productions are dated to their generally accepted first theatrical release date (Los Angeles and New York) and in the case of a Broadway show to their opening date.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into six series.

Series 1: Photographs, Photographic Negatives, and Slides, 1914-1996, undated.

Subseries 1.1: The Camera Eye of George Sidney, undated.

Subseries 1.2: Productions (Motion Picture, Stage, and Radio), 1921-1968. Subseries 1.3: Personalities and People, 1932-1996, undated.

Subseries 1.4: Personal and Family, 1914-1992, undated.

Subseries 1.5: Family Photograph Albums and Scrapbooks, 1918-1950, undated.

Subseries 1.6: Travel and Locations, 1940-1981, undated.

Subseries 1.7: Studio, Entertainment, and Public Events, 1949-1995, undated.

Subseries 1.8: Tests, 1938-1967, undated.

Subseries 1.9: Photographic Negatives, 1937-1979, undated

Series 2: Production Ephemera, Posters, Scripts, 1930-1991, undated.

Subseries 2.1: Production Posters, 1943-1964, undated

Subseries 2.2: Production Ephemera and Scripts, 1930-1991, undated

Series 3: Office Files and Personal Material, 1903-2002, undated

Subseries 3.1: Personal Material, 1944-2002, undated

Subseries 3.2: Correspondence, Random Files, Indices, and Inventories, 1903-2002, undated

Series 4: Music Manuscripts, Sheet Music, and Music Related Material, 1885-1992, undated

Subseries 4.1: Music Manuscripts, 1937-1960, undated

Subseries 4.2: Sheet Music, 1885-1990

Subseries 4.3: Music Related Material, 1971-1992, undated

Series 5: Audiovisual, 1933-2001, undated

Subseries 5.1: Film, 1940-1960, undated

Subseries 5.2: Audio, 1933-2001, undated

Subseries 5.3: Video, 1989-2001, undated

Series 6: George Sidney (1877-1945), 1909-1945, undated
Biographical / Historical:
George E. Sidney was born in New York, New York on October 4th, 1916 into a show business family. His father Louis K. Sidney (birth surname Kronowith) (1891-1958) was a Broadway producer, actor-manager, and one of the vice-presidents of Loew's Incorporated. Sidney's mother, Hazael Mooney (?-1969), was a vaudeville performer, part of a sister act known as The Mooney Sisters. She was a native New Yorker, daughter of prominent New York City attorney Henry Mooney. She and Louis were married at her home, 12 West 109th Street, New York. Another residence was 179 West 63rd Street.

Louis K. Sidney began working for Loew's Incorporated in 1923. He managed theatres in Denver, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Dayton, and New York. Later he was in charge of stage productions for the theatre circuit. He was in charge of MGM's East Coast film production facility in New York. He and Hazael followed son George to Los Angeles in 1937. Louis produced two motion pictures at MGM, The Big Store with the Marx Brothers and Hullabaloo. After February 1951, he was a member of the four man executive committee in charge of MGM. At his retirement in 1955, Louis K. had risen to the position of vice-president of Loew's, Incorporated. He served as vice-president and director of the Motion Picture Producers Association, as a director of the Motion Picture Relief Fund, and the Hollywood Coordinating Committee.

George Sidney had two uncles in show business, Jack Sidney, known as "Jack of Spades" a black-face comedian, and Sidney's half-uncle, George Sidney (1877-1945) (real name Samuel Greenfield), a vaudeville comic. George had a successful Broadway and screen career, most notably as the bum, Busy Izzy, a character that lasted on the vaudeville circuit from 1901-1915. His initial Broadway success was in a show entitled Welcome Stranger that ran for 309 performances. Welcome Stranger had an extensive touring schedule across the United States. In conjunction with Charlie Murray, he developed a comedy act known as Cohen and Kelly that was not only a vaudeville success but easily made the transition to motion pictures. The Cohens and Kellys films became a motion picture franchise for Universal Studios in 1924. He was married to Carrie Weber (?-1940). George was a member of the Friars Club and an avid sports fan. He owned a racehorse named Kibbitzer.

George Sidney made his on-screen debut in The Littlest Cowboy (1921) starring Tom Mix. He moved to Los Angeles in 1930. Sidney went to work as a messenger at MGM. Louis B. Mayer's nickname for Sidney was "boy". Sidney flourished at the studio and by the time he was twenty he was directing screen tests and one-reel shorts. He directed installments in the Our Gang and Little Rascals series, as well as the Pete Smith and the Crime Does Not Pay series. He won back-to-back Oscars for two of his shorts, Quicker'n a Wink (1940) and Of Pups and Puzzles (1941). His feature film directing debut was Free and Easy (1941) starring Robert Cummings. His first major film musical was the all-star, war time musical, Thousands Cheer (1943), starring Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly. Sidney always indicated he viewed films as entertainment and seems to have rejected the auteur theory of directing embraced by some of his well known colleagues such as John Ford and Vincent Minnelli. His film, The Three Musketeers (1948), starring Gene Kelly and Lana Turner, was one of MGM's highest grossing films in the post World War Two period. He won his third Oscar for the short, Overture to 'The Merry Wives of Windsor, in 1954. Jupiter's Darling (1955) with Esther Williams was Sidney's last film for MGM. He was loaned to Columbia Pictures to direct The Eddy Duchin Story (1956), after which his contract at MGM ended.

Sidney went on to become an independent producer and director at Columbia Pictures where he directed such films as Pal Joey (1957), starring Frank Sinatra, and Bye Bye Birdie (1963) starring Ann-Margret. He returned to MGM in the 1960s to make A Ticklish Affair (1963), starring Shirley Jones and Viva Las Vegas (1964), starring Ann-Margret and Elvis Presley. His last film was the musical Half a Sixpence (1967) starring Tommy Steele for Paramount Pictures. Sidney also directed and produced for television most notably Who Has Seen the Wind (1964). He financed and founded Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1944. He was a two-term president, 1951-1959 and 1961-1967, of the Directors Guild of America (DGA), earlier known as the Screen Directors Guild (SDG).

In his personal life, Sidney was married in 1942 to legendary MGM drama coach, Lillian "Burnsie" Burns Salzer (1903-1998). He was eight years her junior. They lived at the Sidney home (1140 Tower Road) in Beverly Hills. They divorced in the mid 1970s. For a brief time Sidney maintained a penthouse apartment for George Sidney Productions at 144 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills. He maintained a suite (301) in the Palm Wilshire Building, 9201 Wilshire Boulevard in the 1970s. He married his second wife, Jane Adler Robinson (?-1991), second wife and widow of actor Edward G. Robinson (1893-1974), around 1978. The house at 1140 Tower Road was sold and Sidney moved to the Robinson home at 910 Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills. Sidney married his third wife, Corinne Kegley Entratter (1937-?), widow of showman and Las Vegas entrepreneur John Entratter, in 1991. Sidney was a prolific photographer. He collected art and was apparently an avid gardener. He was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society. He died in Las Vegas, Nevada in May 2002.
Related Materials:
The Harry Warren Collection, AC0750

The Groucho Marx Collection, AC0269

Sidney related artifacts from Sidney's films are housed in the Division of Culture and the Arts, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian. There are scrapbooks donated by the Sidney Estate in the collection of the Cinema-Television Library, Doheny Library, University of Southern California, consisting of eleven volumes containing photographs, correspondence, publicity documents, and other materials, circa 1933-1963.
Provenance:
This collection was donated to the Archives Center in 2005 by Corinne Entratter Sidney, widow of George Sidney.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site. Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with cotton gloves. Researchers may 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 and as resources allow.

Viewing film portions of the collection requires special appointment, please inquire; listening to LP recordings is only possible by special arrangement.

Special arrangements required to view materials in cold storage. Using cold room materials requires a three hour waiting period.

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. All requests for permission to use these materials for non-museum purposes must be addressed directly to the Archives Center, and the Archives Center will forward the request to the copyright holder. Collection items are available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use.
Topic:
Motion picture production and direction  Search this
Motion picture producers and directors  Search this
Motion pictures  Search this
Vaudeville  Search this
Musicals  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century
Citation:
George Sidney Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, gift of Corinne Entratter Sidney
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0867
See more items in:
George Sidney Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep878cc8f7c-849a-43d0-8ca9-4149e7f39a74
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0867
Online Media:

Chevalier Jackson Papers

Creator:
Jackson, Chevalier, Dr., 1865-1958 (physician)  Search this
Names:
Jefferson Medical College.  Search this
Temple University.  Search this
University of Pennsylvania  Search this
University of Pittsburgh.  Search this
University of Western Pennsylvania.  Search this
Western Medical College.  Search this
Women's College of Pennsylvania.  Search this
Foster, Gilmore  Search this
Jackson, William Stanford  Search this
Mackenzie, Morell  Search this
Morage, Katherine Ann  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Medical Sciences  Search this
Extent:
3 Cubic feet (8 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Legal documents
Clippings
Biographies
Autobiographies
Books
Photographs
Correspondence
Personal papers
Place:
Philadelphia (Pa.)
Date:
1883-1955
Summary:
Collection documents Chevalier Jackson, a physician and an American pioneer in the field of endoscopy.
Scope and Contents:
The Jackson papers include autobiographical notes, a draft of a brief biography for the National Cyclopedia of America Biography, some business papers among which are correspondence relating to a mill and to repairs to a dam, several legal papers including those concerned with real estate mortgages, and letters to and from Mrs. Jackson and household servants.

There are mementos such as dried flowers, family snapshots, final notes from Dr. Jackson to his wife, advising her of actions to be taken upon his death, and drafts of his obituary. There are a number of photographs, and negatives, primarily of Dr. Jackson.

The articles, reports and reprints are primarily by Dr. Jackson but include a few by or with his son and a few by other physicians. The papers include proofs and color proofs of equipment and procedures relating to Jackson publications and four books, one of which is by Dr. Jackson.

The material, most of which is relatively recent, is in good condition. Some of the notes are in pencil but are legible.

In addition to the papers in the Archives Center, the Division of Medical Sciences has a large number of surgical instruments including Dr. Jackson's bronchoscopes, esophagoscopes, laryngoscopes and microscopes, awards and medals, items of furniture from Dr. Jackson's study and oil paintings by him. The list of instruments is seven single-spaced pages. There are many Chevalier Jackson papers and memorabilia in the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, the Library and Museum of the College of Physicians, Philadelphia and the Library of Temple University.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into nine series.

Series 1: Personal Papers

Series 2: Correspondence

Series 3: Legal Papers (including mortgages)

Series 4: Newsclippings, Articles and Book Reviews

Series 5: Photographs

Series 6: Chronological Journal

Series 7: Reports and Reprints

Series 8: Illustrations and Proofs

Series 9: Books
Biographical / Historical:
Chevalier Jackson, a physician and an American pioneer in the field of endoscopy, was born November 14, 1865 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and died August 16, 1958 in Philadelphia. His father, William Stanford Jackson, was a stock raiser and veterinarian. His mother was Katherine Ann Morage. Family financial reverses forced a move to Crafton, Pennsylvania, a working class community. Young Chevalier was not readily accepted by his classmates and seemed to have had a difficult time during his school years there. Money earned by decorating glass and pottery enabled Chevalier Jackson to attend the University of Western Pennsylvania (University of Pittsburgh) from 1878 to 1882. He then apprenticed himself to a local physician, Gilmore Foster. Continuing to paint china at night he earned enough to enroll at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1884, from which he graduated in 1886. During vacations he sold medical books and served as a cook on a fishing boat. Following his graduation from Jefferson Dr. Jackson went to England to pursue his interest in laryngology under a world-famous authority, Morell Mackenzie.

Upon his return to Pittsburgh, Dr. Jackson opened an office limited to the practice of laryngology. His patients were mostly indigent and income from the practice was limited. In 1890 he devised an instrument to remove a dental plate that a patient had swallowed. The news of this meant referral of other patients with similar problems that caused obstruction of the esophagus, including blockages in children from swallowing lye. From that time on Dr. Jackson carried on an unremitting campaign to have lye bottles labeled as poison, until in 1927 Congress passed the Federal Caustic Labeling Act.

On July 9, 1899, Chevalier Jackson and Alice Bennett White were married. They had one child, Chevalier Lawrence Jackson, who also became a surgeon. In the year of his marriage, Dr. Jackson developed a bronchoscope that could be passed through the larynx to visualize the bronchi. He became chief of laryngology at Western Medical College in 1900. In 1902 he adapted a suggestion of placing a light carrier at the far ends of the scopes used in bronchscopy and esophagoscopy, thus making those procedures relatively safe. He and a machinist friend built the instruments in the friend's shop in Pittsburgh.

Dr. Jackson developed tuberculosis in 1911. He spent the two years of convalescence writing an important text book, Peroral Endoscopy and Laryngeal Surgery, published in 1915, the year he was made head of the Department of Laryngology at Jefferson Medical College. Appointments at the Graduate School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania followed, and his 1930 appointment to the faculty at Temple meant that Chevalier Jackson held simultaneous appointments at five Philadelphia schools. He later relinquished all appointments except the chair at Temple from which he retired in 1938 to be succeeded by his son, Chevalier Lawrence Jackson. From 1935 to 1941 Chevalier Jackson was president of the Women's College of Pennsylvania. An early advocate of equal rights, he championed the role of women in medicine.

During his noted career Dr. Jackson wrote 250 papers, twelve text books, chapters in a number of other books, and an autobiography (1938). He was somewhat eccentric. He protected his hands by wearing silk gloves, even in summer, turned doorknobs by placing his hand in his coat pocket, preferred bowing to shaking hands, and developed a reputation for social aloofness.
Materials at the National Museum of American History:
The Division of Medicine and Science has surgical instruments, awards, medals, furniture, and oil paintings owned by Chevalier Jackson. See accession numbers are 300428.338 through .343.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Mrs. Joan Bugbee (a granddaughter of Dr. Jackson), date unknown.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but a portion of the collection 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:
Surgeons  Search this
Topic:
Laryngoscopy  Search this
Esophagus  Search this
Esophagoscopy  Search this
Endoscopy  Search this
Bronchoscopy  Search this
Physicians  Search this
Genre/Form:
Legal documents
Clippings
Biographies
Autobiographies
Books
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century
Correspondence -- 1930-1950
Personal papers
Citation:
Chevalier Jackson Papers, 1883-1960, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0023
See more items in:
Chevalier Jackson Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep871f2b21c-4046-40e6-a5e0-d03dcb692614
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0023
Online Media:

Northern Pacific Railway Photoprints

Sponsor:
Northern Pacific Railway Company  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.16 Cubic feet (1 box )
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
1881-1949
Summary:
The collection consists of photoprints documenting the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway.
Scope and Contents:
Two hundred fifteen silver gelatin photoprints documenting the construction of the Northern Pacific Railway. Images depcit the Takoma Shops, Marent Gulch Viaduct, Howe trusses, trestle work, iron Pratt trusses, plate girders, coal bunkers, the Stampede Tuunnel, Bozeman Tunnel, turntables, and the Bismarck, North Dakota Missouri River Bridge.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Founded in 1864, the Northern Pacific Railway originated in Minnesota and operated in the states bordering Canada, also serving cities in British Columbia and Manitoba.
Provenance:
Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
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.
Topic:
Railroads  Search this
Bridges  Search this
Railroad bridges  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century
Citation:
Northern Pacific Railway Photographs, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1067
See more items in:
Northern Pacific Railway Photoprints
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8760c62d7-812a-4985-b00a-13039ebfdff0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1067

Berlin Construction Company Records

Creator:
Darnell, Victor C.  Search this
Berlin Iron Bridge Company (East Berlin, Conn.).  Search this
Berlin Construction Company (East Berlin, Conn.)  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
2 Cubic feet (1 box, 5 oversize folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Blueprints
Photograph albums
Photographs
Date:
1890-1953
Scope and Contents note:
Blueprints and plans for facilities built by the company, including coal-handling bridges, coal unloading towers, dock trestles, and coal-handling plants and two photograph albums from the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, East Berlin, Connecticut. The images in one of the albums are mostly of factory scenes. The other album contains mostly images of bridges throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and elsewhere in New England. The collection also contains blueprints and plans for facilities built by the company, including coal-handling bridges, coal unloading towers, dock trestles, and coal-handling plants.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into one series.
Provenance:
Gifts of Victor C. Darnell, 1981 and 1986.
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.
Topic:
Bridges  Search this
Building  Search this
Coal  Search this
Factories  Search this
Genre/Form:
Blueprints -- 20th century
Photograph albums -- 20th century
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 20th century
Citation:
Berlin Construction Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1032
See more items in:
Berlin Construction Company Records
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep829ca5061-b334-4e90-847d-bf747421ab59
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1032

Quebec Bridge Photograph Collection

Donor:
Enterline, Stevenson  Search this
Eney, William J.  Search this
Creator:
Quebec Bridge Company.  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of History of Technology  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.5 Cubic feet (3 boxes, 1 map folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Postcards
Photographs
Place:
Canada
Quebec
Date:
1905-1986
bulk 1905-1916
Summary:
The collection documents the construction of the first and second Quebec Bridges over the St. Lawrence River. Construction on the first bridge began in 1900 and the bridge collapsed before completion in 1907. Construction on the second Quebec Bridge, which is the longest cantilever bridge in the world, was completed in 1917.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents the construction of the first and second Quebec Bridges over the St. Lawrence River primarily through photographs. The collection is arranged into two series: Series 1, Photographic Materials, 1905-1965 and Series 2, Other Materials, 1916-1986.

Series 1, Photographic Materials, 1905-1965, is divided into two subseries: Subseries 1.1, Photographs, 1907-1965 and Subseries 1.2, Photograph Album, 1905. The black-and-white photographs primarily document the construction of the second Quebec Bridge, 1907-1917. Many of these photographs were taken in a workshop where the production of the bridge parts and building materials occurred. One picture, marked number 24, is of the Prime Minister of Canada, Robert Borden, attending the construction site in October 1913. This series also contains photographs of the 1907 bridge collapse and pictures taken in 1965 of the current second bridge. Subseries 2, Photograph Album, 1905, documents the construction of the first Quebec cantilever bridge. The album contains mounted black-and-white photographs taken between May 12 and November 23, 1905.

Series 2, Other Materials, 1916-1986, consists of newspaper articles and postcards. The newspaper articles detail the 1916 construction accident on the second Quebec bridge; one 1917 article about the bridge; and one 1986 article about the 1907 collapse of the first bridge. There are three postcards, both black-and-white and color, of the Quebec Bridge.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1, Photographic Materials, 1905-1965

Subseries 1, Photographs, 1907-1965

Subseries 2, Photograph Album, 1905

Series 2, Other Materials, 1916-1986
Biographical / Historical:
The first Quebec Bridge was built over the St. Lawrence River in order to connect important railroad lines.[1] This bridge collapsed on August 29, 1907, killing 79 men.[2] The engineers for the second bridge were Maurice Fitzmaurice, H.E. Vautelet, and Ralph Modjeska.[3]

Notes: [1] "Bridge of 1,800-FT. Span Across the St. Lawrence," Popular Mechanics Vol. 8, No. 12 December 1906

[2]"Wrecked Quebec Bridge to be Recommended"[3] "Wrecked Quebec Bridge to be Recommended"
Provenance:
Originally collected for the Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering's reference collections; exact date and source of acquisition unknown.
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. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: reproduction fees may apply.
Topic:
Bridges -- Design and construction  Search this
Bridges -- Canada  Search this
Bridge failures  Search this
Bridges -- Quebec  Search this
Rivers -- Quebec  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums -- 20th century
Postcards -- 1900-1920
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Citation:
Quebec Bridge Photograph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1026
See more items in:
Quebec Bridge Photograph Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep87b51becf-1e0e-417b-80c4-79ab4bdf13b0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1026
Online Media:

A.R. Van Tassell Photograph Albums

Creator:
Van Tassell, A.R.  Search this
Jackson, Paul  Search this
Former owner:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Engineering and Industry  Search this
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Work and Industry  Search this
Extent:
0.3 Cubic feet (1 box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Photographs
Place:
Mexico
Hawaii
Havana (Cuba)
Hawaii -- Oahu -- Honolulu
Cuba -- Havana
Cuba
Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii.)
Honolulu (Hawaii)
Hilo (Hawaii)
Panama Canal (Panama)
Panama
Date:
1900-1956.
Summary:
Photograph album documenting the work and life of A.R. Van Tassell, an engineer who worked on structures in Hawaii as well as the Panama Canal.
Scope and Contents note:
The collection consists of two photograph albums documenting A.R. Van Tassell's engineering career and family life. The first album includes photographs that begin in 1900 and include images of buildings, structures, ships, harbors, a sugar factory, the Kilauea Volcano, mills, and the "Rainbow Bridge" near Hilo, which Van Tassell was involved in building. Other images feature Van Tassell's friends and family, as well as his wedding trip to Laredo, Texas. The album also contains photographs from Mexico City, Havana, and various travels in the United States. Van Tassell has included tickets from bull fights and musical programs in Mexico City. The photographs are captioned and dated. Three loose postcards found in this album have been placed in a folder. The second, smaller album consists of photographs taken of the Panama Canal.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in one series.

Series 1, Photograph Albums, 1900-1956
Biographical/Historical note:
In 1900, A.R. Van Tassell took his first engineering job in Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of seventeen. In 1902, he went to Mexico City to help build the Central Post Office. He also worked on the Panama Canal and was employed as an engineer during the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. He was married at least twice and had one daughter, Janet.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center

W. P. Stine Panama Canal Papers (NMAH.AC.1039)

John Frances Little Panama Canal Scrapbook Photograph Albums (NMAH.AC.0708)

Katherine Kingsford Panama Canal Photograph Album (NMAH.AC.1040)
Provenance:
This collection was donated to the National Museum of American History's Division of Engineering and Industry by Paul Jackson, 1987.
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.
Topic:
Hawaii -- Hawaii -- Hilo  Search this
Engineers  Search this
Harbors -- Hawaii  Search this
Harbors -- Cuba  Search this
Bullfights -- Mexico  Search this
Canals -- Panama  Search this
Castles -- Cuba  Search this
Bridges -- Hawaii  Search this
Sugar -- Hawaii  Search this
Sugar -- Cuba  Search this
Pyramids -- Mexico  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums -- 20th century
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 20th century
Citation:
A.R. Van Tassell Photograph Album, 1900-1956, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1015
See more items in:
A.R. Van Tassell Photograph Albums
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8541cabd1-b1ec-4bcb-9dc5-01a6a22348c9
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1015
Online Media:

Edith Youdale Lee Scrapbook

Names:
Bristol School (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Fairmont Seminary (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
United States Naval Academy  Search this
Donor:
Jarvis, Carol  Search this
Extent:
1 Cubic foot (3 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Calling cards
Correspondence
Dance cards
Drawings
Greeting cards
Menus
Newsletters
Paintings
Photographs
Postcards
Programs
Report cards
Telegrams
Tickets
Scrapbooks
Date:
1912-1940, undated
Summary:
Collection contains a scrapbook that details the experiences and correspondence of Edith Lee, a student at Fairmount Seminary in the 1910s in Washington, DC.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the loose pages and covers of the scrapbook Lee created using materials from her time at Fairmount seminary and is extremely fragile. The pages are not in chronological order, but for the most part have materials from 1912 to 1916. The scrapbook is annotated by Lee and filled with her drawings. It contains a wide range of correspondence, including telegrams and letters, photographs, postcards, watercolor paintings and other drawings, dance cards (including a metal bangle with a dance list), ribbons and other textiles, and a variety of three-dimensional objects. There are cartoons and fashion sketches, as well as watercolor paintings that she made. The scrapbook mainly focuses on recording the events Lee attended and messages she received, though there are many photographs of her and her friends in casual and costume dress. It includes photographs of Rock Creek Park in D.C. It includes tickets and a program for a women's suffrage march held in 1913 in D.C. There is also a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) pamphlet. The scrapbook offers a look at society practices between women in Washington at the time.

Although limited, the scrapbook does have information on Fairmount Seminary itself, mostly relating to its teachers. Assistant Principal Judith Steele is noted most often, and the scrapbook includes an image of her. It also has several programs and booklets pertaining to the Naval Academy, including copies of the Log of the US Navy. It also has programs and invitations for Winter Hops and Middies Dances held at the academy. It contains materials from Triple 6 fraternity's Christmas balls. It also contains Lee's short correspondence with John Sharp Williams, a Representative from Tennessee. The collection may be useful for research on girls' education in the early 20th century or the history of Washington, D.C. It may also be useful in the study of the history of the Navy Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

The scrapbook is in poor condition as many of the pages are brittle, torn, and unable to support the weight of the objects attached. The pages are no longer bounded to the covers of the scrapbook. Scrapbook pages have been interleaved with paper to prevent the tranfer of acid from newspaper clippings, telegrams, etc. The scrapbook is also housed into two boxes to better manage the weight of the object. Researchers should handle the book with extreme caution and care.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
This scrapbook belonged to Edith Youdale Lee and chronicles the time she spent at Fairmount Seminary in Washington, D.C. The Fairmont Seminary was more customarily known as the Bristol School, named in 1904 for its founder, Alice A. Bristol . It was an Episcopal school for girls, offering two years worth of college work preparatory to college. It was located in Northwest Washington, and ceased operation in the 1940s. The school operated from around 1900 to 1920 and the building was eventually torn down in 1927. For most of its life, the seminary was headed by Arthur Ramsay. Several influential figures spoke at the seminary during Edith's time, including Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan and eugenicist David Starr Jordan. The seminary offered women diplomas and certificates, with focus on literature, music, art, and some mathematics. It advertised itself as a "city school with country sports" where students would take trips into outdoor areas in Washington D.C. It also appears to have some loose connection to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, as Fairmount students frequently attended dances and events at the academy. Fairmount hosted students from across the South, Northeast, and Midwest, as well as the odd student from California.

Edith Youdale Lee (later Brown) was born in 1898 in Memphis, Tennessee to Anna Youdale Lee (1860-?) and Robert Edward Lee. Her father died shortly after her birth in 1900. She was the youngest of three siblings, and her oldest brother Everett Dean Lee was involved in the cotton linting business. Her sister Louise (1887-1952) married Wilkie C. Thacker (1890-1956). She and her mother, Anna, lived in several locations in Memphis but spent extended time living in the Gayoso Hotel. Her mother is listed as the head of household for much of Edith's young life, and they were wealthy enough to employ a servant. In 1912, she began studying at Fairmount Seminary, where she graduated with a certificate in 1916. She met her future husband Midshipman Leon Fredrick Brown (1895-?) while living in D.C. They were married in 1917 and had a daughter, Edith, in 1918. Brown remained in the Navy for some time, before the family moved to Los Angeles, CA, where he worked for an insurance company. Information on Edith herself is unfortunately limited.
Related Materials:
Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Archives Center Scrapbook Collection, NMAH.AC.0468

Celia K. Erskine Scrapbook of Valentines, Advertising Cards, and Postcards, NMAH.AC.0136
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives Center in 2017 by Carol Jarvis, who acquired it from a family member, who acquired it from a thrift store.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Women -- Education  Search this
Genre/Form:
Calling cards
Correspondence -- 20th century
Dance cards
Drawings
Greeting cards
Menus
Newsletters
Paintings
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- 20th century
Postcards
Programs
Report cards
Telegrams
Tickets
Telegrams
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Edith Youdale Lee Scrapbook, 1912-1940, undated, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1415
See more items in:
Edith Youdale Lee Scrapbook
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8d8a2befd-711e-442b-8881-0cce1b3aa08c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1415

[Tayoltita mine, Durango, Mexico : black-and-white photoprint]

Photographer:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Collection Creator:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Hertzberg, Suzanne  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (8-1/4" x 9-5/8".)
Type:
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographic prints
Place:
Tayoltita (Durango, Mexico)
Durango (Mexico : State)
Mexico
Date:
[1941.]
Scope and Contents:
The Tayoltita mine in Durango, acquired by American mining magnate William Randolph Hearst in the 1880's, was one of the richest gold and silver mines in the world. By the time of this 1941 photograph, it had been updated with the most modern equipment.
Arrangement:
Box No. 4.
Local Numbers:
AC0944-0000002.tif (AC Scan No.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by donor. Written permission required prior to obtaining reproductions. Consult with Archives Center staff for contact information. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Gold Mines  Search this
Silver Mines  Search this
Mining -- 20th century -- Photographs  Search this
Genre/Form:
Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Collection Citation:
Katherine Joseph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Katherine Joseph Papers
Katherine Joseph Papers / Series 3: Photographic Prints / 3.3: Mexico / Mexico (Tayoltita)
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8653e4b9d-cd21-47b4-b8d7-25d22dd948ee
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0944-ref568

[Mexican stage performers dancing : black-and-white photoprint]

Photographer:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Collection Creator:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Hertzberg, Suzanne  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (10" x 8".)
Culture:
Mexicans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographic prints
Place:
Mexico -- 20th century
Date:
[1941.]
Scope and Contents:
Male and female dancer.
Arrangement:
Box No. 4.
Local Numbers:
AC0944-0000003.tif (AC Scan No.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by donor. Written permission required prior to obtaining reproductions. Consult with Archives Center staff for contact information. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Dancers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Collection Citation:
Katherine Joseph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Katherine Joseph Papers
Katherine Joseph Papers / Series 3: Photographic Prints / 3.4: Subjects / Stage performers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8960b7d6a-801f-49e0-8744-eed2cc344d5f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0944-ref569

[Palm Sunday, Mexico : black-and-white photoprint]

Photographer:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Collection Creator:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Hertzberg, Suzanne  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (7-7/8" x 10".)
Culture:
Mexicans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographic prints
Place:
Mexico -- 20th century
Date:
1941
Scope and Contents:
Men and women holding palms.
Arrangement:
Box No. 5.
Local Numbers:
AC0944-0000004.tif (AC Scan No.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by donor. Written permission required prior to obtaining reproductions. Consult with Archives Center staff for contact information. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Palms  Search this
Christian holy days -- Mexico  Search this
Holy days  Search this
Rites and ceremonies  Search this
Palm Sunday  Search this
Genre/Form:
Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Collection Citation:
Katherine Joseph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Katherine Joseph Papers
Katherine Joseph Papers / Series 3: Photographic Prints / 3.3: Mexico / Mexico (Palm Sunday)
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a3e659a4-076a-4b4b-bf33-1733b282086e
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0944-ref570

[Truck and street, showing earthquake damage to buildings in Colima, Mexico : black-and-white photoprint]

Photographer:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Collection Creator:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Hertzberg, Suzanne  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (7-7/8" x 10".)
Culture:
Mexicans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographic prints
Place:
Colima (Mexico)
Mexico -- 20th century
Date:
1932
Arrangement:
Box No. 5.
Local Numbers:
AC0944-0000066.tif (AC Scan No.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by donor. Written permission required prior to obtaining reproductions. Consult with Archives Center staff for contact information. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Earthquake damage  Search this
Trucks -- 20th century -- Photographs  Search this
Earthquakes  Search this
Genre/Form:
Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Collection Citation:
Katherine Joseph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Katherine Joseph Papers
Katherine Joseph Papers / Series 3: Photographic Prints / 3.3: Mexico / Mexico (earthquake)
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8611e76db-4013-4891-8024-ad2abce08a22
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0944-ref572

[Needlework, Mexico : black-and-white photoprint]

Photographer:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Collection Creator:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Hertzberg, Suzanne  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (7-7/8" x 10".)
Culture:
Mexicans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographic prints
Place:
Mexico -- 20th century
Date:
1941
Scope and Contents:
Three young women sewing outdoors, with church towers in background.
Arrangement:
Box No. 5.
Local Numbers:
AC0944-0000073.tif (AC Scan No.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by donor. Written permission required prior to obtaining reproductions. Consult with Archives Center staff for contact information. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Church buildings -- Mexico  Search this
Sewing  Search this
Needlework  Search this
Genre/Form:
Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Collection Citation:
Katherine Joseph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Katherine Joseph Papers
Katherine Joseph Papers / Series 3: Photographic Prints / 3.3: Mexico / Mexico (market scenes)
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep851d3c0fe-33f1-4f00-9b48-53c0b92dbd37
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0944-ref573

[Going uphill, Mexico : black-and-white photoprint]

Photographer:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Collection Creator:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Hertzberg, Suzanne  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (7-7/8" x 10".)
Culture:
Mexicans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographic prints
Place:
Mexico -- 20th century
Date:
1941
Arrangement:
Box No. 5.
Local Numbers:
AC0944-0000074.tif (AC Scan No.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by donor. Written permission required prior to obtaining reproductions. Consult with Archives Center staff for contact information. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Genre/Form:
Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Collection Citation:
Katherine Joseph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Katherine Joseph Papers
Katherine Joseph Papers / Series 3: Photographic Prints / 3.3: Mexico / Mexico (market scenes)
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8d40a72fb-cf49-4912-a4d7-65c49aab6959
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0944-ref574

Market Day: A Family Affair, Tamazunchale, Mexico [black-and-white photoprint]

Photographer:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Collection Creator:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Hertzberg, Suzanne  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (7-7/8" x 10".)
Culture:
Mexicans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographic prints
Place:
Tamazunchale (Mexico)
Mexico -- 20th century
Date:
1941
Arrangement:
Box No. 5.
Local Numbers:
AC0944-0000076.tif (AC Scan No.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by donor. Written permission required prior to obtaining reproductions. Consult with Archives Center staff for contact information. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Family -- Mexico  Search this
Markets -- Mexico  Search this
Streets -- Mexico  Search this
Vendors and purchasers -- Mexico  Search this
Genre/Form:
Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Collection Citation:
Katherine Joseph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Katherine Joseph Papers
Katherine Joseph Papers / Series 3: Photographic Prints / 3.3: Mexico / Mexico (market scenes)
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep83b4a72f9-52fa-4b6e-9538-871e25a099ca
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0944-ref575

[Katherine Joseph smoking a cigarette near her darkroom : black-and-white photoprint]

Photographer:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Collection Creator:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Hertzberg, Suzanne  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (7-7/8" x 10".)
Type:
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographic prints
Place:
Mexico -- 20th century
Date:
1941
Scope and Contents:
It is possible that this is a self-portrait by Katherine Joseph, but there is no evidence.
Arrangement:
Box No. 5.
Local Numbers:
AC0944-0000090.tif (AC Scan No.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by donor. Written permission required prior to obtaining reproductions. Consult with Archives Center staff for contact information. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Cigarettes -- 1940-1950  Search this
Smoking -- 1940-1990  Search this
Genre/Form:
Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Collection Citation:
Katherine Joseph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Katherine Joseph Papers
Katherine Joseph Papers / Series 3: Photographic Prints / 3.4: Subjects / Joseph, Katherine
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8dd036561-a8c8-40f1-84ad-ee76fcf2c4aa
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0944-ref576

Goodwill Fiesta Farewell Gala: Norma Shearer and Mickey Rooney, Mexico City, 1941 [black-and-white photoprint]

Photographer:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Names:
Rooney, Mickey  Search this
Shearer, Norma  Search this
Collection Creator:
Joseph, Katherine  Search this
Hertzberg, Suzanne  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (7-7/8" x 10".)
Culture:
Mexicans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Black-and-white photographic prints
Place:
Mexico -- 20th century
Mexico City (Mexico)
Arrangement:
Box No. 5.
Local Numbers:
AC0944-0000099.tif (AC Scan No.)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research access on site by appointment. Gloves required with unprotected photographs.
Collection Rights:
Copyright held by donor. Written permission required prior to obtaining reproductions. Consult with Archives Center staff for contact information. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Occupation:
Actors  Search this
Topic:
Celebrities -- 1940-1970  Search this
Genre/Form:
Black-and-white photographic prints -- Silver gelatin -- 1900-1950
Collection Citation:
Katherine Joseph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Katherine Joseph Papers
Katherine Joseph Papers / Series 3: Photographic Prints / 3.3: Mexico / Mexico (Good Neighbor)
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep86b919008-5c0f-4d2d-abc8-0480e55aca2e
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0944-ref577

Norton Grinding Machine Company Photograph Collection

Manufacturer:
Norton Grinding Company  Search this
Extent:
.75 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
1985, undated
Summary:
Collection documents equipment, machinery, and products of the Norton Grinding Company of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Content Description:
Collection consists of silver gelatin photoprints documenting equipment, machinery, and products of the Norton Grinding Company of Worcester, Massachusetts. The photographs depict grinding machines, grinding shops, grindstones, ground work pieces, lab experiments, plant interiors, and portable grinders. Although most of the material is undated, the company was founded in 1885.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged in one series.
Collection is arranged in one series.
Related Materials:
Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Abrasive Industry (NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Abrasive)
Provenance:
Immediate source of acquisition is unknown.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Grindstones  Search this
Grinding  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 20th century
Citation:
Norton Grinding Machine Company Photograph Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1551
See more items in:
Norton Grinding Machine Company Photograph Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8e22e8aba-31b8-4e9d-a75d-15593e7543e3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1551

Ralph H. Baer Papers

Creator:
Baer, Ralph H., 1922-2014  Search this
Extent:
16 Cubic feet (45 boxes and 1 oversize folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Audiotapes
Audiocassettes
Cd-roms
Diagrams
Drawings
Interviews
Videotapes
Correspondence
Sketches
Photographs
Oral history
Notes
Manuals
Date:
1943 - 2015
Summary:
Ralph H. Baer was a German-born ordnance specialist, inventor, and engineer. He was a pioneer of early videogame technology. The papers include autobiographical materials; firearms notes, manuscripts, and photographs; and videogame and television engineering notes, diagrams, schematics, and video documentation.
Scope and Contents:
The Ralph Baer Papers include autobiographical materials and an extended oral history interview. The Papers also include materials about military small arms created by Baer during his World War II service. The largest portion of the collection documents Baer's work on video games.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 12 series.

Series 1: Autobiographical Documents, 1962-2006

Subseries 1.1: Manuscript, book and other documents, 1962-2006

Subseries 1.2: Other Media: CDs, VHS videos, periodical, 1991, 2000-2003

Series 2: WW II Small Arms Documents, 1943-1953

Subseries 2.1: Correspondence, 1950-1953

Subseries 2.2: Writings and notes, 1943-1948

Subseries 2.3: Drawings and schematics, undated

Subseries 2.4: Manuals and encyclopedias, 1943

Subseries 2.5: Photographs, 1945

Series 3: Hans Otto Mauksch Materials, 1944-1964

Subseries 3.1: Personal background information, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1964

Subseries 3.2: Instructional materials, 1944-1946, undated

Subseries 3.3: Ft. Riley, Kansas, 1946, 1953

Series 4: TV Game Documents, 1966-1972

Subseries 4.1: Working notes, diagrams and schematics, 1966-1971

Subseries 4.2: Administrative documents, 1966-1972 Subseries 4.3: Notebooks, 1966-1968

Subseries 4.4: TV game development documentation, 1966-1968

Series 5: Sanders Associates, Transitron, and Van Norman Industries, 1952-2003

Series 6: Product Development Documents, 1974-2015

Series 7: Product Guides and Technical Support, 1943-2011

Series 8: Legal and Patent Documents, 1966-2014

Series 9: Writings and Notes, 1946-1999

Series 10: Miscellaneous, 1961-2012

Series 11: Correspondence, 1983-2014

Series 12: Publicity and Awards, 1979-2015
Biographical / Historical:
Ralph H. Baer (1922-2014) was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1938. A graduate of the National Radio Institute (1940), Baer worked as a radio technician in the New York City area, servicing all types of home and auto radios. During World War II, Baer served in the United States Army, one year stateside, and two years in Europe. He was assigned to Military Intelligence and became an expert on military small arms. Baer returned to the United States with eighteen tons of foreign small arms for use in exhibits at Aberdeen, Maryland; Springfield, Massachusetts Armory; and Ft. Riley, Kansas.

After the war, Baer attended the American Television Institute of Technology in Chicago, graduating with a BS in television engineering. In 1949, Baer joined a small electro medical equipment firm, Wappler, Inc., as their chief engineer. He designed and built surgical cutting machines, epilators, and low frequency pulse generating muscle-toning equipment. In 1951, Baer moved to Loral Electronics of Bronx, New York as a senior engineer, designing power line carrier signaling equipment for IBM. During 1952-1956, Baer worked at Transitron, Inc., in New York City as a chief engineer and later as vice president. In 1956, Baer joined Sanders Associates in Nashua, New Hampshire building airborne radar components. He became manager of the Electronic Design Department at Sanders and eventually Division Manager and Chief Engineer for Equipment Design. Baer retired in 1987.

At Sanders in 1966, Baer began an independent project experimenting with ways for consumers to interact with standard home television sets. Development of interactive TV Game (TVG) ideas became a company-supported project continued by Baer and assisted by William H. Harrison and William T. Rusch (download the TV Game chronology prepared by Ralph Baer in 2006). By mid-1967, ping pong videogames were played inside Sanders, patent disclosures were applied for, and hardware was designed. Baer and his associates called the devices they were developing "boxes" and numbered the various versions one through seven. In 1971, Magnavox became Sanders Associates's first videogame licensee. Between 1972 and 1975, Magnavox produced and sold over 700,000 units of Odyssey, a set of games played on its television receivers. Atari became a licensee in 1976 after the first of many lawsuits won by Sanders in pursuit of patent infringements.

During his tenure at Sanders and thereafter, Baer was a prolific inventor. His creations included many electronic toys and games and other consumer electronic products. Among the better known products based on Baer's work are Milton Bradley's Simon, Galoob's Smarty Bear Video, and Kenner's Laser Command. In 2004 President George W. Bush awarded Baer the National Medal of Technology.

Baer married Dena Whinston in 1952 and they had three children, James, Mark, and Nancy. Ralph Baer died on December 6, 2014, at the age of 92.
Related Materials:
Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Ralph H. Baer Innovative Lives Presentation, August 15, 2009 (NMAH.AC.1179)

The presentation documents a moderated conversation about Baer's life and work. Baer reenacts, with his partner William Harrison, the first time he played "Odyssey," the first home video game for the consumer market, which he invented, and answers questions from the audience. Materials include original video (born digital), master videos, and reference videos.

Materials at Other Organizations

Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong

Ralph H. Baer Papers, 1968-2010 inclusive; 1975-1998 bulk

The Ralph H. Baer papers are a compilation of correspondence, game designs, drawings, notes, reference materials, photographs, product descriptions, digital videos, schematics, electronic components, and manuals utilized by Ralph H. Baer throughout his lengthy career in the toy and game industry. The bulk of the materials are from 1975 through 1998.

U.S. Ordnance Museum, Fort Lee, Virginia

Materials consist of data on foreign small arms brought back from Europe in 1946 by Ralph H. Baer.

Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, New York

Holdings include set of seven recreations of "TV game" prototypes originally created between 1966 and 1969, donated by pioneering game developer Ralph Baer. One of Baer's game prototypes, known as the "Brown Box," was licensed by Magnavox and released in 1972 as the Magnavox Odyssey, the world's first commercial home video game console.

University of Texas, Austin, Briscoe Center for American History

Ralph H. Baer "Brown Box" replica, 1952-1983, 2006-2012

The Ralph H. Baer "Brown Box" replica includes a fully-functional replica of Ralph Baer's "Brown Box," the prototype video game console that was used as the basis of the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. The collection also contains related research materials.
Separated Materials:
The Division of Medicine and Science holds artifacts related to this collection including early video game prototypes and TV Game products.

TV Game Unit #1 (TVG#1); 1966; vacuum tube spot generator with Heathkit IG-62 Generator (See Accession 2006.0102.01)

Heathkit IG-62; used with TVG #1 (See Accession 2006.0102.02)

TV Game Unit #2 (TVG #2), aka the "Pump Unit," 1967; large aluminum chassis with wooden "pump" handle (See Accession 2006.0102.03)

TV Game Unit #7 (TVG#7), aka "Brown Box," 1967/1968; prototype for Magnavox Odyssey (See Accession 2006.0102.04)

Cardboard program cards for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.05)

Lightgun, 1967/1968; game accessory for Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.06)

TV Game Unit #8, 1968; "de/dt" (velocity responsive) ballgame chassis for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.07)

Magnavox Odyssey (Model ITL200) video game unit, 1972; with all accessories in the original carton (See Accession 2006.0102.08)

Milton-Bradley Company SIMON handheld microprocessor-control game, 1978 (See Accession 2006.0102.09)

Ideal Toy Company MANIAC microprocessor-control game, 1979, in original box with game instructions (See Accession 2006.0102.10)

Golf Game accessory, 1968; golf ball mounted on joystick handle for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.11

"Brown Box" programming card, target shooting, 1967 (See Accession 2006.0102.12)
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Ralph H. Baer in 2003.
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 intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Books  Search this
Firearms  Search this
Games  Search this
Litigation  Search this
Inventions -- 20th century  Search this
Machine guns  Search this
World War, 1939-1945  Search this
Weapons  Search this
Video games  Search this
Toys -- 20th century  Search this
Television -- History  Search this
Rifles  Search this
Pistols  Search this
Military intelligence  Search this
Genre/Form:
Audiotapes
Audiocassettes
CD-ROMs
Diagrams
Drawings -- 1940-1950
Interviews -- 2000-2010
Videotapes
Correspondence -- 1950-2000
Sketches
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1940-1950
Photographs -- 20th century
Oral history -- 2000-2010
Notes
Manuals -- 1940-1950
Citation:
Ralph H. Baer Papers, 1943-2015, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0854
See more items in:
Ralph H. Baer Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep82f137fe4-60d3-4527-aa78-fed55d4b4fef
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0854
Online Media:

Lili Réthi Papers

Artist:
Rethi, Lili, 1894-1969  Search this
Extent:
8 Cubic feet (21 boxes, 8 map folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Bookplates
Books
Christmas cards
Drawings
Newspaper clippings
Photographs
Transcripts
Watercolor drawings
Date:
1918-1969
Summary:
Papers document artist and illustrator Lili Réthi who was best known for her drawings of industrial subjects such as bridges, construction scenes and mines.
Scope and Contents:
Drawings, sketches, watercolors, biographical material, photographs, printed material, correspondence and books relating to the career of artist and illustrator Lili Réthi. The bulk of the collection consists of originals and copies of Réthi's drawings and sketches for various projects in Europe and the United States.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into five series.

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1928-1968

Series 2: Projects, 1918-1969

Series 3: Exhibits, 1940-1943, 1965

Series 4: Portraits, 1919-1965

Series 5: Illustrated Books, 1916-1969
Biographical / Historical:
Lilly (Lili) Maria Réthi (1894-1969) was born in Vienna, Austria to Leopold Réthi (1857-1924), a professor of medicine and Marie née Mauther (1863-1955). Réthi had one sister, Elizabeth "Elsie" (1889-1970). Lili attended the Viennese Kunstschule für Frauen und Mädchen (The Art School for Women and Girls), established in 1897. The school existed until 1945, but it closed to Jewish women artists in 1938, when the school was subordinated to the municipality of Vienna and used to inculcate Nazi ideology. (Ben-Eli, 1999). Réthi learned to sketch the human form at the Vienna Anatomical Institute—training, no doubt, that her physician father encouraged. This training, which sharpened her sense of form and function, helped her later when drawing complicated machinery and illustrating Victor Hecht's book, Leitfaden der Physikalisch-Therapeutischen, (Guide to Physical Therapy, 1916). Réthi became fascinated with construction at a young age. "When I was a little girl in Vienna, I used to take walks and watch men building houses. I was fascinated by the men working as well as the excitement of watching the building grow." (Constructor, December 1967, page 25) Her burgeoning interest would grow, and she became one of the best-known illustrators of engineering, construction, and industrial sites. She was named a Royal Society of Art Fellow in 1961.

During the inter-war years (1918-1939) Réthi interrupted her academic studies to work across Europe, illustrating sites in Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. The bulk of her work captured coal mines, coal yards, factories, chemical plants, blast furnaces, iron foundries, shipyards, steel production, buildings, aircraft, and bridges.

In 1929, Réthi moved to Berlin where she worked recording engineering projects and was an illustrator for the magazine "Der Bücherkreis" (Book Circle). She illustrated many of the "Dortmunder Union" activities during this period. The Union, a vertically integrated mining group (mining and iron and steel production), was founded in 1872 and was located in the Ruhr area of Germany. This work for the Union resulted in an exhibition in Berlin at the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (1931) and "Wien- Berlin: Das Gesicht zwei Städte" (Vienna and Berlin: The Face of Two Cities") (1932); at the World Power Conference in Stockholm (1933); and the Technical Museum of Vienna (1934). While in the Ruhr, Rethi documented workers, elevating their significance as subjects in their own right. She recorded the working conditions, many of which depicted harsh and dangerous physical labor. Her published work Germinal (1924) highlighted, through seven lithographs, the terrible conditions in French mines. Her work with the Union provided exposure and elevated her growing artistic status, especially with the Third Reich. With war imminent in Europe, the erosion of her personal rights as a Jewish woman, and a commission invitation by Hermann Göring to create propaganda images for the Nazi Regime, she left for England, never to return to her homeland in Austria.

Her portfolio of work is immense and while she primarily focused on engineering, industrial and construction sites, trade publications, industry magazines and newspapers, she branched into other areas. She illustrated the German version of Upton Sinclair´s Letters to Judd, an American Workingman (Briefe an einen Arbeiter, Leipzig- Wien, 1932) and was widely published in Austrian, Danish and German newspapers such as Aften-Avisen, Bergland Wien, Børsen, Der Welt Spiegel, Beitbilder, and VDI Nachrichten. Later projects included books, primarily for children, commissions to sketch churches, portraits of individuals, illustrated book plates, pamphlets, and Christmas cards. Catholic entities such as St. John the Divine and the Capuchin Friars in New York, also sought her services to sketch church interiors and illustrate brochures. And, in 1950, Réthi sketched the interior renovation (1948-1952) of the White House during the Truman Administration.

The Illustrated London News hired Réthi in 1937 to sketch the coronation of King George. While in England, she also created sketches for a booklet issued by the London, North Eastern Railway (L.N.E.R.) posters for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (L.M.S.) and the General Post Office (GPO): Post Office Motor Transport Depot (1937); the Post Office Underground Mail Train (1935); and LMS Crewe Works, Building Coronation Class Engine (1937). The Illustrated London News sent her to the 1939 New York World's Fair where her introduction and love of New York City was launched. Réthi arrived in the United States on March 23, 1939, and became a citizen in 1944.

In the United States, Réthi continued illustrating engineering and construction activities, many of which were major post war projects. Réthi was attracted to the great industrial scene of 1940s America, and New York City provided a fertile location for most of her projects. The first public showing of her work in the United States was at the Architectural League of New York (1940) and her "American Industry at War" exhibit was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1943). She documented some of the most significant projects in North America such as the New York City Pavilion at the World's Fair (1964), the United Nations Building (1949), the Pan Am Building (1962), Pennsylvania Station (1965), and the World Trade Center (1967-1968).

She had commissions from Surveyer, Nenniger & Chênevert (an engineering and construction firm that used her images on company Christmas cards), Sperry Gyroscope Company, U.S. Tobacco Company, Turner Construction, Walsh Construction, Atlas Steel Plant, Bliss Manufacturing, George A. Fuller Company, Standard Chemicals, and the United States Pipe and Foundry Company, to name a few.

Réthi also worked with several book publishers, especially, McGraw-Hill and Harcourt Brace. She illustrated over 40 books, many for children. Her work also appeared on the covers of many trade publications and magazines such as Pencil Points, Service, Factory, Product Engineering, and the Journal of the American Society of Automotive Engineers. Réthi was one of a few, if not the only female artist who devoted her career to portraying engineering works.
Related Materials:
Materials at the Smithsonian Institution

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering Bridges Reference Collection, NMAH.AC.1577

Contains negatives and prints of drawings for the Verranzo-Narrows Bridge, New York, New York

Smithsonian Instituton Archives

Records, circa 1948-1988

Contains documentation about a Lili Réthi exhibit, 1964-1965, curated by the then Museum of the History of Technology.

Archives of American Art

Associated American Artists Records, circa 1934-1983

Includes three file folders in the Series: Artists Files about Lili Réthi.

Materials at Other Organizations

Hagley Museum and Library

Sperry Gyroscope Company Division photographs and films (1986-273)

Contains Lili Réthi graphic arts, 1943, consisting of 24 reproductions.
Provenance:
The collection was bequeathed by Lili Réthi to the United States National Museum (now known as the National Museum of American History) through Herbert G. Fenison in 1971.
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:
Artists  Search this
Book illustrators  Search this
Illustrators  Search this
Topic:
Bridges  Search this
Buildings  Search this
Construction  Search this
Construction and civil engineering  Search this
Engineering -- 20th century  Search this
Illustrated books, Children's  Search this
Women artists -- United States  Search this
Genre/Form:
Bookplates
Books -- 20th century
Christmas cards
Drawings -- 20th century
Newspaper clippings
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century
Transcripts -- 20th century
Watercolor drawings
Citation:
Lili Réthi Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0749
See more items in:
Lili Réthi Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep876ee6154-c5e2-4c2f-a217-9c4044b6a002
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0749
Online Media:

Charismic Productions Records of Dizzy Gillespie

Creator:
Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993  Search this
Fishman, Charles  Search this
Extent:
20 Cubic feet ( 31 boxes, 2 map folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Awards
Business records
Clippings
Manuscripts
Financial records
Photographs
Music
Posters
Audiovisual materials
Date:
1941-2006
bulk 1987-1993
Summary:
Collection documents the career of noted American jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie, through a donation from his former manager, Charles Fishman.
Scope and Contents:
The collection primarily documents Charles Fishman's tenure as Gillespie's manager, 1985-1993, and is composed of business records. There is also a significant amount of personal material and photographs from the 1940s-1980s, much of which was saved by Mr. Fishman when Dizzy Gillespie wanted to throw these materials away or take them home.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into eleven series.

Series 1, Personal Materials, 1988-1993, undated

Series 2, Correspondence, 1987-2002

Series 3, Business Files, 1979-2001, undated

Series 4, Contracts, 1987-1993

Series 5, Performance Programs, 1984-1997

Series 6, Awards and Honors, 1989-1991

Series 7, Music Manuscripts, undated

Series 8, Photographs, 1941-1993, undated

Subseries 8.1, Dizzy Gillespie, 1941-1993, undated

Subseries 8.2, Albums, 1988-1993

Subseries 8.3, Other Artists, undated

Subseries 8.4, Negatives, undated

Series 9, Newspaper Clippings and Magazine Articles, 1958-2000, undated

Series 10, Artwork and Posters, 1982-2006, undated

Subseries 10.1, Artwork, 1990-2004, undated

Subseries 10.2, Posters, 1982-2006, undated

Series 11, Audio Visual Materials, 1950-1992, undated

Subseries 11.1, Sound Recordings, 1989-1992, undated

Subseries 11.2, Moving Images, 1946-1992, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Born in South Carolina in 1917, John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was a master jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, and composer. In the 1940s, he was one of the principal developers of both bebop and Afro-Cuban jazz. Through the multitudes of musicians with whom he played and who he encouraged; he was one of the most influential players in the history of jazz.

The youngest of nine children, Gillespie was exposed to music by his father, a part-time bandleader who kept all his band's instruments at home, where young Gillespie tried them out. At age twelve, he received a music scholarship to the Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina, where he played trumpet in the school band. In 1935, at age eighteen, he moved to Philadelphia and joined his first band, where his clownish onstage behavior and sense of humor earned him his nickname, "Dizzy." Thereafter, he was almost constantly joining and leaving, or forming and disbanding, bands of various size and style, as he set out to first hone his talent, then to develop his own creative innovations and to publish his recordings, and then to fulfill his lifelong desire to lead his own band. Along the way, he played with, collaborated with, encouraged, and influenced, all the major – and most of the minor – jazz musicians of his age, including Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Carter, Billy Eckstine, Cab Calloway, and John Coltrane.

In 1937, Gillespie moved to New York, where he joined Teddy Hill's band; with Hill he made his first overseas tour, to England and France. By 1939, he had joined Cab Calloway's band and had received his first exposure to Afro-Cuban music. In 1940, Gillespie met Charlie "Bird" Parker, Thelonious Monk, and Kenny Clarke and together they began developing a distinctive, more complex style of jazz that became known as bebop or bop. In the early 1940s, Gillespie made several recordings of this new sound. In 1945, he formed and led his own big band, which was quickly downsized into a quintet due to financial problems. He was able to reform the band the next year and keep it together for four years, but it was disbanded in 1950. During this time, he began to incorporate Latin and Cuban rhythms into his work. In 1953, a dancer accidentally fell on his trumpet and bent the bell. Gillespie decided he liked the altered tone and thereafter had his trumpets specially made that way.

In 1956, after leading several small groups, the United States State Department asked Gillespie to assemble a large band for an extensive cultural tour to Syria, Pakistan, Turkey, Greece, and Yugoslavia; a second tour, to South America, took place several months later. Although he kept the band together for two more years, the lack of government funding prevented him from keeping such a large group going and he returned to leading small ensembles. In 1964, displaying the humor for which he was well-known, Gillespie put himself forward as a candidate for President.

Gillespie continued to tour, perform, record, and to collaborate with a wide range of other musicians throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He continued to encourage new styles and new talents, such as Arturo Sandoval, whom he discovered during a 1977 visit to Cuba. In 1979, Gillespie published his autobiography, To Be or Not to Bop. In the late 1980s, he organized and led the United Nations Orchestra, a 15-piece ensemble that showcased the fusion of Latin and Caribbean influences with jazz. In these later years, although still performing, he began to slow down and enjoy the rewards of his extraordinary talent. He received several honorary degrees, was crowned a chief in Nigeria, was awarded the French Commandre d'Ordre des Artes et Lettres, won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and received both the Kennedy Center Medal of Arts and the ASCAP Duke Ellington Award for Fifty Years of Achievement as a composer, performer, and bandleader. Dizzy Gillespie passed away on January 6, 1993.
Related Materials:
Materials held in the Archives Center

John and Devra Hall Levy Collection NMAH.AC1221

Paquito Rivera NMAH.AC0891

James Moody Papers NMAH.AC1405

Chico O'Farrill Papers NMAH.AC0892

Boyd Raeburn Papers NMAH.AC1431

William Claxton Photographs NMAH.AC0695

Ray Brown Papers NMAH.AC1362

Earl Newman Collection of Monterey Jazz Festival Posters NMAH.AC1207

Graciela Papers NMAH.AC1425

Leonard Gaskin Papers NMAH.AC0900

Ella Fitzgerald NMAH.AC0584

Herman Leonard Photoprints NMAH.AC0445

Stephanie Myers Jazz Photographs NMAH.AC0887

John Gensel Collection of Duke Ellington Materials NMAH.AC0763

Duke Ellington Collection NMAH.AC0301

Benny Carter Collection NMAH.AC0757

Chuck Mangione NMAH.AC1151

Bill Holman Collection NMAH.AC0733

Duncan Schiedt Photograph Collection NMAH.AC1323

Fletcher and Horace Henderson Music and Photographs NMAH.AC0797

Ernie Smith Jazz Film Collection NMAH.AC0491

W. Royal Stokes Collection of Music Publicity Photoprints, Interviews, and Posters NMAH.AC0766

William Russo Music and Personal Papers NMAH.AC0845

Pat and Chuck Bress Jazz Portrait Photographs NMAH.AC1219

Milt Gabler Papers NMAH.AC0849

Floyd Levin Reference Collection NMAH.AC.1222

Materials held in the Division of Culture and the Arts

Includes Dizzy Gillespie's iconic "bent" trumpet (1986.0003.01); sound recordings, a button, and a sculpture.

Materials held in the Smithsonian Institution Archives

National Museum of American History. Office of Public Affairs Accession 95-150

Smithsonian Press/Smithsonian Productions Accession 04-091

Smithsonian Associates. Resident Associate Program Accession 03-086

Smithsonian Resident Associate Program Accession 98-031

Smithsonian Productions Accession 06-181

Smithsonian Resident Associate Program. Office of Public Affairs Record Unit 632

National Museum of American History. Department of Public Programs Accession 17-312

National Museum of American History. Office of Special Events Record Unit 595

Smithsonian Institution. Division of Performing Arts Accession T90055

America's Smithsonian. (Traveling exhibition) Accession 98-142

Smithsonian Institution. Division of Performing Arts Accession 84-012

Smithsonian Institution. Office of Telecommunications Record Unit 296

Smithsonian Institution. Office of Telecommunications Record Unit 590

Materials held in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Gertrude Abercrombie AAA.abergert

Materials at Other Organizations

Dizzy Gillespie Collection, circa 1987-2000, University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Charles Fishman, Dizzy Gillespie's manager, in 2007.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. 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.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Jazz musicians -- United States  Search this
Trumpet players -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Awards
Business records -- 20th century
Clippings -- 20th century
Manuscripts -- Music -- 20th century
Financial records -- 20th century
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- 1940-2000
Music -- Manuscripts
Posters -- 20th century
Audiovisual materials
Citation:
Charismic Productions Records of Dizzy Gillespie, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0979
See more items in:
Charismic Productions Records of Dizzy Gillespie
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep845912e18-7dc1-4340-81f5-68770d687b08
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0979
Online Media:

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