The papers of Austrian born curator, lecturer, and museum director, René d'Harnoncourt (1901-1968), document d'Harnoncourt's activities, primarily in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly as they relate to Mexican and Native American art. D'Harnoncourt's career, including his arrival in Mexico in 1925, his curation of the exhibitions, Mexican Art (1930-1932), and Indian Art of the United States (1941), and his work for the Department of the Interior's Indian Arts and Crafts Board from 1937-1944, are documented in small amounts of biographical material and correspondence, published writings, printed material, scrapbooks, photographs of d'Harnoncourt and colleagues, and photographs of works of art. The collection also contains a drawing of d'Harnoncourt, and photocopies of caricatures of d'Harnoncourt and others.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Austrian-American curator, lecturer, and museum director, René d'Harnoncourt (1901-1968), document d'Harnoncourt's activities, primarily in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly as they relate to Mexican and Native American art. D'Harnoncourt's career, including his arrival in Mexico in 1925, his curation of the exhibitions, Mexican Art (1930-1932), and Indian Art of the United States (1941), and his work for the Department of the Interior's Indian Arts and Crafts Board from 1937-1944, are documented in small amounts of biographical material and correspondence, published writings, printed material, scrapbooks, photographs of d'Harnoncourt and colleagues, and photographs of works of art. The collection also contains a drawing of d'Harnoncourt, and photocopies of caricatures of d'Harnoncourt and others.
Biographical material consists of d'Harnoncourt's official Austrian departure documents for his travel to Mexico in 1925; pages of an appointment book from 1932; and notes on d'Harnoncourt's career that index publications in which he is mentioned amongst other things, prepared by Sarah d'Harnoncourt.
Correspondence and memoranda relate primarily to the Mexican Arts exhibition, (1930-1932) sponsored by the American Federation of Arts; the "Art in America" radio program, organized by the American Federation of Arts with the cooperation of the Museum of Modern Art; d'Harnoncourt's part time teaching position at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville; and his appointment as General Manager of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board. Later correspondence references research on d'Harnoncourt's work for the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, and includes information on d'Harnoncourt, provided in response to inquiries about him.
Writings by d'Harnoncourt include published articles on Mexican and Indian arts and crafts, a 1969 reprint of d'Harnoncourt's and Frederic H. Douglas's expanded version of the catalog for Indian Art of the United States, a foreword, and two seminar/symposium papers. Unpublished writings comprise two typescripts. The series also includes several writings by others.
Printed material includes announcements and exhibition catalogs, documentation of the "Art in America Program," published books belonging to and/or referencing d'Harnoncourt, Department of Interior publications, including some issued by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, Museum of Modern art press releases, news clippings relating to d'Harnoncourt and his activities, and miscellaneous printed material.
Additional clippings from a dismantled scrapbook(s) document the Mexican Arts exhibition.
Artwork and artifacts include one original sketch in colored pencil of d'Harnoncourt by Austrian artist, Silverbauer, photocopies of caricatures and doodles by d'Harnoncourt, Miguel Covarrubias, and Caroline Durieux, and two Indian Arts and Crafts Board weaving samples.
Photographs are of d'Harnoncourt, Sarah d'Harnoncourt, and friends and colleagues. They include a photograph of d'Harnoncourt by Manuel Alvarez-Bravo; snapshots of others including Fred Davis; Sarah d'Harnoncourt and folk art specialist, Victor Fosado; fellow Indian Arts and Crafts Board members, architect Henry Klumb, Alice Marriot, and anthropologist, author, and tribal council member, Gladys Tantaquidgeon. Also found are three photographs of Mexican Art exhibition installations; fourteen photographs of Native Americans; three photographs showing covers and/or fronts pieces of d'Harnoncourts books Beast, Bird and Fish, Mexicana, The Hole in the Wall, and The Painted Pig; and photographs of artwork included in the Mexican Art exhibition and an exhibition of Australian Aboriginal Cave Paintings (1947).
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as seven series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1925-circa 1978 (5 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence and Memoranda, 1929-1981 (5 folders; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, 1928-circa 1970s (0.4 linear feet; Box 1, OV 4)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1921-1979 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, OV 4)
Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1930-1933 (0.3 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 6: Artwork and Artifacts, circa 1926-circa 1950s (3 folders; Box 3)
Series 7: Photographs, 1930-1983 (0.25 linear feet; Box 3, OV 4)
Biographical / Historical:
Austrian born curator, lecturer, and museum director, René d'Harnoncourt (1901-1968), was an authority on Native American art and Mexican arts and crafts. He curated and toured with a traveling exhibition, Mexican Art, from 1930-1932, guest curated the exhibition, Indian Art of the United States, for the Museum of Modern Art in 1941, served on the Department of the Interior's Indian Arts and Crafts Board from 1937-1944, and was Director of the Museum of Modern Art from 1949-1968.
D'Harnoncourt was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1901. He left Austria for Mexico in 1925, and began working for American, Frederick Davis, who owned a shop that sold Mexican antiquities and folk art in Mexico City. At this time, d'Harnoncourt made many important connections, including meeting American Ambassador to Mexico, Dwight Morrow, and his wife, Elizabeth Morrow. D'Harnoncourt illustrated several books in the early 1930s, including The Painted Pig (1930) and Beast, Bird and Fish (1933), both written by Elizabeth Morrow, and The Hole in the Wall (1931) and Mexicana: A Book of Pictures (1931). According to Sarah d'Harnoncourt, her husband considered himself an amateur in the field of book illustration, which he enjoyed as a means of self-amusement.
In 1929, d'Harnoncourt was asked to curate an extensive exhibition of Mexican art to travel to major cities in the United States, sponsored by the American Federation of Arts. D'Harnoncourt toured with this exhibition, Mexican Art, for two years, beginning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in October, 1930.
D'Harnoncourt visited Austria briefly in 1932, then returned to the United States in 1933 and married Sarah Carr the same year. He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1939.
Between 1933 and 1944, d'Harnoncourt directed the radio program "Art in America," organized by the American Federation of Arts in cooperation with the Museum of Modern Art. He also taught art history at Sarah Lawrence College from 1934-1937. In 1936 he began working for the Indian Arts and Crafts Board of the Department of the Interior, becoming General Manager in 1937, and the Board's Chairman in 1944. As General Manager he curated an exhibition on Indian art for the San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939, and installed an expanded version of the exhibition, Indian Art of the United States, as guest curator for the Museum of Modern Art in 1940-1941.
In 1944, d'Harnoncourt joined the Museum of Modern Art as Vice President in charge of Foreign Activities, focusing his work on Latin America, and as Director of the Department of Manual Industries, responsible for the preservation of Native American art and culture. In 1949 he was appointed Director of the Museum of Modern Art, and served in this capacity until his death in an automobile accident in 1968.
Related Materials:
An oral history of René d'Harnoncourt, interviewed by Isabel Grossner in 1968, can be found at Columbia University, Oral History Research Office, 801 Butler Library, 535 West 114 Street, New York, NY 10027.
Separated Materials:
The bulk of René d'Harnoncourt's papers are in the Museum Archives of the Museum of Modern Art. The Museum's 59.25 linear feet document, in particular, d'Harnoncourt's years with the Museum from 1944-1968. That collection also includes papers donated by Sarah d'Harnoncourt which relate to d'Harnoncourt's time in Mexico, from 1925-1932, and his work in the United States from 1933-1944. While these holdings may overlap occasionally with the papers in the Archives of American Art (some items at the Archives of American Art, for instance, may be photocopies of originals at the Museum), the bulk of the Archives' d'Harnoncourt papers appear to be distinct from those at the Museum.
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels 2919-2931) including papers generated by d'Harnoncourt during his professional affiliation with the Museum of Modern Art, such as, personal files, three appointment notebooks, professional files including Latin American correspondence, exhibition files, files documenting outside affiliations, and departmental and special event files. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
D'Harnoncourt's widow, Sarah d'Harnoncourt, donated the René d'Harnoncourt papers to the Archives of American Art in 1975, 1981, and 1984. An additional eleven linear feet of material was lent by the Museum of Modern Art's for microfilming in 1983.
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:
Reels 2919-2931: Authorization to publish requires written permission from Museum of Modern Art, New York, N.Y. MoMA requires full citation to include microfilm reel and frame numbers, and reference to MoMA as the owner of the Rene d'Harnoncourt papers. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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:
Art museum directors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Video oral history of anthropologist Stetson Kennedy conducted by anthropologist George Bedell. Dr. Kennedy, one of the pioneers in the study of folklore in Florida, discusses his involvement with the WPA Writers Project and his work among the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups.
Legacy Keywords: Barnacle, Elizabeth ; Hurston, Zora Neale ; Lomax, Alan, 1915-2002 ; Organization WPA Writers Project ; Institution Library of Congress ; Groups Ku Klux Klan ; Groups white suprematist groups ; Organizations Florida Bureau of Folklife Programs ; Organizations Florida Folklife Society ; United States of America Florida ; Special Collections
General:
Local Number: HSFA 1989.10.23
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Video Dialogues in Anthropology, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Collection is open for research. Access to collection materials requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
The NMAAHC Archives can provide reproductions of some materials for research and educational use. Copyright and right to publicity restrictions apply and limit reproduction for other purposes.
Collection Citation:
Norma Merrick Sklarek Archival Collection, 1944-2008. National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution.
United States. Work Projects Administration Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Extent:
4.4 Linear feet ((on 12 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945
United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945
Date:
1935-1942
Scope and Contents:
Records documenting activities of the Survey to inventory portraits in America done before 1860 in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Included are research documents; correspondence; interoffice memoranda; survey manuals; press releases; clippings; photographs of works of art; short biographies of sitters and artists; ca. 15,000 of the original survey cards; first drafts of checklists and catalogs; and lists of portraits received too late to be included in the final version of the catalog.
Biographical / Historical:
The Historical Records Survey (HRS) had its origins in the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Civil Works Administration. In 1935 it came under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration Federal Writers' Project and eventually was designated as an independent program under Federal Project No. One. The projects, ideally suited for white collar workers, employed individuals to survey, classify and collect historical records. One program of the HRS was to document American portraits (sculpture, prints and paintings) done before 1860.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming by the Massachusetts State Library, A. Hunter Rineer, State Librarian, Boston, Mass., 1977.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Photographs of works by FAP New Mexico artists: Gene Kloss, Manville Chapman, Zena Kavin, and James S. Morris, from the collection of the Museum of New Mexico Fine Arts Gallery; and a checklist of the photographed work.
Biographical / Historical:
Federal aid art project during the Depression. The Federal Art Project (FAP) fell under the jurisdiction of Federal Project No. 1 of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), established in May 1935 specifically as a work relief program for unemployed artists. Each state and territory had its own programsand were administered aid from the federal government via a local agency.
Provenance:
Prints purchased from Fine Arts Gallery, Museum of New Mexico, 1964.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Programs of plays produced by the FTP in Connecticut, 1936-1937; and lists, press clippings, and photographs regarding the work of Gertrude DonDero.
Biographical / Historical:
The Federal Theater Project (FTP) was a program established under the Federal Project No. One of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935. It sought to create employment for actors and others involved in the performing arts during the Depression. Gertrude DonDero was the state director of the Connecticut Federal Theater Project.
Related Materials:
Federal Theater Project papers also at Syracuse University.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1964 by Gertrude DonDero.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
0.6 Linear feet (Reel NDA 2: (on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1931-1963
Scope and Contents:
Unmicrofilmed material: Correspondence of Adele Clark, Thomas Parker, and Thomas Singleton; minutes of meetings time sheets and monthly reports; subject files on various FAP projects; photographs; and prints, watercolors, and sketches done by FAP artists. Most of the records relate to the Academy of Sciences and Fine Arts in Richmond, Va., the Big Stone Gap Community Art Center, and the Index of American Design.
Reel NDA 2: Ca. 500 letters, reports, rosters, directives, manuscripts and other materials pertaining to the FAP in Virginia; ca. 135 photographs of administrators, students, works of art, and art exhibitions; ca. 120 pages of sketches by FAP artists; and news clippings, mimeographed programs, and circulars.
Biographical / Historical:
Clark was the Virginia state director of the Federal Art Project (FAP); Parker and Singleton were both directors of the Academy of Sciences and Fine Arts, Richmond, Va. The FAP was a federal relief art program established under Federal Project No. 1 of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) which provided work for unemployed artists and craftsmen during the Depression.
Related Materials:
Adele Clark papers; also at: Special Collections, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Provenance:
The donor, Adeline Cox, is the niece of Adele Clark.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
United States. Work Projects Administration Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1940-1943
Scope and Contents:
Handpainted, illustrated plates of period costume designs throughout history, accompanied by descriptive handbooks recounting the historical context of the costumes.
Biographical / Historical:
Museum projects were programs of the Work Projects Administration instituted during the Depression to increase employment opportunities, particularly among the white-collar worker. By 1941, museum projects came under the jurisdiction of the Federal Art Program (originally the Federal Art Project) of the WPA. Plates of historical costumes as well as dioramas, costumed dolls and craft objects were often prepared for educational purposes.
Provenance:
Donated by Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute. It is unclear how the materials came to M-W-P.
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.
The Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection dates from circa 1920-1965, with the bulk of the records spanning the active years of the Federal Art Project (FAP), 1935-1942. The collection comprises 12.4 linear feet of mostly photographic prints and negatives that document primarily artwork produced by artists employed by the FAP. A smaller number of photographs also document other programs of the FAP, such as art classes and community centers, exhibitions by children and adults, artwork installed in public buildings, project divisions, and demonstrations of art processes by FAP artists.
Scope and Content Note:
The Federal Art Project (FAP), Photographic Division collection dates from circa 1920-1965, with the bulk of the records spanning the active years of the FAP: 1935-1942. The collection comprises 12.4 linear feet of photographic prints and negatives, including photos of FAP artists and the artwork created by them, and other activities of the FAP in communities throughout New York City and other states. Photographers include Andrew Herman, Sol Horn, David Robbins, Leo Seltzer, and others.
Artist files comprise three-quarters of the collection and consist primarily of photographs of artwork, as well as scattered photos of artists at work, including: Charles Alston, Luis Arenal, Richmond Barthe, John Benson, Andrew Berger, Lucille Blanch, Lucienne Bloch, Ilya Bolotowsky, Luise Brann, Selma Burke, Letterio Calapai, Eugene Chodorow, Francis Criss, Stuart Davis, Adolf Dehn, Virginia Dehn, Jose de Rivera, George Pearse Ennis, Philip Evergood, Eugenie Gershoy, Bertram Goodman, Arshile Gorky, Marion Greenwood, Philip Guston, Donal Hord, Joseph Hovell, William Karp, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Edward Laning, Julian Levi, Audrey McMahon, Elizabeth Olds, Anton Refregier, Will Shuster, William Zorach, and others.
The remainder of the collection consists of files documenting related activities and programs of the FAP, arranged by subject. The bulk of these files document the activities of the New York City FAP, including free art classes and art exhibitions for adults and children, exhibitions at the Harlem Art Center, and the work of FAP branches including the Easel Division, the Graphic Arts Division, and the Poster Division.
Other subjects documented include federal and community art centers in eleven states, most extensively Washington State; other WPA projects such as the Federal Theater Project, the Federal Music Project, and the Federal Writers' Project; buildings decorated with FAP artwork; art processes as demonstrated by FAP artists; special events; and people involved with the FAP, including director Holger Cahill.
One folder contains images that appear to have been taken by Berenice Abbott for the exhibition Changing New York (1935), for the Museum of the City of New York in collaboration with the WPA.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 2 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Artist Files, circa 1920-1965 (Boxes 1-24; 9.6 linear feet)
Series 2: Subject Files, 1934-1956 (Boxes 25-32; 2.8 linear feet)
Historical Note:
The Federal Art Project (FAP) was one of the Depression-era work-relief programs of the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The program was founded in August 1935 to provide employment for artists and to implement visual arts programs in local communities across the country.
Together with the Federal Music Project, the Federal Theater Project, and the Federal Writers' Project, the FAP formed part of the WPA's Federal Project No. 1. The WPA became the Work Projects Administration in 1939 when it fell under the administrative hand of the newly created Federal Works Agency; concurrently the Federal Art Project was officially re-named the Federal Art Program.
Under the direction of Holger Cahill, the goals of the FAP fell into three main areas: production of artwork, art education through art classes and community centers, and art research through the Index of American Design. During the course of the program, artists created murals and other works of art for many non-Federal government buildings such as schools, hospitals, and libraries. Separate photographic divisions were set up in several states, most notably in New York City, to document the work of artists employed by the program, activities in art education such as classes for children and adults, community center outreach programs, and other "Federal 1" projects, including the Federal Theater and Music Projects. Employees of the photographic division were also involved in other assignments, such as creating exhibitions and photo murals.
The Federal Art Project ended in 1943.
Related Material:
Among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are related collections, including the Federal Art Project of the Work Projects Administration records, 1935-1948. Additional FAP records are held by the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington D.C.
Provenance:
The collection was anonymously donated to the Archives of American Art in the late 1950s.
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.
United States. Work Projects Administration Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Extent:
90 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1936-1938
Scope and Contents:
Manuscripts and printed material relating to art in New Mexico, including: articles about Spanish colonial, Indian, and modern art; about the Taos art colony; Vernon Hunter; art in specific cities; biographical data on several New Mexico artists; lists of artists and newspaper clippings.
Biographical / Historical:
The Federal Writers' Project was established in 1935 under Federal Project No. One of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Its primary objective was to create and provide jobs for the individuals, particularly those of the white collar field, who would have otherwise been left unemployed and destitute. Areas covered on FWP programs include cartography, history, art and a variety of other topics.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1970 by the New Mexico State Records Center.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Negatives of murals, signs, ceramic figures, furniture, sculpture, toys, posters, and other arts and crafts made for the FAP in the Ohio region.
Biographical / Historical:
The Federal Art Project was established under Federal Project No. 1 of the WPA. The 48 states and territories were divided into regions and FAP programs were initiated, employing thousands of unemployed artists and craftsmen.
Provenance:
Donated 1974 by the Fine Arts Department, Ohio State University.
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.
Topic:
New Deal, 1933-1939 -- Ohio -- Photographs Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- Ohio -- Photographs Search this
Federal aid to public welfare -- Ohio -- Photographs Search this
Mural painting and decoration -- Ohio -- Photographs Search this
United States. Work Projects Administration Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Extent:
110 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1940-1942
Scope and Contents:
Project proposals; personnel sheets; lists and rosters; radio scripts; and various booklets on art during the WPA.
Biographical / Historical:
The Federal Art Project was established under Federal Project No. 1 of the WPA. The 48 states and territories were divided into regions and FAP programs were initiated, employing thousands of unemployed artists and craftsmen.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1964 by the Philadelphia Museum College of Art via Richard Doud.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Smithsonian Institution. Program in African American Culture Search this
Container:
Box 11, Folder 8-9
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1983 April 29-30
Scope and Contents:
Concert and colloquium held April 29-30, 1983, at Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Program highlighted the blues tradition that came out of Memphis, Tennessee, during the 1920s and 30s, a time when Memphis was thriving as the center of black American blues. The Memphis blues is a conglomeration of the crying vocal blues from western Tennessee, the rhythmic blues of northern Mississippi and the chanting style of the Mississippi Delta. The major cultural center for black American blues music in the mid-south was Beale Street. Vaudeville and blues performers like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith appeared regularly. [From program guide by Bill Barlow. See program guide for additional information on the concert, colloquium and Memphis blues.] Program organized by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, director, Program in Black Culture (later known as the Program in African American Culture). Program number AC408.18.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Access and use of audiovisual materials available in the Archives Center reading room or by requesting copies of audiovisual materials at RightsReproductions@si.edu
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions exist. Collection items available for reproduction Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Program in African American Culture Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Smithsonian Institution. Program in African American Culture Search this
Container:
Box 15, Folder 13
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1986 June 7
Scope and Contents:
Lecture and song workshop held June 7, 1986 at the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. It examined the sacred music tradition of the African Methodist Church focusing on the 1801 Richard Allen hymnal. Richard Allen, hymn writer, publisher and pastor, was born a slave in Philadelphia in 1760. By the late 1700s, Allen, a devout Methodist, had resolved to build a Black Methodist Church that would address the needs of black people whose worship tradition grew out of camp meeting spiritual songs. In 1787, he led a group of free blacks out of the St. George Methodist Church to form their own organization, the Free African Protection Society. Their mission was to build a church with the freedom to develop their own religious practice and songs. In 1791, his congregation established the Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, in central Philadelphia.
Allen's hymnal entitled Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns from Various Authors by Richard Allen, African Minister, was the first of several he published. They contained worship songs in the black tradition in addition to those learned by blacks in white churches. The program organized by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, director, Program in African American Culture (PAAC). Program number AC408.43.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Access and use of audiovisual materials available in the Archives Center reading room or by requesting copies of audiovisual materials at RightsReproductions@si.edu
Collection Rights:
Copyright restrictions exist. Collection items available for reproduction Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Program in African American Culture Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Kathryn D. Sullivan Papers, NASM.2019.0007, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
6 Reels (ca. 700 items (on 6 partial microfilm reels.))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Reels
Place:
United States -- Social conditions -- California
United States -- Economic conditions -- California
Date:
1935-1964
Scope and Contents:
Photographs, clippings, writings, and publications relating to the Federal Art Project in California, particularly San Francisco.
Reel NDA 1, frames 752-767: Correspondence and lists relating to exhibitions of works by San Francisco artists.
Reel NDA 2: Articles from the San Francisco Art Association BULLETIN, 1934-1940 and MAGAZINE OF ART, October 1937.
Reel NDA 3(frames 13-20): Exhibtion catalog of Federal Art Project work at the University of California, Berkeley, Art Gallery, 1936.[Microfilm title University of California Art Gallery]
Reel NDA 14: Clippings, photographs, and press releases relating to the decoration by the FAP of the Enlisted Men's Club at Fort Ord, California; and photographs and biographical information relating to about 20 artists employed by FAP in Northern California.[Microfilm title Fort Ord, California and WPA-FAP, San Francisco]
Reel NDA 17: Photographs of sculpture, murals, easel work, graphics, and other works of art by various artists working for the FAP in California; and a list of artists on the Graphic Arts Project, San Francisco.
Reel NDA 20: Photographs of artists and works of art for the FAP in San Francisco.
Reel NDA 27: One publication of the University of California's Medical School murals, 1939; one photograph of project personnel, San Francisco; one newspaper article: "Bernard Zakheim and the U.C. Medical School," December 6, 1964.
Biographical / Historical:
Federal aid art project during the Depression. The Federal Art Project (FAP) fell under the jurisdiction of Federal Project No. 1 of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Established in May 1935 specifically as a work relief program for unemployed artists. Each state and territory had its own programs and were administered aid from the federal government via a local agency.
Other Title:
Fort Ord, California [microfilm title, reel NDA 14]
WPA-FAP, San Francisco [microfilm title, reel NDA 14]
Provenance:
Material on reels NDA 1, NDA 3, NDA 14, NDA 17, NDA 20 and NDA 27 lent for microfilming 1964 by Lewis Ferbrache; and material on reel NDA 2 lent for microfilming 1964 by Marian Simpson.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Selected records of the PWAP include the following series: Central Office (Washington, D.C.) Correspondence and Related Records, including progress reports, minutes of meetings, and finance records (reels DC1-3); Correspondence and Personal Files of Edward P. Rowan, Technical Director (reels DC3-4); Central Office Correspondence With Artists (reels DC5-7); Central Office Files and Publicity Materials, including correspondence of project director Edward Bruce (reel DC8); Newspaper Clippings (reels DC8-9); Correspondence and Related records of Cecil Jones, Business Director (reels DC9-12); Final Reports on Projects, Report Materials and Project Issuances (reel DC12); Regional Office Records (reels DC12-13); and selected Correspondence of the New York Regional Office (Region 2) With Artists concerning administrative details of employing artists (DC 112-115).
Biographical / Historical:
The Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), the first of the New Deal art programs, was established under the Department of the Treasury in December 1933 to assist unemployed artists by enabling them to work on the decoration of non-federal public buildings. Although it lasted only until the following summer, it engaged nearly 4,000 artists in all parts of the country and served as an important precedent for subsequent federal art programs, such as the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration. Later art projects administered under the Department of the Treasury were the Section of Fine Arts, originally the Section of Painting and Sculpture, and the Treasury Relief Art Project, both of which served to employ artists to decorate federal buildings across the United States.
Related Materials:
AAA has filmed, and described separately, selected records of the Treasury Relief Art Project (reels DC14-38) and the Section of Fine Arts (reels DC38-43) from record group 121. In addition, selected records of the WPA Federal Art Project (National Archives record group 69) were also filmed (reels DC44-DC111 and DC129-130).
Provenance:
Series microfilmed by AAA were selected from the National Archives record group 121, Records of the Public Buildings Service. Additional records of the PWAP are preserved at the National Archives. Series which were not microfilmed include: correspondence of L.W. Roberts, assistant secretary of the Treasury; the central file of the Advisory Committee and the Project; card lists of allocated paintings and other works of art; and receipt cards for works of art.
Material kept by Federal Music Project administrator Emily Mason Kahn, including printed and mimeographed booklets; brochures; programs and reports; carbon copies of memos; teaching material; and two photographs. [Microfilm title WPA-Federal Theater Project]
Biographical / Historical:
The Federal Music Project was formed in 1935 under Federal Project No. One of the Works Progress Administration to employ, train, and rehablitate unemployed musicians.
Other Title:
WPA-Federal Theater Project [microfilm title]
Provenance:
Donated 1965 by Emily Mason Kahn.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
United States. Work Projects Administration Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet ((ca. 165 items))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1935-1943
Scope and Contents:
Photographs of artists at work and photographs of their works of art.
Biographical / Historical:
The Federal Art Project (FAP) fell under the jurisdiction of Federal Project No. 1 of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was established in May 1935 specifically as a work relief program for the millions of individuals left unemployed during the Depression. Its name changed to the Work Projects Administration in 1939 when it fell under the administrative hand of the newly created Federal Works Agency. The FAP was created in August 1935 to aid unemployed artists, following the precedent set by the Public Works of Art Project and other Treasury department art relief projects. The 48 states and territories were divided into regions and administered through the regional office.
Provenance:
Donated 1975 by Richard Russell.
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.
Topic:
New Deal, 1933-1939 -- California -- Photographs Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- California -- Photographs Search this
Art and state -- California -- Photographs Search this
Federal aid to public welfare -- California -- Photographs Search this
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
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:
Mel Casas papers, 1963-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing and digitization of this collection received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center. Additional funding for the digitization of the papers was provided by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.
