The records of the Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition presented by the Anacostia Community Museum measure 5.83 linear feet and date from 1898 to 1988. Included are exhibit administrative files, lists of images, press releases for the promotion of the exhibit, oral history transcripts and permission forms, and extensive research files into the Anacostia community in southeast Washington D.C.
The Research Files series contains news clippings, publications, unpublished articles, project files, and research material for the exhibitions. Subjects include local figures and the Barry's Farm neighborhood, unpublished historical narratives, and project records related to archaeological investigations and neighborhood development programs.
The Interview series consists of the audio cassettes and transcripts of the oral history interviews collected in 1970-1971 for the Evolution of a Community exhibits. This series also includes interview notes and thank you letters from the museum to the interviewees. Digital audio files are available for some of the oral history interviews.
Exhibit File series includes an outline for exhibit themes and proposed layouts, drafts of the exhibit scripts, lists of exhibit objects, promotional press releases, and related correspondence.
Arrangement:
Evolution of a Community: 1972 exhibition records is arranged in 4 series.
Series 1: Research Files
Series 2: Interviews
Series 3: Exhibit Files
Series 4: Audiovisual Materials
Historical Note:
Evolution of a Community began as a research project to investigate the history of Anacostia through oral histories. This project was funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Housing and Urban Development Department, and the Cafritz Foundation of Washington, D.C. The purpose of creating an oral history project was to record Anacostia's history from the perspective of its residents and translate those stories into meaningful and interesting exhibits. Three exhibitions were created from this project by the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum) between 1972 and 1975 The first exhibition was The Evolution of a Community, Part 1: 1608-1955 and was held from February 27, 1972 – August 31, 1972. This exhibition centered on the history of Anacostia from 1608 until shortly after World War II, drawing from the 1970 oral histories interviews with longtime residents. The second exhibition was The Evolution of a Community, Part 2: 1955-Present and was held from September 1, 1972 – December 31, 1972. This exhibition showcased Anacostia's history from 1955 to 1972 and was organized into five major topics: housing, unemployment, education, crime, and drugs. The last exhibition was Anacostia Today: The Evolution of a Community, Part 2: Continued and was held from March 1, 1973 – July 31, 1973. This exhibition was the same exhibition as The Evolution of a Community, Part 2: 1955-Present but brought back for the museum's fifth anniversary and continued its focus on its five major topics.
Records of the Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition were created by the Anacostia Community Museum.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Jim Banks discusses the purpose and impact of the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum). He describes its emphasis on community outreach, and how the neighborhood residents became involved with its construction, programs, sewing council and community meetings. He describes the scope of the museum broadening from a special focus on the Anacostia community to presenting African American history in a broader context. He also discusses the effect of the social and political climate on the museum, and the museum's relationship with the Smithsonian Institution over the years.
The interview was recorded on May 6, 1992. The audio quality is clear throughout the recording with some background noise.
Biographical / Historical:
Jim Banks (1930-2005) earned a sociology degree from Howard University, and a Masters Degree in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. He served in the Navy during World War II. In 1955 he was named Citizen of the Year by the DC League of Women Voters. He became the Assistant Director of tenant selection for the National Capital Housing Authority. In 1963 he began a four-year tenure as the first Executive Director of the United Planning Organization. From 1967-1969, he worked at the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. He later joined DC Mayor Walter E. Washington's cabinet as Director of Housing Programs. He then became the Executive Vice President of the Washington Board of Realtors. In 1988 he helped found the Anacostia/Congress Heights Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness. He also served as Senior Warden and Chairman of the Restoration Committee for the St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Washington. In 2004 he authored the book The Unintended Consequences: Family and Community, the Victims of Isolated Poverty with his son, Peter.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, which includes approximately 100 interviews of residents and influential people of the Anacostia area of Washington, DC.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Genre/Form:
Oral histories (document genres)
Collection Citation:
ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Dorn C. McGrath (1930-) talks about discovering the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum) in 1968, meeting John Kinard, establishing a long-standing friendship with him, and serving in an advisory role for the museum. He describes the museum as providing an enriching educational experience for Anacostia youth by focusing on their environment and local issues. He details the difference between the original museum, which he describes as more accessible, more focused on the neighborhood, and "funky", and the new museum, which he describes as more stylized and able to accommodate larger gatherings. He also talks about the potential of the Anacostia community and his hope that new leadership will emerge to support further development.
The interview was recorded by Gail S. Lowe on March 26, 1991. The audio quality is clear throughout the recording with some minor background noise.
Exhibitions mentioned: The Rat: Man's Invited Affliction, The Real McCoy: Afro-American invention and innovation, 1619-1930.
Biographical / Historical:
Dorn C. McGrath was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania on May 16, 1930. He graduated from Bradford High School, earned a B.A. in engineering and architecture from Dartmouth in 1952, and a master's degree in city planning from Harvard University in 1959. He served in the U.S Navy from 1955 to 1958, and in the Civil Engineer Corps in Spain from 1958 to 1959. He worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Then he taught courses as an educator for George Washington University, first in the department of urban and regional planning, and later in the department of geography, a career which lasted 35 years. He founded George Washington University's center for urban and environmental research and served as chair of the geography department from 1996 to 2003. He worked closely with residents in neighborhood areas, including the Anacostia neighborhood in Washington DC. He was active as an alumnus of Dartmouth and served as class president from 2007 to 2013.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, which includes approximately 100 interviews of residents and influential people of the Anacostia area of Washington, DC.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Genre/Form:
Oral histories (document genres)
Collection Citation:
ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution
