Search Results

Physical Description:

ink (overall material)

paper (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 1 1/8 in x 3/4 in; 2.8575 cm x 1.905 cm

Object Name:

photo

photograph

Place made:

United States: California, Berkeley

Date made:

c. 1942

Subject:

World War II  Search this

Japanese Americans  Search this

Related event:

World War II  Search this

Japanese American Internment  Search this

Credit Line:

Willard Middle School, through Michael Williams, Archivist

ID Number:

2016.0105.01

Accession number:

2016.0105

Catalog number:

2016.0105.01

See more items in:

Political and Military History: Armed Forces History, Japanese American

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b2-7821-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1807798

Creator:

National Museum of American History  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2016-12-12T19:54:12.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

American History  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianAmHistory

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianAmHistory

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_J8LFNFAhbmo

Creator:

Currie, Sara R. (Sara Rockefeller)  Search this

Subject:

Lenz, Alfred  Search this

Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this

Citation:

Sara R. Currie papers about Alfred Lenz, circa 1899-circa 1926. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7880

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210047

AAA_collcode_currsara

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210047

Creator:

Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this

Names:

American Artists' Congress  Search this

American Council of Learned Societies  Search this

American Federation of Arts  Search this

Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Cartoonists Guild  Search this

Federal Art Project (U.S.)  Search this

Federal Music Project (U.S.)  Search this

Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)  Search this

Index of American Design  Search this

New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Shakers  Search this

The Design Laboratory (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Treasury Relief Art Project  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this

Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this

Brown, Samuel Joseph, 1907-1994  Search this

De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this

Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this

Hopkins, Harry Lloyd, 1890-1946  Search this

Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this

Miller, Dorothy Canning, 1904-2003  Search this

Morris, Carl, 1911-1993  Search this

Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this

Rowan, Edward Beatty, 1898-1946  Search this

Scaravaglione, Concetta, 1900-1975  Search this

Segal, George, 1924-2000  Search this

Speck, Walter, 1895-  Search this

Ward, Lynd, 1905-1985  Search this

Weisenborn, Rudolph, b. 1881  Search this

Extent:

15.8 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Prints

Government records

Interviews

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Slides (photographs)

Photograph albums

Drawings

Place:

United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945

United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945

Date:

1910-1993

bulk 1910-1960

Summary:

The papers of Holger Cahill (1887-1960) date from 1910 to 1993, with the bulk of the material dating from 1910-1960, and measure 15.8 linear feet. The collection offers researchers fairly comprehensive documentation of Cahill's directorship of the Works Progress/Projects Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP) in addition to series documenting his work as a writer and art critic. Material includes correspondence, reports, artist files, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of Holger Cahill (1887-1960) date from 1910 to 1993, bulk 1910-1960, and measure 15.8 linear feet. The collection offers researchers fairly comprehensive documentation of Cahill's directorship of the FAP in addition to series documenting his work as a writer and art critic. FAP records include national and state administrative reports, records of community art centers, photographic documentation of state activities, artist files, divisional records about teaching, crafts, murals, and poster work, files concerning the Index of American Design, scrapbooks, and printed material.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into nine series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material and Personal Papers, 1931-1988 (Box 1; 19 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence Files, 1922-1979, 1993 (Boxes 1-2; 1.5 linear ft.)

Series 3: Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project, 1934-1970 (Boxes 2-14, 18, MMs009; 10.75 linear ft.)

Series 4: Writings, Lectures and Speeches, 1916-1960 (Boxes 14-15, 18; 1.0 linear ft.)

Series 5: Minutes of Meetings and Panel Discussions, Non-FAP, 1939-1947 (Box 15; 5 folders)

Series 6: Notes and Research Material, 1935-1970 (Boxes 15-16; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 7: Artwork, undated (Boxes 16, 18; 2 folders)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1910-1985 (Boxes 16-17; 1.8 linear ft.)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1917-1960 (Box 17; 6 folders)

Biographical Note:

Holger Cahill was born Sveinn Kristjan Bjarnarson in Iceland in a small valley near the Arctic Circle, on January 13, 1887. His parents, Bjorn Jonson and Vigdis Bjarnadottir, immigrated to the United States from Iceland sometime later in the 1880s. In 1904, his father deserted the family, forcing Sveinn to be separated from his mother and sister to work on a farm in North Dakota. He ran away and wandered from job to job until settling in an orphanage in western Canada, where he attended school and became a voracious reader.

As a young man, he worked at many different jobs and attended night school. While working on a freighter, he visited Hong Kong, beginning his life-long interest in the Orient. Returning to New York City, he eventually became a newspaper reporter, continued his studies at New York University, and changed his name to Edgar Holger Cahill. In 1919 he married Katherine Gridley of Detroit. Their daughter, Jane Ann, was born in 1922, but the couple divorced in 1927.

Cahill met John Sloan circa 1920, and they shared a residence. Cahill also wrote publicity (until 1928) for the Society of Independent Artists, through which he made many friends in the arts. From 1922 to 1931, he worked under John Cotton Dana at the Newark Museum, where he received his basic experience in museum work, organizing the first large exhibitions of folk art.

From 1932 to 1935, he was the director of exhibitions for the Museum of Modern Art. In 1935, Cahill was appointed director of the Works Progress/Projects Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP), until its end in June 1943. In 1938, Cahill organized a countrywide exhibition "American Art Today" for the New York World's Fair. He also married MoMa curator Dorothy Canning Miller in that year.

Profane Earth, Cahill's first novel, was published in 1927, followed by monographs on Pop Hart and Max Weber, miscellaneous short stories, and a biography of Frederick Townsend Ward, entitled A Yankee Adventurer: The Story of Ward and the Taiping Rebellion. Following the end of the Federal Art Project, Cahill wrote two novels, Look South to the Polar Star (1947) and The Shadow of My Hand (1956).

Holger Cahill died in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in July 1960.

Provenance:

The Holger Cahill papers were donated to the Archives of American Art through a series of gifts by Cahill's widow, Dorothy C. Miller, between 1964 and 1995.

Restrictions:

The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via the Archives of American Art website.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Arts administrators  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the public welfare  Search this

Art and state  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Public officers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Prints

Government records

Interviews

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Slides (photographs)

Photograph albums

Drawings

Citation:

Holger Cahill papers, 1910-1993, bulk 1910-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of the microfilm of this collection was provided by Jane Blumenfeld.

Identifier:

AAA.cahiholg

See more items in:

Holger Cahill papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93d4a8dc7-a7be-470b-8216-ae763d3bc9e2

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-cahiholg

Creator:

Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912  Search this

Names:

Titanic (Steamship)  Search this

Abbey, Edwin Austin, 1852-1911  Search this

Booth, Hilda Millet  Search this

James, Henry, 1843-1916  Search this

Millet, John A. P. (John Alfred Parsons), 1888-1976  Search this

Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925  Search this

Sharpey-Schafer, Joyce A.  Search this

Extent:

3.3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Diaries

Sketchbooks

Place:

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Date:

1858-1984

bulk 1858-1955

Summary:

The Francis Davis Millet and Millet family papers measure 3.3 linear feet and are dated 1858-1984, with a few scattered early eighteenth-century items, such as legal documents and printed matter. The bulk of the materials dates from 1858 to 1955. Found are biographical materials, diaries/journals, family letters, notes and writings, art work, printed matter, miscellaneous records, and photographs documenting Millet's wide-ranging artistic and writing career and personal life, including his death aboard the Titanic. Also of interest are approximately twenty ink caricatures attributed to John Singer Sargent.

Scope and Content Note:

The Francis Davis Millet and Millet family papers measure 3.3 linear feet and are dated 1858-1984, with a few scattered early eighteenth-century items, such as legal documents and printed matter. The bulk of the material dates from 1858 to 1955. Found are biographical materials, diaries/journals, family letters, notes and writings, art work, printed matter, miscellaneous records, and photographs documenting Millet's wide-ranging artistic and writing career and personal life, including his death aboard the Titanic. Also of interest are approximately twenty ink caricatures attributed to John Singer Sargent.

Biographical material consists of biographical and genealogical notes; also, memorial resolutions, invitations, and programs with several related items tipped in. Diaries/journals for the period 1858-1911 (16 vols., plus excerpts and transcripts) record Civil War experiences, the Russo-Turkish War, travels throughout Europe, to the northwest United States and Alaska, the Orient, and Panama.

Letters from F. D. Millet to his family date from his years at Harvard, art training in Antwerp, residence in Italy, and service as a correspondent during the Russo-Turkish War. Millet's letters include a few received from friends and associates, original letters sent by Millet to others, along with typescript copies of incoming letters. Also included is a file of letters addressed to Millet and others concerning the purchase and restoration of the Grange, his Broadway studio. There are four letters from Millet to his girlfriend Velma Marie Morse and scattered letters to Velma's father, A.P. Morse, and Fred Chapman. Photocopies of letters from sister Kathleen Millet to her friend Margherita describe her brother's adventures during the Russo-Turkish War, and include an account of his wedding. His sister Lucia Millet's letters to her family were written while she was in England living as a member of her brother's household, and are rich with details of Frank's daily life, work, travels, friends, and the American colony in Broadway. The letters of Lily Millet consist mainly of condolence messages sent upon the death of her husband, but also include letters from Samuel L. Clemens, Henry James, Ellen Terry [Carew], Charles Dudly Warner, her children, and others.

Included in the collection are Millet's extensive research notes about costumes and artifacts of various historical periods and locations that served as reference for details in his murals. Also included are his notebooks about Italian art, Bulgarian history and costume, and the Philippines. Writings by Millet consist of articles, short stories, lectures and speeches. Writings about him include texts by various relatives (all but one are unpublished). The most extensive written piece is by niece Hilda Millet Booth and son John [Albert] Parsons Millet, and is accompanied by early drafts, notes, and related correspondence.

Art work by Millet includes twelve volumes of sketchbooks dating from his student days in Antwerp through 1896, along with loose sketches, drawings, and two watercolors. Most were executed while traveling, and include landscapes, building, and local peoples. Works by other artists include 20 caricatures drawn in ink, attributed to John Singer Sargent.

Among the printed matter are newspaper articles by F. D. Millet, along with clippings about or mentioning him, reproductions, exhibition catalogs and announcements. Of interest are Vienna Exposition memorabilia, and a full length biography, Soldier of Fortune: F. D. Millet, 1846-1912 by granddaughter Joyce A. Sharpey-Schafer. Miscellaneous records include drawings sketches, notes, printed matter, and photographs relating to the Abbot's Grange in Broadway that served as Millet's studio.

Photographs of people include F. D. Millet, his father Asa Millet with granddaughter Kate, and Mary Anderson. Photographs of works of art are by Millet and other artists.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into eight series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical material, circa 1864-1934 (Box 1, OV 5; 6 folders; Reel 5903)

Series 2: Diaries/Journals of Francis Davis Millet, 1858-1911 (Box 1; 0.5 linear ft.; Reels 5903-5904)

Series 3: Letters, 1867-1915, undated (Boxes 1-2; 0.5 linear ft.; Reel 5904)

Series 4: Notes and Writings, 1891-1970, undated (Box 3; 1.0 linear ft.; Reels 5904-5906)

Series 5: Art Work, 1872-1908, undated (Box 4; 0.5 linear ft.; Reels 5906-5907)

Series 6: Printed Matter, 1764-1984, undated (Box 4; 0.25 linear ft.; Reel 5907 and unfilmed)

Series 7: Miscellaneous Records, 1724-1897, undated(Box 4; 7 folders; Reel 5907)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1883-circa 1910, undated (Box 4; 7 folders; Reel 5907)

Biographical Note:

During his lifetime, Francis Davis Millet (1846-1912), always known as Frank, was a prominent artist who was well known for murals that contained exactingly accurate historical details. His broad-ranging career included work with worlds' fairs in Vienna, Chicago, Paris, and Tokyo as a juror, administrator, mural painter/decorator, or advisor. In addition, Frank Millet was a newspaper writer who published short stories and enjoyed adventures as a war correspondent during the Russo-Turkish War and in the Philippines during the Spanish American War.

Millet was among the founders of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and was influential in the early days of the American Federation of Arts. Millet was involved with the American Academy in Rome from its inception and served as Secretary from 1904-1911. In 1911, Millet went to Rome as Chief Administrator of the newly combined Schools of Fine Arts and Classical Studies. He died aboard the Titanic while traveling to New York City on Academy business.

Missing Title

1846 -- born in Mattapoisett, Mass.

1864 -- enlisted as a private in the 60th Massachusetts Militia during Civil War, serving as a drummer; also acted as a surgical assistant to his physician father in the army of the Potomac

1869 -- graduated from Harvard University, where he studied modern languages and literature

1869-1870 -- learned lithography while working on the Boston Advertiser

1871-1872 -- studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, where he won the silver medal (1871) and was awarded the gold medal (1872); traveled through Germany with 3 other American Students

1873 -- Secretary to Charles Francis Adams, Jr., Massachusetts' commissioner to the Vienna Exposition member of the Vienna Exposition; jury correspondent for the New York Herald and the New York Tribune; traveled through southern Europe and Turkey

1873-1874 -- traveled in Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and Germany

1875 -- toured Italy; returned to Boston and set up a studio on Tremont Street

1876 -- exhibited The Bay of Naples at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where he represented the Boston Advertiser and was a correspondent for the American Architect and Building News; assisted John La Farge in decorating Trinity Church, Boston; founded the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts with La Farge and W. M. Hunt

1877 -- exhibited portraits of Charles Francis Adams, Jr. and Samuel L. Clements at the National Academy of Design

1877-1878 -- special war correspondent to the New York Herald and Times of London, and special artist to the London Graphic, reporting on the Russo-Turkish War; Russia awarded him the Cross of St. Stanislaus and the Cross of St. Anne for military advice and exceptional service (informing Russian officers of a ford that would allow them to cross into Turkey more easily) and the Iron Cross of Romania

1878 -- returned to Paris to paint; served on fine arts jury at the Exposition Universelle in Paris; exhibited in the Paris Salon and at the British Royal Academy

1879 -- married Elizabeth (Lily) Greeley Merrill in Paris; returned to the United States, settling in East Bridgewater, Mass., where he set up a studio that included an accurate reconstruction of a colonial era kitchen

1880 -- lectured on costumes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; birth of daughter, Katharine Field; became a member of the Society of American Artists; worked with Louis Comfort Tiffany on the decoration of the Seventh Regiment Armory, New York City

1881 -- shared studio in New York with Edwin Austin Abbey; birth of son, Edwin Abbey; commissioned by the Class of 1861 to design two windows for Harvard University Memorial Hall

1882 -- traveled in northern German and Scandinavia with Edwin Austin Abbey and R. Swain Gifford; elected an Associate member of the National Academy of Design

1883 -- traveled to England

1884 -- birth of Laurance, in London; settled with family in Broadway, Worcestershire (spending the winters of the next decade in New York); along with Edwin Austen Abbey, John Singer Sargent, and Alfred Parsons, he established a colony that at various times included Edwin Howland Blashfield, Lawrence Alma-Tadema, and Henry James, along with various other writers, actors, musicians

1885 -- traveled with Charles Francis Adams, Jr. throughout the U.S. and its territories, and to Mexico; elected a National Academician, National Academy of Design

1886 -- purchased "Russell House," that became his permanent home in Broadway, Worcestershire; and moved studio to "Abbot's Grange"

1887 -- translated "Sebastopol" by Tolstoy from French to English for publication

1888 -- birth of John Alfred Parsons

1889 -- awarded silver medal, Salon des Artistes, Paris

1890 -- published a collection of short stories, A Capillary Crime and Other Tales; purchased the "Abbot's Grange" that had been serving as his studio for the previous four years

1891 -- elected vice-president of National Academy of Design; for Harper's Magazine traveled with Alfred Parsons and Poultney Bigelow on a trip down the Danube in one-man canoes, from the Black Forest to the Black Sea (their illustrated narrative was published in the magazine, Feb.-May 1892; the following year, it appeared in book form as From the Black Forest to the Black Sea)

1892-1893 -- director of decorations for the White City of the World's Columbian Exposition, acting as a close advisor to the fair's architect Daniel Burnham; served on New York jury of the Columbian Exposition; once the Exposition opened, he served as Director of Functions and Ceremonies and also provided public relations and advertising services

1897 -- completed restoring "Abbot's Grange" to its 16th century appearance; completed lunette, Agriculture, commissioned for the Bank of Pittsburgh

1898 -- went to the Philippines to cover the Spanish American War as a special correspondent to Harper's Weekly, the London Times, and the New York Sun

1899 -- published Expedition to the Philippines, P. Bigelow, co-author

1900 -- appointed U. S. representative to the Paris Universal International Exposition where he was in charge of decoration of the Government Pavilion, and was a member of the Jury of Selection and the Fine Arts Jury; awarded Chevalier de la Legion of Hounneur by the French government in appreciation for his services to the Paris Exposition

1905 -- traveled to northwest United States, Alaska, and British Columbia; completed mural, The Treaty of the Traverse des Sioux, July 23, 1851, commissioned for the Minnesota State Capitol; became a charter member of the American Academy in Rome

1906 -- traveled to North Africa, Italy, and France

1907 -- completed mural, The Fourth Minnesota Regiment Entering Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, commissioned for the Minnesota State Capitol; completed mural, Foreman of the Grand Jury Rebuking the Chief Justice of New Jersey, 1774, commissioned for the Essex County Courthouse, Newark, New Jersey; traveled to Cuba

1908 -- completed The History of Shipping from the Earliest Recorded Use of Boats until the Present Time commissioned to decorate the ceiling of the Custom House, Baltimore; traveled to Japan as Special Commissioner to the proposed World's Fair in Tokyo [the fair was never held]; awarded "First Class Order of the Sacred Treasure" by the Japanese government; additional travel to Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey, and China; elected Secretary of the American Academy in Rome; elected a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters

1909 -- completed frieze of 13 panels, The History of the Settlement of Ohio, and several portraits commissioned by the Cleveland Trust Company; also responsible for the general color scheme of the building; completed frieze of 35 panels, The History of Mail Delivery, commissioned for the Post Office in the Federal Building, Cleveland; also responsible for determining the general color

1910 -- influential in the founding of the American Federation of Arts; served as its Secretary until his death; appointed to Federal Commission of Fine Arts; elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters

1911 -- completed lunettes, The Repulse of the Dutch, September 3, 1609, and The Purchase of the Land, 1658, and 12 small historical panels, commissioned for the Hudson County Courthouse, Jersey City, New Jersey; also responsible for the general color scheme of the building; traveled to Panama with Lily and Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Adams, Jr.; elected Vice Chairman of the Fine Arts Committee, American Academy in Rome; moved to Rome to serve as Chief Administrator of the consolidated schools of the American Academy in Rome and the American School of Classical Studies in Rome following the death of Charles F. McKim (Millet was a charter member and had served as Secretary since its inception)

1912 -- died aboard the S. S. Titanic, while heading to New York City on American Academy in Rome business

Related Material:

Found within the holdings of the Archives of American Art are several collections related to Francis Davis Millet, including five letters from Millet to Miss Ward and "Ticknor" and a collection of Francis Millet Rogers research material regarding Francis Davis Millet. The Philip Martiny papers contains two group photographs that include F. D. Millet. A letter describing a visit to Millet's studio is among the William Cushing Loring Papers. The American Academy in Rome records include documents created by F. D. Millet in his capacity as Secretary from 1904-1907 and as Chief Administrator in Rome, 1911-1912.

Separated Material:

The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming. Charles S. Millet loaned photographs, biographical information, and miscellaneous items in 1974 (reel 849). In 1976, he loaned an album of photographs of F. D. Millet's murals in the Baltimore Customs House, with related printed matter (reel 1080). Lent materials were returned to Charles S. Millet.

Provenance:

The Francis Davis Millet and Millet family papers were received between 1974 and 1996 from several family members. Most were gifts from Dr. John A. P. Millet, son of F. D. Millet, in 1974 and 1976. In 1974, Charles S. Millet, grandnephew of F. D. Millet, donated a copy of his brief biography he wrote on F. D. Millet and lent materials for microfilming. Also in 1974, Mrs. William King, granddaughter of F. D. Millet gave photographs of F. D. Millet and his art work, along with various printed matter. Additional letters to F. D. Millet were given by grandson, Frank D. Millet, in 1977.

In 1987, granddaughter Joyce A. Sharpey-Schafer donated documents she had used while writing a biography of Millet. In 1996, David M. Emerson, grandnephew of F. D. Millet, donated loose sketches and miscellaneous printed matter.

In 2003, additional letters were donated by grandsons Mr. Harry Flynn and Frank D. Millet, and again in 2006 by Frank D. Millet.

Restrictions:

Use of originals requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Painters  Search this

Topic:

Mural painting and decoration  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Russo-Turkish War, 1877-1878  Search this

Artists' studios  Search this

Painting, American  Search this

Genre/Form:

Diaries

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Francis Davis Millet and Millet family papers, 1858-1984 (bulk 1858-1955). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of the microfilm of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.millfran

See more items in:

Francis Davis Millet and Millet family papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ece93e39-d928-448d-839a-d94230a7dc56

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-millfran

Collection Creator:

Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912  Search this

Container:

Reel 5907, Frame 242-243

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Use of originals requires an appointment.

Collection 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.

Collection Citation:

Francis Davis Millet and Millet family papers, 1858-1984 (bulk 1858-1955). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of the microfilm of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

See more items in:

Francis Davis Millet and Millet family papers

Francis Davis Millet and Millet family papers / Series 6: Printed Matter

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99552dac3-26d2-4745-846f-631cb9875efc

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-millfran-ref133

Creator:

Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974  Search this

Names:

Duke Ellington Orchestra  Search this

Washingtonians, The.  Search this

Ellington, Mercer Kennedy, 1919-1996 (musician)  Search this

Strayhorn, Billy (William Thomas), 1915-1967  Search this

Collector:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Musical History  Search this

Extent:

400 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Phonograph records

Papers

Photographic prints

Posters

Sound recordings

Scrapbooks

Music

Clippings

Awards

Audiotapes

Place:

New York (N.Y.) -- 20th century

Harlem (New York, N.Y.) -- 20th century

Washington (D.C.) -- 20th century

Date:

1903 - 1989

Summary:

The collection documents Duke Ellington's career primarily through orchestrations (scores and parts), music manuscripts, lead sheets, transcriptions, and sheet music. It also includes concert posters, concert programs, television, radio, motion picture and musical theater scripts, business records, correspondence, awards, as well as audiotapes, audiodiscs, photographs, tour itineraries, newspaper clippings, magazines, caricatures, paintings, and scrapbooks.

Scope and Contents:

Dating approximately from the time Duke Ellington permanently moved to New York City in 1923 to the time the material was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1988, the bulk of the material in the Duke Ellington Collection is dated from 1934-1974 and comprises sound recordings, original music manuscripts and published sheet music, hand-written notes, correspondence, business records, photographs, scrapbooks, news clippings, concert programs, posters, pamphlets, books and other ephemera. These materials document Ellington's contributions as composer, musician, orchestra leader, and an ambassador of American music and culture abroad. In addition, the materials paint a picture of the life of a big band maintained for fifty years and open a unique window through which to view an evolving American society.

The approximate four hundred cubic feet of archival materials have been processed and organized into sixteen series arranged by type of material. Several of the series have been divided into subseries allowing additional organization to describe the content of the material. For example, Series 6, Sound Recordings, is divided into four subseries: Radio and Television Interviews, Concert Performances, Studio Dates and Non-Ellington Recordings. Each series has its own scope and content note describing the material and arrangement (for example; Series 10, Magazines and Newspaper Articles, is organized into two groups, foreign and domestic, and arranged chronologically within each group). A container list provides folder titles and box numbers.

The bulk of the material is located in Series 1, Music Manuscripts, and consists of compositions and arrangements by Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn and other composers. Series 6, Sound Recordings also provides a record of the performance of many of these compositions. The materials in Series 2, Performances and Programs, Series 3, Business Records, Series 8, Scrapbooks, Series 9, Newspaper Clippings, Series 11, Publicity and Series 12, Posters provide documentation of specific performances by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Ellington was a spontaneous and prolific composer as evidenced by music, lyrical thoughts, and themes for extended works and plays captured on letterhead stationery in Series 3, Business Records, in the margin notes of individual books and pamphlets in Series 14, Religious Materials and Series 15, Books, and in the hand-written notes in Series 5, Personal Correspondence and Notes.

During its fifty-year lifespan, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra were billed under various names including The Washingtonians, The Harlem Footwarmers and The Jungle Band. The soloists were informally called "the band", and Series 3 includes salary statements, IOU's, receipts and ephemera relating to individual band members. Series 1, Music Manuscripts contains the soloists' parts and includes "band books" of several soloists (for example; Harry Carney and Johnny Hodges) and numerous music manuscripts of Billy Strayhorn. The changing role of Strayhorn from arranger hired in 1938 to Ellington's main collaborator and composer of many well-known titles for Duke Ellington and His Orchestra including "Take The A' Train" and "Satin Doll" can be traced in these music manuscripts. Series 7, Photographs and Series 2, Performances and Programs contain many images of the band members and Strayhorn. This Collection also documents the business history of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Series 3, Business Records contains correspondence on letterhead stationery and Series 11, Publicity contains promotional material from the various booking agencies, professional companies, and public relations firms that managed the Orchestra.

The materials in the Duke Ellington Collection provide insight into public and institutional attitudes towards African Americans in mid-twentieth-century America. The business records in Series 3 beginning in 1938 and published sheet music in Series 1 depict Duke Ellington's progression from an African-American musician who needed "legitimization" by a white publisher, Irving Mills, to a businessmen who established his own companies including Tempo Music and Duke Ellington, Incorporated to control his copyright and financial affairs. Programs from the segregated Cotton Club in Series 2, Performances And Programs and contracts with no-segregation clauses in Series 3: Business Records further illustrate racial policies and practices in this time period. The public shift in perception of Duke Ellington from a leader of an exotic "Jungle Band" in the 1930s to a recipient of the Congressional Medal Of Freedom in 1970 is evidenced in Series 2, Performances And Programs, Series 12, Posters, Series 7, Photographs and Series 13, Awards. Reviews and articles reflecting Ellington's evolving status are also documented in Series 8, Newspaper Clippings, Series 9, Scrapbooks, Series 10, Newspaper and Magazine Articles.

The materials in the Duke Ellington Collection reflect rapid technological changes in American society from 1923-1982. Sound recordings in Series 6 range from 78 phonograph records of three minutes duration manufactured for play on Victrolas in monaural sound to long-playing (LP) phonograph records produced for stereo record players. Television scripts in Series 4, programs in Series 2 and music manuscripts (for example, Drum Is A Woman) in Series 1 demonstrate how the development of television as a means of mass communication spread the Orchestra's sound to a wider audience. The availability of commercial air travel enabled the Ellington Orchestra to extend their international performances from Europe to other continents including tours to Asia, Africa, South America and Australia and archival material from these tours is included in every series.

Series 4, Scripts and Transcripts and Series 6, Audio Recordings contain scripts and radio performances promoting the sale of United States War bonds during World War II, and Series 7, Photographs includes many images of Duke Ellington and His Orchestra's performances for military personnel revealing the impact of historic events on Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. Series 2: Programs and Performances, Series 9, Newspaper clippings and Series 8, Scrapbooks document the 1963 Far East tour aborted as a result of President John F. Kennedy's assassination.

The Duke Ellington Collection contains works by numerous twentieth-century music, literature, and art luminaries. Series 1, Music Manuscripts contains original music manuscripts of William Grant Still, Eubie Blake, Mary Lou Williams, and others. Series 4, Scripts and Transcripts contains a play by Langston Hughes, and Series 12, Posters contains many original artworks.

Arrangement:

Series 1: Music Manuscripts, circa 1930-1981, undated

Series 2: Performances and Programs, 1933-1973, undated

Series 3: Business Records, 1938-1988

Series 4: Scripts and Transcripts, 1937-1970

Series 5: Personal Correspondence and Notes, 1941-1974, undated

Series 6: Sound Recordings, 1927-1974

Series 7: Photographs, 1924-1972, undated

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1931-1973

Series 9: Newspaper Clippings, 1939-1973, undated

Series 10: Magazine Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1940-1974

Series 11: Publicity, 1935-1988

Series 12: Posters and Oversize Graphics, 1933-1989, undated

Series 13: Awards, 1939-1982

Series 14: Religious Material, 1928-1974

Series 15: Books, 1903-1980

Series 16: Miscellaneous, 1940-1974

Biographical / Historical:

A native of Washington, DC, Edward Kennedy Ellington was born on April 29, 1899. Edward was raised in a middle-class home in the Northwest section of Washington described by his sister Ruth--younger by sixteen years--as a "house full of love." Ellington himself wrote that his father J.E. (James Edward) raised his family "as though he were a millionaire" but Edward was especially devoted to his mother, Daisy Kennedy Ellington. In 1969, thirty-four years after his mother's death, Ellington accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom with these words, "There is nowhere else I would rather be tonight but in my mother's arms." Both his parents played the piano and Ellington began piano lessons at the age of seven, but like many boys he was easily distracted by baseball.

In his early teens, Ellington sneaked into Washington clubs and performance halls where he was exposed to ragtime musicians, including James P. Johnson, and where he met people from all walks of life. He returned in earnest to his piano studies, and at age fourteen wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag" also known as "Poodle Dog Rag." Ellington was earning income from playing music at seventeen years of age, and around this time he earned the sobriquet "Duke" for his sartorial splendor and regal air. On July 2, 1918, he married a high school sweetheart, Edna Thompson; their only child, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, was born on March 11, 1919. Duke Ellington spent the first twenty-four years of his life in Washington's culturally thriving Negro community. In this vibrant atmosphere he was inspired to be a composer and learned to take pride in his African-American heritage.

Ellington moved to New York City in 1923 to join and eventually lead a small group of transplanted Washington musicians called "The Washingtonians," which included future Ellington band members, Sonny Greer, Otto Hardwicke and "Bubber" Miley. Between 1923 and 1927, the group played at the Club Kentucky on Broadway and the ensemble increased from a quintet to a ten-piece orchestra. With stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith as his unofficial guide, Ellington soon became part of New York's music scene; Smith proved to be a long-lasting influence on Duke's composing and arranging direction. At the Club Kentucky, Ellington came under the tutelage of another legendary stride pianist, "Fats" Waller. Waller, a protege of Johnson and Smith, played solos during the band's breaks and also tutored Ellington who began to show progress in his compositions. In November 1924, Duke made his publishing and recording debut with "Choo Choo (I Got To Hurry Home)" released on the Blu-Disc label. In 1925, he contributed two songs to Chocolate Kiddies, an all-black revue which introduced European audiences to black American styles and performers. By this time Ellington's family, Edna and Mercer, had joined him in New York City. The couple separated in the late 1920's, but they never divorced or reconciled.

Ellington's achievements as a composer and bandleader began to attract national attention while he worked at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, from 1927 to 1932. The orchestra developed a distinctive sound that displayed the non-traditional voicings of Ellington's arrangements and featured the unique talents of the individual soloists. Ellington integrated his soloists' exotic-sounding trombone growls and wah-wahs, their high-squealed trumpets, their sultry saxophone blues licks and Harlem's street rhythms into his arrangements. In the promotional material of the Cotton Club, the band was often billed as "Duke Ellington and His Jungle Band." With the success of compositions like "Mood Indigo," and an increasing number of recordings and national radio broadcasts from the Cotton Club, the band's reputation soared.

The ten years from 1932 to 1942 are considered by some major critics to represent the "golden age" for the Ellington Orchestra, but it represents just one of their creative peaks. These years did bring an influx of extraordinary new talent to the band including Jimmy Blanton on double bass, Ben Webster on tenor saxophone, and Ray Nance on trumpet, violin and vocals. During this ten year span Ellington composed several of his best known short works, including "Concerto For Cootie," "Ko-Ko," "Cotton Tail," "In A Sentimental Mood," and Jump For Joy, his first full-length musical stage revue.

Most notably, 1938 marked the arrival of Billy Strayhorn. While a teenager in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Strayhorn had already written "Lush Life," "Something To Live For" and a musical, Fantastic Rhythm. Ellington was initially impressed with Strayhorn's lyrics but realized long before Billy's composition "Take the A' Train" became the band's theme song in 1942 that Strayhorn's talents were not limited to penning clever lyrics. By 1942, "Swee' Pea" had become arranger, composer, second pianist, collaborator, and as Duke described him, "my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine." Many Ellington/Strayhorn songs have entered the jazz canon, and their extended works are still being discovered and studied today. Strayhorn remained with the Ellington Organization until his death on May 30, 1967.

Ellington had often hinted of a work in progress depicting the struggle of blacks in America. The original script, Boola, debuted in Carnegie Hall in November of 1943, retitled Black, Brown and Beige. The performance met with mixed reviews, and although Ellington often returned to Carnegie Hall the piece was never recorded in a studio, and after 1944 was never performed in entirety again by the Ellington Orchestra. Nonetheless, it is now considered a milestone in jazz composition.

After World War II the mood and musical tastes of the country shifted and hard times befell big bands, but Ellington kept his band together. The band was not always financially self-sufficient and during the lean times Ellington used his songwriting royalties to meet the soloists' salaries. One could assign to Ellington the altruistic motive of loyalty to his sidemen, but another motivation may have been his compositional style which was rooted in hearing his music in the formative stage come alive in rehearsal. "The band was his instrument," Billy Strayhorn said, and no Ellington composition was complete until he heard the orchestra play it. Then he could fine tune his compositions, omit and augment passages, or weave a soloist's contribution into the structure of the tune.

In 1956, the American public rediscovered Duke and the band at the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island. The searing performances of tenor saxophonist Paul Gonsalves on "Diminuendo and Crescendo In Blue," his premiere soloist, alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges on "Jeep's Blues", and the crowd's ecstatic reaction have become jazz legend. Later that year Duke landed on the cover of Time magazine. Although Ellington had previously written music for film and television (including the short film, Black and Tan Fantasy in 1929) it wasn't until 1959 that Otto Preminger asked him to score music for his mainstream film, Anatomy of a Murder, starring Jimmy Stewart. Paris Blues in 1961, featuring box-office stars Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier in roles as American jazz musicians in Paris, followed.

Ellington's first performance overseas was in England in 1933, but the 1960s brought extensive overseas tours including diplomatic tours sponsored by the State Department. Ellington and Strayhorn composed exquisite extended works reflecting the sights and sounds of their travels, including the Far East Suite, 1966. They wrote homages to their classical influences; in 1963, they adapted Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and celebrated Shakespeare's works with the suite Such Sweet Thunder in 1957. With Ella Fitzgerald, they continued the Norman Granz Songbook Series. Ellington also began to flex his considerable pianist skills and recorded albums with John Coltrane (1963), Coleman Hawkins (1963), Frank Sinatra, and Money Jungle (1963) with Charles Mingus and Max Roach. The First Sacred Concert debuted in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral in 1965. In his final years, Ellington's thoughts turned to spiritual themes and he added a Second (1968) and Third (1973) Concert of Sacred Music to his compositions.

In his lifetime, Duke received numerous awards and honors including the highest honor bestowed on an American civilian, the Congressional Medal Of Freedom. In 1965, Ellington was recommended for a Pulitzer Prize to honor his forty years of contribution to music but the recommendation was rejected by the board. Most likely he was disappointed, but his response at the age of sixty-six was, "Fate is being kind to me. Fate doesn't want me to be famous too young."

Ellington never rested on his laurels or stopped composing. Whenever he was asked to name his favorite compositions his characteristic reply was "the next five coming up," but to please his loyal fans Ellington always featured some of his standards in every performance. Even on his deathbed, he was composing the opera buffo called Queenie Pie.

Duke Ellington died on May 24, 1974 at seventy-five years of age. His funeral was held in New York's Cathedral of St. John The Divine; he was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. His long-time companion Beatrice "Evie" Ellis was buried beside him after her death in 1976. He was survived by his only child, Mercer Kennedy Ellington, who not only took up the baton to lead the Duke Ellington Orchestra but assumed the task of caring for his father's papers and his legacy to the nation. Mercer Ellington died in Copenhagan, Denmark on February 8, 1996, at the age of seventy-six. Ruth Ellington Boatwright died in New York on March 6, 2004, at the age of eighty-eight. Both Mercer and Ruth were responsible for shepherding the documents and artifacts that celebrate Duke Ellington's genius and creative life to their current home in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

William H. Quealy Collection of Duke Ellington Recordings (AC0296)

Rutgers University Collection of Radio Interviews about Duke Ellington (AC0328)

Duke Ellington Oral History Project (AC0368)

Duke Ellington Collection of Ephemera and realated Audiovisual Materials (AC0386)

Annual International Conference of the Duke Ellington Study Group Proceedings (AC0385)

Robert Udkoff Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0388)

Frank Driggs Collection of Duke Ellington Photographic Prints (AC0389)

New York Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society Collection (AC390)

Earl Okin Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0391)

William Russo Transcription and Arrangement of Duke Ellington's First Concert of Sacred Music (AC0406)

Ruth Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0415)

Music manuscripts in the Ruth Ellington Collection complement the music manuscripts found in the Duke Ellington Collection.

Carter Harman Collection of Interviews with Duke Ellington (AC0422)

Betty McGettigan Collection of Duke Ellington Memorabilia (AC0494)

Dr. Theodore Shell Collection of Duke Ellington Ephemera (AC0502)

Edward and Gaye Ellington Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0704)

Andrew Homzy Collection of Duke Ellington Stock Music Arrangements (AC0740)

John Gensel Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC0763)

Al Celley Collection of Duke Ellington Materials (AC1240)

Materials at Other Organizations

Institute of Jazz Studies

Separated Materials:

Artifacts related to this collection are in the Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) and include trophies, plaques, and medals. See accessions: 1989.0369; 1991.0808; 1993.0032; and 1999.0148.

"

Provenance:

The collection was purchased through an appropriation of Congress in 1988.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but the original and master audiovisual materials are 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.

Copyright restrictions. Consult the Archives Center at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Paul Ellington, executor, is represented by:

Richard J.J. Scarola, Scarola Ellis LLP, 888 Seventh Avenue, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10106. Telephone (212) 757-0007 x 235; Fax (212) 757-0469; email: rjjs@selaw.com; www.selaw.com; www.ourlawfirm.com.

Occupation:

Composers -- 20th century  Search this

Topic:

Big bands  Search this

Pianists  Search this

Bandsmen -- 20th century  Search this

Jazz -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Musicians -- 20th century  Search this

Music -- Performance  Search this

African American entertainers -- 20th century  Search this

African Americans -- History  Search this

Popular music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

African American musicians  Search this

Genre/Form:

Phonograph records

Papers

Photographic prints

Posters

Sound recordings

Scrapbooks -- 20th century

Music -- Manuscripts

Clippings

Awards

Audiotapes

Citation:

Duke Ellington Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Sponsor:

Processing and encoding partially funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0301

See more items in:

Duke Ellington Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep850a376a1-6b6d-48bc-9076-cffef76fea2c

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0301

Creator:

United States National Museum., Dept. of Anthropology.  Search this

Photographer:

Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories (U.S.) (1873-1878) (Hayden Survey)  Search this

Heyn Photo  Search this

Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904: Saint Louis, Mo.)  Search this

Mitchell, McGowan and Company  Search this

Place & Coover  Search this

Addison, George A.  Search this

Barry, D. F. (David Francis), 1854-1934  Search this

Bell, C. M. (Charles Milton), approximately 1849-1893  Search this

Brady, Mathew B., approximately 1823-1896  Search this

Bretz, George W. (Fort Sill, Oklahoma)  Search this

Fly, C. S. (Camillus Sidney), 1849-1901  Search this

Fouch, John H., 1849-1933  Search this

Gardner, Alexander, 1821-1882  Search this

Goff, O. S. (Orlando Scott), 1843-1917  Search this

Gutekunst, Frederick, 1831-1917  Search this

Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942  Search this

Partridge, William Ordway, 1861-1930  Search this

Randall, A. Frank  Search this

Shindler, A. Zeno (Antonio Zeno), 1823-1899  Search this

Wittick, Ben, 1845-1903  Search this

Publisher:

Rice, Rutter & Co.  Search this

Artist:

Noyes, Francis H.  Search this

Reiss, Winold, 1886-1953  Search this

Extent:

3 Painted photographs

8 Prints (halftone and color halftone)

56 Photographic prints (albumen and silver gelatin)

10 Copy prints

1 Stereograph (albumen)

2 Engravings

2 Color lithographs

Culture:

Sioux  Search this

Shoshone  Search this

Ute  Search this

Lakota (Teton/Western Sioux)  Search this

Indians of North America -- Great Plains  Search this

Apsáalooke (Crow/Absaroke)  Search this

Indians of North America -- Great Basin  Search this

Tsitsistas/Suhtai (Cheyenne)  Search this

Chiricahua Apache  Search this

Indians of North America -- Northeast  Search this

Indians of North America -- Southwest, New  Search this

Inunaina (Arapaho)  Search this

Seminole  Search this

Sauk  Search this

Indians of North America -- Plateau  Search this

Powhatan  Search this

Pikuni Blackfeet (Piegan)  Search this

Hunkpapa Lakota (Hunkpapa Sioux)  Search this

Oglala Lakota (Oglala Sioux)  Search this

Niimíipuu (Nez Perce)  Search this

Indians of North America -- Southern States  Search this

Mohawk  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Painted photographs

Prints

Photographic prints

Copy prints

Stereographs

Engravings

Color lithographs

Photographs

Date:

undated

Scope and Contents note:

The bulk of the collection consists of portraits of identified Native Americans and some government officials and interpreters. It includes cabinet cards, other mounted prints, newspaper articles, illustrations, and a photographic postcard. Depicted individuals include American Horse, Oglala; Black Hawk, Sauk; Bob Tail, Cheyenne; Crowfoot, Hunkpapa; Gaul, Hunkpapa; Geronimo, Chiricahua; John Grass, Teton; Chief Joseph, Nez Perce; Little Wound, Oglala; Medicine Bull, Hunkpapa; Osceola, Seminole; Ouray, Ute; Litte Raven, Arapaho; Plenty Coups, Crow; Pocahontas, Powhatan; Rain in the Face, Hunkpapa; Red Cloud, Oglala; Red Iron, Dakota; Short Man, Piegan; Sitting Bull, Hunkpapa; Standing On Prairie, Siouan; Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), Mohawk; Two Guns White Calf, Piegan; Two Moon, Cheyenne; and Washakie, Shoshoni.

Local Call Number(s):

NAA Photo Lot 87-2P

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Access to the collection requires an appointment.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Citation:

Photo lot 87-2P, United States National Museum Department of Anthropology photograph collection relating to Native Americans, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NAA.PhotoLot.87-2P

See more items in:

United States National Museum Department of Anthropology photograph collection relating to Native Americans

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw378544a5f-2448-46cd-90a0-4f00194bb205

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-photolot-87-2p

Creator:

DeVincent, Sam, 1918-1997  Search this

Extent:

42 Flat boxes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1911-1986

Summary:

Sam DeVincent loved music and art and began collecting sheet music with lithographs at an early age.

Series 6: Moving Pictures and Movie Stars forms part of the DeVincent collection.

An overview to the entire DeVincent collection is available here: Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music.

Scope and Contents:

Subseries 1: Academy Award Songs, contains the song sheets of academy award winning movies from 1934 1986. The songs are listed chronologically and the movie and movie stars are listed in the container list. This subseries also contains four academy award winning movie scores, a grammy award winning instrumental theme, a Cannes Film Festival winner, and the song composed for the 50th anniversary of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Professional music sheets, which are intended for use by professional singers only and do not have illustrated covers, are in the last folder.

Subseries 2: Child Stars, begins with a folder on minor child actors and then lists the major stars alphabetically. Many of the minor stars are from the silent film era and the song sheets are not associated with their movies. Instead the actor's image appeared on the cover to help promote the song. In those cases the song title and publishing year are listed. If the song is in a movie with the child star, the movie title and year are listed. The material for the major stars is organized by movies, recorded songs, professional music sheets, and song folios for each of the stars. The list states when a song is reissued in a movie that does not feature the original child actor. The last folder contains nonspecific song folios of child star music.

Subseries 3: Dance Folios, contains publications of movie music composed for paino with banjo, ukulele, and guitar accompaniment. The music is selected from various movies and the stars' images are included in some of the folios. The words to the songs are not always provided. The folios are organized alphabetically by publishing company and the copyright year (if printed) and the folio title are listed. There are several editions of Robbins M.G.M. Hollywood Dance Folios without publishing dates that are arranged by volume number.

Subseries 4: Disney Productions and Other Cartoon Movies, includes song sheets from Walt Disney movies, cartoons, and series as well as material from movies not produced by Disney. Mickey Mouse songs and songs written about or for Mickey have separate folders. Movies released by Paramont Pictures are grouped together and this sub subseries includes all Popeye songs because Paramont made the recent movie Popeye starring Robin Williams. Cartoon movies produced by other companies are classified togther, and Li'l Abner and Little Orphan Annie fall in this category. The unillustrated professional music sheets and song folios for Disney music are held in the last two folders.

Subseries 5: Female Stars, is arranged alphabetically by star. Sam DeVincent created separate files for certain stars, and subseries five and six organize those folders. The song sheets for each star are ordered chronologically by the year of the movie. When the star's image appears on the covers of songs not played during a movie, the year and song title are listed. This occurs most often with the silent film stars. Many actresses are not found in this series because the material of the collection focuses more on their early recorded or Vaudville songs. Examples are Doris Day, Frances Langford, Billie Burke, and Evelyn Nesbit. The material will be included in the upcoming series on performers. The division of male/female acting teams is also based on the focus of the material. The Gracie Allen and George Burns song sheets are from their movies together so they are placed as a team in this subseries. The movies Joan Blondell and Jeanette MacDonald featured in without Dick Powell and Nelson Eddy are in this subseries, but the movies of the couples are contained in subseries 6.6. Since there are few song sheets from Janet Gaynor's movies without Charles Farrell, all of the material on Janet Gaynor is in subseries 6.6. Other references can be useful for finding movies a star appeared in, but the song sheets are in the costar's folder. There are very few professional copies in this subseries, so they incorporated with the popular song sheets. The content list only mentions professional copies if there are no popular song sheets for the movie. A single song folio also does not have its own folder.

Subseries 6: Male Stars, has the same arrangement and conditions as subseries 5. Unfortunately this subseries does not include the material for Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Eddie Cantor, Eddie Fisher, Russ Columbo, Frank Sinatra, and Rudy Vallee. The sheet music in these files are of the star's recorded songs more than the songs performed in movies, therefore the entire collection has been reserved for the upcoming series on performers. Be sure to note these and other references.

Subseries 7: Movie Music, is the series for all song sheets that did not fit in any other category. The movies are listed in alphabetical order and the publication date on the song sheet is listed to the right. If that date does not correspond to when the movie came out, no year is given. The songs actually played during a silent film are contained in this subseries. The songs which used silent films to promote themselves are in the next subseries, Silent Films. The professional copies are also alphabetically arranged by movie, and the song folios are alphabetically ordered by folio title.

Subseries 8: Silent Films, holds the cue sheets for six movies which are listed in alphabetical order. Most of the song sheets, however, were not performed during the movie. These songs are dedicated to directors of movies, the movies themselves, or the stars. Often the song sheets were then sold in the lobby of a theater at the end of the show. There are three main sections to this subseries; promotion by director, promotion by movie, and promotion by star. Some songs are "inspired by" a movie and some covers only have stars in poses without any dedication. These song sheets show the rising popularity of moving pictures and movie stars. Albums of generic piano and organ music for common scenes in movies are in the last folder.

Subseries 9: Songs About the Movies, is mostly song sheets of nonmovie music. The songs are given in alphabetical order and the song's publication date is to the song title's left. The songs about Hollywood are separated from songs just about the movies. The professional copies and one song folio are in the last two folders. Many of the songs were written when movies first came out and reveal the country's mixed views about the movie industry.

Ephemera File, contains the most material for subseries five and six on female and male stars. For each there are several magazines and newspaper articles on individual stars. There are six books and some publicity items. For example, there are several Jerry Lewis Fund mailings. Subseries two and four, Child Stars and Disney Productions and Other Cartoon Movies, have fewer magazines and articles, but more promotional material.

Duplicates, are from all the subseries, but once again the most are from subseries five and six. The total number of duplicate copies is 2,840.

Note: The year's of movies were found in Ephraim Katz's The Film Encyclopedia (New York, Thomas Y. Crowell, Publishers, 1979).

Arrangement:

Arranged in 11 subseries.

6.1: Academy Award Songs

6.2: Child Stars

6.3: Dance Folios

6.4: Disney Productions and Other Cartoon Movies

6.5: Female Stars

6.6: Male Stars

6.7: Movie Music

6.8: Silent Films

6.9: Songs About the Movies

6.10: Ephemera

6.11: Duplicates

Materials in Other Organizations:

Sam DeVincent Collection of American Sheet Music, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

This collection contains duplicates of materials in the Smithsonian collection, as well as materials acquired by Mr. DeVincent after the donation to the Smithsonian. The phonograph records described above were transferred to the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History:

Donald J. Stubblebine Collection of Musical Theater and Motion Picture Sheet Music and Reference Material, 1843-2010 (AC1211)

Forms Part Of:

Series 6: Moving Pictures and Movie Stars forms part of the Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music.

An ongoing, updated list of DeVincent topical series is available via the Smithsonian finding aid portal.

Provenance:

This collection was purchased by the Smithsonian Institution in 1988 from Sam and Nancy Lee DeVincent.

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.

Citation:

The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0300.S06

See more items in:

Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 6: Moving Pictures and Movie Stars

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8794f829e-000c-43ab-85dd-6a13625666b1

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0300-s06

Creator:

Currie, Sara R. (Sara Rockefeller)  Search this

Names:

Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this

Lenz, Alfred, 1872-1926  Search this

Extent:

0.01 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

circa 1899-circa 1926

circa 1950s

Summary:

The Sara R. Currie papers about sculptor Alfred Lenz measure 0.01 linear feet and date from circa 1899-circa 1926, circa 1950s. The papers include scattered documentation about Lenz including a biographical sketch by Currie, printed material, and photographs.

Scope and Contents:

The Sara R. Currie papers about sculptor Alfred Lenz measure 0.01 linear feet and date from circa 1899-circa 1926, circa 1950s. The papers include a biographical sketch of Lenz written by Currie; three postcards of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco, California in 1915, including an image of a medal designed by Lenz; a printed reproduction of a 1910 bas relief of an Aztec Indian, The Vow, by Lenz; and photographs of Lenz taken from circa 1899-1925.

Arrangement:

Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical:

Sara R. Currie, a member of the Rockefeller family who settled in Jacksonville Florida, was a close friend and self-described assistant of Wisconsin-born New York sculptor Alfred Lenz. Currie remarked in her biographical notes on Lenz that she also modeled for his sculpture Senorita Hootch (1922). Lenz was born in Fon-du-Lac and moved to San Francisco at the age of 19 before settling in New York City where he spent a short period of time working for Gorham Silversmiths. Lenz became absorbed with sculpting and devoted the rest of his life to developing and perfecting a special lost wax technique of casting metals which was used by the ancient Chinese. He also designed a bas relief medallion for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915.

Separated Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on Reel D24 including newspaper clippings, correspondence, and an exhibition catalog. Loaned materials were returned to the lender after microfilming and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Sara R. Currie in 1958.

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.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

Artists' models -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Citation:

Sara R. Currie papers about Alfred Lenz, circa 1899-circa 1926, circa 1950s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.currsara

See more items in:

Sara R. Currie papers about Alfred Lenz

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9933725ea-5f81-466a-ac49-1fb542f55f39

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-currsara

Creator:

United Telegraph Workers.  Search this

Western Union Telegraph Company  Search this

Extent:

452 Cubic feet (871 boxes and 23 map folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Administrative records

Articles

Books

Clippings

Contracts

Drawings

Photographs

Patents

Newsletters

Photograph albums

Scrapbooks

Specifications

Technical documents

Date:

circa 1820-1995

Summary:

The collection documents in photographs, scrapbooks, notebooks, correspondence, stock ledgers, annual reports, and financial records, the evolution of the telegraph, the development of the Western Union Telegraph Company, and the beginning of the communications revolution. The collection materials describe both the history of the company and of the telegraph industry in general, particularly its importance to the development of the technology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The collection is useful for researchers interested in the development of technology, economic history, and the impact of technology on American social and cultural life.

Scope and Contents:

The collection is divided into twenty-six (26) series and consists of approximately 400 cubic feet. The collection documents in photographs, scrapbooks, notebooks, correspondence, stock ledgers, annual reports, and financial records, the evolution of the telegraph, the development of the Western Union Telegraph Company, and the beginning of the communications revolution. The collection materials describe both the history of the company and of the telegraph industry in general, particularly its importance to the development of the technology in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The collection is useful for researchers interested in the development of technology, economic history, and the impact of technology on American social and cultural life.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into twenty-seven series.

Series 1: Historical and Background Information, 1851-1994

Series 2: Subsidiaries of Western Union, 1844-1986

Series 3: Executive Records, 1848-1987

Series 4: Presidential Letterbooks and Writings, 1865-1911

Series 5: Correspondence, 1837-1985

Series 6: Cyrus W. Field Papers, 1840-1892

Series 7: Secretary's Files, 1844-1987

Series 8: Financial Records, 1859-1995

Series 9: Legal Records, 1867-1968

Series 10: Railroad Records, 1854-1945

Series 11: Law Department Records, 1868-1979

Series 12: Patent Materials, 1840-1970

Series 13: Operating Records, 1868-1970s

Series 14: Westar VI-S, 1974, 1983-1986

Series 15: Engineering Department Records, 1874-1970

Series 16: Plant Department Records, 1867-1937, 1963

Series 17: Superintendent of Supplies Records, 1888-1948

Series 18: Employee/Personnel Records 1852-1985

Series 19: Public Relations Department Records, 1858-1980

Series 20: Western Union Museum, 1913-1971

Series 21: Maps, 1820-1964

Series 22: Telegrams, 1852-1960s

Series 23: Photographs, circa 1870-1980

Series 24: Scrapbooks, 1835-1956

Series 25: Notebooks, 1880-1942

Series 26: Audio Visual Materials, 1925-1994

Series 27: Addenda

Biographical / Historical:

In 1832 Samuel F. B. Morse, assisted by Alfred Vail, conceived of the idea for an electromechanical telegraph, which he called the "Recording Telegraph." This commercial application of electricity was made tangible by their construction of a crude working model in 1835-36. This instrument probably was never used outside of Professor Morse's rooms where it was, however, operated in a number of demonstrations. This original telegraph instrument was in the hands of the Western Union Telegraph Company and had been kept carefully over the years in a glass case. It was moved several times in New York as the Western Union headquarters building changed location over the years. The company presented it to the Smithsonian Institution in 1950.

The telegraph was further refined by Morse, Vail, and a colleague, Leonard Gale, into working mechanical form in 1837. In this year Morse filed a caveat for it at the U.S. Patent Office. Electricity, provided by Joseph Henry's 1836 "intensity batteries", was sent over a wire. The flow of electricity through the wire was interrupted for shorter or longer periods by holding down the key of the device. The resulting dots or dashes were recorded on a printer or could be interpreted orally. In 1838 Morse perfected his sending and receiving code and organized a corporation, making Vail and Gale his partners.

In 1843 Morse received funds from Congress to set-up a demonstration line between Washington and Baltimore. Unfortunately, Morse was not an astute businessman and had no practical plan for constructing a line. After an unsuccessful attempt at laying underground cables with Ezra Cornell, the inventor of a trench digger, Morse switched to the erection of telegraph poles and was more successful. On May 24, 1844, Morse, in the U.S. Supreme Court Chambers in Washington, sent by telegraph the oft-quoted message to his colleague Vail in Baltimore, "What hath God wrought!"

In 1845 Morse hired Andrew Jackson's former postmaster general, Amos Kendall, as his agent in locating potential buyers of the telegraph. Kendall realized the value of the device, and had little trouble convincing others of its potential for profit. By the spring he had attracted a small group of investors. They subscribed $15,000 and formed the Magnetic Telegraph Company. Many new telegraph companies were formed as Morse sold licenses wherever he could.

The first commercial telegraph line was completed between Washington, D.C., and New York City in the spring of 1846 by the Magnetic Telegraph Company. Shortly thereafter, F. O. J. Smith, one of the patent owners, built a line between New York City and Boston. Most of these early companies were licensed by owners of Samuel Morse patents. The Morse messages were sent and received in a code of dots and dashes.

At this time other telegraph systems based on rival technologies were being built. Some companies used the printing telegraph, a device invented by a Vermonter, Royal E. House, whose messages were printed on paper or tape in Roman letters. In 1848 a Scotch scientist, Alexander Bain, received his patents on a telegraph. These were but two of many competing and incompatible technologies that had developed. The result was confusion, inefficiency, and a rash of suits and counter suits.

By 1851 there were over fifty separate telegraph companies operating in the United States. This corporate cornucopia developed because the owners of the telegraph patents had been unsuccessful in convincing the United States and other governments of the invention's potential usefulness. In the private sector, the owners had difficulty convincing capitalists of the commercial value of the invention. This led to the owners' willingness to sell licenses to many purchasers who organized separate companies and then built independent telegraph lines in various sections of the country.

Hiram Sibley moved to Rochester, New York, in 1838 to pursue banking and real estate. Later he was elected sheriff of Monroe County. In Rochester he was introduced to Judge Samuel L. Selden who held the House Telegraph patent rights. In 1849 Selden and Sibley organized the New York State Printing Telegraph Company, but they found it hard to compete with the existing New York, Albany, and Buffalo Telegraph Company.

After this experience Selden suggested that instead of creating a new line, the two should try to acquire all the companies west of Buffalo and unite them into a single unified system. Selden secured an agency for the extension throughout the United States of the House system. In an effort to expand this line west, Judge Selden called on friends and the people in Rochester. This led, in April 1851, to the organization of a company and the filing in Albany of the Articles of Association for the "New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company" (NYMVPTC), a company which later evolved into the Western Union Telegraph Company.

In 1854 there were two rival systems of the NYMVPTC in the West. These two systems consisted of thirteen separate companies. All the companies were using Morse patents in the five states north of the Ohio River. This created a struggle between three separate entities, leading to an unreliable and inefficient telegraph service. The owners of these rival companies eventually decided to invest their money elsewhere and arrangements were made for the NYMVPTC to purchase their interests.

Hiram Sibley recapitalized the company in 1854 under the same name and began a program of construction and acquisition. The most important takeover was carried out by Sibley when he negotiated the purchase of the Morse patent rights for the Midwest for $50,000 from Jeptha H. Wade and John J. Speed, without the knowledge of Ezra Cornell, their partner in the Erie and Michigan Telegraph Company (EMTC). With this acquisition Sibley proceeded to switch to the superior Morse system. He also hired Wade, a very capable manager, who became his protege and later his successor. After a bitter struggle Morse and Wade obtained the EMTC from Cornell in 1855, thus assuring dominance by the NYMVPTC in the Midwest. In 1856 the company name was changed to the "Western Union Telegraph Company," indicating the union of the Western lines into one compact system. In December, 1857, the Company paid stockholders their first dividend.

Between 1857 and 1861 similar consolidations of telegraph companies took place in other areas of the country so that most of the telegraph interests of the United States had merged into six systems. These were the American Telegraph Company (covering the Atlantic and some Gulf states), The Western Union Telegraph Company (covering states North of the Ohio River and parts of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Minnesota), the New York Albany and Buffalo Electro-Magnetic Telegraph Company (covering New York State), the Atlantic and Ohio Telegraph Company (covering Pennsylvania), the Illinois & Mississippi Telegraph Company (covering sections of Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois), and the New Orleans & Ohio Telegraph Company (covering the southern Mississippi Valley and the Southwest). All these companies worked together in a mutually friendly alliance, and other small companies cooperated with the six systems, particularly some on the West Coast.

By the time of the Civil War, there was a strong commercial incentive to construct a telegraph line across the western plains to link the two coasts of America. Many companies, however, believed the line would be impossible to build and maintain.

In 1860 Congress passed, and President James Buchanan signed, the Pacific Telegraph Act, which authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to seek bids for a project to construct a transcontinental line. When two bidders dropped out, Hiram Sibley, representing Western Union, was the only bidder left. By default Sibley won the contract. The Pacific Telegraph Company was organized for the purpose of building the eastern section of the line. Sibley sent Wade to California, where he consolidated the small local companies into the California State Telegraph Company. This entity then organized the Overland Telegraph Company, which handled construction eastward from Carson City, Nevada, joining the existing California lines, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Sibley's Pacific Telegraph Company built westward from Omaha, Nebraska. Sibley put most of his resources into the venture. The line was completed in October, 1861. Both companies were soon merged into Western Union. This accomplishment made Hiram Sibley leader of the telegraph industry.

Further consolidations took place over the next several years. Many companies merged into the American Telegraph Company. With the expiration of the Morse patents, several organizations were combined in 1864 under the name of "The U.S. Telegraph Company." In 1866 the final consolidation took place, with Western Union exchanging stock for the stock of the other two organizations. The general office of Western Union moved at this time from Rochester to 145 Broadway, New York City. In 1875 the main office moved to 195 Broadway, where it remained until 1930 when it relocated to 60 Hudson Street.

In 1873 Western Union purchased a majority of shares in the International Ocean Telegraph Company. This was an important move because it marked Western Union's entry into the foreign telegraph market. Having previously worked with foreign companies, Western Union now began competing for overseas business.

In the late 1870s Western Union, led by William H. Vanderbilt, attempted to wrest control of the major telephone patents, and the new telephone industry, away from the Bell Telephone Company. But due to new Bell leadership and a subsequent hostile takeover attempt of Western Union by Jay Gould, Western Union discontinued its fight and Bell Telephone prevailed.

Despite these corporate calisthenics, Western Union remained in the public eye. The sight of a uniformed Western Union messenger boy was familiar in small towns and big cities all over the country for many years. Some of Western Union's top officials in fact began their careers as messenger boys.

Throughout the remainder of the nineteenth century the telegraph became one of the most important factors in the development of social and commercial life of America. In spite of improvements to the telegraph, however, two new inventions--the telephone (nineteenth century) and the radio (twentieth century)--eventually replaced the telegraph as the leaders of the communication revolution for most Americans.

At the turn of the century, Bell abandoned its struggles to maintain a monopoly through patent suits, and entered into direct competition with the many independent telephone companies. Around this time, the company adopted its new name, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T).

In 1908 AT&T gained control of Western Union. This proved beneficial to Western Union, because the companies were able to share lines when needed, and it became possible to order telegrams by telephone. However, it was only possible to order Western Union telegrams, and this hurt the business of Western Union's main competitor, the Postal Telegraph Company. In 1913, however, as part of a move to prevent the government from invoking antitrust laws, AT&T completely separated itself from Western Union.

Western Union continued to prosper and it received commendations from the U.S. armed forces for service during both world wars. In 1945 Western Union finally merged with its longtime rival, the Postal Telegraph Company. As part of that merger, Western Union agreed to separate domestic and foreign business. In 1963 Western Union International Incorporated, a private company completely separate from the Western Union Telegraph Company, was formed and an agreement with the Postal Telegraph Company was completed. In 1994, Western Union Financial Services, Inc. was acquired by First Financial Management Corporation. In 1995, First Financial Management Corporation merged with First Data Corporation making Western Union a First Data subsidiary.

Many technological advancements followed the telegraph's development. The following are among the more important:

The first advancement of the telegraph occurred around 1850 when operators realized that the clicks of the recording instrument portrayed a sound pattern, understandable by the operators as dots and dashes. This allowed the operator to hear the message by ear and simultaneously write it down. This ability transformed the telegraph into a versatile and speedy system.

Duplex Telegraphy, 1871-72, was invented by the president of the Franklin Telegraph Company. Unable to sell his invention to his own company, he found a willing buyer in Western Union. Utilizing this invention, two messages were sent over the wire simultaneously, one in each direction.

As business blossomed and demand surged, new devices appeared. Thomas Edison's Quadruplex allowed four messages to be sent over the same wire simultaneously, two in one direction and two in the other.

An English automatic signaling arrangement, Wheatstone's Automatic Telegraph, 1883, allowed larger numbers of words to be transmitted over a wire at once. It could only be used advantageously, however, on circuits where there was a heavy volume of business.

Buckingham's Machine Telegraph was an improvement on the House system. It printed received messages in plain Roman letters quickly and legibly on a message blank, ready for delivery.

Vibroplex, c. 1890, a semi-automatic key sometimes called a "bug key," made the dots automatically. This relieved the operator of much physical strain.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

Additional moving image about Western Union Telegraph Company can be found in the Industry on Parade Collection (AC0507). This includes Cable to Cuba! by Bell Laboratory, AT & T, featuring the cable ship, the C.S. Lord Kelvin, and Communications Centennial! by the Western Union Company.

Materials at Other Organizations

Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware.

Western Union International Records form part of the MCI International, Inc. Records at the First Data Corporation, Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Records of First Data Corporation and its predecessors, including Western Union, First Financial Management Corporation (Atlanta) and First Data Resources (Omaha). Western Union collection supports research of telegraphy and related technologies, and includes company records, annual reports, photographs, print and broadcast advertising, telegraph equipment, and messenger uniforms.

Smithsonian Institution Archives

Western Union Telegraph Expedition, 1865-1867

This collection includes correspondence, mostly to Spencer F. Baird, from members of the Scientific Corps of the Western Union Telegraph Expedition, including Kennicott, Dall, Bannister, and Elliott; copies of reports submitted to divisional chiefs from expedition staff members; newspaper clippings concerning the expedition; copies of notes on natural history taken by Robert Kennicott; and a journal containing meteorological data recorded by Henry M. Bannister from March to August, 1866.

Separated Materials:

Artifacts (apparatus and equipment) were donated to the Division of Information Technology and Society, now known as the Division of Work & Industry, National Museum of American History.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Western Union in September of 1971.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but Series 11 and films are stored off-site. Special arrangements must be made to view some of the audiovisual materials. 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:

Communications equipment  Search this

Communication -- International cooperation  Search this

Electric engineering  Search this

Electric engineers  Search this

Electrical equipment  Search this

Electrical science and technology  Search this

Telegraphers  Search this

Telegraph  Search this

Genre/Form:

Administrative records

Articles

Books

Clippings

Contracts

Drawings

Photographs -- 19th century

Patents

Photographs -- 20th century

Newsletters

Photograph albums

Scrapbooks -- 19th century

Scrapbooks -- 20th century

Specifications

Technical documents

Citation:

Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0205

See more items in:

Western Union Telegraph Company Records

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8b72e8493-288c-4bd0-84d5-011155da30a7

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0205

Creator:

Beach, Chester, 1881-1956  Search this

Names:

American Academy in Rome  Search this

Architectural League of New York  Search this

Cleveland Museum of Art  Search this

Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts (France)  Search this

Frontier Art Colony  Search this

Mark Hopkins Institute of Art  Search this

National Academy of Design (U.S.)  Search this

National Sculpture Society (U.S.)  Search this

Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this

Salmagundi Club  Search this

Salon d'automne  Search this

Allen, Mary Jester  Search this

Beach, Eleanor Murdock  Search this

Blumenschein, Ernest Leonard, 1874-1960  Search this

Carrington, Fitz Roy, 1869-1954  Search this

Couper, William, 1853-1942  Search this

Fitchen, Eleanor Beach  Search this

French, Daniel Chester, 1850-1931  Search this

Greacen, Edmund W., 1876-1949  Search this

Hancock, Walker Kirtland, 1901-1998  Search this

Jackson, Hazel Brill  Search this

Jennewein, Carl Paul, 1890-  Search this

Kuhn, Brenda, 1911-  Search this

Kuhn, Walt, 1877-1949  Search this

Käsebier, Gertrude, 1852-1934  Search this

Leibig, Bonnie  Search this

MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937  Search this

Mora, F. Luis (Francis Luis), 1874-1940  Search this

Nelson, Laurence, 1887-1978  Search this

Nisbet, Robert H., 1879-1961  Search this

Olmsted, Frederick Law, 1822-1903  Search this

Piexotto, Jessica B.  Search this

Winter, Ezra, 1886-1949  Search this

Extent:

7.32 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Sketches

Christmas cards

Drawings

Photographs

Prints

Sketchbooks

Date:

1846-1999

bulk 1895-1999

Summary:

The Chester Beach papers measure 7.32 linear feet and date from 1846 to 1999, with the bulk ot the material dating from circa 1900 to 1999. The work and professional activities of Beaux Arts sculptor Chester Beach (1881-1956) and his family's efforts to exhibit and sell work from the estate are documented by project files, business records, correspondence, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs. The papers also include many artist-designed Christmas cards sent and received by the Beach family, and artwork by Chester Beach and others.

Scope and Contents:

The Chester Beach papers measure 7.32 linear feet and date from 1846 to 1999, with the bulk ot the material dating from circa 1900 to 1999. The work and professional activities of Beaux Arts sculptor Chester Beach (1881-1956) and his family's efforts to exhibit and sell work from the estate are documented by project files, business records, correspondence, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs. The papers also include many artist-designed Christmas cards sent and received by the Beach family, and artwork by Chester Beach and others.

Biographical material consists of biographical notes, identification cards, and a membership certificate.

Project files contain correspondence, financial records, notes, drawings and plans, research materials, printed matter, and photographs that document commissions for sculpture, medals and coins, monuments, and Beach's own projects. Among the most thoroughly documented projects are a fountain sculpture for the grounds of the Cleveland Museum of Art (Sun, Earth, Fountain of the Waters, and Zodiac) and the Edward W. Bok Memorial in Mountain Lake, Florida; both commissions were executed in conjunction with the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted.

Business records include Chester Beach's general business correspondence and correspondence concerning consignments. An address book records names, addresses, and occasionally indicates prices of services and supplies used by the sculptor. Other record books detail expenses and income of the studio building Beach owned, with a list of the effects of the former owner, sculptor William Couper; bronzes cast; sales, with titles, prices, and buyers; names and addresses of clients, dealers, and suppliers; and instructions for cleaning and bronzing plaster.

Family correspondence consists mainly of letters, many mentioning Chester Beach, and addressed to Mrs. Chester Beach and daughter Eleanor Beach Fitchen. Estate correspondence and related documents concern efforts to exhibit, sell, and research Beach's remaining work. These records, for the most part, were created by Mrs. Fitchen who acted as sales agent, ran the Chester Beach Memorial Studio, and maintained the Beach archive. Of particular interest is a series of letters from Brenda Kuhn that relate what she learned from handling the estate of her father, Walt Kuhn; in addition, she offered ideas and advice about exhibitions, the Memorial Studio, and the Beach Centennial.

Beach designed his family's annual Christmas cards, most of which incorporate images of their three daughters. A complete set, preserved in an album, includes a few later cards that reproduce artwork by his widow. Many of the cards received - some with original artwork - are from artist friends, among them: Ernest Blumenschein, Edward W. Greacen, Hazel Brill Jackson, Paul Jennewein, Bonnie Leibig, F. Luis Mora, Robert Nisbet, and Ezra Winter. Also of note are a card from Walker Hancock bearing a photograph of his studio; a painting of Beach's Sylvan at Brookgreen Gardens, reproduced on Anna Hyatt Huntington's card; and a card from Beach patron Mary Jester Allen containing a brief note about the Frontier Art Colony she had established near Cody, Wyoming.

Among the drawings and sketches by Chester Beach are student work, designs for some of his Christmas cards, and a sketchbook containing drawings of sculpture. Work by other artists consists of prints, including one by Ezra Winter.

Three scrapbooks, largely comprised of newspaper clippings and other printed material, contain a variety of other items, including: letters from the American Academy in Rome, Architectural League of New York, Ecole des Beaux Arts, Daniel Chester French, Hazel Brill Jackson, Frederick MacMonnies, National Academy of Design, National Sculpture Society, Jessica B. Piexotto, and Salon d'Autome. There are also awards and certificates from the National Academy of Design, Panama-Pacific International Exposition; bookplates and a place card Beach etched for Mr. and Mrs. George Davison; and an unfinished poem by FitzRoy Carrington. Photographs within the scrapbooks are of a night school class Beach attended at the Mark Hopkins Art Institute in San Francisco, Beach at work in his studio, and a portrait of him painted by G. Laurance Nelson.

Printed material includes Panama-Pacific International Exposition guide books, brochures about the Chester Beach Memorial Studio in Brewster, New York, and catalogs for solo and group exhibitions.

Photographs and glass plate negatives of artwork are mainly of Chester Beach's sculpture and include views of work in progress. Also found are photographs of drawings and sculpture from his student years in California and Paris. Pictures of work by other artists are portraits of Chester Beach painted by G. Laurance Nelson and by his daughter, Natalie Beach McLaury. Among the photographs of Chester Beach are several by Gertrude Kasebier, circa 1910. Other pictures show Beach in his studio, Beach with family and friends, and a "Dinner tendered to Edmund W. Greacen by Samuel T. Shaw, Salmagundi Club, March 2, 1922." Places documented are Beach's boyhood home in San Francisco, the interiors of his studios, and Brookgreen Gardens. Miscellaneous subjects are nude models.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 10 series. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1910-1947 (4 folders; Box 1)

Series 2: Project Files, 1846-1999 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 11, OV 12-13)

Series 3: Business Records, circa 1900-1958 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)

Series 4: Writings, 1913-1935 (2 folders; Box 3)

Series 5: Correspondence, 1875, 1933-1996 (0.5 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 6: Christmas Cards, 1909-1961 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1900-1955 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 4, 11)

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1903-1972 (0.3 linear feet; Box 10)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1910-1997 (0.4 linear feet; Box 4)

Series 10: Photographs, circa 1885-circa 1960s (3.1 linear feet; Boxes 4-9, 11, 14)

Biographical / Historical:

Sculptor Chester Beach (1881-1956) was known for portrait busts, allegorical and mythological figures, coins and medallic art in the Beaux-Arts tradition. He lived and worked in New York City and Brewster, New York.

Chester Beach, son of Chilion Beach and Elizabeth Ferris Beach, was born in San Francisco on May 23, 1881. Beach initially studied at the California School of Mechanical Arts in 1899. He remained in San Francisco and between 1900 and 1902 continued his art training at the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art while working as a jewelry designer. To further his career and exposure to artistic trends, Beach moved to New York City in 1903. The following year, he went to Paris, enrolled at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and also studied with Raoul Verlet at the Académie Julian.

Upon his return to New York in 1907, Beach established a studio on Tenth Street. He won the National Academy of Design's Barnett Prize for sculpture in 1907 and the Academy elected him an Associate Artist the following year. His increased stature resulted in numerous portrait commissions and eventually led to commissions for monuments and architectural sculpture. In 1910, Chester Beach married Eleanor Hollis Murdock, a painter he met when both were art students in Paris. The couple spent the next two years in Rome; for several years after returning, Beach continued to spend time in Italy and maintained a studio in Rome.

Solo exhibitions of Beach's work were presented at Macbeth Gallery (1912), Pratt Institute (1913), Cincinnati Art Museum (1916), John Herron Art Institute (1916), and Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester (1917). In addition to frequent participation in annual exhibitions at the National Academy of Design and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Beach was represented in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915), and in group shows at venues including: Art Institute of Chicago, Boston Art Club, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, and National Arts Club.

The gold medal presented by Académie Julian (1905), Beach's first award, was followed by many other prizes, among them: American Numismatic Society prize for a medal commemorating the Peace of Versailles (1919) and its Saltus Medal for distinguished medallic art (1946); Architectural League of New York gold medal (1924); National Academy of Design Barnett Prize (1907) and Watrous gold medal (1926); National Arts Club medal and prizes (1923, 1926, 1932); and the Panama-Pacific International Exposition silver medal (1915).

Beach was an Academician of the National Academy of Design, a member of the American Numismatic Society, Architectural League of New York, National Arts Club, National Institute of Arts and Letters, and the National Sculpture Society (President, 1927-1928).

For more than 40 years, Beach lived and worked at 207 East 17th Street. The brownstone, purchased in 1913, was large enough for the family's home, his studio, and additional studios that were rented to other artists. Through barter, Beach acquired land in Brewster, New York, and in 1917 hired Italian stonemasons to build a studio. Later, they erected a summer house for the family. Many old stone walls on the site provided material for both buildings and Beach named the property Oldwalls.

After a long illness, Chester Beach died at Oldwalls on August 6, 1956. The funeral service was held at his Brewster, New York, studio and he is buried in Cold Spring Cemetery, Cold Spring, New York.

Separated Materials:

Also in the Archives of American Art is microfilm of papers lent for microfilming (reels N727-N729 and N68-11) including passports, genealogical materials, photograph albums, travel sketches, travel diaries of Mrs. Beach, and business and family correspondence. While the obituary letters on reel N68-11 are referenced in a scrapbook in Series 8, all other loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Provenance:

Chester Beach's daughter, Eleanor Beach Fitchen, lent materials for microfilming in 1967 and 1967. Subsequent papers were donated in 2009 by the estate of Eleanor Beach Fitchen, through her grandson and executor, John Fitchen.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and not served to researchers.

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.

Topic:

Sculptors, American -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Eclecticism in architecture  Search this

Sculpture -- Technique  Search this

Sculpture -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Artists' studios  Search this

Sculpture -- Economic aspects  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Sketches

Christmas cards

Drawings

Photographs

Prints

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Chester Beach papers, 1846-1999, bulk circa 1900-1999. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.beacches

See more items in:

Chester Beach papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93fbc1322-a3ff-4570-b08a-68b84efe296b

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-beacches

Creator:

Hale, Philip Leslie, 1865-1931  Search this

Names:

Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this

Butler, Theodore Earl, 1861-1936  Search this

Cox, Kenyon, 1856-1919  Search this

Hale, Nancy, 1908-  Search this

Hart, William H., b. 1863  Search this

Kennedy, Albert J. (Albert Joseph), 1879-1968  Search this

Tarbell, Edmund Charles, 1862-1938  Search this

Extent:

7.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Interviews

Sketchbooks

Sketches

Date:

1818-1962

bulk 1877-1939

Summary:

The papers of Boston painter, teacher, critic, and writer Philip Leslie Hale measure 7.4 linear feet and date from 1818 to 1962, with the bulk of the material dating from 1877 to 1939. Biographical information; correspondence with family, friends, and colleagues, including many artists; sketches and 9 sketchbooks; writings; printed material; and photographs document the artist's career and personal life. The collection also includes research materials and catalogs compiled by Albert J. Kennedy for a never-published Philip Leslie Hale memorial volume.

Scope and Contents note:

The papers of Boston painter, teacher, critic, and writer Philip Leslie Hale measure 7.4 linear feet and date from 1818 to 1962, with the bulk of the material dating from 1877 to 1939. Biographical information; correspondence with family, friends, and colleagues, including many artists; sketches and 9 sketchbooks; writings; printed material; and photographs document the artist's career and personal life. The collection also includes research materials and catalogs compiled by Albert J. Kennedy for a never-published Philip Leslie Hale memorial volume.

Biographical materials include financial and legal records; personal documents, such as educational records and biographical notes; printed material; and notes concerning art classes and teaching. Also included are scattered letters, invitations, schoolwork, and notebooks from his youth. Ten notebooks contain sketches, along with some class notes and essays.

Family, general, and business correspondence document the personal and professional life of Philip Leslie Hale and, to a lesser extent, several of his relatives. Family correspondence includes Hale's exchanges with various relatives, and some of their correspondence with others. General correspondence with friends, colleagues, and other artists is both personal and professional in nature. Correspondents include Theodore Butler, Kenyon Cox, Nancy Hale, William H. Hart, and Edmund C. Tarbell. Business correspondence concerns many aspects of Hale's career. Correspondents include students, arts institutions, models, and publishers.

Writings by Philip L. Hale consist of lectures on anatomy, art history, and various art topics; miscellaneous articles; notes on artists, esthetics and philosophy either for classroom use or his writings; character sketches, a play, poems, and political writings.

Artwork consists of 9 sketchbooks and loose sketches in pencil and ink of heads, figures, anatomical studies, landscapes, and miscellaneous subjects. A much smaller number of pastels, prints, and oil sketches are included. This series also includes a few items by other artists.

Research files and catalogs, compiled from 1932 to 1939 by Hale's friend Albert J. Kennedy for a never-published memorial volume, include extensive correspondence and notes of interviews with friends, relatives, colleagues, former students, and models recording their reminiscences of Hale. Kennedy collected exhibition catalogs and a variety of other printed material, along with biographical and genealogical information, and photographs of Hale's work. Many of his research notes consist of handwritten transcriptions of published articles by and about Hale.

Printed material about Philip L. Hale includes articles, reviews, and miscellaneous newspaper clippings mentioning him or containing reproductions of his work. Printed items by Hale consist of art reviews, miscellaneous articles on art topics, copies of his columns that appeared in Arcadia: A Journal Devoted to Music, Art and Literature, and the text of a speech.

The majority of photographs record works of art, mainly by Philip L. Hale, and also by Lilian Westcott Hale, Robert Payne, and Edmund C. Tarbell. Personal photographs include images of Hale, his relatives, and friends. There are also several group portraits of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exhibition Jury, a group portrait with students, views of Hale at work in his studio and in the classroom, pictures of a summer house, and landscapes.

Arrangement note:

The collecion is arranged as 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1875-1939 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1818-1944 (2 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1910-1930 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 4: Artwork, circa 1870-1930 (0.4 linear feet; Box 4)

Series 5: Memorial Book, circa 1862-1962 (2.8 linear feet; Boxes 4-8, OV 9)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1883-1951 (8 folders; Box 7)

Series 7: Photographic Material, 1868-1931 (12 folders; Box 7)

Biographical/Historical note:

Philip Leslie Hale (1865-1931) was the son of prominent Unitarian minister and well-known author, Edward Everett Hale. Members of this distinguished old Boston family included such ancestors as Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, influential preacher Lyman Beecher, educator Catherine Beecher, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. From a young age Philip's talent and interest in drawing was encouraged by his parents, especially his mother. An older artist sister, Ellen Day Hale (1855-1940) and an aunt, Susan Hale (1834-1910), a trained painter, provided Philip with his first art lessons.

Family tradition and expectations decreed that after completing studies at the Boston Latin School and Roxbury Latin School, Hale would attend Harvard. After passing Harvard's entrance examination, as required by his father, Philip was free to pursue art. He enrolled in the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in the fall of 1883, where he was an early pupil of Edmund C. Tarbell. The following year he continued his studies in New York at the Art Students League under J. Alden Weir and Kenyon Cox.

In early 1887, Hale went to Paris, adopted a bohemian lifestyle, and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Julian. He became friends with fellow students Theodore Butler and William Howard ("Peggy") Hart. In the summer of 1888, the three made their first trip to Giverny, where they were among the first Americans to experiment with Impressionism. They met other American artists, including Theodore Robinson, John Leslie Breck, and Theodore Wendel, who also had been drawn to Giverny by the presence of Claude Monet. Hale returned to Boston in the summer of 1890, but was soon drawn back to Paris to be with his sweetheart Katharine Kinsella. He spent the summers of 1891-1893 continuing his experiment with Impressionism in Giverny, and during that period traveled to London, Paris, and Spain, periodically returning home and to the family's Rhode Island summer place.

In 1893 Hale began teaching cast drawing at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where he remained on the faculty until his death in 1931. Eventually he became the chief instructor of drawing, and also offered courses in life drawing, artistic anatomy, and art history. Hale also taught at the Worcester Art Museum (1898-1910), the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1913-1928), and Boston University (1926-1928).

Hale's first solo exhibition, held in 1899 at Durand-Ruel Galleries in New York City, consisted of Impressionist paintings and pastels that received mixed reviews. In subsequent years his work became increasingly academic and focused on figure paintings and portraits. He exhibited frequently in national and international shows, won numerous medals and prizes, and was elected an Associate National Academician of the National Academy of Design in 1917.

In 1902, Hale married former student, Lilian Westcott, a painter and portraitist whose success during some periods eclipsed that of her husband.

Philip Leslie Hale, like many of his relatives, was a noted writer and speaker. His column "Art in Paris" appeared regularly in the Canadian-based periodical Arcadia: A Journal Devoted to Music, Art and Literature between 1892 and 1893 and discussed Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Symbolism. Hale regularly contributed art columns, reviews, and miscellaneous articles to the Boston Daily Advertiser, Boston Commonwealth, Boston Herald, and Boston Evening Transcript during the first decade of the twentieth century.

Hale's teaching stressed the importance of learning Old Master's techniques. He had a life-long interest in Vermeer, and as a writer and critic he generated quite a bit of enthusiasm for that artist among the figurative painters of the Boston School, his own students, and others. Jan Vermeer of Delft, a highly regarded monograph by Philip Leslie Hale - the first on the subject published in the United States - appeared in 1913. He wrote several other books on art subjects, and his services as a lecturer on art topics were sought after by a variety of organizations both locally and nationally.

Philip Leslie Hale died following emergency surgery in Dedham, Massachusetts, on February 2, 1931.

Related Archival Materials note:

The Archives of American Art also holds a separately cataloged collection of Philip Leslie Hale drawings on microfilm reel 3766 and two collections related to the Hale family, including the Ellen Hale and Hale family papers and the Edward Everett Hale letter to an unidentified person.

Provenance:

The Philip Leslie Hale papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 1962 by the artist's daughter, Nancy Hale Bowers. Additionally, notes written by Mrs. Nathan Hale were donated by Lilian Westcott Hale in 1963.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference 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.

Occupation:

Art teachers -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Art critics -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Topic:

Art -- History  Search this

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Painting, American  Search this

Painters -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Authors -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this

Function:

Artists' studios -- Massachusetts

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Interviews

Sketchbooks

Sketches

Citation:

Philip Leslie Hale papers, 1818-1962, bulk 1877-1939. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art

Identifier:

AAA.halephil

See more items in:

Philip Leslie Hale papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw986c5713b-e14b-47a1-a44d-f4c3b49ea2f0

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-halephil

Collection Creator:

Lark, Sylvia, 1947-1990  Search this

Extent:

0.3 Linear feet (Box 2)

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1973-1992

Scope and Contents:

Printed Material primarily consists of newspaper and magazine clippings reviewing Lark's exhibitions. Also found are exhibition announcments, flyers and catalogs as well as complied articles and annoucments related to professional activities such as participation in conferences and lecture series.

Collection 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 Reference Services for more information.

Collection 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.

Collection Citation:

Sylvia Lark Papers, 1971-1994. 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.

Identifier:

AAA.larksylv, Series 7

See more items in:

Sylvia Lark papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b2094274-e4f1-41b2-84a9-958bfd22d2a5

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-larksylv-ref11

Collection Creator:

Lark, Sylvia, 1947-1990  Search this

Container:

Box 2, Folder 11-13

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1973-1992

Collection 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 Reference Services for more information.

Collection 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.

Collection Citation:

Sylvia Lark Papers, 1971-1994. 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.

See more items in:

Sylvia Lark papers

Sylvia Lark papers / Series 7: Printed Material

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9935f281c-84cc-4824-8286-ff07b970989d

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-larksylv-ref114

Creator:

Lark, Sylvia, 1947-1990  Search this

Names:

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Art  Search this

Extent:

1.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1971 - 1994

Summary:

The Sylvia Lark papers measure 1.4 linear feet and date from 1971- 1994, documenting Lark's career as an abstract artist and college professor, particularly her tenure at the University of California, Berkeley. Included are biographical materials; correspondence with museums, galleries, universities, colleagues and other artists; writings by and about Lark's work; professional files such as gallery represented sale records, grant applications and inventory lists; exhibition files; teaching files; printed and photographic material.

Scope and Contents:

The Sylvia Lark papers measure 1.4 linear feet and date from 1971-1994, documenting Lark's career as an abstract artist and college professor, particularly her tenure at the University of California, Berkeley. Included are biographic material, such as resumes, an interview transcript and an award certificate from the College Art Association of America; correspondence between Lark and galleries, city art departments, Native American organizations and other artists, and colleagues regarding various exhibitions and teaching employment opportunities. Also found are writings by and about Lark's work, exhibition files which document select solo and group exhibitions that Lark participated in, as well as tribute exhibition. Professional files include materials documenting Lark's involvement serving as a juror for various exhibitions, her membership and participation in professional organizations and financial records related to the selling and loaning of her artwork. Teaching files include student evaluations, course schedules, U.C. Berkley employment documents, correspondence and reports regarding Lark's tenure case, U.C. Berkley personel informational paperwork, Faculty grant and fellowship documents and sabbatical leave applications and awards. Printed material primarily consists of newspaper and magazine clippings reviewing Lark's exhibitions along with exhibition announcements, flyers and catalogs. Photographs are of Lark's artwork as well as her Fulbright travels in Korea and Japan.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as eight series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1977-1991 (3 Folders: Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1976-1991 (0.3 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, 1975-1987 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1978-1994 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 5: Professional Files, 1976-1994 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 6: Teaching Files, 1977-1990 (0.4 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1973-1992 (0.3 Linear feet: Box 2)

Series 8: Photographic Material, 1971-1987 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 2)

Biographical / Historical:

Sylvia Lark (1947-1990) was a Seneca abstract expressionist painter, printmaker and educator from Buffalo, New York. Lark received her M.F.A from University of Wisconsin, Madision in 1972 before moving to California where she began teaching printmaking at California State University, Sacramento. In 1977 she received a Fulbright grant to travel and study in Korea and Japan. She also began teaching at the University of California, Berkeley that same year where she remained a professor for the rest of her life. She was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award for teaching art by the College Art Association posthumously in 1991.

In addition to her professorial career, Lark was a widely exhibited artist who collaborated on a number of Native American exhibitions, and served as a member of a different women in the arts organizations. Her work can be found in numerous collections including that of the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Oakland Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

Provenance:

Donated 1998 by Christine Carter.

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 Reference 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.

Occupation:

Educators -- California  Search this

Painters -- California  Search this

Printmakers -- California  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Women printmakers  Search this

Painting, Abstract  Search this

Native American artists  Search this

Citation:

Sylvia Lark Papers, 1971-1994. 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.

Identifier:

AAA.larksylv

See more items in:

Sylvia Lark papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9957aa453-c0f7-4dd1-ad6b-0a2f02464fba

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-larksylv

Creator:

W. Atlee Burpee Company  Search this

Burpee, W. Atlee (Washington Atlee), 1858-1915  Search this

Burpee, David, 1893-1980  Search this

Wm. Henry Maule (Firm)  Search this

James Vick's Sons (Rochester, N.Y.).  Search this

Extent:

200 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Trade catalogs

Business records

Commercial correspondence

Instructional materials

Ledgers (account books)

Date:

circa 1873-1980

Summary:

The W. Atlee Burpee & Company records, dated circa 1873-1986, document the firm's business activities developing plant varieties, working with contract seedsmen, and marketing and selling seeds. They include seed trial records, seed contracts, sales and acccounting records, inventories, office correspondence, seed catalogs, promotional and instructional materials, advertisements and advertising reports, contest letters, daybooks, photographs, reference materials, and other items relating to the company and some of its competitors. The collection also includes Burpee family papers.

Content Description:

This collection documents W. Atlee Burpee & Co., a mail-order seed company based in Philadelphia, from its early beginnings in 1876 when its founder, W. Atlee Burpee, started in the agricultural business, to the 1970s when his son, David Burpee, sold the firm. The collection also includes personal papers of the Burpee family dating back to the mid-nineteenth century.

Business-related content in the collection consists of crop propagation and management records; company correspondence; administrative and personnel records; advertising files; legal papers; property records and plans; reports, studies, and technical data; notes and drafts; files on professional outreach activities and events; trade literature (published by both the Burpee company and a number of its competitors); and awards and certificates received by the company. Significant topics documented in these files include the development of notable flower and vegetable varieties introduced by the company; the impact of World Wars I and II on gardening and the global seed trade; advertising strategies, technology, and innovation; and David Burpee's advocacy of the marigold as the national floral emblem of the United States.

The Burpee family papers consist of personal files unrelated to the company's business operations. These include records generated by W. Atlee's father (David Burpee, 1827-1882) and grandfather (Washington L. Atlee, 1808-1878), as well as W. Atlee's wife, Blanche (1863-1948); David Burpee (1893-1980) and his wife, Lois (1912-1984); and W. Atlee Burpee II (1894-1966). There are genealogical surveys conducted on both the Atlee and Burpee families as well as clippings about family members. W. Atlee and David Burpee's series are the most extensive, and cover their involvement with numerous social and philanthropic clubs and organizations. The series include personal correspondence; financial, accounting, and tax records; travel-related files; reference material; and will and estate papers.

The Burpee collection also has a large number of images related to the Burpee business and family in a variety of formats including photographs, film and glass plate negatives, and advertisement mock-ups. Other formats include architectural and site plans, original artwork for advertisements, films, cassettes, audio tapes, and ephemera.

Arrangement:

Collection is arranged into six series:

Series 1: Plant/Farm Related Material Series 2: Business Records Series 3: Material Published About the Burpee Company Series 4: Awards and Certificates Series 5: Photographic and A/V Materials Series 6: Burpee Family Papers

The collection's original order was maintained wherever possible, though many records were found scattered throughout the collection and artificial files were necessarily created for them.

Most files are arranged chronologically or alphabetically by person or topic.

Various photographs interspersed in correspondence files were kept where they were originally found. All other photographic and audio/visual materials found on their own were grouped in Series 5 Photographic and A/V Material which documents aspects of both the Burpee company and Burpee family.

Biographical / Historical:

Washington Atlee Burpee (1858-1915) began a mail-order poultry and livestock business in 1876 in Philadelphia, which he soon expanded to include corn seed for chicken feed. In 1878, he founded W. Atlee Burpee & Co. to sell livestock and vegetable, fruit, and flower seeds through the mail. His company went on to become one of the most notable seed distributors in the world.

In 1888, W. Atlee bought a tract of land named Fordhook Farms in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It was initially established as an experimental farm to test and evaluate new varieties of vegetables and flowers and to produce seeds for the mail-order market. Burpee spent many summers traveling throughout the United States and Europe visiting farms and searching for the best flowers and vegetables. Certain plants he found were shipped back to the firm for testing and propagation; other seeds were obtained through contracts with growers throughout the U.S., a practice common in the seed industry at that time. Promising varieties were bred with healthier specimens to produce hardier hybrids that were more resistant to disease. Other Burpee trial grounds were later established at Sunnybrook Farm near Swedesboro, New Jersey, and at Floradale Farms in Lompoc, California (1909/1910). The company went on to purchase more land for farming in California, and established sales branch headquarters in Sanford, Florida (circa 1930s), Clinton, Iowa (1942), and Riverside, California (1949).

W. Atlee Burpee married Blanche Simons (1863-1948) in 1892. They had three sons: David (1893-1980); W. Atlee Jr. ("Junior") (1894-1966); and Stuart Alexander (1901-1934). Both David and Junior attended the Blight School in Philadelphia for elementary school and Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana for preparatory school. While they both attended Cornell University as undergraduates, they left before graduating due to W. Atlee's poor health. Junior married Jeanetta Lee (1893-1981) in November, 1916, and they had two children: W. Atlee III (1917-1971) and Jeanette (1919-2002). David married Lois Torrance (1912-1984) in 1938, and they had two children: Johnathan (b. 1941) and Blanche (b. 1943). Stuart Alexander was apparently born with a disability; according to census records he worked on farms during his lifetime.

David Burpee took over the family business upon his father's death in 1915; W. Atlee Burpee, Jr. served as treasurer of the firm once he returned from serving in the military. At that time, the Burpee company had 300 employees and was the largest mail-order seed company in the world. It distributed over one million catalogs a year and received on average 10,000 orders a day. Under David's tutelage, the company adapted to contemporaneous shifts in business and advertising methods, advancements in plant science, ever-changing consumer demands, and two World Wars. In response to food shortages experienced during World War I, the Burpee company helped promote a "war gardens" campaign that evolved into a "victory gardens" campaign during World War II.

Both W. Atlee and David used their position as head of a major seed house to lobby congressional debates in regard to two topics: postage rates (W. Atlee) and the designation of a national floral emblem for the United States (David). Both men belonged to The Union League of Philadelphia and The Canadian Society of Philadelphia (which W. Atlee helped found), and served on the boards of directors for hospitals and other charitable organizations. Both father and son were politically aligned with the Republican Party.

The firm reorganized its governing structure in 1917 at which time it changed its name from W. Atlee Burpee & Co. to W. Atlee Burpee Co. Burpee's acquired three seed companies between 1878 and 1970: Luther Burbank Seed Company, James Vick's Seeds, Inc., and the William Henry Maule Company. David Burpee sold the company to the General Foods Corporation in 1970 and served as a consultant for the business until 1973. The Burpee brand was bought by its current owner, George J. Ball, Inc., in 1991.

General:

The project to process the W. Atlee Burpee & Co. Records received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.

Related Materials:

Burpee seed catalogs donated to the Smithsonian in 1982 by the W. Atlee Burpee Co. can be found in the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives' Trade Literature Collection at the National Museum of American History.

The Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division includes a series of images of Burpee company operations taken in 1943.

The Black Gold Cooperative Library System's Asian/Pacific - Americans on the Central Coast Collection includes images dated 1933-1939 of Japanese employees of the Burpee Co. working at Floradale Farms in Lompoc, California.

Restrictions:

Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Topic:

Seed industry and trade  Search this

Mail-order business -- Catalogs  Search this

Gardens -- United States  Search this

Horticulture  Search this

Vegetables  Search this

Trial gardens  Search this

Victory gardens  Search this

Prize contests in advertising  Search this

Advertising, Newspaper -- 20th century  Search this

Advertising, magazine -- 20th century  Search this

Flower shows  Search this

Genre/Form:

Trade catalogs

Business records

Commercial correspondence

Instructional materials

Ledgers (account books)

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, W. Atlee Burpee & Company Records

Identifier:

AAG.BUR2

See more items in:

W. Atlee Burpee & Company Records - Accretion 2

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb697bb6243-1e96-416d-b552-0925a2866fbc

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aag-bur2

Artist:

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, born 16 Feb 1952  Search this

Sitter:

Sandra Cisneros, born 20 Dec 1954  Search this

Medium:

Inkjet print

Dimensions:

Image: 86.5 × 68.5 cm (34 1/16 × 26 15/16")

Sheet: 102.9 × 76.2 cm (40 1/2 × 30")

Mat: 122 × 96.7 cm (48 1/16 × 38 1/16")

Type:

Photograph

Place:

United States\New York\Kings\New York

Date:

June 2011

Topic:

Costume\Jewelry\Necklace  Search this

Interior  Search this

Costume\Jewelry\Ring  Search this

Costume\Jewelry\Bracelet  Search this

Personal Attribute\Tattoo  Search this

Sandra Cisneros: Female  Search this

Sandra Cisneros: Literature\Writer  Search this

Sandra Cisneros: Literature\Writer\Poet  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Catherine and Ingrid Pino Duran

Object number:

NPG.2019.105

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

Copyright:

© 2011 Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

See more items in:

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm43d557d42-d803-4e07-b04f-72b6f405ce92

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NPG.2019.105

Artist:

Unidentified Artist  Search this

Sitter:

Norman Corwin, 3 May 1910 - 18 Oct 2011  Search this

Medium:

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions:

Image: 33.9 x 26.5 cm (13 3/8 x 10 7/16")

Sheet: 35.2 x 27.8 cm (13 7/8 x 10 15/16")

Mat: 71.1 x 55.9 cm (28 x 22")

Type:

Photograph

Date:

1939

Topic:

Printed Material\Papers  Search this

Equipment\Smoking Implements\Pipe  Search this

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this

Home Furnishings\Curtain  Search this

Costume\Jewelry\Watch\Wrist watch  Search this

Norman Corwin: Male  Search this

Norman Corwin: Journalism and Media\Newspaper editor  Search this

Norman Corwin: Journalism and Media\Journalist\Reporter\Newspaper  Search this

Norman Corwin: Literature\Writer\Novelist  Search this

Norman Corwin: Literature\Writer\Playwright  Search this

Norman Corwin: Performing Arts\Performer\Radio performer  Search this

Norman Corwin: Literature\Writer\Screenwriter  Search this

Norman Corwin: Journalism and Media\Broadcast journalist\Radio  Search this

Norman Corwin: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Business executive\Radio  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Norman Corwin

Object number:

NPG.2005.103

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4ccd6352c-5db1-48c5-bd8b-ef0a8f1fd18b

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NPG.2005.103

Artist:

Unidentified Artist  Search this

Sitter:

Norman Corwin, 3 May 1910 - 18 Oct 2011  Search this

Medium:

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions:

Image: 34 x 26.5 cm (13 3/8 x 10 7/16")

Sheet: 35.2 x 27.8 cm (13 7/8 x 10 15/16")

Type:

Photograph

Date:

1939

Topic:

Printed Material\Papers  Search this

Equipment\Smoking Implements\Pipe  Search this

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this

Equipment\Drafting & Writing Implements\Writing implement\Pencil  Search this

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Necktie  Search this

Costume\Jewelry\Watch\Wrist watch  Search this

Norman Corwin: Male  Search this

Norman Corwin: Journalism and Media\Newspaper editor  Search this

Norman Corwin: Journalism and Media\Journalist\Reporter\Newspaper  Search this

Norman Corwin: Literature\Writer\Novelist  Search this

Norman Corwin: Literature\Writer\Playwright  Search this

Norman Corwin: Performing Arts\Performer\Radio performer  Search this

Norman Corwin: Literature\Writer\Screenwriter  Search this

Norman Corwin: Journalism and Media\Broadcast journalist\Radio  Search this

Norman Corwin: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Business executive\Radio  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Norman Corwin

Object number:

NPG.2005.104

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4b1df2818-67fa-459d-9d5c-821295ce2b7b

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NPG.2005.104