Ruffins, Fath Davis. 1998. "Reflecting on Ethnic Imagery in the Landscape of Commerce 1945-1976." In Getting and Spending: American and European Consumption in the Twentieth Century. McGovern, Charles, Strasser, Susan, and Judt, Mattias, editors. 379–406. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139052634.019.
Ruffins, Fath Davis. 1998. "Culture Wars Won and Lost, Part 2: The National African-American Museum." Radical History Review, (70) 78–101. https://doi.org/10.1215/01636545-1998-70-78.
Washington (D.C.) -- Small business -- 20th century
Date:
1946-2004
bulk 1970-2004
Summary:
Nathaniel Mathis is a Washington, D.C., hairstylist, inventor, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur. His papers document his business life and community involvement.
Scope and Contents:
The collection documents the work of a hairstylist, inventor, entrepreneur, and public figure whose career reflects significant changes in the African American community in the later 20th century. It is rich in visual imagery created by and for this community. Business papers, correspondence, publicity, photographs, awards and certificates documenting Mathis's work as a highly regarded barber and hairstylist in Washington, D.C., and as member of the D.C. Board of Barbering and Cosmetology are included. Business papers offer insight into the workings of a small privately-owned business. Numerous publicity items and photographs offer evidence of African American style and fashion in New York and Washington, D.C., from the late 1960s through today. Additional material documents Mathis's activities as a community activist, motivational speaker and distance runner. The collection also includes photographs, oral history interviews, and audio-visual materials.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into ten series.
Series 1: Biographical Information and Activities, 1946-2001, undated
Series 2: Beauty Business Documents and Advertising, 1969-2002, undated
Series 3: Publicity, 1963-2002
Series 4: Washington, D.C. Barbering and Cosmetology Boards, 1966-1997, undated
Series 5: Correspondence, 1967-2002, undated
Series 6: Awards and Certificates, 1969-2001, undated
Series 7: Photographs, 1966-1989, undated
Series 8: Video Materials, 1983-2002, undated
Series 9: Audio Tapes, 1998-2004, undated
Series 10: Memorabilia, 1992-1998, undated
Biographical / Historical:
"Nat Mathis (b. 1946) is a native Washingtonian. He is a man of many talents and measures his success in many ways: innovative hairstylist, entrepreneur, inventor, community activist, motivational speaker and distance runner. Mathis opened his first barber shop in 1969. He is the winner of many national and international hairstyling awards and competitions and was the first African American to win the International Hair Styling competition in Cairo, Egypt in 1981. Mathis was among the first African American hairstylists to embrace and popularize the Afro and, later, cornrows -- hairstyles which many view as expressions of black empowerment. Mathis himself seldom expresses a political ideology of hair, but by 1970, Nat was known among his many satisfied clients and peers as "the Bush Doctor" for his expertise in Afro style and maintenance. He has styled hair for many celebrities; made numerous television appearances; and has been a stylist for several productions at the Kennedy Center, and for two major motion pictures, including Nixon, for which he re-created period hairstyles. He is active in community affairs, gives motivational speeches throughout the Washington, D.C., area, and is particularly interested in mentoring young people. He currently operates a barber shop adjacent to his home in Capitol Heights, Maryland."
*Biographical information provided by Nat Mathis's Official Website, "A Man of Many Talents." http://www.natmathis.com (accessed 02 August, 2006).
Separated Materials:
Mr. Mathis donated three of his patented barbering vests (See Accession # 1998.0114) to the Division of Home and Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life).
Provenance:
Collection donated to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History by Nathaniel Mathis on April 9, 1998.
Restrictions:
The copllection is open for research.
Physical Access: Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves.
Technical Access: Series 8, Video materials and Series 9, Audiotapes may not be used by researchers unless reference and viewing copies are made available.
Rights:
Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution. Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Reproduction permission from Archives Center: fees for commercial use. The Archives Center does not own rights to the patent, trademark or any related interest in the artifacts.
File consists of "Mythos, Memory and History: African American Preservation Efforts, 1820-1990".
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Ralph Rinzler papers and audio recordings, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Ruffins, Fath Davis. 2006. "Revisiting the Old Plantation: Reparations, Reconciliation, and Museumizing American Slavery." In Museum Frictions: Public Cultures/Global Transformations . Karp, Ivan, Kratz, Corinne A., Szwaja, Lynn, and Ybarra-Frausto, Tomás, editors. 394–434. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv11cw1hd.25.
Ruffins, Fath Davis. 2007. [Book review] "Memory in Black and White: Race, Commemoration, and the Post Bellum Landscape by Paul A. Shackel." Visual Anthropology Review, 23, (2), 178–179. https://doi.org/10.1525/var.2007.23.2.177.
Ruffins, Fath Davis. 1998. "Telling Our Truth: An Abridged History of African American History." The Crisis, the Magazine of the NAACP, 105, (1) 22–23.
Ruffins, Fath Davis. 2017. "Contesting the Nation, 1900–1965." In Many Voices, One Nation: Material Culture Reflections on Race and Migration in the United States. Salazar-Porzio, Margaret, Troyano, Joan Fragaszy, and Safranek, Lauren, editors. 137–164. Washington, D.C: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. In Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge.
Ruffins, Fath Davis. 2015. "Student-Led Black material Culture 1968--A Curator's Thoughts." Kalfou: A Journal of Comparative and Relational Ethnic Studies, 2, (1) 148–159. https://doi.org/10.15367/kf.v2i1.59.
Ruffins, Fath Davis. 1992. "Mythos, Memory, and History: African American Preservation Efforts 1820-1990." In Museums and Communities: The Politics of Public Culture. Karp, Ivan, Kreamer, Christine Mullen, and Lavine, Steven, editors. 506–611. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
