No access restrictions Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu
Robert "Chuck" Amrein served as an aircraft mechanic with the 1503rd Army Air Force Base Unit at Hickam Field, Hawaii during World War II. This collection consists of materials relating to Amrein's service with the US Army Air Force including photographs; news clippings; and military records.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of materials relating to Robert "Chuck" Amrein's service with the US Army Air Force during World War II including photographs; news clippings; and military records. There are 40 black and white photographs and picture post cards of various sizes in the collection which include images of various places in Hawaii; scenes of life and personnel at Hickam Field, Hawaii; USO performers including Kay Kyser, Diana Lewis, and Joe E. Brown; aircraft including the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Boeing Model B-314 Clipper (USN), and Douglas R3D-2; Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircraft including Enola Gay and Bockscar; and photographs of Amrein, including one taken with his wife, Jessie Amrein (née Van Liew). There are also several photographs which are close-up views of the nose art on various aircraft including Lady from Hades; Sweet Routine; Form 1-A; Million $ Baby; Texas Kate; Mickie's Menace; Mabel's Labels; Island Girl; and Tricky Micky. The collection also includes photographs and news clippings about Gertie, a Himalayan sloth bear who was flown in a Boeing B-29 Superfortress as a mascot for missions over the Hump. Also in the collection are some of Amrein's military records including a plane pass; motor vehicle operator's permit; an off-base pass; and a US Army Air Force Introduction Card. Finally, the collection contains a flocked V-J Day card which reads, "Victory Greetings from Hawaii" that was sent by Amrein to his wife in 1945, and the fall 1992 issue of Rolling Together, the newsletter of the 4th Armored Division Association which includes Amrein's obituary.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
Robert "Chuck" Amrein served as an aircraft mechanic with the 1503rd Army Air Force Base Unit at Hickam Field, Hawaii during World War II.
Provenance:
Patricia A. Bloodgood, Gift, 2012, NASM.2012.0038
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
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.
This collection consists of one scrapbook and some additional materials relating to Dr. William R. Jacobs and his service in the Alaskan Air Transport Command (Arctic Search and Rescue Unit) during World War II.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of one scrapbook containing photographs, newspaper articles and correspondence relating to Dr. William R. Jacobs and his service in the Alaskan Air Transport Command (Arctic Search and Rescue Unit) during World War II. The collection also includes copies of letters from Jacobs to his family, 1943-1945; twelve black and white photographs; three issues of the North Star, newsletter for the Alaskan Division, Air Transport Command; miscellaneous magazine articles and correspondence; a report of a medical emergency at Fish Lake, YT, April 1945; and a VHS copy of "Paradocs," which was produced by Dr. Paul Little for the Air Force Television News.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
William Rigby Jacobs (1906-1957) was born in Ogden, Utah, and attended Weber College and Brigham Young University for his bachelor's degree and the University of Utah and Rush Medical College for his medical degree. In 1941, Jacobs moved with his family to Lewiston, Idaho, and established a general medical practice. He was commissioned with the Air Force in August of 1942, serving as a flight surgeon with the Alaskan Division of the Air Transport Command, in charge of an Arctic Search and Rescue Unit for northern Canada and Alaska. Jacobs served as a medic who parachuted into Arctic rescue situations with sled dogs, and he was awarded the Silver Star for his effort to render aid to a fighter pilot who had parachuted from his disabled aircraft. Jacobs was promoted to captain before being honorably discharged in 1945. Dr. Jacobs died of a heart attack while caring for his Appaloosa horses, which he bred as a hobby.
Provenance:
Pauline Jacobs, Mary Heuskinkveld, Gift, 2003, additional material sent by Henry Heuskinkveld in 2003 and 2004, NASM.2003.0050.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
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
First Lieutenant Seymour Appleblood served with the US Army Air Forces (Crew 14, 9th Bombardment Group, 1st Bombardment Squadron, 313th Wing, XXI Bomber Command, 20th Air Force) in World War II as a bombardier on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Live Wire. This collection consists of the Bombardiers' Information File issued to First Lieutenant Seymour Appleblood during his service.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the Bombardiers' Information File issued to First Lieutenant Seymour Appleblood during his service with the US Army Air Forces in World War II. The manual is dated March 1945 and contains sections on general information, fundamentals of bombing, computers, instrument calibration and navigation, autopilot information, the M-series bombsight, armament, combat bombing, and emergencies and precautions.
Arrangement:
Collection is in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
First Lieutenant Seymour Appleblood served with the US Army Air Forces (Crew 14, 9th Bombardment Group, 1st Bombardment Squadron, 313th Wing, XXI Bomber Command, 20th Air Force) in World War II as a bombardier on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Live Wire. Appleblood was stationed at Tinian, Northern Marianas Islands, from February 1945 to August 1945 and flew 35 missions, mainly to attack targets in Japan. Appleblood was awarded the bronze oak-leaf cluster to the Air Medal in July 1945 and was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Provenance:
Seymour Appleby, Gift, 2009, NASM.2009.0029
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
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.
This collection, compiled by Bernice Falk Haydu, a former WASP 44-7, contains original photographs, photocopies of photographs, class rosters, graduation data, copies of certification, a WASP songbook, an original Miss Fifinella color sketch by Walt Disney, and other related material. The photographs are all captioned with information from Mrs. Cliff Deaton, Chief Staff Executive Officer of the WASPs at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas. The material has been grouped in a binder under the following subheadings: Avenger Field; Life on Base; Wishing Well: Flight Training School; Physical Education and Marching; Graduations; VIPs; and a Miscellaneous file.
Scope and Contents:
This collection compiled by Bernice Falk Haydu, a former WASP 44-7, contains original photographs, photocopies of photographs, class rosters, graduation data, copies of certification, a WASP songbook, an original Miss Fifinella color sketch by Walt Disney, and other related material. The photographs are all captioned with information from Mrs. Cliff Deaton, Chief Staff Executive Officer of the WASPs at Avenger Field, Sweetwater, TX. The material has been grouped in a binder under the following subheadings: Avenger Field; Life on Base; Wishing Well: Flight Training School; Physical Education and Marching; Graduations; VIPs; and a Miscellaneous file.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
The WASPs Binder: Pictures of Life and Training of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots Collection is arranged in its original order.
Biographical / Historical:
The WASPs (Women's Airforce Service Pilots) learned to fly US Army Air Corps aircraft during WWII. Jacqueline Cochran was director of the 1074 women who earned wings and flew 60 million miles for the US Army Air Corps between November 17, 1942 and December 7, 1944. From light aircraft, the WASPs advanced quickly to fly every air corps aircraft in use at the time. With the exception of aerial gunnery and formation flying, these women received the same training as the male pilots. WASPs ferried planes, towed targets, flew tracking, simulated bombing missions, performed radio control, flight tested aircraft, gave instrument instruction and performed many other duties. Their work allowed more men to participate in aviation combat roles.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Bernice Falk Haydu, Gift, 1989, 1989-0123, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
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
WASPs Binder: Pictures of Life and Training of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, Acc. NASM.1989.0123####, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
United States. Office of Strategic Services Search this
Extent:
10.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Date:
1932-1996
Summary:
The papers of museum director, art consultant and curator Otto Wittmann (1911-2001)date from 1932 to 1996 and measure 10.1 linear feet. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence and other files concerning Wittmann's career as Director of the Toledo Museum of Art and as trustee and acting chief curator of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Eleven scrapbooks contain materials primarily relating to the activities of the Toledo Museum of Art, but also contain documentation of Wittmann's World War II service in the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU) of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the present day CIA. Also found within the papers are files relating to his work with the National Endownment of the Arts, Arts and Artifacts Indemnification Committee, scattered biographical information, and personal correspondence.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of museum director, art consultant and curator Otto Wittmannn (1911-2001)date from 1932 to 1996 and measure 10.1 linear feet. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence and other files concerning Wittmannn's career as Director of the Toledo Museum of Art and as trustee and acting chief curator of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Eleven scrapbooks contain materials primarily relating to the activities of the Toledo Museum of Art, but also contain documentation of Wittmannn's World War II service in the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU) of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the present day CIA. Also found within the papers are files relating to his work with the National Endownment of the Arts, Arts and Artifacts Indemnification Committee, scattered biographical information, and personal correspondence.
Biographical information includes a biographical sketch and an index of an interview of Wittmannn by Richard Candida Smith. Correspondence is mostly personal and with family, friends, and colleagues.
Professional files include Wittmann's files from the Toledo Museum of Art that consist of general operations and administrative files from the director's office. Wittmann's role as an art consultant and advisor to the Owens Corning Fiberglass Corporation is documented, as well as his many affliations with professional arts associations, arts organizations, and other museums and institutions.
Files documenting Wittmann's consulting and curatorial work for the Getty Museum are arranged in a separate series and consist of chronological correspondence and scattered expense reports. Correpondence concerns the development of the Getty Museum's early art collecting policy and the general formation of the museum.
There seven files relating to Wittmann's work for the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts and Artifacts Indemnification Committee.
Eleven scrapbooks dating from 1932 to 1977 focus on a variety of subjects, including the Hyde Collection, Skidmore College, the U.S. Army Air Force, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the Getty Museum. Found within the scrapbooks are mixed formats, such as correspondence, biographical information, clippings, brochures, and photographs. The scrapbook dating from 1932 to April 1959 contains scattered photographs from Wittmannn's service in the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU) of the U.S. Office of Strategic Services.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series:
Series 1: Biographical Information, 1995-1996 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1959-1990 (Box 1; 0.6 linear feet)
Series 3: Professional Files, 1947-1986 (Boxes 1-6, OV18; 5.2 linear feet)
Series 4: Getty Museum Files, 1978-1991 (Boxes 6-9; 1.7 linear feet)
Series 5: National Endowment for the Arts, Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Files, 1976 (Box 9; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1932-1977 (Boxes 10-17; 2.4 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Otto Wittmann (1911-2001) was director of the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo Ohio from 1959-1976. He left Toledo to work as an arts consultant, trustee, and acting chief curator for the Getty Museum in Los Angeles from 1978 though 1989. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Force and as a special intelligence officer assigned to locate and return works of art looted by the Nazis.
Otto Wittmann was born in Kansas City, Missouri on September 1, 1911. He graduated from Harvard University with a fine arts degree in 1933 and returned to Kansas City to become the Curator of Prints at the Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art, the first art museum in the city. Later, he enrolled at Skidmore College for graduate studies and worked at The Hyde Collection in Glen Falls, New York.
During World War II, Wittmann served as a Major with the Air Force in the Air Transport Command. He was transferred to the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU) in Washington, D.C. under the Office of Strategic Services. He spent long periods in Paris and Munich assisting with looted art recovery, investigating transactions in Sweden and Switzerland, and working with the collection centers set up in France. Years later, at the Toledo Museum of Art, he curated an exhibition of recovered artwork, and invited the U.S. Army members that assisted with protecting the artwork.
After the war, Wittmann accepted a position at the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA), working there for thirty years and as director from 1959-1976. During his tenure, he tripled the museum's collection of artwork and expanded its exhibition space. Under his direction, the museum was one of the first American museums to display sculpture, painting, furniture, and decorative arts in one setting.
In 1978, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles hired Wittmann as an acquisitions consultant as the museum began to spend the huge billion dollar trust left behind by J. P. Getty. Many institutions and the art market in general were nervous that the Getty's new and huge purchasing power would drive up prices and shut out other institutions and museums from acquiring works of art. Wittmann, however, steadied the Getty's purchases and kept prices competitive enough so that other museums could outbid him if they desired. Within a year, he was appointed to trustee and, shortly thereafter, as acting chief curator until 1983. The Getty named Wittmann a trustee emeritus in 1989.
Otto Wittmann was among the first museum professionals to encourage the establishment of Federal programs for the arts. He was one of the founding members of the National Council on the Arts and served on the museum advisory panel for the National Endowment for the Arts and on the arts advisory panel for the Internal Revenue Service. He was the first chairman of the Advisory Committee to the Federal Council of Arts and Humanities responsible for implementing the intial programs of the Federal Arts Indemnity Act. He was active in many national professional arts associations.
In 1947, Otto Wittmann married Margaret Hill, with whom he had two sons, John and William. Wittmannn died in 1997 in Montecito, California.
Related Material:
The Archives of American Art has an oral history interview with Otto Wittmann conducted by Paul Cummings on August 19-20, 1976, and another conducted by Thomas Carr Howe on October 25, 1976.
Provenance:
Otto Wittmann donated his papers to the Archives of American Art in 1991 and 1995.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Otto Wittmann papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Topic:
Art -- Societies, etc. -- United States Search this
The papers of New York sculptor, painter, educator, and video artist, Benedict Tatti (1917-1993) measure 1.8 linear feet and date from 1936-2011, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1945-1993. Papers consist of biographical material, correspondence, project files, subject files, exhibition files, writings, notes, and lists, printed materials, and photographs. Exhibition files and printed material, such as catalogues and checklists provide an overview of Tatti's activities as a sculptor and video artist. Also, photographs of artwork are a rich source of provenance-related information on Tatti's sculptures.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of New York sculptor, painter, educator, and video artist, Benedict Tatti (1917-1993) measure 1.8 linear feet and date from 1936-2011, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1945-1993. Papers consist of biographical material, correspondence, project files, subject files, exhibition files, writings, notes, and lists, printed materials, and photographs. Exhibition files and printed material, such as catalogues and checklists provide an overview of Tatti's activities as a sculptor and video artist. Also, photographs of artwork are a rich source of provenance-related information on Tatti's sculptures.
Biographical materials include curriculum vitae, Who's Who in American Art, memberships, and awards. Correspondence is primarily from colleagues, dealers, collectors, and representatives of museums, galleries, and arts organizations. There are a few outgoing letters from Benedict Tatti, including a handmade holiday card. Among the notable correspondents are Jane Canfield, Lloyd Goodrich, Louis Slobodkin, and William Zorach. Also found is a small portion of Adele Tatti's correspondence relating to her late husband's artwork.
Project files contain Tatti's commissions for Eutectic-Castolin Institute, Staten Island Community College, Statue of Liberty Restoration, and the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts; application proposals to Creative Artists Public Service program (CAPS); and the artist's invention of the rewind reel adapter. Subject files include Tatti's memberships and activities in professional associations, e.g., American Medallic Sculpture Association, American Numismatic Society, and Audubon Artists; Tatti's Artist-in-Residence proposals for the Television Lab, WNET 13; and his involvement in educational video presentations. Exhibition files consist of scattered materials on Tatti's shows at the Anthology Film Archives; Burr Galleries; Galerie Claude Bernard; The Kitchen, Mercer Arts Gallery; Northeast Harbor Gallery; and Roko Gallery.
Writings, notes, and lists include writings by Benedict Tatti; writings about Benedict Tatti, including a statement on the artist by Isamu Noguchi; and lists compiled by Adele Tatti relating to her late husband's work. Artwork contains Tatti's sketch of a sculpture for the Northeast Harbor Museum and sketches of medal designs. Printed material consists of announcements, brochures, invitations, exhibition catalogues and checklists, clippings, periodicals, newsletters, reproductions, other printed matter, and monographs. Photographs include black and white prints of portrait shots of Benedict Tatti, Tatti in his studio and with others, video equipment and Tatti's video art; also found are color photographs of Tatti's sculptures and design maquettes.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged as 9 series:
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1936-1993 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1945-2008 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 3: Project Files, 1966-2005 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 4: Subject Files, circa 1950s-2008 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 5: Exhibition Files, 1945-1992 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 6: Writings, Notes, and Lists, circa 1940s-2009 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 7: Artwork, 1970-circa 1990s (Box 1; 3 folders)
Series 8: Printed Material, 1937-1976 (Boxes 1-2; 0.8 linear feet)
Series 9: Photographs (circa 1936-1970s), circa 1964-2010 (Box 3; 0.4 linear feet)
Biographical/Historical note:
Benedict Tatti (1917-1993) worked in New York as a sculptor, painter, educator, and video artist.
Born in New York in 1917, Tatti began his art education at Haaren High School. He continued his studies at the Roerich Museum with Louis Slobodkin, the Art Students League with William Zorach and Ossip Zadkine, and the Leonardo da Vinci School of Art under Attillio Piccirelli. Later in his career, he attended the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts. During World War II, Tatti served in the United States Army Air Force, where he spent three years assigned to variety of projects. In 1948, Benedict Tatti married Adele Rosenberg in New York City.
Throughout his career, Tatti continuously experimented with various media. From 1952-1963, Tatti executed sculptural models of architectural and consumer products for the industrial designers, Raymond Loewy Associates; later he became a color consultant for the firm. In the 1960s, influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, Tatti turned from carving directly in wood and stone to creating assemblage sculptures, using bronze metal and other industrial materials. During this period, Tatti spent summers on Monhegan Island in Maine, where he developed his water coloring techniques. In 1963, Tatti was hired to teach sculpture at the High School of Art and Design in New York, a position that he held for fifteen years.
In the 1970s, Tatti, with no previous background in video work developed technology for video imaging. He became an associate member of the Kitchen at the Mercer Arts Center exhibiting his video sculptures along with other early innovators of this new art form. In 1975, he invented a rewind reel adapter device. Despite health problems, Tatti continued to work and exhibit into the 1980s. He assisted his brother, Alexander Tatti and his nephew, Steven Tatti on the restoration of the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island, which was completed in 1985.
Benedict Tatti received solo and group exhibitions at museums and galleries in the United States and abroad, including the Burr Gallery, Claude Bernard Galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Art, under the Artists for Victory Program, Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Art, Northeast Gallery, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Roko Gallery. Also, Tatti's work was regularly featured in annual exhibitions of several arts organizations: American Society of Contemporary Artists, Annual Avant Garde Festival, Audubon Artists, Brooklyn Society of Artists, and Painters and Sculptors Society of New Jersey. His awards included the National Soldier Art Competition at the National Gallery of Art (1945); Artist-in-Residence, National Center of Experiments TV, San Francisco, California, (1969); and the Creative Artists Public Service (CAPS), (1972). Tatti's artwork is in the permanent collections of the American Numismatic Society, Art Students League, Dumbarton Oaks, Monhegan Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts.
Benedict Tatti died on July 30, 1993.
Provenance:
The Benedict Tatti papers were donated by Adele Tatti, widow of Benedict Tatti, in 2010.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Benedict Tatti papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Topic:
Video artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Genre/Form:
Notes
Awards
Lists
Christmas cards
Photographs
Designs
Sketches
Citation:
Benedict Tatti, 1936-2011, bulk 1945-1993. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
28.15 Cubic feet (25 records center boxes; 2 legal document boxes; 1 flatbox)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Clippings
Maps
Publications
Photographs
Drawings
Manuscripts
Diaries
Correspondence
Date:
1915-1983
Scope and Contents:
This collection spans A.B. McMullen's aviation career and interests, from his involvement in WWI until his death. This collection includes correspondence, both personal and business, reports/material from his aviation corporations/distributorships and stint as Director of Florida Aviation and career in the NASAO. Also included are photographs, articles and newspaper clippings of his career as a barnstormer and of his military career.
Biographical / Historical:
Colonel Alexis B. McMullen participated in American aviation activities at the local, state and national level over a period of some 50 years, as well as international activities during two world wars. A.B. McMullen learned to fly during WWI, and he became an Aerobatic Flight Instructor and Base Engineering Officer. After the war, he barnstormed with Mabel Cody and owned/operated flying schools, aviation corporations and distributorships. In 1933 he became Florida's first State Director of Aviation. Under his leadership in this position, 84 new airports and flight strips were constructed and the first comprehensive state aviation map was published. From 1936-1942 McMullen served as Chief, Airports Section Bureau of Air Division. During WWII he actively served as Deputy Commander North African Division of Air Transport Command (ATC), stationed in Morocco. After the war he established the Washington, D.C. Headquarters of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) which he continued to serve with until his retirement.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Sarah Ann Lindsey, gift, 1990, 1990-0060, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
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
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