Search Results

Creator:

Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this

Subject:

Wildenstein, Felix  Search this

Phillips, Duncan  Search this

Hays, Lee  Search this

Untermeyer, Louis  Search this

Zigrosser, Carl  Search this

Robeson, Paul  Search this

DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt)  Search this

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano)  Search this

Ruggles, Carl  Search this

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur  Search this

Nearing, Helen  Search this

Nearing, Scott  Search this

Pach, Walter  Search this

Rasmussen, Knud  Search this

Reeves, Ruth  Search this

Seeger, Pete  Search this

Daniel, Charles  Search this

Cleland, T. M. (Thomas Maitland)  Search this

Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen)  Search this

Chamberlain, J. E.  Search this

Boyesen, Bayard  Search this

Chase, William Merritt  Search this

Freuchen, Peter  Search this

Gellert, Hugo  Search this

Gottlieb, Harry  Search this

Hartley, Marsden  Search this

FitzGerald, James  Search this

Keller, Charles  Search this

Miller, Kenneth Hayes  Search this

Henri, Robert  Search this

Jones, Dan Burne  Search this

United American Artists  Search this

United Office and Professional Workers of America  Search this

United Scenic Artists  Search this

National Farmers' Union (U.S.)  Search this

National Maritime Union of America  Search this

American Artists' Congress  Search this

Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Artists League of America  Search this

Citizens' Committee for Government Arts Projects  Search this

Farmers Union of the New York Milk Shed  Search this

Federal Art Project  Search this

Federal Writers' Project  Search this

Macbeth Gallery  Search this

International Workers Order  Search this

Type:

Poems

Sketches

Business records

Photographs

Drawings

Citation:

Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Designers -- New York (State)  Search this

Mural painting and decoration  Search this

Politics and culture  Search this

Authors -- New York  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects  Search this

Dairy farms  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Illustrators -- New York (State)  Search this

Illustration of books  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Art and war  Search this

Commercial art  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9557

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211757

AAA_collcode_kentrock

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211757

Artist:

George Hurrell, 01 Jun 1904 - 17 May 1992  Search this

Sitter:

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., 09 Dec 1909 - 07 May 2000  Search this

Medium:

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions:

Image: 34.5 × 27.5 cm (13 9/16 × 10 13/16")

Sheet: 35.4 × 28.3 cm (13 15/16 × 11 1/8")

Mount: 51 × 37.9 cm (20 1/16 × 14 15/16")

Type:

Photograph

Date:

c. 1935

Topic:

Interior  Search this

Costume\Headgear\Hat  Search this

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this

Costume\Outerwear\Coat  Search this

Costume\Outerwear\Coat  Search this

Costume\Outerwear\Coat\Fur  Search this

Symbols & Motifs\Star  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Male  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Politics and Government\Diplomat  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Entrepreneur  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Movie  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Performing Arts\Producer\Television producer  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Politics and Government\Diplomat\Diplomatic agent  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Performing Arts\Film production manager  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Legion of Honor  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Distinguished Service Cross  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Military and Intelligence\Navy\Officer\World War II  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired in part through the generosity of an anonymous donor

Object number:

NPG.2022.49

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4f99abe88-2138-4380-82ce-05b2e9bbdb82

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NPG.2022.49

Artist:

George Hurrell, 01 Jun 1904 - 17 May 1992  Search this

Sitter:

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., 09 Dec 1909 - 07 May 2000  Search this

Medium:

Gelatin silver print

Dimensions:

Image: 34.5 × 27.2 cm (13 9/16 × 10 11/16")

Sheet: 35.3 × 27.9 cm (13 7/8 × 11")

Mount: 50.7 × 38.2 cm (19 15/16 × 15 1/16")

Type:

Photograph

Date:

c. 1935

Topic:

Interior  Search this

Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Mustache  Search this

Costume\Dress Accessory\Handkerchief  Search this

Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Necktie  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Male  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Politics and Government\Diplomat  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Entrepreneur  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Movie  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Performing Arts\Producer\Television producer  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Politics and Government\Diplomat\Diplomatic agent  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Performing Arts\Film production manager  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Legion of Honor  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Distinguished Service Cross  Search this

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.: Military and Intelligence\Navy\Officer\World War II  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired in part through the generosity of an anonymous donor

Object number:

NPG.2022.50

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4be4e810d-13df-4a4b-acf6-05ebf472d850

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NPG.2022.50

Former owner:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Mechanical and Civil Engineering  Search this

Extent:

1 Cubic foot (3 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Lantern slides

Negatives

Photographs

Place:

Manila (Philippines)

Nagasaki (Japan)

Date:

circa 1945

Summary:

Collection documents the destroyed city of Nagasaki, Japan, and bombing in Manila, Philippines, 1945.

Content Description:

Collection contains lantern slides, negatives, and black and white print photographs of the destroyed city of Nagasaki, Japan and bombing in Manila, Philippines. Images depict street scenes, destroyed buildings, and people injured or killed.

Arrangement:

Collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1: Photographic prints and Negatives, circa 1945

Series 2: Lantern Slides, circa 1945

Related Materials:

Materials in the National Air and Space Museum Archives

The National Air and Space Museum Archives holds many related collections on World War II bombing, including the William Jones World War II scrapbook, NASM.2006.0067.

Provenance:

Collection donated by Progressive Architecture, through managing editor, Rita R. Robinson, 1973.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Atomic bomb  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Genre/Form:

Lantern slides -- 1900-1950

Negatives

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- 20th century

Citation:

World War Two Bomb Damage Photographs, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1535

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep88cc16244-2688-4887-8a5a-621fddd7e46d

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1535

Creator:

Baer, Ralph H., 1922-2014  Search this

Extent:

16 Cubic feet (45 boxes and 1 oversize folder)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Audiotapes

Audiocassettes

Cd-roms

Diagrams

Drawings

Interviews

Videotapes

Correspondence

Sketches

Photographs

Oral history

Notes

Manuals

Date:

1943 - 2015

Summary:

Ralph H. Baer was a German-born ordnance specialist, inventor, and engineer. He was a pioneer of early videogame technology. The papers include autobiographical materials; firearms notes, manuscripts, and photographs; and videogame and television engineering notes, diagrams, schematics, and video documentation.

Scope and Contents:

The Ralph Baer Papers include autobiographical materials and an extended oral history interview. The Papers also include materials about military small arms created by Baer during his World War II service. The largest portion of the collection documents Baer's work on video games.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 12 series.

Series 1: Autobiographical Documents, 1962-2006

Subseries 1.1: Manuscript, book and other documents, 1962-2006

Subseries 1.2: Other Media: CDs, VHS videos, periodical, 1991, 2000-2003

Series 2: WW II Small Arms Documents, 1943-1953

Subseries 2.1: Correspondence, 1950-1953

Subseries 2.2: Writings and notes, 1943-1948

Subseries 2.3: Drawings and schematics, undated

Subseries 2.4: Manuals and encyclopedias, 1943

Subseries 2.5: Photographs, 1945

Series 3: Hans Otto Mauksch Materials, 1944-1964

Subseries 3.1: Personal background information, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1964

Subseries 3.2: Instructional materials, 1944-1946, undated

Subseries 3.3: Ft. Riley, Kansas, 1946, 1953

Series 4: TV Game Documents, 1966-1972

Subseries 4.1: Working notes, diagrams and schematics, 1966-1971

Subseries 4.2: Administrative documents, 1966-1972 Subseries 4.3: Notebooks, 1966-1968

Subseries 4.4: TV game development documentation, 1966-1968

Series 5: Sanders Associates, Transitron, and Van Norman Industries, 1952-2003

Series 6: Product Development Documents, 1974-2015

Series 7: Product Guides and Technical Support, 1943-2011

Series 8: Legal and Patent Documents, 1966-2014

Series 9: Writings and Notes, 1946-1999

Series 10: Miscellaneous, 1961-2012

Series 11: Correspondence, 1983-2014

Series 12: Publicity and Awards, 1979-2015

Biographical / Historical:

Ralph H. Baer (1922-2014) was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1938. A graduate of the National Radio Institute (1940), Baer worked as a radio technician in the New York City area, servicing all types of home and auto radios. During World War II, Baer served in the United States Army, one year stateside, and two years in Europe. He was assigned to Military Intelligence and became an expert on military small arms. Baer returned to the United States with eighteen tons of foreign small arms for use in exhibits at Aberdeen, Maryland; Springfield, Massachusetts Armory; and Ft. Riley, Kansas.

After the war, Baer attended the American Television Institute of Technology in Chicago, graduating with a BS in television engineering. In 1949, Baer joined a small electro medical equipment firm, Wappler, Inc., as their chief engineer. He designed and built surgical cutting machines, epilators, and low frequency pulse generating muscle-toning equipment. In 1951, Baer moved to Loral Electronics of Bronx, New York as a senior engineer, designing power line carrier signaling equipment for IBM. During 1952-1956, Baer worked at Transitron, Inc., in New York City as a chief engineer and later as vice president. In 1956, Baer joined Sanders Associates in Nashua, New Hampshire building airborne radar components. He became manager of the Electronic Design Department at Sanders and eventually Division Manager and Chief Engineer for Equipment Design. Baer retired in 1987.

At Sanders in 1966, Baer began an independent project experimenting with ways for consumers to interact with standard home television sets. Development of interactive TV Game (TVG) ideas became a company-supported project continued by Baer and assisted by William H. Harrison and William T. Rusch (download the TV Game chronology prepared by Ralph Baer in 2006). By mid-1967, ping pong videogames were played inside Sanders, patent disclosures were applied for, and hardware was designed. Baer and his associates called the devices they were developing "boxes" and numbered the various versions one through seven. In 1971, Magnavox became Sanders Associates's first videogame licensee. Between 1972 and 1975, Magnavox produced and sold over 700,000 units of Odyssey, a set of games played on its television receivers. Atari became a licensee in 1976 after the first of many lawsuits won by Sanders in pursuit of patent infringements.

During his tenure at Sanders and thereafter, Baer was a prolific inventor. His creations included many electronic toys and games and other consumer electronic products. Among the better known products based on Baer's work are Milton Bradley's Simon, Galoob's Smarty Bear Video, and Kenner's Laser Command. In 2004 President George W. Bush awarded Baer the National Medal of Technology.

Baer married Dena Whinston in 1952 and they had three children, James, Mark, and Nancy. Ralph Baer died on December 6, 2014, at the age of 92.

Related Materials:

Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Ralph H. Baer Innovative Lives Presentation, August 15, 2009 (NMAH.AC.1179)

The presentation documents a moderated conversation about Baer's life and work. Baer reenacts, with his partner William Harrison, the first time he played "Odyssey," the first home video game for the consumer market, which he invented, and answers questions from the audience. Materials include original video (born digital), master videos, and reference videos.

Materials at Other Organizations

Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at The Strong

Ralph H. Baer Papers, 1968-2010 inclusive; 1975-1998 bulk

The Ralph H. Baer papers are a compilation of correspondence, game designs, drawings, notes, reference materials, photographs, product descriptions, digital videos, schematics, electronic components, and manuals utilized by Ralph H. Baer throughout his lengthy career in the toy and game industry. The bulk of the materials are from 1975 through 1998.

U.S. Ordnance Museum, Fort Lee, Virginia

Materials consist of data on foreign small arms brought back from Europe in 1946 by Ralph H. Baer.

Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, New York

Holdings include set of seven recreations of "TV game" prototypes originally created between 1966 and 1969, donated by pioneering game developer Ralph Baer. One of Baer's game prototypes, known as the "Brown Box," was licensed by Magnavox and released in 1972 as the Magnavox Odyssey, the world's first commercial home video game console.

University of Texas, Austin, Briscoe Center for American History

Ralph H. Baer "Brown Box" replica, 1952-1983, 2006-2012

The Ralph H. Baer "Brown Box" replica includes a fully-functional replica of Ralph Baer's "Brown Box," the prototype video game console that was used as the basis of the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. The collection also contains related research materials.

Separated Materials:

The Division of Medicine and Science holds artifacts related to this collection including early video game prototypes and TV Game products.

TV Game Unit #1 (TVG#1); 1966; vacuum tube spot generator with Heathkit IG-62 Generator (See Accession 2006.0102.01)

Heathkit IG-62; used with TVG #1 (See Accession 2006.0102.02)

TV Game Unit #2 (TVG #2), aka the "Pump Unit," 1967; large aluminum chassis with wooden "pump" handle (See Accession 2006.0102.03)

TV Game Unit #7 (TVG#7), aka "Brown Box," 1967/1968; prototype for Magnavox Odyssey (See Accession 2006.0102.04)

Cardboard program cards for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.05)

Lightgun, 1967/1968; game accessory for Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.06)

TV Game Unit #8, 1968; "de/dt" (velocity responsive) ballgame chassis for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.07)

Magnavox Odyssey (Model ITL200) video game unit, 1972; with all accessories in the original carton (See Accession 2006.0102.08)

Milton-Bradley Company SIMON handheld microprocessor-control game, 1978 (See Accession 2006.0102.09)

Ideal Toy Company MANIAC microprocessor-control game, 1979, in original box with game instructions (See Accession 2006.0102.10)

Golf Game accessory, 1968; golf ball mounted on joystick handle for use with Brown Box (See Accession 2006.0102.11

"Brown Box" programming card, target shooting, 1967 (See Accession 2006.0102.12)

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Ralph H. Baer in 2003.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Copyright held by the Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Books  Search this

Firearms  Search this

Games  Search this

Litigation  Search this

Inventions -- 20th century  Search this

Machine guns  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Weapons  Search this

Video games  Search this

Toys -- 20th century  Search this

Television -- History  Search this

Rifles  Search this

Pistols  Search this

Military intelligence  Search this

Genre/Form:

Audiotapes

Audiocassettes

CD-ROMs

Diagrams

Drawings -- 1940-1950

Interviews -- 2000-2010

Videotapes

Correspondence -- 1950-2000

Sketches

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1940-1950

Photographs -- 20th century

Oral history -- 2000-2010

Notes

Manuals -- 1940-1950

Citation:

Ralph H. Baer Papers, 1943-2015, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0854

See more items in:

Ralph H. Baer Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep82f137fe4-60d3-4527-aa78-fed55d4b4fef

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0854

Collector:

Western Union Telegraph Company  Search this

Collection Creator:

United Telegraph Workers.  Search this

Western Union Telegraph Company  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (9.9" x 8.1")

Type:

Archival materials

Photographs

Date:

May 16, 1944

Scope and Contents:

"No objection to publication, Bureau of Public Relations, War Department, Washington" stamped on back of photo.

Arrangement:

Box 471, Folder 1.

Local Numbers:

AC0205-0000022.tif (AC Scan)

Restrictions:

Unrestricted research access by appointment. Photographs must be handled with cotton gloves unless protected by sleeves.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Typists  Search this

Women in war  Search this

Labor  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Telegraph, Wireless  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- 1940-1950 -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin

Collection Citation:

Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

See more items in:

Western Union Telegraph Company Records

Western Union Telegraph Company Records / Series 23: Photographs / 23.7: Equipment / World War II, 1944

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep81512aed1-d2cf-45c1-a551-012259fb8648

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0205-ref11309

Collector:

Western Union Telegraph Company  Search this

Collection Creator:

United Telegraph Workers.  Search this

Western Union Telegraph Company  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (8.1" x 10.0")

Type:

Archival materials

Photographs

Date:

Circa 1940

Arrangement:

Box 471, Folder 3.

Local Numbers:

AC0205-0000023.tif (AC Scan)

Restrictions:

Unrestricted research access by appointment. Photographs must be handled with cotton gloves unless protected by sleeves.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Labor  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Women employees  Search this

Typists  Search this

Telegraph, Wireless  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- 1940-1950 -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin

Collection Citation:

Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

See more items in:

Western Union Telegraph Company Records

Western Union Telegraph Company Records / Series 23: Photographs / 23.7: Equipment / World War II, 1945-46

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep80c3bce4a-b2e6-411a-bf7e-66eae34ef52c

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0205-ref11310

Collector:

Western Union Telegraph Company  Search this

Names:

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this

Collection Creator:

United Telegraph Workers.  Search this

Western Union Telegraph Company  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (4.6"x7.1".)

Type:

Archival materials

Photographs

Date:

Circa 1944

Arrangement:

In series 23?, box 756?, folder 1-2?

Local Numbers:

AC0205-0000086 (AC Scan)

Restrictions:

Unrestricted research access by appointment. Photographs must be handled with cotton gloves unless protected by sleeves.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Telegraph, Wireless  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- 1940-1950 -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin

Collection Citation:

Western Union Telegraph Company Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

See more items in:

Western Union Telegraph Company Records

Western Union Telegraph Company Records / Series 23: Photographs / 23.10: Cable Photographs (Facsimiles) / Cable Photographs-Negatives, February 1939-June 1939

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep86a546310-f165-45c6-b80e-536cfce47463

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0205-ref11378

Creator:

Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this

Names:

American Artists' Congress  Search this

Artists League of America  Search this

Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Citizens' Committee for Government Arts Projects  Search this

Farmers Union of the New York Milk Shed  Search this

Federal Art Project  Search this

Federal Writers' Project  Search this

International Workers Order  Search this

Macbeth Gallery  Search this

National Farmers' Union (U.S.)  Search this

National Maritime Union of America  Search this

United American Artists  Search this

United Office and Professional Workers of America  Search this

United Scenic Artists  Search this

Boyesen, Bayard  Search this

Chamberlain, J. E.  Search this

Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916  Search this

Cleland, T. M. (Thomas Maitland), 1880-1964  Search this

Daniel, Charles, 1878-1971  Search this

Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this

DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this

Fitzgerald, James, 1899-1971  Search this

Freuchen, Peter, 1886-1957  Search this

Gellert, Hugo, 1892-1985  Search this

Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this

Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this

Hays, Lee, 1914-1981  Search this

Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this

Jones, Dan Burne  Search this

Keller, Charles, 1914-2006  Search this

Miller, Kenneth Hayes, 1876-1952  Search this

Nearing, Helen  Search this

Nearing, Scott, 1883-1983  Search this

Pach, Walter, 1883-1958  Search this

Phillips, Duncan, 1886-1966  Search this

Rasmussen, Knud, 1879-1933  Search this

Reeves, Ruth, 1892-1966  Search this

Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976  Search this

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945  Search this

Ruggles, Carl, 1876-1971  Search this

Seeger, Pete, 1919-2014  Search this

Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, 1879-1962  Search this

Untermeyer, Louis, 1885-1977  Search this

Wildenstein, Felix, 1883-1952  Search this

Zigrosser, Carl, 1891-  Search this

Extent:

88 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Poems

Sketches

Business records

Photographs

Drawings

Date:

circa 1840-1993

bulk 1935-1961

Summary:

The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88.0 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.

Scope and Content Note:

The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.

Circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the papers are highlighted in an article by Garnett McCoy ("The Rockwell Kent Papers," in the Archives of American Art Journal, 12, no. 1 [January 1972]: 1-9), recommended reading for researchers interested in the collection. The collection is remarkably complete, for in the mid 1920s Kent began keeping carbon copies of all outgoing letters, eventually employing a secretary (who became his third wife and continued her office duties for the remainder of Kent's life).

Series 1: Alphabetical Files contain Kent's personal and professional correspondence, along with business records of the dairy farm and associated enterprises; also included are printed matter on a wide variety of topics and promotional literature relating to organizations and causes of interest to him. Voluminous correspondence with his three wives, five children, and other relatives, as well as with literally hundreds of friends, both lifelong and of brief duration, illuminates Kent's private life and contributes to understanding of his complex character. Among the many correspondents of note are: his art teachers William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri, and Kenneth Hayes Miller; fellow artists Tom Cleland, Arthur B. Davies, James Fitzgerald, Hugo Gellert, Harry Gottleib, Marsden Hartley, Charles Keller, and Ruth Reeves; collectors Duncan Phillips and Dan Burne Jones; critics J. E. Chamberlain and Walter Pach; and dealers Charles Daniel, Felix Wildenstein, and Macbeth Galleries. Kent corresponded with such diverse people as Arctic explorers Peter Freuchen, Knud Rasmussen, and Vilhjalmar Steffanson; composer Carl Ruggles and songwriters Lee Hays and Pete Seeger; civil rights pioneers Paul Robeson and Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois; writers Bayard Boyesen, Scott and Helen Nearing, and Louis Untermeyer; and art historian and print curator Carl Zigrosser.

Kent's interest and involvement in the labor movement are reflected in correspondence with officials and members of a wide variety and large number of unions and related organizations, among them: the Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union of America, Farmers' Union of the New York Milk Shed, International Workers Order, National Maritime Union, and United Office and Professional Workers of America. Of special interest is his participation, often in leadership roles, in various attempts to organize artists. Files on the American Artists' Congress, Artists League of America, The Artists Union, United American Artists, and United Scenic Artists contain particularly valuable material on the movement.

A supporter of New Deal efforts to aid artists, Kent was actively interested in the various programs and often was critical of their limitations; he advocated continuing federal aid to artists after the Depression abated. The Kent papers include correspondence with the Federal Arts Project, Federal Fine Arts Project, Federal Writers Project, and the War Department, as well as correspondence with the Citizens' Committee for Government Art Projects and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the subject.

Kent's professional correspondence documents exhibitions, sales, consignments, and reproduction of prints and paintings. He kept meticulous records of his advertising commissions and illustration work. Detailed correspondence with publishers and printers indicates Kent's involvement in the technical aspects of production and provides a good overview of the publishing industry during the mid-twentieth century.

Business records of Asgaard Farm include records of the dairy and transfer of ownership to its employees, tax and employee information, and documents concerning several related business ventures such as distributor ships for grain, feed, and farm implements.

Series 2: Writings consists of notes, drafts, and completed manuscripts by Rockwell Kent, mainly articles, statements, speeches, poems, introductions, and reviews. The Kent Collection given to Friendship House, Moscow, in 1960, was augmented later by a set of his publications and the illustrated manuscripts of many of his monographs. Also included are a small number of manuscripts by other authors.

Series 3: Artwork consists mainly of drawings and sketches by Kent; also included are works on paper by other artists, many of whom are unidentified, and by children.

Series 4: Printed Matter consists of clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, brochures, broadsides, programs, and newsletters. These include items by and about Kent and his family, as well as articles written and/or illustrated by him, and reviews of his books. There is also material on a variety of subjects and causes of interest to him. Additional printed matter is included among the alphabetical files, mainly as attachments to correspondence.

Series 5: Miscellaneous includes biographical material, legal documents, and memorabilia. Artifacts received with papers include textile samples, a silk scarf, dinnerware, ice bucket, and rubber stamp, all featuring designs by Rockwell Kent. Also with this series are a variety of documents including a phrenological analysis of an ancestor, lists of supplies for expeditions, a hand-drawn map of an unidentified place, and technical notes regarding art materials and techniques.

Series 6: Photographs includes photographs of Kent, his family and friends, travel, and art number that over one thousand. Also included here are several albums of family and travel photographs.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into six series. Series 1 is arranged alphabetically. The arrangement of the remaining series is explained in each series description. Note that sealed materials that became available in 2000 were microfilmed separately on reels 5740-5741, but have integrated into this finding aid.

Missing Title

Series 1: Alphabetical Files, circa 1900-1971, undated (Reels 5153-5249, 5256, 5740-5741)

Series 2: Writings, 1906-1978, undated (Reels 5249-5252, 5741)

Series 3: Art Work, 1910-1972, undated (Reels 5252, 5741)

Series 4: Printed Matter, 1905-1993, undated (Reels 5252-5254)

Series 5: Miscellaneous, 1859-1969, undated (Reels 5254, 5741)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1840-1970, undated (Reels 5254-5255, 5741)

Biographical Note:

Rockwell Kent (1882-1971), an energetic and multitalented man, pursued many interests and careers during his very long and active life. At various times he was an architect, draftsman, carpenter, unskilled laborer, painter, illustrator, printmaker, commercial artist, designer, traveler/explorer, writer, professional lecturer, dairy farmer, and political activist.

While studying architecture at Columbia University, Kent enrolled in William Merritt Chase's summer school at Shinnecock Hills, Long Island. He then redirected his career ambitions toward painting and continued to study with Chase in New York. Kent spent a summer working and living with Abbott H. Thayer in Dublin, New Hampshire, and attended the New York School of Art, where Robert Henri and Kenneth Hayes Miller were his teachers.

Critically and financially, Kent was a successful artist. He was very well known for his illustration work--particularly limited editions of the classics, bookplates, and Christmas cards. He was a prolific printmaker, and his prints and paintings were acquired by many major museums and private collectors. During the post-World War II era, Kent's political sympathies resulted in the loss of commissions, and his adherence to artistic conservatism and outspoken opposition to modern art led to disfavor within art circles. After many years of declining reputation in this country and unsuccessful attempts to find a home for the Kent Collection, Kent gave his unsold paintings--the majority of his oeuvre--to the Soviet Union, where he continued to be immensely popular.

An avid traveler, Kent was especially fascinated by remote, Arctic lands and often stayed for extended periods of time to paint, write, and become acquainted with the local inhabitants. Between 1918 and 1935, he wrote and illustrated several popular books about his experiences in Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, and Greenland. In the 1930s and 1940s, Kent was much in demand as a lecturer, making several nationwide tours under the management of a professional lecture bureau; he spoke mainly about his travels, but among his standard lectures were some on "art for the people."

In 1927, Kent purchased Asgaard Farm at AuSable Forks, New York, in the Adirondacks, where he lived for the remainder of his life, operating a modern dairy farm on a modest scale for many years.

As a young man, Kent met Rufus Weeks, became committed to social justice, and joined the Socialist Party. Throughout his life, he supported left-wing causes and was a member or officer of many organizations promoting world peace and harmonious relations with the Soviet Union, civil rights, civil liberties, antifascism, and organized labor. Kent was frequently featured as a celebrity sponsor or speaker at fund-raising events for these causes. In 1948, he ran unsuccessfully as the American Labor Party's candidate for Congress. Kent's unpopular political views eventually led to the dissolution of his dairy business, resulted in a summons to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and prompted the U.S. State Department to deny him a passport, an action that subsequently was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Kent wrote two autobiographies, This Is My Own (1940) and It's Me, O Lord (1955). In 1969, he was the subject of an oral history interview conducted by Paul Cummings for the Archives of American Art.

Provenance:

In 1969, Rockwell Kent donated his papers to the Archives of American Art; textile samples were received in 1979, and his widow gave additional papers in 1971 and 1996. Letters to Rockwell Kent from wives Frances and Sally, sealed during Sally Kent Gorton's lifetime, became available for research after her death in 2000, and further material was donated to the Archives of American Art in 2001 by the Estate of Sally Kent [Shirley Johnstone] Gorton.

Restrictions:

The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not microfilmed or digitized requires an appointment.

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 York (State)  Search this

Topic:

Designers -- New York (State)  Search this

Mural painting and decoration  Search this

Politics and culture  Search this

Authors -- New York  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects  Search this

Dairy farms  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Illustrators -- New York (State)  Search this

Illustration of books  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Art and war  Search this

Commercial art  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this

Function:

Labor unions

Genre/Form:

Poems

Sketches

Business records

Photographs

Drawings

Citation:

Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.kentrock

See more items in:

Rockwell Kent papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97edd9940-eb61-4562-9583-def2da778b6a

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kentrock

Creator:

Meiere, M. Hildreth, d. 1961-  Search this

Subject:

Abbott, Berenice  Search this

Dunn, Louise Meière  Search this

United States. Navy  Search this

Exposition internationale (1937 : Paris, France)  Search this

Peter A. Juley & Son  Search this

New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Type:

Transcripts

Video recordings

Photographs

Diaries

Sketchbooks

Place:

Spain -- History -- Civil War, 1936-1939

Citation:

Hildreth Meière papers, 1901-2011, bulk 1911-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

War relief  Search this

Travel  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Motion pictures (visual works)  Search this

World War, 1914-1918  Search this

Women muralists  Search this

Theme:

Women  Search this

Latino and Latin American  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)5982

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)228718

AAA_collcode_meiemari

Theme:

Women

Latino and Latin American

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_228718

Creator:

Meiere, M. Hildreth, d. 1961  Search this

Names:

Exposition internationale (1937 : Paris, France)  Search this

New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Peter A. Juley & Son  Search this

United States. Navy  Search this

Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this

Dunn, Louise Meière  Search this

Extent:

27.3 Linear feet

1.4 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Transcripts

Video recordings

Photographs

Diaries

Sketchbooks

Place:

Spain -- History -- Civil War, 1936-1939

Date:

1901-2011

bulk 1911-1960

Summary:

The papers of Hildreth Meière measure 27.3 linear feet and 1.40 GB and date from 1901 to 2011, with the bulk of material dating from 1911 to 1960. The collection documents Meière's life and travels, and her long and prolific career as an architectural muralist through biographical material, correspondence, writings, thirteen diaries, files regarding her war relief work during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, printed and digital materials, extensive photographs and slides, eight sketchbooks, and two videocassettes and 93 reels of motion picture film documenting her travels, her volunteer efforts in Spain following the civil war, artwork, and home movies.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of Hildreth Meière measure 27.3 linear feet and 1.40 GB and date from 1901 to 2011, with the bulk of material dating from 1911 to 1960. The collection documents Meière's life and travels, and her long and prolific career as an architectural muralist through biographical material, correspondence, writings, thirteen diaries, files regarding her war relief work during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, printed and digital materials, extensive photographs and slides, eight sketchbooks, and two videocassettes and 93 reels of motion picture film documenting her travels, her volunteer efforts in Spain following the civil war, artwork, and home movies.

Biographical material includes an autobiographical narrative written by Meière, her many awards and certificates, membership information, passports, her U.S. Navy service records from World War I, documentation of her brief marriage and family genealogy, obituaries, and memorial service documentation. Also found are extensive writings and research conducted by Meière's daughter, Louise Meière Dunn, which include a complete list of Meière's commissions, detailed biographical narratives, and records of Meière's works held elsewhere.

The papers contain Meière's personal and family correspondence, travel correspondence, and business correspondence regarding professional activities. Much of the correspondence with family and friends was written during Meière's extensive travels over the world. Both family and travel correspondence have extensive indexes, summaries, and in some cases, transcripts prepared by Meière's daughter, Louise Meière Dunn. Some of the indexes, summaries and transcripts are digital. Writings include poetry and diaries kept during childhood and school years, travel diaries, essays and talks written about Meière's work, writings Meière prepared for committees of the National Mural Painters Association, and detailed travelogues of her trips to Constantinople and the Balkans in 1933, to Russia in 1936, her "Grand Tour" to Australia, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, and Europe in 1952-1953, and her "Holy Land" tour of the Middle East in 1954.

Civilian War Service Records document Meière's efforts at war relief organization during and after the Spanish Civil War and during World War II. The Spanish Civil War files include extensive photographs provided by the Spanish government as well as three motion picture films documenting refugees and damaged architecture and public artwork shot by Meière during a trip sponsored by Franco's government. World War II activities concern Meière's efforts to organize artists in the United States to design and execute murals and other works of public art at military facilities around the U.S.

Travel records include maps, ephemera, slides, and 83 motion picture films taken on trips abroad between 1933 and 1958. Trips include Eastern and Western Europe, the Mediterranean Region and the Middle East, South America, Mexico and Guatemala, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and the UK. The motion picture films are mostly shot in Kodachrome color and many contain intertitles prepared by Meière to identify locations for travel lectures.

Printed materials consist primarily of clippings and publications that reference Meière's work, contain profiles of her, or contain published writings by her. A single published educational film is also found, given to her by an Australian filmmaker friend. Additional photographs, digital photographs and moving images include personal photographs of Meière, with portraits by Peter A. Juley and Sons and Berenice Abbott, photographs of many of her commissioned works, and a few photographs of artwork by others. Home movies show Meière with friends in 1926 and 1940. Among the photographic documentation of artworks by Meière and others are motion picture films of the 1939 New York World's Fair, the D.C. Municipal Building Frieze, and the 1937 Paris Fair; also found are 311 lantern slides and 201 glass copy negatives of her own completed works as well as murals she documented while traveling, notably murals in Norway and Oberammergau, Bavaria, taken in the 1930s.

Eight sketchbooks date to her early years as an art student and artist and include many figure studies, landscapes, and theatrical sketches made at home and abroad.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in 8 series. Indexes, summaries, and transcripts prepared by Louise Meière Dunn that relate directly to archival materials in the collection are found throughout the collection with the material they describe. These indices are particularly rich in Series 2, Correspondence.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1915-2003 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1, 14, OV18)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1901-2011 (3 linear feet; Boxes 1-4, RD19, 0.038 GB; ER01-ER03)

Series 3: Writings, 1904-1960 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)

Series 4: Civilian War Service Records, 1938-2006 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 5-6, 15, FC 28-30, 1.33 GB; ER05)

Series 5: Travel Records, 1933-1958 (12.8 linear feet; Boxes 6-10, 15, OV18, FC 31-111)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1913-1998 (2.1 linear feet; Boxes 10-12, 15, FC 112)

Series 7: Photographs and Moving Images, 1915-1966 (5.8 linear feet; Boxes 12-13, 16, 20-27, FC 17, 113-127, 0.029 GB; ER04)

Series 8: Sketchbooks, 1911-1922 (0.4 linear feet; Box 13)

Biographical / Historical:

Hildreth Meière (1892-1961) was born in Flushing, New York, and had a prolific career from 1921-1961 as an architectural muralist working primarily in an Art Deco style. Meière painted murals and designed for various mediums including mosaic, metal, and stained glass. In 1956 the American Institute of Architects awarded Meière their Fine Arts Medal.

Meière was educated at New York's Convent of the Sacred Heart, Manhattanville, the Art Students League in New York, the California School of Fine Arts (now San Francisco Art Institute), and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in addition to pursuing studies in Italy. Her major commissions include the Nebraska State Capitol at Lincoln, the National Academy of Sciences, the Resurrection Chapel of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. In New York, she designed the Art Deco plaques on the exterior wall of Radio City Music Hall; created mosaic interiors for the Irving Trust Building at 1 Wall Street; and provided ecclesiastical decorations for St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, Temple Emanu-El, and elsewhere. She also created murals for the Chicago 1933 Century of Progress Fair, and the 1939 New York World's Fair.

She was also an active officer in the Art Students League and the National Society of Mural Painters. Some of her most inspired collaborations were with the architect Bertram Goodhue in the 1920s, and only his sudden death in 1924 put an end to them, although some projects were finished with the successor firm.

Meière died in 1961 at the age of 68. Her work is remembered in several major publications, including The Art Deco Murals of Hildreth Meière by Catherine Coleman Brawer and Kathleen Murphy Skolnik, with photographs by Meière's granddaughter, Hildreth Meière Dunn, published in 2014; and the catalog of the 2009 exhibition at St. Bonaventure University, curated by Brawer and photographed by Dunn, entitled Walls Speak: the Narrative Art of Hildreth Meière.

Provenance:

A majority of the collection placed on deposit 2001 by Louise Meière Dunn, daughter of Hildreth Meière. The collection was donated incrementally by Dunn through 2012. Donations occurred 2001-2007, and again in 2010-2012.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires and 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.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Mosaicists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

War relief  Search this

Travel  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Motion pictures (visual works)  Search this

World War, 1914-1918  Search this

Women muralists  Search this

Function:

Art commissions

Genre/Form:

Transcripts

Video recordings

Photographs

Diaries

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Hildreth Meière papers, 1901-2011, bulk 1911-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of 84 reels of motion picture film in the collection was provided by The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University through a generous grant from the Ruth Dayton Foundation. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.meiemari

See more items in:

Hildreth Meière papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91dab1643-4ed7-41c1-bd7a-196576d7d777

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-meiemari

Creator:

Warshaw, Isadore, 1900-1969  Search this

Extent:

10.22 Cubic feet (consisting of 20 boxes, 2 folders, 9 oversize folders, 3 map case folders, 3 flat boxes (2 full, 1 partial.))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Menus

Bills

Ships' passenger lists

Patents

Legislative documents

Photographs

Advertisements

Advertising mail

Advertising

Illustrations

Contracts

Trademarks

Inspections

Programs

Advertising cards

Advertising fliers

Print advertising

Legal documents

Travelogs

Souvenir programs

Business cards

Concert programs

Publications

Commercial correspondence

Correspondence

Receipts

Theater programs

Business records

Legal records

Business ephemera

Invoices

Bills of sale

Ships' logs

Technical reports

Reports

Letterheads

Ephemera

Design patents

Travel brochures

Legislation (legal concepts)

Business letters

Timetables

Travel diaries

Printed ephemera

Place:

New York (N.Y.) -- Transportation

Hudson River

Date:

1777-1965

Summary:

A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Accounting and Bookkeeping forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana

Scope and Contents:

Minimally covers the terminus of the wind-powered (sail) era and more fully documents the peak of the engine (steam) era of commercial cargo and passenger vesselsk, including freight and dockage services, maintenance and provisioning, ferry service, navigation (tug and tow) assistance, plus leisure cruising and touring. There is not a significant amount of material on battle or war ships. Includes both short distance routes such as lakes, rivers, and islets, and longer trans-oceanic crossings.

Documents within the collection consist of handbills, broadsides, leaflets, books, business cards, advertisements, insurance forms, wreck reports, passenger lists, baggage tags, freight manifests, rate cards, correspondence on letterhead stationery, booklets, newspaper clippings, postcards, menus, periodicals, manuals, photographs, engravings, woodcuts, sketches, bills of lading, receipts, catalogues, ledgers, journals, purchase orders, broadsides, brochures, custom forms, schedules, shipping and receiving documents, early steam guides, timetables, lithographs, announcements, etc. There are no navigational nautical maps. There is very little in the way of international import/export records. However, domestic and North American freight services are well-covered through invoices, bills of lading, manifests, and receipts for goods and services.

Some materials cover the history and development of steamships, particularly in the latter half of the nineteenth century with the iron screw replacing the wooden paddle steamer in the 1850s. The late 1860s brought the compound engine, which led to the steamship, previously used for the conveyance of mails and passengers, to compete with the sailing vessel in the carriage of cargo for long voyages. The 1870s brought improvements in accommodation for the passenger, with the midship saloon, conveniences in state-rooms, and covered access to smoke rooms and ladies cabins.

Ownership of specific lines and vessels was very fluid throughout shipping history, including the renaming of vessels. Mergers, dissolution, and absorption of fleets were frequent. Thus, researchers should independently seek out a more detailed history for any entity of particular interest.

The general maritime business series focuses on good and services related to maritime operations such as repair, shipbuilding, parts, ticket agents, chandlers, groceries, coal supply, dockage, wharfs/marinas, etc.

Operation records of named vessels contains primarily bills of lading and similar receipts for the movement of material goods or in-water services such as tow and tug assistance.

The largest series covering shipping lines and conglomerates offers a wide assortment of miscellaneous, nonexhaustive operation records for cargo and passenger lines and corporations, typically those with multiple holdings. These documents may include receipts, bills of lading, correspondence, and financial ledgers, plus promotional material for services and routes offered. Passenger sailings and luxury cruise documentation may contain menus, passenger lists, itineraries, shore excursion information, souveniers such as luggage tags, ticket stubs, and postcards. See also the subject category Menus, for additional examples of passenger and cruise ship menus.

When not associated with any of the above, general examples of materials related to the industry have been by arranged by their material type such as images, reports, and serial publications. More formal documentation, especially legal and reports, can be found here.

Narrative type materials related to lore, history, and building and design specifications have been sorted by subject. A scarce amount of material covers ships used for military service. Likewise, there are a few examples of maritime related material from the art world, mostly in the form of catalogues for exhibits or auction of paintings and scale models.

A note on vessel names: those used as contract carriers of mail and when in service, were entitled to unique prefix designations such as Royal Mail Ship (RMS.), otherwise, the ship name may be preceded by the more generic S.S. for single-screw steamer or steamship, SV for sailing vessel, PS for paddle steamer, RV for research vessel or similar type prefix. USS is the standard for the United States Navy commissioned ships while in commission, with HMS used for His/Her Majesty's Ship of the British Royal Navy.

Some of the major lines/companies represented in the collection include: American Line, American Steamship Company, Anchor Line, Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, Cunard-Anchor Line, Cunard Line, Cunard Steam Ship Company, Limited, Cunard White Star Line, Eastern Steamship Lines, Furness, Withy & Company, Hamburg American Line (HAPAG) / Hamburg Amerika Linie, Holland America Line (N.A.S.M. / HAL), Inman Line, International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM), International Navigation Company, North German Lloyd (Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen), Panama Pacific Line, Peninsular and Oriental, Red Star Line, Royal Mail Steam Packet, U.S. Mail Steamship Company, United States Lines, White Star Line.

Arrangement:

Ships, Boats, and Vessels is arranged in three subseries.

Business Records and Marketing Material

General Maritime Businesses



Operation Records of Named Vessels



Shipping Lines/Conglomerates

Miscellaneous Business Records and Marketing Material

Genre

Keepsakes

Images

Ledger

Legal

News Clippings

Regulatory

Reports

Serial Publications

Stamps/Cigarette Cards

Associations and Societies

Images, Artwork, Racing, Technical Literature

Subject

Battleships, Warships

Destination Guides

Employment and Licensing

Insurance

Maritime History

Maritime Models and Art

Revue Generale Des Sciences

Warshaw Administrative Records

Related Materials:

Several other Warshaw Subject Categories may have closely related material such as Submarines and Transportation. For casual and recreational boating see Boats and Boating Equipment and Yachts. Other subject categories that may have related materials include: Canals, Dredging, Engines, Menus, Railroads (point of common transportation transfer), and Tours. .

Forms Part Of:

Forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.

Missing Title

Series 1: Business Ephemera

Series 2: Other Collection Divisions

Series 3: Isadore Warshaw Personal Papers

Series 4: Photographic Reference Material

Provenance:

Steamboats [Ships, Boats, and Vessels] is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Passenger ships  Search this

Marine machinery  Search this

Ships  Search this

Shipbuilding industry  Search this

Ferries  Search this

Transportation -- Japan  Search this

River boats  Search this

Marine engines  Search this

Boats  Search this

Transportation -- Far Eastern  Search this

Ships -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Merchant Marine -- Manning of vessels -- United States  Search this

Docks  Search this

Health  Search this

Ocean liners  Search this

Merchant Marine -- United States  Search this

Ships -- Far Eastern  Search this

Rivers  Search this

Transportation -- river boat  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Merchant Marine  Search this

Harbors  Search this

Trade associations  Search this

Transportation -- 1900-1910  Search this

Boats and boating  Search this

Water transport -- 18th century  Search this

Boats -- Southeast Asia  Search this

Cargo  Search this

Local transit -- New York (N.Y.)  Search this

Sailboats  Search this

Waterways  Search this

Sailing  Search this

Transportation -- New York (N.Y.)  Search this

Local transit  Search this

Scientific expeditions  Search this

Water transfer  Search this

Transportation -- History  Search this

Wharves  Search this

Steamboats  Search this

Boats -- New York (N.Y.)  Search this

Transportation  Search this

Public health  Search this

Marine engineers  Search this

Ocean travel  Search this

Seamen -- 1910-1920  Search this

Musical performances  Search this

Transportation -- Law and legislation -- United States  Search this

Merchant seamen  Search this

Marine engineering  Search this

Models and modelmaking  Search this

Navigation  Search this

Seamen -- 1940-1950  Search this

Travel  Search this

Importers  Search this

Shipping  Search this

Cruise ships  Search this

Ships -- New York (N.Y.)  Search this

Flags  Search this

Exports -- 19th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Menus -- Ships -- 1940-1950

Menus

Bills

Ships' passenger lists

Patents

Legislative documents

Photographs

Advertisements

Advertising mail

Advertising

Illustrations

Contracts

Trademarks

Inspections

Programs

Advertising cards

Advertising fliers

Print advertising

Legal documents

Travelogs

Souvenir programs

Business cards

Concert programs

Publications

Commercial correspondence

Correspondence

Receipts

Theater programs

Publications -- Business

Business records

Legal records

Business ephemera

Invoices

Bills of sale

Ships' logs

Technical reports

Reports

Letterheads

Ephemera

Design patents

Travel brochures

Legislation (legal concepts)

Business letters

Timetables

Travel diaries

Printed ephemera

Citation:

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Ships, Boats, and Vessels, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, 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).

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Steamboats

See more items in:

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Steamboats [Ships, Boats, and Vessels]

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8cc542278-2f59-4b3b-9008-a8b7679a46b5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-steamboats

Creator:

Rosenau, Fred Simon  Search this

Former owner:

National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Armed Forces  Search this

Names:

United States. Office of War Information  Search this

Extent:

1 Cubic foot (3 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Leaflets

Correspondence

Newspapers

Booklets

Maps

Matchcovers

Newsletters

Clippings

Menus

Place:

Calcutta (India) -- 1940-1950

India -- 1940-1950

Thailand -- 1940-1950

Burma -- 1940-1950

China -- 1940-1950

India -- Description and Travel -- 1901-1946

Date:

1944-1945

Scope and Contents:

This collection contains both the personal papers of Fred Rosenau and examples of air-dropped psychological warfare literature created by the O.W.I. Amongst his personal papers, which constitute the first series, there are information guidebooks and language aids for India and Burma, a large number of Indian newspaper articles, and photographs taken by Rosenau in Calcutta. However, letters to his family in New York City compose the bulk of the personal series. Along with detailing the experience of a young American living in India and his reactions to a distinctly different culture, the letters document the organization of his O.W.I. office and the duties of its workers. In one particular letter, dated January 7, 1945, (which was hand-delivered to his family and thus avoided censorship) Rosenau was able to write freely about his work, colleagues, and responsibilities in Calcutta. In addition, there are letters from the O.W.I. headquarters in New Delhi to Rosenau, including one in which the proposed post-war job was offered.

The second series contains general information about the O.W.I. and its aims. It mainly consists of documents and photographs relating to Rosenau's office. The series includes many examples of propaganda leaflets directed towards the Burmese and Thai peoples (with attached translations) which were produced by the Calcutta team. The representative works include news bulletins on the war's progress, warnings about future Allied bombings, and a variety of anti-Japanese and morale-boosting literature. It also includes examples of leaflets dropped over Japan, which were directed at soldiers rather than civilians in an attempt to undermine their faith in the military leaders.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into two series.

Series 1: Personal Experience of Fred S. Rosenau

Series 2: Psychological Warfare

Biographical / Historical:

Fred Simon Rosenau was a student at Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania, when he joined the Overseas Branch of the Office of War Information (O.W.I.) in May 1944. After completing training at an unidentified military base camp, Rosenau traveled to Calcutta, India, where he served as Assistant Representative under the directorship of Mr. Teg Grondahl. The Calcutta office was part of the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater and as such its psychological warfare activities were directed towards Burma and Thailand. Initially Rosenau was responsible for leaflet production, including supervising their printing and delivery to air crews, as well as serving as an assistant to Grondahl. By the spring of 1945, however, Rosenau's role had been expanded and he was given new charges in the intelligence field, becoming more directly involved in the development and editing of "strategic" literature.

While in Calcutta, Rosenau lived in a series of different boarding houses. When he was not working (by the summer of 1945, his work load had been substantially reduced), he devoted his spare time to writing letters home, sightseeing around the city and neighboring areas of Bengal, and attending local cultural events. However, the heat and lack of proper sanitary conditions continued to frustrate Rosenau as he attempted to adjust to an Asian lifestyle.

Once the Japanese had surrendered in September 1945 and World War II had officially ended, Rosenau was offered a position by the Director of Psychological Warfare in India--William Carter--to join a new O.W.I news operation in Bangkok, Thailand. Its intent, as explained to Rosenau, was to fulfill the "need for American news" in Asia. Rosenau declined the offer since he was dissatisfied with the proposed salary and wanted to complete his college education. He left for the United States on the S.S. Muir in late September. Later, he attended the University of Chicago and received his bachelor of arts degree in 1947. His subsequent career is unknown. Rosenau died in 1985.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana (AC060) contains some three hundred posters from World War I and II.

Princeton University Poster Collection (AC0433) has over 10,600 World War I and II posters.

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the Armed Forces History Division of the NMAH in January 1986, by Lucy W. Rosenau, daughter of Fred Rosenau. It was transferred to the Archives Center in January 1993.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

"Yank"  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Propaganda  Search this

Chinese language -- 1940-1950  Search this

Japanese language -- 1940-1950  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives  Search this

Burmese language -- 1940-1950  Search this

Propaganda, Anti-Japanese -- 1940-1950  Search this

Psychological warfare -- 1940-1950  Search this

Leaflets dropped from aircraft -- 1940-1950  Search this

Propaganda, American -- 1940-1950  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Burma  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- China  Search this

Thai language -- 1940-1950  Search this

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Pamphlets  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- India  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1940-1950

Leaflets -- 1940-1950

Correspondence -- 1940-1950

Newspapers -- 1940-1950

Booklets -- 1940-1950

Maps -- 1940-1950

Matchcovers -- 1940-1950

Newsletters -- 1940-1950

Clippings -- 1940-1950

Menus -- 1940-1950

Citation:

Fred S. Rosenau Papers, 1944-1945, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0478

See more items in:

Fred S. Rosenau Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8010dda24-ad1c-4b5b-b333-bb17ad2190ea

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0478

Creator:

Aikins, Russell Chorley, 1896-  Search this

U.S. Steel Corporation  Search this

Extent:

3 Cubic feet (8 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photograph albums

Photographs

Date:

circa 1940s

Scope and Contents:

The collection comprises of 21 albums depicting the steel making and finishing operations of the United States Steel Corporation. All of the images were made by Russell Aikins around 1940. The albums contain photographic prints (8" x 9-1/2"). The majority of prints are mounted on spiral-bound pages. The photographs were created for public relations purposes and provide visual documentation of American steel making technology, production practice, and worker manager relationships. Subject matter varies widely, depicting the process of manufacturing steel or steel-related products. The photographs have a strong human and dramatic emphasis. The strongest theme is industrial mobilization for the war effort. Many photographs document female wartime work in industry, and African American workers are also represented. The theme of worker safety is well documented with images depicting safety glasses and protective garments. Printed captions below each photograph usually identify workers by name and occupation.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into one series, chronologically by album number.

Biographical:

Russell Chorley Aikins was born in Philadelphia on December 7, 1896. He began his photographic career at the Philadelphia Inquirer as a news photographer in 1917. Two years later, Aikins joined the New York Times Sunday Rotogravure Section and the World Wide Syndicate as a staff photographer. In the early 1920s, Aikins organized and ran the New York Times Washington picture bureau. Aikins served briefly, in 1929, as an editor for the newly developing Associated Press (AP) photo service. Following the growing trend in the photo news industry Aikins left the AP and became a freelance photographer. He opened his studio in New York City and did work for Fortune, Time, Life, and Colliers.

Aikins career shifted in 1937 when he decided to "devote all my time to the portrayal of business and industry." Aikins noted the need for big business to be represented and saw his images as tools for business self-promotion: "It had been a growing conviction with me that industry in addition to its product advertising should promote its fitness to serve the public and its ability to make quality goods." He started to recruit companies to combat the stereotypical cold, unfeeling edge of big business. Aikins called this new style of photography "camera-reporting," which he thought could transport stockholders, customers, and the public into the mills, giving the viewer greater confidence in the corporation and its products. A few companies Aikins represented included Chrysler Corporation, General Electric Company, Johnson & Johnson, and the United States Steel Corporation. After World War Two the demand for the technique Aikins helped to pioneer began to diminish as public and labor attitudes changed. After 1948, there is no record of Aikins' activities.

Source

Division of Work and Industry staff.

Historical:

The United States Steel Corporation was created in 1901 by the purchase and consolidation of several companies by financier J.P. Morgan. At the time of formation, it was the largest company in the world. U.S. Steel represented Morgan's attempt to bring stability to the volatile steel market. Morgan purchased Andrew Carnegie's highly aggressive Carnegie Steel and brought it together with Federal Steel, National Tube, American Steel and Wire, American Sheet Steel, American Hoop Steel, American Tin Plate, American Bridge, and the Lake Superior Consolidated Iron Mines. Other companies were added later.

Capitalized at $1.4 billion, U.S. Steel was in 1901 the largest company in the world. It controlled over 50% of American Steel production but was in many ways hamstrung by its size. While the operation of Carnegie Steel was characterized by technological efficiency, US Steel avoided innovation. Some in the company referred to the Corporation's policy as "no inventions, no innovation." The company was thought by many to be driven by a banker's vision of protecting investment, not an industrialist's vision of increasing production. Always sensitive about public antitrust action, Elbert Gary, the leader of the company, sought to cast U.S. Steel as a "good trust." In 1936, the CIO formed the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC), and began a massive union drive. Although strongly antiunion, U.S. Steel, under Myron Taylor was the first major steel company to recognize the steelworkers union in 1937.

An industry once characterized by low wages and harsh conditions emerged by the late 1940s as one of the highest-paying blue collar employers, forced to negotiate with one of the nation's most powerful unions. Following recognition of the union U.S. Steel followed a corporate strategy of paying for wage settlements by increasing steel prices. This often put the giant company at odds with governmental economic policy.

Source

Division of Work and Industry staff.

Related Materials:

Materials at Other Organizations

Baker Library Historical Collections, Harvard Business School

1934 Art and Industry Exhibition photograph collection

The 1934 Art and Industry Exhibition photograph collection contains photographs that were on display in New York City and Chicago in an exhibition sponsored by the National Alliance of Art and Industry.

United States Steel Corporation photographs, circa 1940-1960

A large collection of black and white gelatin silver prints depicting the United States Steel Corporation's steel plants, works, personnel, machinery, mining operations, buildings, warehouses and production of the numerous products manufactured by the company, circa 1940-1960.

Industrial Life Photograph Collection, 1920-1941

Photographs collected by the Business Historical Society to document major industries in the United States and industrial processes.

Lowell National Historical Park

Youngstown Center for Industry and Labor

Provenance:

Immediate source of acquisition is unknown.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- War work  Search this

Safety  Search this

Steel industry and trade  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photograph albums -- 1940-1950

Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1940-1950

Citation:

U.S. Steel Corporation Photograph Albums, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1037

See more items in:

U.S. Steel Corporation Photograph Albums

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep81369cfb1-58df-460e-b110-0f343282328a

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1037

Creator:

Park-Brannock.  Search this

Park, Ernest N.  Search this

Brannock, Otis C.  Search this

Brannock, Charles F., 1903-1992  Search this

Brannock Device Company.  Search this

Names:

Selby Shoe Company  Search this

United States. Armed Forces -- Supplies and stores  Search this

United States. Army -- Supplies and stores  Search this

Extent:

12 Cubic feet (34 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Patents

Trademarks

Slides (photographs)

Advertisements

Sales records

Photographs

Photographic prints

Filmstrips

Design drawings

Date:

1925 - 1998

Summary:

The Brannock Device Company began with the 1925 invention of the Brannock Device, a tool to measure foot length and width at the same time, by inventor and businessman Charles F. Brannock. Early in his career Brannock worked as a shoe salesman at the Park-Brannock shoe store, and in 1962 he became the CEO of the company. This collection documents both the Park-Brannock store and the Brannock Device. Materials in The Brannock Device Company Records, 1925-1998, include of correspondence, design drawings, United States and foreign patents and trademarks, advertisements, product information, sales records, photographs, and a film strip documenting the invention, promotion, and sale of the Brannock Device as well as the concurrent development of Park-Brannock as a leading shoe store in Syracuse, N.Y.

Scope and Contents:

The Brannock Device Company Records, 1925-1998, consist of correspondence, design drawings, United States and foreign patents and trademarks, advertisements, product information, sales records, photographs, and a film strip documenting the invention, promotion, and sale of the Brannock Device as well as the concurrent development of Park-Brannock as a leading shoe store in Syracuse, NY. The collection is useful to researchers for its stories of invention and entrepreneurship and its exemplification of the patent and trademark process in the United States and internationally in the early 20th century. The process of manufacturing and marketing in the shoe industry, and manufacturing of military supplies during World War II is also highlighted.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into two subgroups.

Subgroup 1, The Brannock Device Company, 1925-1998

Series 1: Historical Background, 1928-1995

Series 2: Operational Records, 1926-1980

Subseries 1: Book for Recording Devices on Hand, 1927-1929

Subseries 2: Correspondence, 1926-1951

Subseries 3: Census, 1947-1980

Subseries 4: Insurance Inventory, 1956

Subseries 5: Royalties Accrued, 1946-1951

Subseries 6: Time Records, 1952-1958

Subseries 7: Notes, undated

Series 3: Product Development Records, 1925-1981

Subseries 1: Competitors' Devices and Other Products, c. 1928-1981

Subseries 2: Fitting Stool, 1936-1947

Subseries 3: Design, 1925-1975

Subseries 4: Manufacture, 1927-1959

Series 4: Advertising and Marketing Records, 1926-1998

Subseries 1: Correspondence, 1926-1998

Subseries 2: Mailing Lists, 1947-1950

Subseries 3: Ideas and Copy, undated

Subseries 4: Printed Materials with the Brannock Device Name (stationery, business cards, leases), undated

Subseries 5: Advertisements and Product Information, 1934-1980

Subseries 6: Measuring Device Instructions, undated

Subseries 7: Advertising and Merchandising Plans, 1938-1956

Series 5: Sales and Distribution Records, 1925-1986

Subseries 1: United States--Private Sector, 1925-1973

Subseries 2: United States--Military, 1928-1972

Subseries 3: Foreign, 1937-1986

Series 6: Photographs, c. 1930-1997

Subseries 1: Personal, undated

Subseries 2: Foot-Measuring Devices, undated

Subseries 3: Military, undated

Subseries 4: Employees and Factory, undated

Subseries 5: Negatives of Brannock Device, 1933-1958

Subgroup 2, Park-Brannock Shoe Store Records, 1916-1918, 1927-1981

Series 1: Historical Background, 1936-1981

Series 2: Operational Records, 1936-1972

Subseries 1: Financial Materials, 1936-1972

Subseries 2: Financial Materials, 1937-1961

Subseries 3: Business Course Tailored to Park-Brannock, undated

Subseries 4: Business Course Tailored to Park-Brannock, 1935-1961

Subseries 5: New York City Business Trips, 1945-1952

Subseries 6: Miscellaneous Notes, undated

Series 3: Advertising and Marketing Records, 1933-1962

Series 4: Sales Records, 1916-1977

Subseries 1: Customer Correspondence, 1928-1977

Subseries 2: Supplier Correspondence, 1927-1944

Subseries 3: Florsheim Sales Instruction Manual, undated

Subseries 4: Inventories, 1961

Subseries 5: Promotions, undated

Subseries 6: Receipts, 1916-1918

Subseries 7: Sales Floor Management, undated

Series 5: Photographs, 1932-1967

Biographical / Historical:

The Brannock Device Company began with the 1925 invention of the Brannock Device by Charles F. Brannock. Charles Brannock was working as a salesman in the Park-Brannock shoe store, co-owned by his father Otis C. Brannock and Ernest N. Park, in Syracuse, New York when he saw the need for an improved foot-measuring device. The Brannock Device soon gained favor over size-sticks because it measured foot length and width at the same time. Additionally, it measured heel-to-ball length, a feature which aided in fitting heeled shoes.

Charles F. Brannock (1903-1992) was an inventor and businessman. He began tinkering with the idea of a new foot-measuring device while attending Syracuse University, where he would get up in the middle of the night and work on sketches and calculations. Brannock obtained a patent for the device on August 28, 1928, but by then manufacture and sale of the device was already underway. Brannock assembled the device in the Park-Brannock shoe store and gave the device a trial on the sales floor. In 1926, Charles Brannock began offering the device to shoe retailers first on a rental basis and then by sale through the use of salesmen who lived throughout the country and each covered a geographic area. By 1929, the company began to phase out salesmen because it offered quantity discounts to shoe companies which distributed the devices to their stores at a lower price than salesmen could offer.

Brannock sold his device internationally beginning in 1929 through Mr. I. Singer of London, England. In 1936 distribution rights transferred to Henry Maitland Marler of Feature Shoes Limited of London, an affiliate of the Selby Shoe Company. Renewing and protecting foreign trademarks proved to be a legal challenge. Due to some confusion, Brannock's British patent was allowed to lapse. In order to prevent other companies from using the Brannock name in England, H.M. Marler set up Brannock Fitting Device Limited in October 1937. The company began manufacturing Brannock Devices in January 1946, but royalties accrued through European sale by 1951 did not even cover a third of the cost of trademarks, patents, and designs.

Fortunately for the Brannock Device Company, these costs were absorbed by the Selby Shoe Company, with whom it had entered into agreements about foreign distribution in November 1941. Selby had exclusive rights to distribute the Brannock Device in South America, South Africa, and other countries, and assisted Brannock in securing trademarks in many foreign countries.

In 1933 a United States Navy captain asked a shoe salesman to find the source of many sailors' foot problems. The salesman, after measuring sailors' feet with the Brannock device, declared that the Navy shoe was not the cause of the problem; the sailors were simply wearing the wrong size shoes. The captain was so happy that he would not have to order special shoes for his men that he wrote an article in the July 1933 issue of United States Naval Institute Proceedings which described how the Brannock Device had eliminated foot troubles aboard the ship. This gave Brannock an opportunity to promote his device in the Navy by sending the article to other ships. He calibrated his device for use in other branches of the military and by World War II the Brannock Device was being used by most of the armed forces. Several articles were written about the greater foot comfort enjoyed by the military after the introduction of the device. Charles Brannock was proud of his small but widespread role in the war effort and in the comfort of America's enlisted men and women.

Through the years Charles Brannock developed many different models of his device, including the women's, men's, junior, growing girl's, athletic, ski-boot, and military models. In 1947, Brannock moved the device company to a machine shop at 509 East Fayette Street in Syracuse, where it remained for 50 years.

Brannock advertised both the store and the device in local papers, and the device in trade literature such as Boot and Shoe Recorder. He encouraged other shoe stores to promote themselves by using the device in their advertising. He also attended the annual National Shoe Fair in Chicago from 1938 to 1968 in order to promote the device as well as learn about shoe-fashion trends for the Park-Brannock shoe store.

Concurrently, Charles Brannock also played a significant role in the Park-Brannock shoe store. His father, Otis C. Brannock and Ernest N. Park founded Park-Brannock in 1906 in a small store at 321 South Salina Street, focusing on women's shoes. In February 1937, they moved to a three-story building at 427 South Salina Street. Finally, in 1946, a six-story store was built at 473-475 South Salina Street through 129 East Onondaga Street. While waiting for the newest store to be built, Park-Brannock temporarily moved to the Chimes Building at 510-512 South Salina Street and 113 West Onondaga Street. Park-Brannock gained fame in Syracuse for a wide selection of men's, women's and children's shoes, handbags, millinery, hose, and accessories. In an advertisement, the store declared itself "one of America's finest shoe stores." The design of the two newer stores was state-of-the-art, and Park-Brannock was featured in shoe magazine articles. For example, the men's department was designed to look like a great room inside a ship. Charles Brannock became the CEO of Park-Brannock after both his father and Ernest Park died in 1962. Park-Brannock closed its doors in 1981, after the Hotel Syracuse offered to purchase the property for its new Hilton Tower.

Charles Brannock died on November 22, 1992, at the age of 89. The company was purchased in 1993 from the Brannock Estate by Salvatore Leonardi. Leonardi continues to manufacture Brannock devices in a small factory in Liverpool, New York. Over a million Brannock Devices have been manufactured, and it remains the shoe industry standard

Related Materials:

Materials at the National Museum of American History

Artifacts (several Brannock Devices and competitors' devices) are in the Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) and the Division of Armed Forces History (now Division of Political and Military History).

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the National Museum of American History by Salvatore Leonardi on November 4, 1998.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.

Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Show-windows -- New York -- Syracuse  Search this

Shoes -- Sizes  Search this

Shoe industry -- New York -- Syracuse  Search this

Shoes -- Fitting  Search this

Shoe machinery  Search this

Foot -- Measurement  Search this

Design, Industrial -- New York -- Syracuse  Search this

Military supplies  Search this

Measuring instruments industry  Search this

Measuring instruments  Search this

Genre/Form:

Patents

Trademarks

Slides (photographs)

Advertisements

Sales records

Photographs -- Black-and-white negatives -- Glass -- 1890-1920

Photographs -- 20th century

Photographic prints

Filmstrips

Design drawings

Citation:

Brannock Device Company Records, dates, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0672

See more items in:

Brannock Device Company Records

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep884ed7f98-35b5-4cce-998a-fac08db27ab5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0672

Creator:

Cummings, Willard Warren, 1915-1975  Search this

Names:

Colby College  Search this

Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture  Search this

Warner Brother's Company  Search this

Extent:

19.3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Drawings

Date:

1911-1997

bulk 1930-1975

Summary:

The papers of painter and co-founder of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Willard Warren Cummings measure 19.3 linear feet and date from 1911 to 1997 with the bulk of the papers dating from 1930 to 1975. The collection documents Cummings's career as an artist through biographical material, correspondence, writings, printed materials, scrapbooks, artwork, and photographic material.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of painter and co-founder of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture Willard Warren Cummings measure 19.3 linear feet and date from 1911 to 1997 with the bulk of the papers dating from 1930 to 1975. The collection documents Cummings's career as an artist through biographical material, correspondence, writings, printed materials, scrapbooks, artwork, and photographic material.

Biographical material includes an interview transcript, material for a mural commissioned by Warner Brothers Company, and records documenting Cummings's memorial. Personal and professional correspondence with family, friends and colleagues, and clients. Writings are by Cummings, his wife Mildred, and others, and includes a 1928 diary from his time in Paris. Printed material and six scrapbooks document Cummings's career, activities at Colby College, and the work of other artists. Artwork includes student work, six sketchbooks, and a substantial number of drawings. Photographs, slides, and negatives depict Cummings, his family, the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, works of art, and images from military service in the War Art Unit.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as seven series.

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1930-1997 (Boxes 1, 18, OVs 20-22; 1.2 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1911-1975 (Boxes 2-13, OVs 20, 23; 12.0 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1928-1974 (Box 14; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Materials, 1928-1996 (Boxes 14-16, 18; 1.9 linear feet)

Series 5: Scrapbooks, circa 1930-circa 1960 (Boxes 16, 19, OV 33, BV 35; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 6: Artwork, 1929-circa 1965 (Boxes 16, 18, OVs 24-32; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 7: Photographic Materials, circa 1930-circa 1970 (Boxes 16-18, OV 34; 2.0 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical:

Willard Warren Cummings (1915-1975) was a painter and co-founder of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine.

Cummings was born to Willard H. and Helen Cummings in Old Town, Maine. He studied at the Académie Julian in Paris, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Yale University, and was presented with an honorary doctorate degree from Colby College in 1960. Cummings was notable for his portraits of military generals, politicians including Margaret Chase Smith and Adlai Stevenson, actors such as Bette Davis, and other notable figures.

Cummings joined the U.S. Army in 1941. He organized a mural project for soldiers, painted portraits for the War Department, and served as an artist-correspondent with the War Art Unit in the Aleutian Islands. Cummings met artists Sidney Simon, Henry Varnum Poor, and Charles Cutler while assigned to the unit. After completing their military service, Cummings, Simon, Poor, and Cutler founded the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine. Additionally, Cummings played an important part of organizing Soldier Art, an exhibition of the National Army Arts Contest winners.

Cummings was married to Mildred "Milly" Cummings with whom he had a daughter, Daphne, and son, William. Cummings died in 1975 in Skowhegan, Maine.

Related Materials:

Also found at the Archives of American Art are the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture records, 1945-2013, and an oral history interview of Willard Cummings conducted by Paul Cummings on March 20, 1973 for the Archives of American Art.

Provenance:

The Willard Warren Cummings papers were acquired from Willard H. and Willard W. Cummings from 1974 to 1976.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.

Occupation:

Painters -- Maine -- Skowhegan  Search this

Topic:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Drawings

Citation:

Willard Warren Cummings papers, 1911-1997, bulk 1930-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

Identifier:

AAA.cummwill

See more items in:

Willard Warren Cummings papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e81e2928-c01e-47af-b131-c8b01979b102

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-cummwill

Artist:

Harry Warnecke, 1900 - 1984  Search this

Robert F. Cranston, 26 Jul 1897 - 1978  Search this

Sitter:

William Frederick Halsey, Jr., 30 Oct 1882 - 16 Aug 1959  Search this

Medium:

Carbro print

Dimensions:

Image: 26.1 x 20 cm (10 1/4" x 7 7/8")

Sheet: 32.3 x 26.2 cm (12 11/16" x 10 5/16")

Mat: 40.6 x 55.9 cm (16 x 22")

Type:

Photograph

Date:

1945

Topic:

Symbols & Motifs\Medal  Search this

Interior  Search this

Printed Material\Map  Search this

William Frederick Halsey, Jr.: Male  Search this

William Frederick Halsey, Jr.: Military and Intelligence\Navy\Officer\Admiral  Search this

William Frederick Halsey, Jr.: Military and Intelligence\Navy\Officer\World War II  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Object number:

NPG.95.401

Restrictions & Rights:

CC0

See more items in:

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm42d7e18fd-44e3-43fc-ac0a-2df124d712c3

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NPG.95.401

Published by:

CBS Broadcasting, Inc., American, founded 1927  Search this

Produced by:

Perry Wolff, American, 1921 - 2019  Search this

Narrated by:

Bill Cosby, American, born 1937  Search this

Owned by:

D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896  Search this

Medium:

acetate film

Dimensions:

Duration: 27 Minutes

Length (Film): 950 Feet

Type:

documentaries

sound films

black-and-white films (visual works)

short subjects

16mm (photographic film size)

Place used:

Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America

Date:

1968

Topic:

African American  Search this

Actors  Search this

Buffalo Soldiers  Search this

Documentary films  Search this

Film  Search this

Military  Search this

Public television  Search this

Race relations  Search this

Segregation  Search this

Slavery  Search this

Spanish-American War, 1898  Search this

Tuskegee Airmen  Search this

U.S. History, Revolution, 1775-1783  Search this

United States Colored Troops  Search this

United States History  Search this

Vietnam War, 1961-1975  Search this

World War I  Search this

World War II  Search this

Credit Line:

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number:

2017.55.70.1a

Restrictions & Rights:

Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

See more items in:

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title:

DC Public Library Film Collection

Portfolio/Series:

Of Black America

Classification:

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5be4c4584-8dad-456b-9a87-926a76b65179

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmaahc_2017.55.70.1a

Directed by:

Alex Grasshoff, American, 1928 - 2008  Search this

Subject of:

Bruce Davidson, American, founded 1946  Search this

Lori Lethin, American, born 1955  Search this

John Punch, American, born 1961  Search this

Owned by:

D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896  Search this

Medium:

polyester film

Dimensions:

Duration: 42 Minutes

Length (Film): 1500 Feet

Type:

sound films

color films (visual works)

16mm (photographic film size)

Place used:

Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America

Place filmed:

United States, North and Central America

Date:

1981

Topic:

African American  Search this

Education  Search this

Film  Search this

Television  Search this

World War II  Search this

Youth  Search this

Credit Line:

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Object number:

2017.55.96.1a

Restrictions & Rights:

Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

See more items in:

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title:

DC Public Library Film Collection

Portfolio/Series:

ABC Afterschool Special

Classification:

Media Arts-Film and Video

Data Source:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5aeab9a0f-eddb-46c4-a1fc-84f7c4978521

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmaahc_2017.55.96.1a

Creator:

Faison, S. Lane, 1907-2006  Search this

Subject:

Carnegie International  Search this

Allied Forces. Supreme Headquarters. Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section  Search this

United States. Office of Strategic Services. Art Looting Intelligen Unit  Search this

Williams College  Search this

Type:

Photographs

Citation:

S. Lane Faison papers, 1922-1981, bulk 1950-1976. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this

Art -- History -- Study and teaching  Search this

Theme:

Research and writing about art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)8102

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210273

AAA_collcode_faislane

Theme:

Research and writing about art

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210273