National Air and Space Museum (U.S.) Division of Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Search this
National Air and Space Museum (U.S.) Assistant Director for Operations Search this
National Air and Space Museum (U.S.) Assistant Director for Collections Search this
National Air and Space Museum (U.S.) Collections and Research Department Search this
National Air and Space Museum (U.S.) Collections Management Division Search this
National Air and Space Museum (U.S.) Office of the Registrar Search this
National Air and Space Museum (U.S.) Preservation and Restoration Unit Search this
National AIr and Space Museum (U.S.) Collections Processing Unit Search this
National Air and Space Museum (U.S.) Conservation Unit Search this
Type:
Mixed archival materials
Date:
1975
1975-
Category:
Agency History
Notes:
This is an agency history. It does not describe actual records. The Smithsonian Institution Archives uses these histories as brief accounts of the origin, development, and functions of an office or administrative unit to set that unit in its historical context. To find information on record holdings, please double-click the highlighted field "Creator/Author", which will open on a brief view of relevant records.
Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution, 1946-1975
Smithsonian Directory, 1976-1997
Smithsonian Annals, 1987-1992
National Air and Space Museum, Collection Division, http://www.si.edu/nasm/coll/colldiv.htm, February 1, 2002
NBC News, "Smithsonian IG Found Misuse of Resources," by James V. Grimaldi, April 10, 2007, https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18026718, accessed January 11, 2022
LinkedIn, Elizabeth Garcia, https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-garcia-266b1650/, accessed January 11, 2022
Although the National Air Museum, predecessor of the National Air and Space Museum, was created in 1946, it is not possible to identify a special office charged with care of its collections before 1975. Presumably the work was confided to the curatorial staff, which was initially quite small. In 1975, there was a Division of Preservation, Restoration, and Storage which seems to have existed through 1981. From 1982 to 1986 there was a Collections Management Supervisor who seems to have operated from the Director's office under the supervision of an Assistant Director for Operations. In 1987 an Assistant Director for Collections was appointed. In 1996 the title was changed to Collections Management Division and, in 1997, to the Collections and Research Department. In 1998 the name changed again to the Collections Division.
The Collections Division consists of an administrative section, a Preservation and Restoration Unit, a Collections Processing Unit, a Conservation Unit, and the Office of the Registrar. The Division is responsible for the protection, preservation, conservation and restoration of the national collection of aeronautics and space artifacts, including both their intellectual and physical control.
Donald Merchant was Chief, Division of Preservation, Restoration, and Storage, 1974-1976; Walter J. Boyne, 1977-1979; Edward B. Chalkley, 1980; Walter Roderick, 1982. Alfred J. Bachmeyer served as Collections Management Supervisor, 1982-1986. Linda Neuman Ezell was made Assistant Director for Collections, 1987 (Acting), 1988-1996. In 1996 the unit was named the Collections Management Division. In 1997 the name changed to the Collection and Research Department but lacked a head. In 1998 the name was changed to the Collections Division, and Thomas M. Allison served as Head, 1998-2004. Elizabeth Garcia was appointed as Chair, 2004- .
For a history of the larger creating unit, refer to "Forms part of" above.
Repository Loc.:
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Capital Gallery, Suite 3000, MRC 507; 600 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20024-2520