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Catfish Surgery: Explore Smithsonian

Creator:
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2016-06-07T15:25:13.000Z
YouTube Category:
Science & Technology  Search this
Topic:
Animal health;Environmental Sciences;Coastal ecology  Search this
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SmithsonianSERC
Data Source:
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianSERC
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_PDVbnqsPEqY

William Thomas Greene Morton

Creator:
National Museum of American History  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2016-12-12T19:46:29.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
American History  Search this
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SmithsonianAmHistory
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianAmHistory
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_zaOwiS5Wxgk

Explore Smithsonian: How can Scientists Track the Movement of an Invasive Species of Fish?

Creator:
Smithsonian Science Education Center  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2016-06-07T16:35:28.000Z
YouTube Category:
Education  Search this
Topic:
Education;Science  Search this
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SmithsonianScienceEdCenter
Data Source:
Smithsonian Science Education Center
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianScienceEdCenter
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_d9X-J2oE9Yk

The Gruesome Reality of Civil War Medicine

Creator:
Smithsonian Channel  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2013-10-07T16:06:14.000Z
YouTube Category:
Entertainment  Search this
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smithsonianchannel
Data Source:
Smithsonian Channel
YouTube Channel:
smithsonianchannel
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_B6du2B10K2w

Sea Turtle Rescue 101: Saving Kemp's Ridley Turtles

Creator:
Smithsonian Channel  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2020-04-03T15:30:04.000Z
YouTube Category:
Entertainment  Search this
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smithsonianchannel
Data Source:
Smithsonian Channel
YouTube Channel:
smithsonianchannel
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_GDXSIWmrpH0

Sea Turtle Rescue 106: The Fight for Sight

Creator:
Smithsonian Channel  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2020-04-03T15:30:11.000Z
YouTube Category:
Entertainment  Search this
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smithsonianchannel
Data Source:
Smithsonian Channel
YouTube Channel:
smithsonianchannel
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_vSbcz_mpgU0

The Real Story - Surgery on the High Seas

Creator:
Smithsonian Channel  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2012-08-27T19:40:05.000Z
YouTube Category:
Entertainment  Search this
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smithsonianchannel
Data Source:
Smithsonian Channel
YouTube Channel:
smithsonianchannel
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_wE6Z714EhE0

Pacu Medical Procedure

Creator:
National Zoo  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2015-04-02T19:07:37.000Z
YouTube Category:
Pets & Animals  Search this
Topic:
Zoology;Animals;Veterinary medicine;Animal health  Search this
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SmithsonianNZP
Data Source:
National Zoo
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianNZP
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_Eu-g15Saltk

African Lion Luke Update

Creator:
National Zoo  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2018-03-01T17:25:35.000Z
YouTube Category:
Pets & Animals  Search this
Topic:
Zoology;Animals;Veterinary medicine;Animal health  Search this
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SmithsonianNZP
Data Source:
National Zoo
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianNZP
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_GUHoGCeoXG4

African Lion Luke at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Creator:
National Zoo  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2022-10-21T13:59:21.000Z
YouTube Category:
Pets & Animals  Search this
Topic:
Zoology;Animals;Veterinary medicine;Animal health  Search this
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SmithsonianNZP
Data Source:
National Zoo
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianNZP
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_alWgeYnQd98

How Do You Help An Elephant With a Toothache?

Creator:
National Zoo  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2022-04-19T18:04:18.000Z
YouTube Category:
Pets & Animals  Search this
Topic:
Zoology;Animals;Veterinary medicine;Animal health  Search this
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SmithsonianNZP
Data Source:
National Zoo
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianNZP
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_pQz4CINPxPQ

Carlton Fisk

Artist:
Susan Miller-Havens, born 20 Jun 1944  Search this
Sitter:
Carlton Fisk, born 26 Dec 1947  Search this
Medium:
Oil on cotton duck
Dimensions:
Stretcher: 212.4 x 121.9 x 3.8cm (83 5/8 x 48 x 1 1/2")
Frame: 224.2 x 132.7 x 6.7cm (88 1/4 x 52 1/4 x 2 5/8")
Type:
Painting
Place:
United States\Massachusetts\Middlesex\Cambridge
Date:
1993
Topic:
Carlton Fisk: Male  Search this
Carlton Fisk: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball  Search this
Carlton Fisk: Baseball Hall of Fame  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Peter C. Aldrich, in memory of Duane C. Aldrich of Atlanta, Georgia
Object number:
NPG.2000.59
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© 1993 Susan Miller-Havens
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition:
Champions
On View:
NPG, South Gallery 342 Mezzanine
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4d99c139f-b29e-4b3d-a58e-b19512f8abd5
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.2000.59

Diary 3

Collection Creator:
Lowry, Janice Ann, 1946-2009  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 3
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1958-1959
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers 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:
Janice Lowry papers, 1957-2009. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Janice Lowry papers
Janice Lowry papers / Series 2: Diaries
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw988a5aaf4-ec17-4efa-8973-09e13d3ee4d8
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lowrjani-ref40
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Diary 4

Collection Creator:
Lowry, Janice Ann, 1946-2009  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 4
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1960-1961
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers 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:
Janice Lowry papers, 1957-2009. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Janice Lowry papers
Janice Lowry papers / Series 2: Diaries
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a2ea3a10-9103-4332-b546-0186860d812d
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lowrjani-ref41
2 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Diary 4 digital asset number 1
  • View Diary 4 digital asset number 2

Cardiac MRI of an animal that has undergone photosynthetic therapy

Creator:
Smithsonian Magazine  Search this
Type:
YouTube Videos
Uploaded:
2017-06-19T17:11:03.000Z
YouTube Category:
Science & Technology  Search this
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SmithsonianMagazine
Data Source:
Smithsonian Magazine
YouTube Channel:
SmithsonianMagazine
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:yt_943Yb73KB80

Bob Thompson papers

Creator:
Thompson, Bob, 1937-1966  Search this
Names:
Billiard Place  Search this
David Anerson Gallery  Search this
Donald Morris Gallery  Search this
Sluggs Jazz Club  Search this
The Billard Palace  Search this
Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this
Baraka, Amiri, 1934-2014  Search this
Beskind, Dorothy Levitt  Search this
Bridwell, Margaret  Search this
Covi, Dario A.  Search this
Crodel, Charles, 1894-1973  Search this
Cruz, Emilio, 1938-  Search this
Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-1997  Search this
Martin, Mary, 1913-  Search this
May, Mary Spencer  Search this
Ratcliff, Carter  Search this
Schapiro, Meyer, 1904-  Search this
Spellman, A. B., 1935-  Search this
Thompson, Bessie  Search this
Thompson, Carol  Search this
Wilke, Ulfert, 1907-1987  Search this
Wilson, Judith, 1952-  Search this
Young, Kenneth, 1933-  Search this
Extent:
2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Video recordings
Photographs
Date:
1949-2005
Summary:
The papers of New York African American figurative painter Bob Thompson measure 2 linear feet and date from 1949 to 2005. The collection includes biographical material, videocassettes, correspondence, writings by Bob Thompson and others, exhibition files, scattered personal business records, printed material, photographs, and photograph albums. The correspondence is mostly between Carol Thompson, the artist's wife, and others concerning Bob Thompson's artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of New York African American figurative painter Bob Thompson measure 2 linear feet and date from 1949 to 2005. The collection includes biographical material, videocassettes, correspondence, writings by Bob Thompson and others, exhibition files, scattered personal business records, printed material, photographs, and photograph albums. The correspondence is mostly between Carol Thompson, the artist's wife, and others concerning Bob Thompson's artwork.

Biographical material includes certificates, school memorabilia, biographical chronologies, a memorial program and obituaries, and a transcript of "Bob Thompson: His Life and Friendships" panel discussion with several notable artists commenting on Thompson. There is also a video recording copy of a 1965 film by Dorothy Levitt Beskind titled Bob Thompson Happening which was made to accompany a 1999 exhibition at the Whitney Museum of Art.

Carol Thompson's correspondence is with various galleries, dealers, and friends primarily concerning Bob Thompson's artwork and posthumous exhibitions. There is correspondence with art historian Judith Wilson, the artist's mother Bessie Thompson, David Anderson Gallery, and Donald Morris Gallery.

Writings by Bob Thompson include church speeches, a letter to the editor of Louisville Courier Journal, a poem, and an artist statement. There are also writings about Thompson by others, including his mother Bessie Thompson, wife Carol Thompson, and artists and friends, including Margaret Bridwell, Dario Covi, Carl Crodel, Emilio Cruz, Allen Ginsberg, LeRoi Jones, Mary H. Martin, Mary Spencer May, Carter Ratcliff, Meyer Schapiro, A. B. Spellman, Ulfert Wilke, and Ken Young. The writings by friends are mostly in the form of recollections by friends that were gathered as a memorial tribute to Thompson.

Exhibition files consist of material related to posthumous group and solo exhibitions of Bob Thompson's work.

The majority of the personal business records are posthumous and include inventories, loan and consignment forms, sales and appraisal records, and scattered correspondence.

Printed material includes exhibition catalogs, magazine and newspaper clippings about Bob Thompson, blank postcards of artwork, posters, and press releases.

There are photographs of Bob Thompson, family, and friends, including many artists, shot in various locations in New York City and Provincetown, as well as in Spain, France, and Italy. There are images of Thompson's Rivington Street studio, the Billiard Palace and the Slugs Jazz Club in New York City, exhibitions, events, street scenes, and artwork. There are four photographs albums, one of the Thompson's wedding, two of exhibitions (one is disbound), and one personal album with many photographs of friends and family, including the artist's mother Bessie Thompson and wife Carol Thompson.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1953-2003 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Carol Thompson's Correspondence, 1971-2000 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, 1949-1998 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1978-2001 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1965-2001 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1960-2005 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 4, OV 5)

Series 7: Photographs, 1951-2000 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 2-4)
Biographical / Historical:
Bob Thompson (1937-1966) was an African American figurative painter who worked primarily in New York City.

Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1937. He attended Boston University as a pre-med student, but quit the program and returned to Kentucky to attend the University of Louisville and study painting under German expressionist artist Ulfert Wilke. As a student, he spent a summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts and immersed himself in the art communities there. In 1958, Thompson moved to New York City and reunited with several artists he had met in Provincetown and participated in some of the earliest "happenings," somewhat informal art events or gatherings usually involving performance art and music, in 1960. He became a regular at the jazz clubs The Five Spot and Slugs and became friends with several jazz musicians. Many of Thompson's paintings reflect his interest in jazz. He also formed friendships with writers Allen Ginsberg and LeRoi Jones. In 1960, he had his first solo exhibition at the Delancy Street Museum.

The same year as his first solo exhibition, Thompson married Carol Plenda and the couple lived in Paris from 1961-1962 after he received a Whitney Foundation fellowship. They lived in Ibiza, Spain the following year. Thompson painted prolifically while abroad, and when he returned to New York City in 1963, he brought many paintings with him. He quickly found representation by Martha Jackson Gallery and the gallery featured Thompson's work in solo exhibitions in 1963-1965. His reputation grew and more exhibitions across the country followed.

In late 1965, Thompson and his wife traveled to Rome, Italy, where he continued to study art and paint. Thompson died in Rome in 1966 at the age of 28 from a drug overdose not long after receiving gall bladder surgery.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Elaine Plenda, the artist's sister-in-law, in 2006, 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of video recording requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
"Bob Thompson Happening" (1965) video: Permission to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from Joanne Elkin. 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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
African American artists  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Genre/Form:
Video recordings
Photographs
Citation:
Bob Thompson papers, 1949-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.thombob
See more items in:
Bob Thompson papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95cbba908-2706-4ba6-8bb0-58c271c29d62
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-thombob
Online Media:

Ben Shahn papers

Creator:
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Names:
Baskin, Leonard, 1922-2000  Search this
Delano, Jack  Search this
Evans, Walker, 1903-1975  Search this
Osborn, Robert Chesley, 1904-1994  Search this
Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957  Search this
Robbins, Jerome  Search this
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this
Extent:
25.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Motion pictures (visual works)
Sketchbooks
Video recordings
Drawings
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1879-1990
bulk 1933-1970
Summary:
The papers of social realist painter, photographer, printmaker, and teacher Ben Shahn (1898-1969) measure 25.1 linear feet and date from 1879-1990, with the bulk of the material dating from 1933-1970. The bulk of the collection consists of over 14 linear feet of incoming letters from artists, writers, colleagues, publishers, art organizations, galleries, and universities and colleges. Also found are biographical materials, project and source files, printed material, artwork by Shahn and others, photographs taken of and by Shahn, interview transcripts, sound recordings of interviews and a motion picture film.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of social realist painter, photographer, illustrator, printmaker, and teacher Ben Shahn (1898-1969) measure 25.1 linear feet and date from 1879-1990, with the bulk of the material dating from 1933-1970. The bulk of the collection consists of over 14 linear feet of incoming letters from artists, writers, colleagues, publishers, art organizations, galleries, and universities and colleges. Also found are biographical materials, project and source files, printed material, artwork by Shahn and others, photographs taken of and by Shahn, interview transcripts, sound recordings of interviews and a motion picture film.

Biographical material and family records include a 1924 passport for Shahn and his first wife, Tillie, biographical sketches of Shahn, and award certificates received by him.

Letters are primarily written to Shahn from family members, artists, writers, colleagues, publishers, art organizations, galleries, and universities and colleges. Notable correspondents include Leonard Baskin, Alexander Calder, Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, Joseph Hirsch, Leo Lionni, John Bartlow Martin, George and Marian Nakashima, Clifford Odets, Charles Olson, Robert Osborn, Diego Rivera, Jerome Robbins, Selden Rodman, James Thrall Soby, Raphael Soyer, and William Carlos Williams. A small number of scattered letters from Shahn can also be found throughout the series.

Project files document approximately twenty-one of Shahn's commissions, including murals for the community center at Jersey Homesteads, the Bronx Central Annex Post Office, the Social Security Building in Washington D.C. , and the William E. Grady Vocational High School. The files also document his involvement in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Roosevelt, in addition to projects for schools, temples and private homes.

Financial and legal records include consignment records, loan agreements, royalty statements and receipts for artwork sold.

Notes and writings are by Shahn and others including Alan Dugan, W. H. Ferry, Theodore Gusten, and John Bartlow Martin. They include lists of artwork, many of which are annotated.

Artwork includes a sketchbook and several unbound sketches and lettering by Shahn, in addition to drawings and prints by others including Shahn's children, Mario Casetta and Stefan Martin.

Source files contain printed material and photographs relating to topics depicted by Shahn in his artwork such as children, dams, farming, houses, industry, mines and miners, slums, war and workers. These files also contain scattered photographic prints by FSA and OWI photographers including Shahn, Jack Delano, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee, Carl Mydans, Marion Post Wolcott, Arthur Rothstein, and John Vachon.

Printed material includes news clippings covering Shahn and his career as well as subjects of interest to Shahn. Also found are exhibition catalogs and announcements for exhibitions for Shahn and others, and reproductions of Shahn's artwork including publications illustrated by him.

Photographs are of Shahn, his family and friends and colleagues including Alexander Calder, Jerome Robbins, Charles Sheeler, David Smith and William Zorach. Also included are photographs taken by Shahn of New York City and for the FSA in the 1930s, as well as photographs of artwork by Shahn. Photographs by others include one photo each by Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, Russell Lee and Arthur Rothstein.

The collection also contains transcripts of eight radio, television and motion picture interviews of Shahn and a reel of 16mm motion picture film from the BBC-TV program "Monitor," in addition to sound recordings of interviews of Shahn by Tony Schwartz and Arlene Francis. Artifacts include a Christmas greeting in the form of a sock.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged as 12 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical and Family Records, 1879-1984 (Box 1, OV 36; 0.2 linear ft.)

Series 2: Letters, 1929-1990 (Boxes 1-25, 35, 43, OVs 36-38; 14.5 linear ft.)

Series 3: Project Files, 1933-1975 (Boxes 25-26; OVs 36-37; 1.03 linear ft.)

Series 4: Financial and Legal Records, 1934-1988 (Boxes 26-27, 35; 0.81 linear ft.)

Series 5: Notes and Writings, circa 1933-1988 (Boxes 27-28, 43; 1.72 linear ft.)

Series 6: Artwork, circa 1930s-1965 (Boxes 28, 35; 11 folders)

Series 7: Source Files, circa 1900s-1960s (Boxes 28-30, 35; 1.81 linear ft.)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1912-1988 (Boxes 30-33, 35, OV 39; 3.22 linear ft.)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1900-1969 (Boxes 33-35; 0.86 linear ft.)

Series 10: Interview Transcripts, 1943-1968 (Box 34; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 11: Audio and Video Recordings, 1959-1968 (Box 34; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 12: Artifacts, circa 1930s-circa 1960s (Box 34; 2 items)
Biographical/Historical note:
Ben Shahn (1898-1969) was a social realist painter, muralist, printmaker, photographer, illustrator, and educator who worked primarily in Brooklyn, New York and New Jersey. He was most active in the 1930s through the 1950s and worked on several federally funded arts projects, including the Farm Security Administration's photographic documentation project of rural America during the Depression.

Ben Shahn was born in Kovno, Lithuania and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1906 where he settled in Brooklyn, and later Roosevelt, New Jersey, after becoming a naturalized citizen in 1918.

Following an apprenticeship as a lithographer from 1913-1917, Shahn studied at New York University, the City College of New York, and the National Academy of Design from 1919-1922. He married Tillie Goldstein in 1922 and they had two children, Judith and Ezra.

Two years after Shahn's first solo exhibition at the Downtown Gallery in 1930, his Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti, a series of 23 gouaches about the Sacco and Vanzetti trial of the 1920s, was exhibited at the Downtown Gallery to critical and public acclaim. The exhibition marked the beginning of Shahn's reputation as one of the most important social realist painters in America. Shahn's commitment to social and political justice found a natural outlet in mural painting when, in 1933, he was hired to assist Diego Rivera on the labor and industry mural Man at the Crossroads, for New York City's Rockefeller Center. The mural was destroyed amid controversy in 1933 before it was completed, but Shahn had learned much about the art of fresco painting during the project and was inspired by the potential of the mural as a unique art form for presenting life's struggles and stories to a large public audience. Between 1933 and 1937 Shahn worked on various murals for other buildings, including New York's Central Park Casino (circa 1934) and Riker's Island Prison (1934), none of which saw completion. In 1937, however, the Farm Security Administration (FSA) commissioned Shahn to execute a mural for the Community Center in the town of Jersey Homesteads, later Roosevelt, New Jersey, which Shahn completed in 1938. Shahn settled in Jersey Homesteads the following year and remained there for the rest of his life. Other important mural commissions followed for the Bronx Central Post office (1939) and the Social Security Building in Washington DC (1942).

One of Shahn's assistants on the Jersey Homesteads mural was Bernarda Bryson, whom he had met in 1933 when she came to New York to interview Rivera about the Rockefeller Center mural controversy for an Ohio newspaper. Shahn and Bryson became lifetime companions and had three children, Susanna, Jonathan and Abigail, although they did not marry until shortly before Shahn's death in 1969. Shahn and Tillie Goldstein were divorced in 1944.

Shahn had enrolled with the federal Public Works of Art Project in 1934, and between 1935 and 1938 he and Bryson travelled across country as Shahn photographed poverty-stricken areas and documented rural life for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and the Resettlement Agency. Shahn's interest in photography developed in the early 1930s when, encouraged by his friendship with Walker Evans, he began photographing street scenes and people in New York City. He later used the images as the basis for many of his prints and paintings.

In 1942 Shahn began working for the Office of War Information (OWI) and was instructed to produce posters and pamphlets explaining to citizens the necessities of wartime, such as the need for secrecy and food rationing. Ultimately, only two of Shahn's posters were ever used; the rest were rejected as being too harsh for their intended audience. Shahn later worked for the Congress of Industrial Organization Political Action Committee (CIO-PAC), producing posters for the 1944 campaign to re-elect Roosevelt, who he believed in deeply. He was promoted to director of the CIO's Graphic Arts Division for the 1946 congressional campaign following Roosevelt's death, but that job ended when the election went poorly for the Democratic party.

Shahn returned increasingly to painting and a retrospective of his work was held at the Museum of Modern Art in 1947. He also became more active in academia as an accomplished writer, teacher and lecturer. He received honorary doctorates from Princeton University and Harvard University, and become the Charles Eliot Norton professor at Harvard in 1956. Shahn's Norton lectures were collected and published as the influential The Shape of Content in 1957. He also began to work as a commercial artist for a variety of companies and publications including CBS, Time, Harper's, and the Container Corporation of America. Shahn believed, however, that the artist's ideas and integrity must always be reflected in his commercial art. He refused to compromise on this point and was very selective in his choice of commercial commissions. Shahn illustrated many books and articles, designed sets for stage productions such as New York Export: Opus Jazz, choreographed by Jerome Robbins, and designed mural mosaics for synagogues, universities and private homes.

Since the 1930s Shahn had been represented by Edith Halpert at the Downtown Gallery, but his relationship with her was always contentious on the subject of payments Shahn received for commercial work, and became increasingly so as his income from such sources increased. Finally, in 1968, Shahn wrote to Halpert telling her that after ten years of "an accumulation of ill-feeling, discomfort and recrimination between us" he felt compelled to end their dealer-artist relationship.

By the time of Shahn's break with Halpert his health had begun to fail. He died of a heart attack following surgery in a New York City hospital on March 14, 1969.
Related Archival Materials note:
The Archives of American Art holds four oral history interviews with Ben Shahn: 1964 Apr. 14 interview conducted by Richard K. Doud for the Archives of American Art New Deal and the Arts Project in which Shahn speaks of his travels and work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA) and the American image as portrayed by FSA; 1965 Jan. 17 interview; 1965 Oct. 3. interview conducted by Harlan Phillips for the Archives of American Art New Deal and the Arts Project; and 1968 Sept. 27 interview conducted by Forrest Selvig. Most of these interviews have transcripts available online.

The Archives also holds the Bernarda Bryson Shahn papers, circa 1947-2005, and two oral history interviews with Bernarda Bryson Shahn: 1983 Apr. 29 and 1995 July 3.
Separated Materials note:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel N70-6) including addresses and essays by Shahn, seven royalty statements, and three letters from publishers. Many of the writings found on this reel were included in subsequent donations. All other lent material was returned to the lender and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The Ben Shahn papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in several installments between 1967-1991 by Shahn's widow, Bernarda Bryson Shahn who also lent materials for microfilming in 1969. Jean Shahn, Ben Shahn's daughter-in-law and estate representative, donated additional material in 2018 and 2021.
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 audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Brooklyn  Search this
Photographers -- New York (State) -- Brooklyn  Search this
Photographers -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Printmakers -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- Brooklyn  Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- Brooklyn  Search this
Educators -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Muralists -- New York (State) -- Brooklyn  Search this
Muralists -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Topic:
Social realism  Search this
Genre/Form:
Motion pictures (visual works)
Sketchbooks
Video recordings
Drawings
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Ben Shahn papers, 1879-1990, bulk 1933-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.shahben
See more items in:
Ben Shahn papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw983b06d9b-dd51-45bc-9b11-09b06a88f6c6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-shahben
Online Media:

cataract knife

Measurements:
justrite with blade: 5 7/16 in x 1/2 in x 3/16 in; 13.81125 cm x 1.27 cm x .47625 cm
bard - parker without blade: 4 7/8 in x 1/2 in x 3/16 in; 12.3825 cm x 1.27 cm x .47625 cm
knife: 1/4 in x 3/16 in x 5 3/8 in; .635 cm x .47625 cm x 13.6525 cm
box: 13/16 in x 7/8 in x 6 3/16 in; 2.06375 cm x 2.2225 cm x 15.71625 cm
Object Name:
knife
knife, opthalmic
Other Terms:
Surgery
Credit Line:
From R.N. Taylor M.D., thru Mystic Seaport, Inc.
ID Number:
1977.1223.045
Accession number:
1977.1223
Catalog number:
1977.1223.045
See more items in:
Medicine and Science: Medicine
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-5cee-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_729816

Scissors

Measurements:
overall: 1/4 in x 2 3/8 in x 7 1/8 in; .635 cm x 6.0325 cm x 18.0975 cm
Object Name:
scissors
Other Terms:
Surgery
Credit Line:
Dr. Joseph Blinder
ID Number:
MG.309903.35
Catalog number:
309903.31
Accession number:
309903
See more items in:
Medicine and Science: Medicine
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-78d4-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_735326

Surgical Set

Maker:
Arnold, Francis  Search this
Physical Description:
wood, mahogany (overall material)
metal, brass (overall material)
fabric, velvet (overall material)
metal, steel (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 3 in x 16 1/4 in x 7 5/8 in; 7.62 cm x 41.275 cm x 19.3675 cm
Object Name:
Amputation Set
amputation set
surgical set
Other Terms:
Amputation Set; Surgical Set
Subject:
Surgery  Search this
Credit Line:
Gift of The Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of the State of Maryland
ID Number:
MG.302606.219
Accession number:
302606
Catalog number:
302606.219
See more items in:
Medicine and Science: Medicine
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-f427-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1055035

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