This subseries includes information on the history, administration and correspondence related to creation and development of the Islamic Archives and the materials it contains. Myron Bement Smith (MBS) gave each accession to the Archives an alphanumeric identifier. The Plain Number Series was apparently assigned to the initial acquisitions. It consists of a number followed by a letter indicating whether the material was a deposit (D), a temporary deposit (TD), a gift (G), a purchase (P) or a copy (C). These designators were used for both photographic and written materials. A second, possibly later, system was applied to photographic materials, especially the growing slide collection. This alphanumeric scheme consists of letters followed by numbers: the L series (MBS photographs from Iran); the M series (MBS photographic copies of published materieals); the K series (MBS original color slides); the KC series (MBS copies of color slides loaned to him); the KG series (color slides given to MBS); the KP and P series (color slides purchased by MBS); the IR series (slides of Iraq); the NG series (a set of negatives of Iran). Some collections have no accessions designator but are labeled with the contributor's name. The information about the various collections that comprise the Archives varies in completeness and accuracy. Some photographic collections have complete lists provided by the contributor or created by MBS and some have only the information written on the photograph or slide mount. Some identify the contributor but not the sites, and some groups of photographs have no information at all. For the information available, see Boxes 60-64. MBS' correspondence and Islamic Archives documents also may provide information about individual contributors and collections. MBS compiled the Islamic Archives between the1930s and 1960s, and he used various systems to transliterate Iranian locations and monument names from Persian into English. In the present document these have been updated, where possible, to reflect current transliteration conventions.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Collection Citation:
The Myron Bement Smith Collection, FSA A.04. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Katherine Dennis Smith.
