At the time of his death in 1887, the library, archaeological collections and private papers of Charles Rau became the property of the United States National Museum. The library, called the Rau Library of Archaeology, became the nucleus of the archaeological department library. The papers represented by this collection are numbers 1180, 1182- 84, 1186-1190 and 1230 of that library, together with some uncataloged personal correspondence, invitations and newspaper clippings, all of which were transferred to the National Anthropological Archives in March of 1976 by the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
There were no restrictions on the use of this collection, which is contained in two boxes.
Included in his private papers are the manuscripts of some of his publications; early personal correspondence; copies of research papers; a few research notes and some newspaper clippings. Of the approximately 60 incoming letters, only eight were written after Rau's emigration to the United States from Germany in 1848. Of possible interest to the historian are the boyhood letters from his period of apprenticeship in the iron industry of Westphalia and those from the year 1848 which contain much material on the political upheavals of that year. Charles Rau's letters to Dr. Carl Hermann Berendt (1817-1878), a German political refugee and Central American anthropologist, are concerned mainly with personal matters but contain also comments on the American political scene and much small talk of the contemporary world of anthropology. Included is some rather frank professional criticism of the other scholars and of the Smithsonian Institution hierarchy. This correspondence is in German and for the most part in German script as are the earlier letters. Two letters from Heinrich Balduin Mollhausen, a German artist whose drawings of Indians appear in the National Anthropological Archives are filed with the incoming letters.
Scope and Contents:
Charles Rau (1826-1887), described by The Dictionary of American Biography as "the foremost American archeologist," was curator for archeology of the United States national Museum from 1881 until his death. Included in his private papers are the manuscripts of some of his publications; early personal correspondence; copies of research papers; a few research notes and some newspaper clippings.
Of the approximately 60 incoming letters, only eight were written after Rau's emigration to the United States from Germany in 1848. Of possible interest to the historian are the boyhood letters from his period of apprenticeship in the iron industry of Westphalia and those from the year 1848 which contain much material on the political upheavals of that year.
Charles Rau's letters to Dr. Carl Hermann Berendt (1817-1878), a German political refugee and Central American anthropologist, are concerned mainly with personal matters but contain also comments on the American political scene and much small talk of the contemporary world of anthropology. Included is some rather frank professional criticism of the other scholars and of the Smithsonian Institution hierarchy. This correspondence is in German and for the most part in German script as are the earlier letters.
Two letters from Heinrich Balduin Mollhausen, a German artist whose drawings of Indians appear in the National Anthropological Archives are filed with the incoming letters.
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:
Arranged in 5 series: (1) Incoming letters, 1839-1856; (2) letters to Carl Hermann Berendt, 1869-1876; (3) writings, undated; (4) material collected by Rau, 1865-1887; (5) miscellany, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Rau was born in Belgium and was educated in Germany. He left his studies in 1839 and became an apprentice in the iron industry in Siegen and, later a mining superintendent in Remagen. In 1848, he immigrated to the United States, settling in the St. Louis area. There, while teaching languages in order to support himself, he collected archaeological specimens and began to investigate nearby archaeological sites. Beginning in 1859, he regularly published articles on archaeology and other anthropological concerns. In 1861, he moved to New York and, while still teaching, continued archaeological work that would make him one of America's leading authorities in that field. In 1863, he became a contributor to Smithsonian publications and, in 1875, was employed to prepare the anthropological exhibit of the Smithsonian and Bureau of Indian Affairs at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. In 1881, he was appointed curator in the Department of Archaeology of the United States National Museum, a position he held until he died in 1887.
1826 -- Born Carl Rau in Verviers, Liege, Belgium to German parents
1839 -- Left his studies and home in Heidelberg to enter into an apprenticeship in the iron industry in Siegen, Germany
1844 -- Became a mine administrator (superintendent) near Remagen
1848 -- In October, emigrated to the United States; first to New Orleans and then to work as a language teacher in Bellesville, Illinois
1856-1863 -- Moved to New York where he also taught languages
1863 -- Began to write for the Smithsonian Reports
1875 -- Was asked to prepare ethnological section of the SI Centennial Exhibition
1876 -- Living in Philadelphia
1881 -- Became curator of the Department of Archaeology of the United States National Museum
1882 -- Made an honorary Ph.D. by the University of Freiberg in Baden
1887 -- July 26, died in Philadelphia
Related Materials:
The National Anthropological Archives holds MS 7065 Letter to Charles Rau, MS 7066 Letter to Charles Rau, and MS 7125 Catalogs of collections of American and European antiquities.
The Smithsonian Institution Archives holds Record Unit 7070, Charles Rau Papers.
2. Obituary for Karl Heinrich Rau, a prominent German scholar who was perhaps the uncle of Charles Rau; a clipping containing a critical review of contemporary German poetry, by Charles Rau; a clipping about the return visit to Germany of an 1848 political refugee.
3. Notes: Undated, unfinished index to archeological topics in the Annual Report; notes labeled Game of Chung-kee.
Collection Citation:
Charles Rau papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
[Letter from the Embassy of the United States of America in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, authorizing admission of five Vietnamese refugees into the United States: letter with five affixed black-and-white passport-style photoprints.]
With date stamp: "Aug 21 1981." Each of the five black-and-white photoprints is approximately 1.75" x 1.25"; photographer unidentified.
Local Numbers:
AC0921-0000024.tif (AC Scan)
Restrictions:
Unrestricted research use on site by appointment. Photographs must be handled with cotton gloves unless protected by sleeves.
Collection 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.
Papers, oral history, and transcripts relating to Emiliano Martinez, a Cuban immigrant.
Scope and Contents:
Papers and photographs related to the immigration experience of Cuban refugee Martinez: a story from the Washington Post, March 12, 1984; a 45-minute cassette recording of an interview (in Spanish) by Richard E. Ahlborn with Martinez; a transcription in Spanish of the interview; six photographs of the hut taken by a zoo photographer; a covering memorandum from Ahlborn; a copy of Martinez's earnings from the sale of cans; and a diagram of his hut. Ahlborn, a curator in the Division of Community Life, was assisted by Juana Martin, a social worker.
Biographical / Historical:
The story of Emiliano Martinez, a Cuban refugee, was publicized as an example of the ingenuity and survival skills of recent immigrants to this nation. Martinez fled Cuba in one of the freedom flotillas of 1980. After a year in a refugee camp at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, he arrived in Washington, D.C. in April 1981. He shared apartments with other Cuban refugees until October 1982. Using his carpentry skills, he constructed a hut on undeveloped land at the National Zoo, where he lived from December 1982 until March 1984. He then moved into a boarding house in the Adams-Morgan neighborhood. He made his livelihood by selling aluminum cans to a Safeway grocery store for an average of sixty-five dollars a month.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Emilio Martinez.
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.
The Little Gallery records measure 11.5 linear feet and date from 1918 to 1985. The collection documents Little Gallery's operations through artist, exhibition, and subject files, printed material, photographs, and one sound recording. The collection also includes personal and professional papers, photographs, and some printed material related to Marguerite (Peggy) and Albert deSalle.
Scope and Contents:
The Little Gallery records measure 11.5 linear feet and date from 1918 to 1985. The collection documents Little Gallery's operations through artist, exhibition, and subject files, printed material, photographs, and one sound recording. The collection also includes personal and professional papers, photographs, and some printed material related to Marguerite (Peggy) and Albert deSalle.
Artist files consist of photographs of artwork, correspondence, price lists, shipping information, biographical summaries, and some printed material pertaining to various artists represented at the Little Gallery. Two artists particularly documented in these records are Francis De Erdely and Jean Lamouroux, who were both friends of Peggy deSalle and her husband Albert.
Exhibition files contain correspondence, shipping information, price lists, inventories, publicity material, and several pieces of posterboard signage. Little Gallery's subject files consist of correspondence, photographs, financial information, printed material, and other items that relate to advertising, other galleries and museums, contributions of artwork, collectors, and more.
Peggy and Albert deSalle's personal and professional papers include papers related to Peggy's career as an artwork photographer, writings, correspondence with artists, price lists, inventories, artist biographies, and photographs that document Peggy deSalle's transition into selling the art of European craftsmen.
Printed material documents Little Gallery exhibitions and events, as well as activities of Peggy and Albert deSalle outside the gallery, artists, and events at other galleries and organizations. Also found is a deSalle family scrapbook.
Photographs are primarily of Peggy and Albert deSalle, gatherings with friends, and professional events, including interior and exterior photos of the Little Gallery.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as six series.
Series 1: Artist Files, 1950-1982 (Box 1-4; 4 linear feet)
Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1956-1975 (Box 5; .4 linear feet)
Series 3: Subject Files,1950-1988 (Box 5-9; 4 linear feet)
Series 4: Peggy and Albert deSalle Personal and Professional Papers, 1918-1985 (Box 9-11; 2.3 linear feet)
Series 5: Printed Material, 1922-1984 (Box 11, 13; .5 linear feet)
Series 6: Photographs, 1920s-1980s (Box 11-13, .4 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Established in 1950 by Marguerite (Peggy) deSalle, the Little Gallery in Birmingham, Michigan was the first gallery in the region to deal in and exhibit contemporary art. Initially deSalle primarily handled the work of local artists starting out in their careers, and the work of faculty from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. deSalle's ex-husband and close friend, artist Zoltan Sepeshy, assisted her in meeting local artists to show at the gallery. Over time, Little Gallery added the works of artists from Europe, Africa, and other parts of the United States. deSalle also established a framing gallery in the basement, and showed jewelry and pottery in addition to paintings and sculptures.
Peggy deSalle (1903-1985) was born in Hungary where she lived until her family emigrated to New York when she was six years old. As a young woman she frequented the studio of Michigan painter Paul Honore, where she met Albert deSalle and Zoltan Sepeshy. In the 1920s she worked as a photographer for William Suhr, a restorer of paintings, at the Detroit Institute of Arts. While working there, she was offered the opportunity to learn photography at various museums in Europe, particularly Germany.
In the 1940s, prior to opening the Little Gallery, deSalle worked out of her home selling art, antiques, silver, goblets, bowls, and paintings brought to the United States by German political refugees. At one point her inventory was approximately 200 works of art.
Albert deSalle served in the U.S. army and was honorably discharged in 1918. In the 1920s and 1930s, deSalle performed in the theatre and worked in a secretarial and managerial capacity for artist Paul Honore. Not long after Peggy began Little Gallery, Albert joined the gallery's staff and remained there until his death in 1964.
In 1983, Peggy donated funds for the founding of the Peggy and Albert deSalle Gallery of Photography at the Detroit Institute of Art.
Provenance:
The papers were donated in 1985 by William E. Woolfenden as personal representative of the estate of Marguerite L. deSalle.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Little Gallery records, 1918-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Processing of the collection was funded by the Getty Grant Program; digitization of the collection was funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
Freedmen's Bureau Digital Collection, 1865–1872, is a product of and owned by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution. Copyright for digital images is retained by the donor, FamilySearch International; permission for commercial use of the digital images may be requested from FamilySearch International, Intellectual Property Office, at: cor-intellectualproperty@ldschurch.org.
Collection Citation:
Courtesy of the U. S. National Archives and Records Administration, FamilySearch International, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Freedmen's Bureau Digital Collection, 1865–1872, is a product of and owned by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution. Copyright for digital images is retained by the donor, FamilySearch International; permission for commercial use of the digital images may be requested from FamilySearch International, Intellectual Property Office, at: cor-intellectualproperty@ldschurch.org.
Collection Citation:
Courtesy of the U. S. National Archives and Records Administration, FamilySearch International, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Access to NMAI Archives 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).
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish or broadcast materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Peratrovich family papers, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.
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