Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Collection Rights:
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadbast materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Collection Title, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Collection Rights:
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadbast materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Collection Title, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Collection Rights:
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadbast materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Collection Title, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
At the district building in Washington, D.C., John Duncan - former commissioner - recognizes services of those who previously served on the city council. James Lynn - secretary of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) - delivers statement regarding the significance of D.C. home rule. Swearing in of city council members, including Marion S. Barry, Julius W. Hobson, Sr., Rev. Douglas E. Moore, Jerry E. Moore, Jr., David A. Clarke, James L. Coates, Arrington Dixon, Willie J. Hardy, Polly Shackleton, William Spaulding, John A. Wilson, and Nadine Winter. Swearing in of and remarks by City Council Chairman Sterling Tucker. Swearing in of and remarks by Mayor Walter E. Washington, the first elected mayor of Washington, D.C. Television spokespeople talk about the accomplishments of each city council member during their swearing in.
Inauguration ceremony. Part of Broadcast Programs. Dated 19750102.
General:
Title transcribed from physical asset.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
The collection consists of five children's books about the circus, a brochure announcing the show in London, an 1873 advertisement for the Great Traveling World's Fair of Barnum's, and two scrapbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The P.T. Barnum collection consists of five children's books about the circus, a brochure announcing the show in London, an 1873 advertisement for the Great Traveling World's Fair of Barnum's, and two scrapbooks. The scrapbooks mostly contain newspaper articles, 1889 1893, as well as cartoons, pictures, and drawings of circus events and circus personalities including P.T. Barnum and James A. Bailey. Interviews of circus people, anecdotes of circus life, and techniques of training children for circus horsemanship and tigers for the ring are also a part of the scrapbook coverage.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the articles is their description of the logistics of bringing 440 performers, 380 horses, 13 elephants, lions, tigers, deer, llama, camels, a bear and other animals, administrative and support staff, and 80 tons of advertising material to and from London for a 100 day run.
Biographical / Historical:
Phineas Taylor Barnum was born on July 5, 1810 in Bethel Connecticut. He worked hard as a small boy to help support the family. When Barnum was 15, his father died, leaving him almost penniless. Although he attended school irregularly, he was excellent in calculations and could drive a hard bargain. This was later referred to as his Yankee shrewdness.
In 1835 he found his true calling—show business—when he exhibited a black woman, Joice Heth, who claimed to be 161 years old and a nurse to George Washington. Barnum bought her for $1,000 and soon had his investment returned.
In 1841 Barnum obtained the American Museum in New York City, which became a famous place of amusement. He displayed exhibits which were forerunners of the sideshow, as well as performances of moral plays such as Uncle Tom's Cabin.
In November 1842, Barnum engaged Charles Stratton, whom he christened Tom Thumb. They were received by English royalty, including Queen Victoria, and other notable figures throughout Europe.
In 1850, Barnum engaged Jenny Lind and made a fortune for both of them. He lost his fortune when he speculated in the Jerome Clock Company of East Bridgeport, and regained it slowly due to multiple disasters.
About 1877, he became a partner of James A. Bailey, who started the two-ring circus in 1879. Bailey was the administrator of the Barnum and Bailey Show and was considered an excellent manager.
In March, 1882, Barnum bought Jumbo from the London Zoo for $10,000. Jumbo was a very popular elephant with the English people, who resented Barnum's purchase and subsequent export of Jumbo to the United States. After the circus's trip to London in 1890, which was a tremendous success, the English forgave Barnum. Jumbo met an untimely death in 1885. His bones went to the Smithsonian and the stuffed hide to the Barnum Museum of Natural History at Tufts College. Barnum had given the Museum to Tufts in 1884 and contributed a $55,000 stone building to the institution.
In November, 1889, Barnum brought his circus to London for fourteen weeks. He could not stay longer because the show had obligations in the United States. Other Europeans hoped to have the show visit their countries, but Barnum said the logistics and the railway tunnels prevented it.
Notices of the Circus coming to London were plastered all over England, with advertising techniques never before seen by the English. The Show, called the Great Moral Show in England, was considered more stupendous than the Wild West Show with Buffalo Bill, which had recently been shown in London, as well. About 30,000 people a day came and many others were turned away. The Circus took in $900,000, but had large expenses with over 1,800 staff on the payroll.
Barnum himself was a great hit in England. Most of the English royalty attended his circus, many more than once. Queen Victoria requested a private showing but did not receive one, and therefore never saw the show. Even the elderly Gladstone attended. It was said that the English liked audacity, Americans who were not a toady and who offered pleasure, all of which described Barnum. It is also interesting that Barnum supported Irish Home Rule while he was in England.
Barnum was a genius in public relations for himself and his enterprises. He was a great believer in the power of advertising, and made it his business to be talked about. He liked to say that his name did not have to appear beneath his picture because everyone knew him.
Barnum loved children and was known as "The Children's Friend." He often went to the show's matinees to be with the children and talk to them. He gave generously to the Children's Aid Society and made it a beneficiary of a percentage of the show's profit after his death.
With regard to religious and political beliefs, Barnum was a Universalist who believed in the salvation of all men. He was originally a Democrat, but became a Republican because he was a Union supporter. He was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly four times, where he advocated the rights of individuals against railway monopolies. He was also Mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and during his time in office brought many businesses to the town and invested in local real estate. He established a system of building houses and sold them to working people on long payments and low interest rates; he also gave the land which became Seaside Park to the community of Bridgeport.
Barnum was married twice, the second time in 1874 to an English woman who was half his age. He had three daughters by his first wife, and his two grandsons were his only male heirs. In 1883, he made his first will so "no business cares should devolve upon his wife at his death." He left the management of his interests to his grandson, Clinton H. Seeley whom he required to change his name to Clinton Barnum Seeley; he had previously made an agreement with Bailey for the Barnum and Bailey Show to continue for 50 years.
Barnum had a reputation for giving everyone their full money's worth. He acknowledged the unreality of some of his attractions with frankness in his autobiography, but he said he was not a humbug; he was just a showman who gave the public what it wanted. He claimed he never pretended to be more than that. After Bailey implemented the two ring circus in 1879, and subsequently a third ring, people complained that they were being given more than their money's worth with so many activities going on simultaneously.
In the interviews and stories about the Barnum and Bailey Circus, it was evident that the circus people had strong training and excellent discipline. But some backstage interviews revealed low ages, poor boarding house food, bad dressing rooms, and strict discipline, with fines often meted out for slight infractions of the rules. The treatment of the animals also was questioned. Bailey reported that 38 horses had to be killed because they had been injured during the hippodrome race in the Nero act of the show.
P.T. Barnum was involved in four lines of entertainment: (a) circus; (b) museum of curiosities; (c) theatrical (he produced plays and helped several actors and actresses get their start); and (d) musical impresario with Jenny Lind.
Barnum was known as a great story teller. He enjoyed playing jokes on himself and others. He died on April 7, 1891 at 80 years and nine months.
Provenance:
Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
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.
Volume 7 is a bound scrapbook with numbered pages and index. There are no notes in the index. This volume contains a large number of articles dealing with the Afghan War, the presidential election of 1880, debates and stories about the Civil War, foreign news and affairs, and illustrations of notable constructions and buildings.
Within this volume there are substantial articles dealing with the Afghan War and the presidential election of 1880, including descriptions of both Winfield Hancock and James Garfield, as well as their views and proposed policies. There are also articles related to the issue of Irish home rule, a hot-button issue in 1880-1881, that appeared in both British and American publications; southern claims from the Civil War and how the United States government was responding to them; and tensions between the North and South. Meigs also included stories on the harsh winter of 1880, and illustrations about the weather systems affecting the country. Also included are stories about the retirement of Army officers and debates over a variety of Civil War topics, especially battles and campaigns. Clippings of new industrial inventions and other items can be found throughout the volume, as well as some notes and drawings by Meigs.
Some of the publications included in volume seven areThe Republic, the Army and Navy Journal, The Daily Graphic, the The New-York Daily Tribune, and The Washington Post.
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
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.
Collection Citation:
Montgomery C. Meigs Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
The bulk of the collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Access to undigitized portions requires an appointment.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
John Steuart Curry and Curry family papers, 1900-1999. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Contains: "Home Rule for Ireland," "I'm a Long Way from Tipperary," and "The Irish Blues."
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
The Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
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.
Collection Citation:
Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Processing of the collection was funded by the Getty Grant Program; digitization of the collection was funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
Gorrell, Edgar S. (Edgar Staley), 1891-1945 Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 4
Type:
Archival materials
Text
Date:
1938
Scope and Contents:
Will History Repeat Itself?, Address delivered before the First National Aviation Planning Conference during the Annual Convention of the National Aeronautics Assn., Cleveland, OH, Jan. 10, 1938 (2 copies)
The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 And The Air Carrier Traffic Man, Address delivered at the Conference of Air Line Traffic Men, July 12, 1938 (2 copies)
The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 And Air Carrier Maintenance, Address delivered at the Air Line Engineering and Maintenance Conference, Chicago, IL, Jul. 14, 1938 (2 copies)
The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 And The Aircraft Manufacturer, Address delivered at the Air Line Engineering and Maintenance Conference, Chicago, IL, July 15, 1938 (2 copies)
The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 And The Private Flier, Address delivered at the Air Line Engineering and Maintenance Conference, Chicago, IL, July 16, 1938 (2 copies)
The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 And The Air Line Feeder, Address delivered at the National Airmail Feeder Conference, Kansas City, MO, Oct. 7, 1938 (2 copies)
The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 And Democratic Government, Address delivered at the 8th Annual Convention of the National Association of State Aviation Officials, Omaha, NE, Oct. 15, 1938 (2 copies)
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Edgar S. Gorrell Collection, Acc. XXXX-0057, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Collection, Acc. 1992.0023, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
WANN Radio Station (Annapolis, Maryland) Search this
Extent:
1 Sound tape reel (Duration: 5:09 , ¼" open reel)
Container:
Box 29, Item OT 800.1
Box 30, Item Ref CD 800.1
Type:
Archival materials
Sound tape reels
Date:
1962 March 5
Scope and Contents:
Maurice H. Blum, General Manager of WANN Radio:
-Statement of editorial policy regarding the broadcast of dismissal hearing for Anne Arundal County, Maryland County Manager J.J. Salovaara.
-Anne Arundel County Board of Commissioners gave permission to WANN to broadcast, only to withdraw permission nine days later.
-Blum discusses freedom of press and the nature of public hearings.
-Anne Arundel Home Rule Charter Movement: Anne Arundel County residents need a petition signed by 10,000 voters to bring a vote for a Home Rule charter before the County Board of Commissioners.
-Blum urges eligible voters to sign petition.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Researchers must use reference copies of audiovisual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow.
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.
Collection Citation:
WANN Radio Station Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Sponsor:
Processing and encoding funded by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.
Smithsonian Institution. Anacostia Community Museum Search this
Extent:
1 Video recording (VHS)
Type:
Archival materials
Video recordings
Place:
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.)
United States
Date:
1992
Scope and Contents:
Around Town, which presented video segments of events happening around Washington, D.C. on public television station WETA, profiled the Anacostia Museum's exhibition 'To Achieve These Rights: The Struggle for Equality and Self-Determination in the District of Columbia, 1791-1978.' Other topics included in this episode: new feature film 'Daughters of the Dust,' new adaption of 'Frankenstein' by the Washington Shakespeare Company, and an international art exhibition and auction at the 'Very Special Arts' gallery. After brief clips or description of each topic, there was a short roundtable discussion.
News program with roundtable discussion. Related to exhibition 'To Achieve These Rights: The Struggle for Equality and Self-Determination in the District of Columbia, 1791-1978.' Dated 19920227.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Smithsonian Institution. Anacostia Community Museum Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (audio cassette)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Place:
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.)
United States
Date:
circa 1992
Scope and Contents:
Recording of the self guided audio tour for the exhibition 'To Achieve These Rights: The Struggle for Equality and Self-Determination in the District of Columbia, 1791-1978' which was held at the Anacostia Museum from January 1992 to November 1992. People, organizations, and laws which have made their mark on racial equality in the District of Columbia featured in the audio tour.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV001051_B
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
To achieve these rights: the struggle for equality and self-determination in the District of Columbia, 1791–1978 exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution. Anacostia Community Museum Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (audio cassette)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Place:
Washington (D.C.)
United States
Date:
circa 1992
Scope and Contents:
Recording of the self guided audio tour for the exhibition 'To Achieve These Rights: The Struggle for Equality and Self-Determination in the District of Columbia, 1791-1978' which was held at the Anacostia Museum from January 1992 to November 1992. People, organizations, and laws which have made their mark on racial equality in the District of Columbia featured in the audio tour. This recording is in Spanish.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV001052_B
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
To achieve these rights: the struggle for equality and self-determination in the District of Columbia, 1791–1978 exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution. Anacostia Community Museum Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (VHS)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Place:
United States -- Politics and government
Washington (D.C.)
United States
Date:
1992
Scope and Contents:
Brief description of Washington, D.C. residents' fight for statehood and Congressional representatives during the 1980s. Local politics and rising crime in the district are also addressed.
Short film. Related to exhibition 'To Achieve These Rights: The Struggle for Equality and Self-Determination in the District of Columbia, 1791-1978.' Part of To Achieve These Rights: The Struggle for Equality and Self-Determination in the District of Columbia, 1791-1978 Audiovisual Records. Dated 19920103.
Biographical / Historical:
'To Achieve These Rights: The Struggle for Equality and Self-Determination in the District of Columbia, 1791-1978' showcased 187 years of civil rights activism in Washington, D.C. by examining the African American journey toward racial equality in the nation's capital--from slavery and emancipation to voting rights, desegregation, and home rule. The exhibition was created by the Anacostia Museum and exhibited there from January 1992 to November 1992.
General:
Title transcribed from physical asset.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
To achieve these rights: the struggle for equality and self-determination in the District of Columbia, 1791–1978 exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution