The Bigger Picture | Smithsonian Institution Archives
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enWonderful Women Wednesday: Effie Kapsalis
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/wonderful-women-wednesday-effie-kapsalis
<div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Each week, the Archives features a woman who has been a groundbreaker at the Smithsonian, past or present, in a series titled Wonderful Women Wednesday.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Digital strategist Effie Kapsalis was dedicated to building bridges between Smithsonian collections and audiences. In a Smithsonian career spanning nearly twenty years, Effie mobilized her colleagues to share more diverse stories, break down barriers to access, and fight for gender and racial equity in the cultural heritage sphere. Sadly, we lost Effie on <a href="https://torch.si.edu/2022/12/in-memoriam-effie-kapsalis/">December 11, 2022</a>. She was our friend and inspired all of us.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="image-body-image-230h" title="Effie Kapsalis, Senior Digital Program Officer" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/body-image-230h/public/blog-attached-images/efk-picture-13-1476905532.jpg?itok=X1XBxlVm" width="215" height="230" alt="Effie Kapsalis">
</p>
<p>Effie’s Smithsonian career began in 2005 as Senior Digital Producer with the Smithsonian Photography Initiative (SPI). In 2009, SPI merged with the Smithsonian Institution Archives. Effie’s role expanded, and she became the Head of Web, New Media & Outreach, and later Chief of Content and Communications Strategy.</p>
<p>Effie authored the <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/call-entries-history-making">inaugural blog post</a> of <em>The Bigger Picture</em>, initially launched as the mouthpiece of SPI. Over the course of the early 2010s, Effie guided the blog’s transition to its current thematic focus on the work of the Archives.</p>
<p>Effie increased the Archives’ digital footprint not only through <em>The Bigger Picture</em>, but also through collaborations with the Transcription Center, Flickr Commons, Wikipedia, Historypin, and the Smithsonian mobile app. Effie also rolled out the first social media accounts for the Archives: on Facebook and YouTube in 2010, then Twitter and Instagram in 2014.</p>
<p>Effie moved to the Office of the Undersecretary for Museums and Culture in 2018. As Senior Program Officer for the American Women’s History Initiative, she redefined its “digital-first” approach as an equally <a href="https://womenshistory.si.edu/news/2019/05/conversation-effie-kapsalis">“audience-first” strategy</a>.</p>
<p>At the same time, Effie led efforts across the Institution to launch the Smithsonian’s Open Access Initiative. <a href="https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/smithsonian-releases-28-million-free-images-broader-public-use">On February 25, 2020</a>, nearly 3 million images and datasets were released into the public domain with a Creative Commons Zero license. These materials spurred countless “<a href="https://www.si.edu/openaccess/updates/year-smithsonian-remixes">remixes</a>” spanning art and design, technology, science, and history.</p>
<p>“The Information Age has not turned out to be the great equalizer of information access as originally envisioned,” Effie <a href="https://www.si.edu/openaccess/updates/looking-ahead-one-year-smithsonian-open-access">wrote last year</a>. “As we look to the next phases of Smithsonian Open Access, it’s imperative to reflect on how open, open cultural heritage really is.” Effie shared more of her thoughts on the future of Open Access <a href="https://creativecommons.org/2021/02/24/open-minds-smithsonian-open-access-with-effie-kapsalis/">in an appearance on the</a> “Open Minds…from Creative Commons” podcast.</p>
<p>Effie’s dedication to broadening what she termed the “Smithsonian ‘canon’” garnered her numerous honors, including <a href="https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_District_of_Columbia">Wikimedia DC</a>’s Distinguished Service Award and the Secretary’s <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/effie-kapsalis-wins-smithsonian-secretary-innovative-spirit-award">Innovative Spirit Award</a>. She held a master’s degree in industrial design and pervasive technology from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA.</p>
<p>Effie made us engage more deeply with Smithsonian and American history. In addition to her innumerable contributions to the field of cultural heritage, both online and off, Effie Kapsalis was the creator of the blog feature <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/tag/wonderful-women-wednesday">Wonderful Women Wednesday</a>. We will continue to carry on Effie’s work, and we will miss her very much.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="image-body-image-350h" title="Effie Kapsalis pictured with Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough, accepting the 2011 Smithsonian Secretary's Innovative Spirit Award." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/body-image-350h/public/blog-attached-images/SecAwards2011_0040_0.jpg?itok=jQGpFxhx" width="487" height="350" alt="Effie Kapsalis pictured with Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough.">
</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-3 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Categories: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/smithsonian-history">Smithsonian History</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-4 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Tags: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/tag/wonderful-women-wednesday">Wonderful Women Wednesday</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-header-image field--type-image field--label-above"><div class="field__label">header_image: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><img data-src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SecAwards2011_0040_0.jpg" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/all/modules/lazyloader/image_placeholder.gif" width="3000" height="2156" alt="" /><noscript><img src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SecAwards2011_0040_0.jpg" width="3000" height="2156" alt="" /></noscript></div></div></div>Tue, 20 Dec 2022 21:11:51 +0000ShapiroD101121 at https://siarchives.si.eduHot Topics in Archival Research, Fall 2022
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/hot-topics-archival-research-fall-2022
<div class="field field--name-field-guest-author field--type-text field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">Deborah Shapiro</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>We're highlighting a few topics explored by Smithsonian Institution Archives researchers this fall.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Vicarious research is one of the great joys of the reference desk at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. From our front-row (well, only-row) seat outside the reading room, we catch tantalizing glimpses of our patrons’ manifold research topics.</p>
<p>The reference team fields thousands of questions per year. Ask us what people have been researching recently, and you’ll get into some of the enlightening, weird, and fascinating details of our collections.</p>
<h3><strong>Here are some of the subjects that have recently passed through the reference team’s inbox:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li>1930 exhibitions of the <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_216880">Federal Art Project</a></li>
<li>Names of the National Zoo bison through the 1920s</li>
<li>The Natural Resource Conservation and Historic Preservation Project in the Central Region of Ghana…aka the <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_251841">Ghana Project</a></li>
<li>Aviation legends honored at the <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/web10484-2005640jpg">dedication of the</a> Udvar-Hazy Center in 2003</li>
<li><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_363014">Panama fieldwork</a> of Charles O. Handley, Jr.</li>
<li>Sale of a <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/1954-extraterrestrial-bruiser-shocked-alabama-woman-180973646/">Sylacauga meteorite fragment</a> to the Smithsonian</li>
<li>Lucy Audubon's sale of the copper plates from <em>The Birds of North America</em></li>
<li><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/%E2%80%A2%09https%3A/siarchives.si.edu/blog/william-stimpson-and-golden-age-american-natural-history">William Stimpson</a> and his eponymous surfclam, <em>Mactromeris polynyma</em></li>
</ul>
<h3><strong>New and upcoming projects featuring SI Archives images include:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li>A fossil documentary made by Idaho Public Television: <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_367759">overburden being stripped from the fossil horse quarry near Hagerman, Idaho</a></li>
<li>Zackary Graham’s upcoming book, <em>Crayfish, Crawfish, Crawdad:</em> a portrait of Horton H. Hobbs, Jr. feeding a crawfish</li>
<li>MFA Boston’s upcoming traveling exhibit “<a href="https://www.skirball.org/exhibitions/fabric-nation-american-quilt-stories">Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories</a>”: aerial image of the AIDS Memorial Quilt</li>
<li>The Asian Pacific American Center’s upcoming book, <em>APA 101</em>: view of the Polynesian ethnology exhibit cases <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_6911">in the Anthropology Hall</a>, circa 1911</li>
<li>Abby Schulte’s recent article “<a href="https://cmsmc.org/publications/few-ladies-ever-sit">Few Ladies Ever Sit</a>”: Dolley Madison <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_394953">diorama installation</a> in the First Ladies Hall, 1961</li>
<li>OMR Gallery exhibition “<a href="https://omr.art/upward-panic/">Upward Panic</a>”: <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_229236">images from the Alice Pike Barney Papers</a></li>
</ul>
<p><img class="image-body-image-230h" title="Horton H. Hobbs, Jr. Feeding Crayfish. Image No. 82-11578-8. Smithsonian Institution Archives Record Unit 371 Box 4 Folder November 1982" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/body-image-230h/public/blog-attached-images/SIA-82-11578-08.jpg?itok=6YpjwLQn" width="345" height="230" alt="National Museum of Natural History's Dr. Horton Hobbs, Jr. feeding fish-flavored Friskies cat food t">
</p>
<p><img class="image-body-image-230h" title="NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt on National Mall. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 11-009, Image No. 96-11079" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/body-image-230h/public/blog-attached-images/SIA-96-11079-000002_0.jpg?itok=ENgYVF51" width="356" height="230" alt="Aerial photograph of the National Mall with the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt covering the four">
</p>
<p><img class="image-body-image-230h" title="Eua Palmer-Sikelianou and Penelope Duncan, Play Bois, Paris. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 96-153, Image No. SIA2017-061362." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/body-image-230h/public/blog-attached-images/SIA-SIA2017-061362.jpg?itok=EKi7I3VV" width="164" height="230" alt="Eua Palmer-Sikelianou and Penelope Duncan performing in Natalie Barney's backyard in Neuilly.">
</p>
<h3><strong>How to get published in the nineteenth century</strong></h3>
<p>If you're an early Smithsonian history whiz, you'll know that Secretary Joseph Henry took diffusion of knowledge very seriously. The <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_235029">International Exchange Service</a> made the Smithsonian a centralized hub of scholarship, importing and shipping out thousands of publications each year. The Institution also produced original scholarship through its series <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_486"><em>Contributions to Knowledge</em></a>.</p>
<p>During the Civil War, a second series joined <em>Contributions</em>: this one had the juicy title <em>Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections</em>. But why the need for two publications? How did they differ? A recent reference question about the peer review process got us wondering.</p>
<p>Although the peer review process has become more standardized <a href="https://mitcommlab.mit.edu/broad/commkit/peer-review-a-historical-perspective/">over the last fifty years</a>, it has had recognizable forerunners since the early eighteenth century. The Smithsonian, too, had its own permutation of peer review.</p>
<p>In 1847, with the publication of the Smithsonian’s <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/stories/programme-organization-smithsonian-institution">Programme of Organization</a>, Secretary Henry had the chance to frame that process: “3. Each memoir presented to the Institution to be submitted for examination to a commission of persons of reputation for learning in the branch to which the memoir pertains, and to be accepted for publication only in case the report of this commission is favorable.”</p>
<p>This exact passage <a href="https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/62697#page/567/mode/1up">appears again, half a century later, in</a> librarian Cyrus Adler’s book chapter on Smithsonian publications. “The program of organization, submitted by Professor Henry, in 1847, may still be said to guide the issuing of these volumes,” he says of <em>Contributions to Knowledge</em>.</p>
<p>Did the Programme of Organization also guide <em>Miscellaneous Collections</em>? Were its standards just as rigorous as for <em>Contributions</em>? Maybe not: Adler’s discussion of the second series appears on a separate page, far from any mention of Joseph Henry’s “commission of persons of reputation.” It seems a telling omission that <em>Contributions</em> alone is the subject of Adler’s commendation.</p>
<p>Want to help us unravel this mystery further? Dig into Record Unit 83, the <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_216690">Editorial and Publications Division records, 1847-1966</a>, in the Archives reading room!</p>
<h3><strong>Related Resources or Collections:</strong></h3>
<ul>
<li>Hot Topix in Archival Research, Summer <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/hot-topix-archival-research-summer-2022">https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/hot-topix-archival-research-summer-2022</a></li>
<li>Hot Topix in Archival Research, Spring 2022 <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/hot-topix-archival-research-spring-2022">https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/hot-topix-archival-research-spring-2022</a></li>
</ul>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-header-image field--type-image field--label-above"><div class="field__label">header_image: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><img data-src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-96-11079-000002.jpg" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/all/modules/lazyloader/image_placeholder.gif" width="1199" height="775" alt="Aerial photograph of the National Mall with the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt covering the four blocks west of the U.S. Capitol Building." title="NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt on National Mall. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 11-009, Image No. 96-11079" /><noscript><img src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-96-11079-000002.jpg" width="1199" height="775" alt="Aerial photograph of the National Mall with the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt covering the four blocks west of the U.S. Capitol Building." title="NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt on National Mall. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 11-009, Image No. 96-11079" /></noscript></div></div></div>Thu, 03 Nov 2022 18:57:54 +0000ShapiroD101077 at https://siarchives.si.eduThe Women Behind the "Field to Factory" Exhibition
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/women-behind-field-factory-exhibition
<div class="field field--name-field-guest-author field--type-text field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">Frederica Adelman, Director, Smithsonian Associates</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p><em>During her long career with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Service (SITES) between 1987 and 2013, the author worked closely with the museums that hosted <u>Field to Factory</u>. She connected the more than fifty museums with the Smithsonian, with local organizations, and with one another.</em></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Current headlines about war and the impact of forced migration on women are stark reminders of historic migrations and how women adapted and took on new roles.</p>
<p>In 1987, <em>Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1915-1940</em> premiered at the National Museum of American History. It explored how restrictive and segregationist Jim Crow laws, unchecked racial violence, and poorly-paying, back-breaking farm work in the rural South, countered by the lure of higher wages, access to education, and improved living conditions in the urban North prompted unprecedented internal migration that forever changed the nation. </p>
<p>The exhibition was researched and developed by historian and curator Dr. Spencer Crew, inspired by stories told in his family, including by his wife’s aunt Lillian Reuben-McNeary. At the museum on the Mall, exhibition designer Jim Sims floated a Ku Klux Klan robe menacingly from the ceiling and incorporated a double doorway marked “White | Colored” to provoke visceral responses from visitors. Aspects of both elements were repeated in the two copies of the subsequent traveling version designed by Ken Young. The Museum presentation remained on view for nearly two decades. The two traveling versions that circulated for four years were seen by visitors from at least twenty-five states in fifty-seven museums and libraries.</p>
<p>Though the exhibition was researched and designed by brilliant and talented men, it was a team of women who deserve much credit for bringing the history to life.</p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><img class="image-body-image-230h" title="The Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1914-1940 exhibition catalogue. Smithsonian Institution Archives. Accession 06-001. Image courtesy of Emily Niekrasz, 2022." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/body-image-230h/public/blog-attached-images/20220519_165113318_iOS_0.jpg?itok=xubp4t1s" width="187" height="230" alt="The Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1914-1940 exhibition catalogue display on top of an ar">
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>Marquette Folley</strong>, currently traveling exhibition specialist at the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), led the collecting efforts to secure objects that would illustrate Lillian Reuben-McNeary’s story both in D.C. and on the road. The exhibition catalogue is dedicated to her. <strong>Kim Kelley</strong>, teaching artist, created and performed an original museum theater piece within the exhibition based on oral histories and other first-person accounts. She worked closely with <strong>Niani Kilkenny</strong> and the eminent <a href="https://www.bernicejohnsonreagon.com"><strong>Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon</strong></a>, National Museum of Natural History curator emerita, activist, musician, educator and founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock, to create and present a suite of public programs through the Museum’s Program in African American Culture. <strong>Dr. Ysaye Barnwell</strong>, also of Sweet Honey in the Rock, tirelessly reached out to scores of D.C. area schools, churches, and community centers, with presentations and tours of the exhibition. A report of her activities documents encounters with more than 350,000 individuals over the course of the first year the exhibition opened.</p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><img class="image-body-image-230h" title="Clipping from EBONY September 1990 issue, page 92 featuring photographs of people at the Field to Factory exhibit installation in Anchorage, Alaska. Smithsonian Institution Archives. Accession 00-069. Image courtesy of Emily Niekrasz, 2022." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/body-image-230h/public/blog-attached-images/20220823_201430100_iOS_0.jpg?itok=WryknyR3" width="213" height="230" alt="Clipping from EBONY September 1990 issue, page 92 featuring photographs of people at the Field to Fa">
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Based on the overwhelming public response to the exhibition in D.C., Smithsonian leadership decided to develop a traveling version. Over the next several months, SITES project director <strong>Germaine Juneau</strong> led the design and production efforts; <strong>Linda Karsteter</strong> managed the physical aspects of the exhibition from insurance and condition reporting to storage and shipping arrangements; and <strong>Vera Hyatt</strong> and <strong>Janet Freund</strong>, along with <strong>Marie-Claire Jean,</strong> managed the contracts and finances.</p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;"><img class="image-body-image-230h" title="Agenda for the Field to Factory Collaborative Programming Workshop, September 12-14, 1989 at Jackson State University and Smith-Robertson House. Smithsonian Institution Archives. Accession 95-161. Image courtesy of Emily Niekrasz, 2022." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/body-image-230h/public/blog-attached-images/20220823_201742382_iOS_0.jpg?itok=q-_HEWgR" width="182" height="230" alt="Agenda for the Field to Factory Collaborative Programming Workshop, September 12-14, 1989 at Jackson">
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>During those hectic months, I organized the education materials and facilitated workshops for the educators at the museums on the tour, many of which were run by women. <strong>Dr. Alferdteen Harrison</strong> at the Smith-Robertson Museum in Jackson, MS, for instance, not only organized a two-day seminar about the Great Migration at the University of Mississippi, but also contacted the governor’s wife to request paving the street in front of the museum because the Smithsonian was visiting. Museum professionals from around the country – <strong>Dr. Elaine Nichols</strong> (SC State Museum), <strong>Dr. Juanita Moore</strong> (National Civil Rights Museum, TN), <strong>Dr. Catherine Willis</strong> (National Afro-American Museum, OH),<strong> Sandra Gay</strong> (Indianapolis Children’s Museum) and <strong>Chrystal Carr-Jeter</strong> (Anchorage Museum of History and Culture), among many others – hosted the exhibition and trained teams of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority women as docents. The Deltas honored the Smithsonian at their national seventy-fifth diamond jubilee anniversary gathering in San Francisco in 1988.</p>
<p>The exhibitions have since closed and new ones have taken their place on the road and at the Smithsonian; their impact endures through the stories enabled by all the men and women who worked together to bring them forward.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3>Related Collections</h3>
<ul>
<li>Smithsonian Institution Archives. Accession 17-053 "<a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_391552">National Museum of American History. Department of Exhibits. Exhibition Records, 1984 - 1989.</a>" </li>
</ul>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-3 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Categories: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/behind-scenes">Behind the Scenes</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-4 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Tags: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/tag/women">women</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/blog/tag/migration">migration</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/tag/african-american">African American</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/blog/tag/museum-exhibits">museum exhibits</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-header-image field--type-image field--label-above"><div class="field__label">header_image: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><img data-src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/20220519_165113318_iOS.jpg" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/all/modules/lazyloader/image_placeholder.gif" width="768" height="947" alt="The Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1914-1940 exhibition catalogue display on top of an archival folder." title="The Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1914-1940 exhibition catalogue display on top of an archival folder." /><noscript><img src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/20220519_165113318_iOS.jpg" width="768" height="947" alt="The Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1914-1940 exhibition catalogue display on top of an archival folder." title="The Field to Factory: Afro-American Migration 1914-1940 exhibition catalogue display on top of an archival folder." /></noscript></div></div></div>Thu, 06 Oct 2022 22:36:46 +0000FerranteR101051 at https://siarchives.si.eduCoffee, tea or mold?
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/coffee-tea-or-mold
<div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p><span class="TextRun SCXW187345604 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187345604 BCX0">For National Coffee Day, we share the eye-opening conservation of a </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187345604 BCX0">damaged </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187345604 BCX0">field book </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187345604 BCX0">authored </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187345604 BCX0">by the champion of the Smithsonian Bird Friendly Coffee program.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW187345604 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p style="text-align: left;"><span data-contrast="auto">We’re lucky that our interns love coffee, because for this summer’s final project, I selected Russell Greenberg’s </span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/fbr_item_modsi8574"><span data-contrast="none">Field notes, Xalapa and Chiapas, Mexico, 2001</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> for a full conservation treatment. If you’ve not had your morning cup yet, you may be wondering why we celebrate his work on National Coffee Day. </span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/auth_per_fbr_eacp882"><span data-contrast="none">Dr. Greenberg was an ornithologist, founder and director</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> of the </span><a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/bird-friendly"><span data-contrast="none">Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, where he is credited with starting the movement for shade-grown, bird-friendly coffee. Greenberg's legacy carries on through the </span><a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/bird-friendly"><span data-contrast="none">Smithsonian Bird Friendly</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> program, which you can support with simple actions, and if you partake, your next cup of delicious coffee from farmers (and the birds and insects) who support this collaborative network for sustainable production. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">So why was this particular field book selected for treatment? When cataloger Lesley Parilla reviewed the 2016 accession of </span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_384408"><span data-contrast="none">the Center’s research records</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> (</span><span data-contrast="none">Accession 16-179, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center</span><span data-contrast="auto">), she noticed that there was apparent mold growth from an unknown “moisture event”. While we don’t think it had gotten coffee spilt upon it, the author’s field work in the rainforests of Mexico offered plenty of damp conditions and opportunity for inoculation by fungal spores. The rest of the collection seemed unaffected, so we immediately isolated it in the collections freezer to stabilize it until we could turn from our other conservation projects to its treatment. The nature of the book’s physical condition offered locale-based evidence about his field observations, and we chose to reduce the risk of that mold affecting our users and the adjacent collections.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><strong><span data-contrast="auto">The Approach</span></strong><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">How does one fully conserve a moldy book – and should we? After bringing the book to ambient temperature, fully drying, and performing an assessment under the fume hood, intern Ben Conklin and I conducted a “curator-conservator interview” with archivist Jennifer Wright. She described the contents of the </span><a href="https://www.biblio.com/book_collecting_terminology/text-block-256.html"><span data-contrast="none">textblock</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, not necessarily including the endpapers or cover, as being most important to the scientific record, and that if the latter two could not be saved, a facsimile from our documentation would do. A new binding that shows our level of care, and permits safe access to the contents for all, would be acceptable. </span></p>
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<td><img style="float: left;" title="A book is shown resting on a support, showing its new case with cover and spine labels showing, with a color-check card and identification." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-CONS_20220822_01.jpg" conservation binding showing new cover with facsimile labels. sia acc. field notes xalapa and chiapas mexico image no. sia-cons_20220822_01.jpg width="728" height="484" alt="The ">
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<td style="text-align: left;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0">The “c</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0">onservation binding</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0">” showing</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0"> new cover/case, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0">with </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0">facsimile label</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0">. SIA Acc. 16-179. <br />Field notes, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW242902025 BCX0">Xalapa</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0"> and Chiapas, Mexico, 2001.</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0"> Image no. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0">SIA-CONS_20220822_01</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW242902025 BCX0">.jpg</span></td>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">Conservators weigh risk and benefit of potential loss during our interventions. There are books for which we would not think twice about replacing the cover, or entire contents, but for manuscripts and annotations, that ineffable touch of the hand is quite important. To see the handwriting on the cover was enough to move one visiting colleague, who had been a personal friend to the author, quite deeply. However, it remained true that the cover contained the bulk of potentially hazardous microbiota, and the type of structure, a green Federal notebook, is not a rare format. In fact, you can see another of this type in one of several that we have already digitized (see Related Resources, below). With Wright’s input, we arrived at a compromise that would ensure the safety of the work and workers, which was to create a new cover and do our best to preserve most aspects of the original. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span> </p>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img style="float: left;" title="Four persons, seated and standing, are gathered around a table looking at a damaged book open and laying on the surface in front of them while also looking at a laptop computer." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-CONS_20220801_20.jpg" width="727" height="546" alt="Anailah Funchess, Camilia Bell and Efeh Ibojie (L-R) discuss the treatment plan for SIA Acc. 16-179,">
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<td style="text-align: left;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">Anailah</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0"> Funchess, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">Camilia</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0"> Bell</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0"> and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW7402489 BCX0">Efeh</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW7402489 BCX0">Ibojie</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0"> (L-R)</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">discuss </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">treatment plan for SIA Acc. 16-179, <br />Field notes, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW7402489 BCX0">Xalapa</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0"> and Chiapas, Mexico, 2001</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">, with </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">Ben Conklin (R)</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">.</span> <br /><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">Image no.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW7402489 BCX0">SIA-CONS_20220801_20</span></td>
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<h3> <span data-contrast="auto">The Treatment</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h3>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img style="float: left;" title="The book's separated components are shown flat on a surface with the camera view from directly overhead, showing the lower endpapers, and the upper board and underside of upper bookcloth, with black spots of mold." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-CONS_20220802_27.jpg" during treatment image. image no. sia-cons_20220802_27 width="459" height="612" alt="Separating the bookcloth from the boards confirmed that the majority of mold damage was found in the">
</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Separating the bookcloth from the boards confirmed that the majority <br />of mold damage was found in the book covers, not the textblock. <br />Note matching stain in the lower left corner of the upper board, <br />seen at lower edge of this “during treatment” image. <br />Image no. SIA-CONS_20220802_27</td>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">During treatment, we determined that the mold fungal bodies were isolated to the cover. However, spores and hyphae can be invisible to the eye. We successfully surface cleaned the entire textblock, and after solubility testing, were able to treat the original endpapers and flyleaves in aqueous alcohol solutions to address any remaining microbes. However, depending on a few factors, this can have a long-term effect on the strength of the paper. To offset further stress, we made new compound endpapers with additional blank leaves, hinged with textile at front and back, and sewed through that hinge to attach them to the textblock’s new spine lining material. This assemblage will take the mechanical strain inherent in opening the new case. The moldy binders’ board remnants were discarded, and the original bookcloth was treated to dessicate mold throughout the thickness of the cloth. The original bookcloth, along with a note about the still noticeable, but greatly improved, condition and non-toxic treatment was sealed into a polyester envelope to be housed with the new binding. We imagine that Russ would approve, and future researchers will find this a suitably sustainable solution.</span></p>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img style="float: left;" title="A close up image of hands sliding a metal tool under the endpaper of an opened book cover and its flyleaf. Manuscript writing in ballpoint ink is seen on the papers." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-CONS_20220802_24.jpg" width="503" height="377" alt="Ben Conklin uses a lifting knife to split the book board and lift the endpaper pastedown from a wate">
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<td style="text-align: left;"><span class="TextRun SCXW22571073 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW22571073 BCX0">Ben Conklin uses a lifting knife to split the book board and lift the endpaper <br />pastedown from a water and mold damaged book cover. <br />SIA Acc. 16-179. Field notes, <span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW22571073 BCX0">Xalapa</span> and Chiapas, Mexico, 2001. <br />Image no. SIA-CONS_20220802_24</span></span></td>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img style="float: left;" title="A close up image of hands using small tools on an opened book over a perforated metal surface. Manuscript writing in ballpoint ink is seen on the papers." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-CONS_20220802_23.jpg" width="504" height="378" alt="Ben Conklin uses HEPA filtered suction over a downdraft table to remove particulates from a water an">
</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166390532 BCX0">Ben Conklin uses HEPA filtered suction over a downdraft table to remove <br />particulates from </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW166390532 BCX0">a water</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166390532 BCX0"> and mold damaged book cover. <br />SIA Acc. 16-179. Field notes, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW166390532 BCX0">Xalapa</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166390532 BCX0"> and Chiapas, Mexico, 2001</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166390532 BCX0">. <br /></span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166390532 BCX0">Image no.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW166390532 BCX0">SIA-CONS_20220802_23</span></td>
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<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">Related Collections</h4>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span class="TextRun SCXW99781587 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW99781587 BCX0">Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 16-179, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, Research Records</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW99781587 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></li>
</ul>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">Related Resources</h4>
<ul style="list-style-type: disc;">
<li style="text-align: left;"><span data-contrast="auto">Read another Greenberg field book, transcribed by our Volunpeers for World Migratory Bird Day. </span><a href="https://transcription.si.edu/project/17147"><span data-contrast="none">Russell Greenberg - Field notes, Mexico, 1987 | Smithsonian Digital Volunteers (si.edu)</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span data-contrast="auto">Lockshin, Nora S., and R. William Bennett III. “Smudges, Snakeskins, and Pins, Oh My!” </span><em><span data-contrast="auto">Book and Paper Group Annual</span></em><span data-contrast="auto"> 37 (2018): 125–42. </span><a href="https://cool.culturalheritage.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v37/bpga37-21.pdf"><span data-contrast="none">https://cool.culturalheritage.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v37/bpga37-21.pdf</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span data-contrast="auto">On James Smithson, coffee house culture and scientific exchange, by Pamela Henson. </span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/james-smithson-oxford"><span data-contrast="none">https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/james-smithson-oxford</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></li>
</ul>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-3 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Categories: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/behind-scenes">Behind the Scenes</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-4 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Tags: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/tag/field-book-project">Field Book Project</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/blog/tag/conservation">Conservation</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/tag/birds">Birds</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/blog/tag/migratory">Migratory</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-header-image field--type-image field--label-above"><div class="field__label">header_image: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><img data-src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-CONS_20220802_30.gif" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/all/modules/lazyloader/image_placeholder.gif" width="1024" height="576" alt="A close up moving image of hands using a metal tool to lift brown fibers off white paper that is illuminated from below. Manuscript writing in ballpoint ink is seen on the paper below." title="Ben Conklin uses a lifting knife to split the book board and lift the endpaper pastedown from a water and mold damaged book cover." /><noscript><img src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-CONS_20220802_30.gif" width="1024" height="576" alt="A close up moving image of hands using a metal tool to lift brown fibers off white paper that is illuminated from below. Manuscript writing in ballpoint ink is seen on the paper below." title="Ben Conklin uses a lifting knife to split the book board and lift the endpaper pastedown from a water and mold damaged book cover." /></noscript></div></div></div>Thu, 29 Sep 2022 21:30:18 +0000LockshinN101042 at https://siarchives.si.eduWalking in the Footsteps of Hungerfords
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/walking-footsteps-hungerfords
<div class="field field--name-field-guest-author field--type-text field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">William Bennett</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Conservator William Bennett shares highlights from his August 2022 visit to the United Kingdom, where he visited four archival repositories, viewed and studied 54 different documents, and spoke with three local experts in his quest to better understand the Hungerford Deed and James Smithson’s milieu.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p style="text-align: left;">Readers of <em>The Bigger Picture</em> will be familiar with the Hungerford Deed, a 1787 property contract dividing a lucrative land inheritance between the mother and aunt of the Smithsonian’s founding donor, James Smithson. Over the last three years I have been able to take a deep dive into the content of the Deed and strengthen our understanding of Smithson’s choice to leave his wealth to the United States and form the Institution—and have shared many of those findings here and in the online exhibit <em><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/history/tale-two-sisters">A Tale of Two Sisters</a></em>. But many questions still remain.</p>
<p>Last month, I had the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom to try and begin answering some of these questions. I visited four archival repositories, viewed and studied 54 different documents, and spoke with three local experts in my quest to better understand the Deed and James Smithson’s milieu (logging 140,776 steps over 68.03 miles!). Highlights include seeing the following:</p>
<p><strong>Smithson’s naturalization document</strong>. James Smithson was born in Paris and had to be naturalized a British citizen at the age of nine. At the time, this required a private act in the British Parliament, so I visited their archives to see this document, which places limitations on his citizenship despite claiming his rights and privileges would be the same as other citizens.</p>
<p><strong><em><img class="centered imagecache" title="The National Archives hold the voluminous legal records of Chancery, where Macie v Walker was decided in 1787, along with wills and other Hungerford family lawsuits. Image courtesy of William Bennett." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/IMG_2400.JPG" width="340" height="453" alt="A modern glass atrium sits adjacent to a bulky concrete building, fronted by an expansive paved cour">
</em></strong></p>
<p><strong><em>Macie v Walker</em></strong>. The Hungerford Deed recounts Smithson’s mother, Elizabeth Macie, suing her sister, Henrietta Maria Walker, to enforce the partition of Hungerford lands. It was thrilling to see the paperwork from Macie’s lawsuit and read in her own words her accusations against her sister, as well as see her seal and signature.</p>
<p><img class="centered imagecache" title="The legal firm that helped authenticate Smithson's will was housed here in Lincoln's Inn from at least the 1820s until the 1970s. Image courtesy of William Bennett." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/IMG_2959.JPG" width="340" height="255" alt="A brick Georgian rowhouse with white sash windows looks onto a London garden square.">
</p>
<p><strong><em>US President vs Charles Drummond</em></strong>. To secure Smithson’s bequest, American diplomat Richard Rush was dispatched to the United Kingdom, where he launched his own suit to obtain the funds. Drummond was Smithson’s executor and raised some questions about whether Smithson could bequeath money out of the country, and this battle is captured in the legal documents.</p>
<p><strong><img class="centered imagecache" title="Studley House is today the hub of a working sheep farm. Image courtesy of William Bennett." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/IMG_1868.JPG" width="339" height="254" alt="An L-shaped stacked stone and mortar house with a slate roof and white-painted sash windows sits ami">
</strong></p>
<p><strong>Studley House</strong>. This property was coveted by Walker and she obtained it in the partition. I was able to visit during my travels and see it firsthand. Studley is one of the properties we know the most about due to a well-documented history of ownership. The current house was built during Smithson’s lifetime but was not the original home Walker received in the partition.</p>
<p><strong><img class="centered imagecache" title="Cadenham Manor, built by Macie and Walker's great-grandfather, replaced an earlier stately home that had become too expensive for the Hungerfords to maintain. Image courtesy of William Bennett." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/IMG_1952_1.JPG" width="341" height="255" alt="A Georgian stone mansion of classical proportions contrasts with a vibrant blue sky. The left-hand w">
</strong></p>
<p><strong>Cadenham Manor</strong>. While this home was not included in the Hungerford Deed (it had already passed out of the family’s hands), the house was built by Macie and Walker’s great-grandfather, Sir George Hungerford. His conflict with his second son, Walter, is reminiscent of the family disagreements between Macie and Walker, and his aspirations to grandeur reflected in his home recall Macie and Walker’s pursuit of their Hungerford legacy.</p>
<p>Much remains to be done with my research before our questions will all be answered, and there are still gaps in our knowledge, but this was an important first step. For now, enjoy these additional images of some of the places Smithson and his family frequented, and stay tuned for more as I dive further into my notes.</p>
<p><img class="centered imagecache" title="Smithson's mother, Elizabeth Macie, lived in Queen Square in the city of Bath when she met Smithson's father, the Duke of Northumberland. A local researcher believes her home was one of the constituent row houses that now make up this hotel. Image courtesy of William Bennett." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/IMG_2293.JPG" width="340" height="255" alt="A row of Georgian limestone townhouses with symmetrical details recede from the viewer along a paved">
<img class="centered imagecache" title="Many of the civic records of London are housed in the London Metropolitan Archives, including marriage records like those of the Walkers. Image courtesy of William Bennett." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/IMG_3353.JPG" london metropolitan archives and bearing the arms of city protrudes from a brick wall silhouetted against blue sky. width="340" height="255" alt="A red banner reading ">
<img class="centered imagecache" title="Elizabeth Macie made this house her London residence in the 1780s, just down the river from the Duke of Northumberland's Syon House. Image courtesy of William Bennett." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/IMG_3373.JPG" width="340" height="255" alt="A two-story white brick home with tile roof and twin dormers is slightly overgrown with climbing vin">
</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-3 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Categories: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/collections-focus">Collections in Focus</a></div></div></div>Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:05:00 +0000BennettW101035 at https://siarchives.si.eduAn Operation of Its Own: Brigitte Blachere and Programming within the Smithsonian Associates
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/operation-its-own-brigitte-b-blachere-and-programming-within-smithsonian-associates
<div class="field field--name-field-guest-author field--type-text field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">Maia Johnston, Institutional History Division Intern</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>A collection of interviews from 2013 records the history of the Smithsonian Associates. One of the recordings featured Brigitte Blachere, a program manager of the organization. She detailed the youth and family programs she has developed for 23 years.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Nothing about the Smithsonian Institution can be described as small, especially the impact of its staff. As an intern with the Libraries and Archives Summer Scholars’ Program, I had the opportunity to learn more about staff at the Smithsonian Associates. Over the course of two months, I explored the dedication and inspiration behind the programs produced by Associates through processing a series of oral history interviews.</p>
<p>In 2013, director <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/wonderful-women-wednesday-barbara-tuceling" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Barbara S. Tuceling</a> sat down with her staff to record and recognize the groundbreaking work of Smithsonian Associates’ employees. In an interview on September 5, Tuceling asked Brigitte Blachere to discuss programming within the educational unit. Blachere revealed the enlightening and entertaining opportunities she had provided youth and families for 23 years.</p>
<p>Brigette Blachere began her career with the Smithsonian Associates as a program manager in July 1999. She participated in and produced a variety of programs, including the Smithsonian Kite Festival, Smithsonian Sleepovers, and Smithsonian Summer Camp.</p>
<p><img class="centered imagecache" title="Kite Carnival on the National Mall, 1967. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 11-008, Image no. OPA-1022." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-OPA-1022.jpg" width="643" height="877" alt="Twelve black-and-white film negatives of people enjoying a kite festival. The Washington Monument is">
</p>
<p>Founded by the Smithsonian Associates in 1967, the Smithsonian Kite Festival was one of the first kite festivals in the United States to cast flying competitions. In her oral history interview, Blachere distinguished it as the “grandaddy” kite festival because of its “longstanding grandeur.” Despite its breezy appeal, the festival was often overlooked or under booked due to scheduling conflicts with the National Cherry Blossom Festival. It was Blachere who enveloped the kites into the National Cherry Blossom Festival to designate its importance to the Smithsonian. Even though the kite festival is no longer connected to the Smithsonian, it has been adopted by the National Cherry Blossom Festival and continues today.</p>
<p>Blachere implemented the treasured Smithsonian Sleepovers following the release of the film<em> Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian </em>(2009). This event was originally held in the National Museum of Natural History, where guests could camp in their sleeping bags and experience a behind-the-scenes look at the museum, crafts, and guest speakers. Blachere examined how the sleepovers "evolved over time" into an "exploration of extremes [with] a guided journey of the museums." Once the sleepovers dazzled the public, there was an explosion of interest throughout the Smithsonian and all over the world. The programs have expanded their overnight explorations to include the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery.</p>
<p><img class="centered imagecache" title="Promotional photograph for the Smithsonian Associates' Night at the Museum programs from 2020. This photograph depicts a sleepover setup at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center. " src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/dsc_9277.jpg" width="789" height="526" alt="Four green cots are set up on the floor of the National Air and Space Museum. A large spaceship is i">
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<p>Currently, Blachere manages the Smithsonian Summer Camp for children. Beginning in the late 1960s, the camp conjured connections to the vast grounds and museums on the National Mall. Blachere inherited the program in 1999 and considered it to be an “operation of its own” because of the mass public interest. Recognizing the need for before-and-after camp care for working families, she was determined to supply activities for every grade level. The Smithsonian Summer Camp continues to thrive under her leadership, operating in-person and virtually.</p>
<p>Throughout my investigation of Blachere’s work, I found myself drawn to the accessibility of the programs and the ways they have welcomed the public and complemented the Smithsonian Institution’s mission for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge.” It is this openness, this passion for the people, and this commitment to the craft that has inspired me in my own work. With ample experience working in a public library and hosting programs for the public, I am no stranger to the complexities of it all. Brigitte B. Blachere’s achievements have not been lost on me, and their resolve is a reminder I will carry with me in my pursuit of a master’s degree in library science. </p>
<p><strong>Related Resources</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>History of the Smithsonian Associated Oral History Interviews, <a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_381526" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Record Unit 9634</a>, Smithsonian Institution Archives</li>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-header-image field--type-image field--label-above"><div class="field__label">header_image: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><img data-src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-OPA-1022%20copy.jpg" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/all/modules/lazyloader/image_placeholder.gif" width="868" height="1184" alt="Twelve black-and-white film negatives of people enjoying a kite festival. The Washington Monument is visible in some of the images. " title="Kite Carnival on the National Mall, 1967. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 11-008, Image no. OPA-1022." /><noscript><img src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-OPA-1022%20copy.jpg" width="868" height="1184" alt="Twelve black-and-white film negatives of people enjoying a kite festival. The Washington Monument is visible in some of the images. " title="Kite Carnival on the National Mall, 1967. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 11-008, Image no. OPA-1022." /></noscript></div></div></div>Thu, 08 Sep 2022 18:29:08 +0000NiekraszEJ101031 at https://siarchives.si.eduHarrison Lomax: Smithsonian Employee, Civil War Veteran, Husband, Father
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/harrison-lomax-smithsonian-employee-civil-war-veteran-husband-father
<div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a laborer at the Smithsonian from 1882 until his death in 1918, Harrison Lomax served the Institution’s top leaders. A letter in our collections that he wrote to Secretary Samuel P. Langley is an example of the ways in which African American employees advocated for themselves in order to earn promotions and raises.</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harrison Lomax had already worked for the Smithsonian for 21 years when he wrote to </span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/history/samual-pierpont-langley" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Secretary Samuel P. Langley</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in 1903 to request a pay raise. Lomax, like most African American employees at the Institution, was hired as a “laborer.” In 1882, he earned $40 per month, and by the time he wrote this letter to Secretary Langley two decades later, he made just $41.66.</span></p>
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<div class="captioned centered with-par"><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/IMG_7486.jpg" title=" Harrison Lomax file, 1903. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 31, Box 43. " rel="lightbox[slideshow]" >
<img class="imagefield imagefield-field_images nocaptions" title="" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/IMG_7486.jpg" alt="Letter from Lomax to Langley requesting a pay raise, since his pay had been raised less than two dol">
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<p> Harrison Lomax file, 1903. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 31, Box 43. </p>
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<img class="imagefield imagefield-field_images nocaptions" title="" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/IMG_7488%20%281%29.jpg" alt="In a letter dated March 24, 1903, Hodge mentioned that he knew of Lomax's work and deserved a raise.">
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<p> Harrison Lomax file, 1903. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 31, Box 43. </p>
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<div class="captioned centered with-par"><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/IMG_7487%20%281%29.jpg" title=" Harrison Lomax file, 1903. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 31, Box 43. " rel="lightbox[slideshow]" >
<img class="imagefield imagefield-field_images nocaptions" title="" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/IMG_7487%20%281%29.jpg" alt='In a letter dated March 26, 1903, Hodge wrote a letter to the Secretary praising "Harrison."'>
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<p> Harrison Lomax file, 1903. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 31, Box 43. </p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In response to the note below the letter, pictured above, in which Lomax’s supervisor refers to him as “faithful and diligent,” archaeologist </span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_393248" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frederick W. Hodge</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, then executive assistant in charge of the International Exchange Service, made his own, perhaps curt, reply. Hodge clearly understood Lomax’s merits, writing:</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></p>
<blockquote><p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">It is scarcely necessary to mention Harrison’s faithfulness and industry, which are already well known to the Secretary.</span></em></p>
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<p>In another note, written directly to Secretary Langley’s office, Hodge scribbled a response to Lomax’s petition. Hodge wrote:</p>
<blockquote><p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fact that Harrison has been a faithful employee at the Institution for twenty-one years and satisfactorily attends to the needs of the Secretary’s offices and the Regents’ room would doubtless be regarded as sufficient warrant for the slight increase in his salary.</span></em></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though Lomax earned a slight increase of $45 per month, this exchange reveals the challenges African American employees faced at the Institution. Black employees would not be promoted, despite their “faithfulness and industry.” African American laborers during this period advanced at the Institution only by advocating for themselves. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img class="centered imagecache" title="African American laborers at the Smithsonian, c. 1890. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Image no. SIA2009-0430." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-94-9551.jpg" width="697" height="549" alt="African American laborers pose for a photograph. All but one are wearing white uniforms. ">
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Harrison Lomax was born in Virginia around 1845. Before joining the Institution, he served in the Union Army as a </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">teamster, responsible for transporting goods to and from camps, with the Quartermaster's Department. By the time Lomax joined the Smithsonian, he was married to Ann Lomax, and the two had three daughters—Delia, Lotta, and Fanny.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img class="centered imagecache" title="Harrison Lomax, Civil War Pension Index, National Archives and Records Administration. U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934, Record Group Number: 15; Series Title: U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; Series Number: T288; Roll: 287." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/32959_032952-01762.jpg" width="688" height="451" alt='A military pension card for Harrison Lomax. He filed in Virginia and is listed in the class "invalid'>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In his first years as a laborer at the Smithsonian, Lomax primarily worked as a driver for the chief clerk’s office. In addition to serving as a chauffeur to </span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_217239"><span style="font-weight: 400;">William Jones Rhees</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Lomax also delivered packages, stuffed envelopes, cleaned rooms, and delivered messages. </span></p>
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<p>Letter from Harrison Lomax describing his duties as requested of employees by Secretary Spencer F. Baird, December 28, 1884. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7081, Folder: Employee Material 2.</p>
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<p>List of questions requested of employees by Secretary Spencer F. Baird, 1884. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7081, Folder: Employee Material 2.</p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ten years later, Lomax worked even more directly with the Institution’s leaders. He was in charge of maintaining and cleaning the offices of Secretary Langley, chief clerk Rhees, and assistant Secretary and curator of exchanges </span><a href="https://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1897AN....142..271L"><span style="font-weight: 400;">William Crawford Winlock</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Aside from building fires, sweeping the floors, and supplying water to each of the rooms, Lomax did even more of the heavy lifting. When large shipments of freight packages, books, and records arrived, Lomax was “always considered immediately available” to assist in the loading and unloading. He continued his work for the Institution until his death in 1918.</span></p>
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<p>Letter to William Jones Rhees requesting job descriptions of all messengers, laborers, and cleaners, January 3, 1981. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7081, Folder: Employee Material 4. </p>
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<p>Description of Lomax's duties, 1891. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7081, Folder: Employee Material 4.</p>
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<p>Description of Lomax's duties, 1891. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7081, Folder: Employee Material 4. </p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though we don’t know much about the details of Lomax’s personal life, we can catch glimpses of his later life from government records. The federal census describes Lomax as the owner of a home at 930 Lamont Street NW, in the Park View neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Additionally, through official marriage records, we know Lomax remarried, after years as a widower, Louise T. Lyles in August 1915 at the age of 69. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just three years after his new marriage, Lomax passed away in his home. His obituary, which was included in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Evening Star</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, then Washington’s mainstream newspaper, reveals he was a patron of the </span><a href="https://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/vermont-avenue-baptist-church-african-american-heritage-trail"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vermont Street Baptist Church</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and a member of the fraternal organization the </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_United_Order_of_Odd_Fellows_in_America"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grand United Order of Odd Fellows</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img class="centered imagecache" title="Harrison Lomax obituary, Evening Star, January 29, 1918." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/News_Article__Evening_Star_published_as_THE_EVENING_STAR.___January_29_1918__p7%20%281%29.jpg" width="821" height="663" alt="Lomax's obituary, which describes his funeral service as the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church and his i">
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<p>Through the few documents we've examined related to Lomax in our collections and in government records, it is clear that he was highly regarded by leaders throughout the Smithsonian during his 36-year career at the Institution. </p>
<p><strong>Related Resources</strong></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/African-Americans/solomon-brown"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Solomon Brown</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">African American Groundbreakers at the Smithsonian: Challenges and Achievements</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Smithsonian Institution Archives</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/African-Americans/james-thomas-gant"><span style="font-weight: 400;">James Thomas Gant</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">African American Groundbreakers at the Smithsonian: Challenges and Achievements</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Smithsonian Institution Archives</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/archival-fingerprints-meredith-smith-diggs"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Archival Fingerprints - Meredith Smith Diggs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” by Mitch Toda, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Bigger Picture</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Smithsonian Institution Archives</span></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-header-image field--type-image field--label-above"><div class="field__label">header_image: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><img data-src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-94-9551.jpg" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/all/modules/lazyloader/image_placeholder.gif" width="1199" height="944" alt="African American laborers pose for a photograph. All but one are wearing white uniforms. " title="African American laborers at the Smithsonian, c. 1890. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Image no. SIA2009-0430." /><noscript><img src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-94-9551.jpg" width="1199" height="944" alt="African American laborers pose for a photograph. All but one are wearing white uniforms. " title="African American laborers at the Smithsonian, c. 1890. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Image no. SIA2009-0430." /></noscript></div></div></div>Thu, 01 Sep 2022 19:36:37 +0000NiekraszEJ101025 at https://siarchives.si.eduThe Puget Sound Biological Station
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/puget-sound-biological-station
<div class="field field--name-field-guest-author field--type-text field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">Mariah Wahl, Data Specialist, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW46865219 BCX4">We’re</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW46865219 BCX4"> e</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW46865219 BCX4">xploring </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW46865219 BCX4">the storied history of Friday Harbor Labs</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW46865219 BCX4">, a </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW46865219 BCX4">MarineGEO</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW46865219 BCX4"> site,</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW46865219 BCX4"> in Washington State</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW46865219 BCX4">.</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p><span data-contrast="auto">Friday Harbor Labs, formerly known as the Puget Sound Biological Station, has been a professional home to many Smithsonian scientists, including groundbreaking women such as </span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/history/mary-e-rice" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span data-contrast="none">Mary Rice</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> and </span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/mildred-stratton-wilson" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span data-contrast="none">Mildred Stratton Wilson</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">. Located on San Juan Island, between Seattle and Vancouver, the labs present a unique location for the study of ocean flora and fauna in the Pacific Northwest. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<p>Puget Sound Biological Station laboratories, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington, ca. 1926, photograph by John Nathan Cobb.</p>
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<img class="imagefield imagefield-field_images nocaptions" title="" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/Puget_Sound_Biological_Station_laboratories%2C_Friday_Harbor%2C_San_Juan_Island%2C_Washington%2C_ca_1926_%28COBB_335%29.jpeg" alt="Black-and-white photograph of houses on the edge of a body of water. The cameraperson was on a boat ">
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">Founded in 1903 by University of Washington zoologist </span><span data-contrast="none">Trevor Kincaid</span><span data-contrast="auto">, the labs have been a foundational location in the study of marine biology for many researchers, including Smithsonian fellows. The labs were a small, humble project, originally—in 1903, the first “laboratory” of the station was a three-and-a-half by ten foot table under a Douglas fir tree. The next year, Professor Kincaid and </span><span data-contrast="none">Professor T. C. Frye</span><span data-contrast="auto"> began teaching the lab’s first classes in an abandoned fish cannery building nearby. When the current lab’s location was secured, most buildings were tent structures erected for classrooms and housing. Slowly, the labs have been built into a large campus of different laboratories, classrooms, and housing, for researchers all over the world to learn and discover more about marine life. The Smithsonian cemented a relationship with the labs in 1952, when former Smithsonian Insitution curator of invertebrates </span><a href="https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/handle/1773/49164" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span data-contrast="auto">Paul Il</span><span data-contrast="auto">l</span><span data-contrast="none">g</span></a> <span data-contrast="auto">began working at the labs in a professional move that would span four decades. Many Smithsonian Institution fellows conduct annual research at the labs to this day.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">A </span><a href="https://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=friday+harbor+labs&start=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span data-contrast="none">quick search</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> for “Friday Harbor Labs” in Smithsonian collections reveals dozens of important samples collected over the last century, furthering our understanding of marine ecosystems. Records like </span><a href="https://collections.si.edu/search/detail/edanmdm:nmnhinvertebratezoology_898926?q=friday+harbor+labs&record=6&hlterm=friday%2Bharbor%2Blabs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span data-contrast="none">this one</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> demonstrate what a vital role the labs continue to play in collections like those found at the National Museum of Natural History. </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{}"><img class="centered imagecache" title="Catalog record of Cyphocaris challengeri Stebbing specimen collected from Friday Harbor field labs, National Museum of Natural History." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/NMNH-crt-103546-card-000001.jpg" width="499" height="297" alt='Specimen card for "Cyphocaris challengeri Stebbing." Catalog number 105546. It was collected at the '>
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<p><strong>Related Resources</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><span data-contrast="auto">“</span><a href="https://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/FHLTimeline.html"><span data-contrast="none">Historical Centennial Timeline for the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories 1903-2010</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">,” compiled by Claudia E. Mills and Colin O. Hermans</span> </li>
<li><span data-contrast="auto">“</span><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.69.1786.331"><span data-contrast="none">The Puget Sound Biological Station</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">,” </span><em><span data-contrast="auto">Science</span></em><span data-contrast="auto">, 22 Mar 1929, by Charles J. Chamberlain</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
<li><span data-contrast="auto">"</span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/history/mary-e-rice"><span data-contrast="none">Mary E. Rice</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">," oral history webpage, Smithsonian Institution Archives</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
<li><span data-contrast="auto">“</span><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/mildred-stratton-wilson"><span data-contrast="none">Mildred Stratton Wilson</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">,” by Mariah Wahl, </span><em><span data-contrast="auto">The Bigger Picture</span></em><span data-contrast="auto">, Smithsonian Institution Archives</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></li>
</ul>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-3 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Categories: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/smithsonian-history">Smithsonian History</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-4 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Tags: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/tag/women-science">Women in Science</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/blog/tag/smithsonian-women">Smithsonian Women</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-header-image field--type-image field--label-above"><div class="field__label">header_image: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><img data-src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/IMG_2822.JPG" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/all/modules/lazyloader/image_placeholder.gif" width="1536" height="2049" alt="Up-close view of a long, two-story building, connected to the land by a small bridge. It's clear that other building structures are also in the background. " title="Friday Harbor Labs, present-day. Photo by Mariah Wahl." /><noscript><img src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/IMG_2822.JPG" width="1536" height="2049" alt="Up-close view of a long, two-story building, connected to the land by a small bridge. It's clear that other building structures are also in the background. " title="Friday Harbor Labs, present-day. Photo by Mariah Wahl." /></noscript></div></div></div>Thu, 25 Aug 2022 13:43:21 +0000Anonymous101021 at https://siarchives.si.eduWonderful Women Wednesday: Lillian Kozloski
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/wonderful-women-wednesday-lillian-kozloski
<div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Each week, the Archives features a woman who has been a groundbreaker at the Smithsonian, past or present, in a series titled Wonderful Women Wednesday.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lillian </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kozloski was a specialist with the National Air and Space Museum’s department of science and technology from 1977 to 1995. She was an expert in the history and development of space suits and of women in aerospace. In 1994, she published </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">U.S. Space Gear: Outfitting the Astronaut</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Throughout her career, Kozloski was an advocate for women in the workplace. She was a member of the Smithsonian Institution Women’s Council and helped organize training workshops for the D.C. Chapter of Federally Employed Women. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kozloski earned an associate’s degree from Mount Aloysius College in 1954 and her bachelor’s degree from George Mason University in 1981.</span></p>
<p><img class="centered imagecache" title="Group Portrait of Women's Week Coordinators During International Women's Year, 1975. Kozloski is furthest on the right. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 371, Image no. 75-7976-23." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-75-7976-23.jpg" width="791" height="641" alt="A group of eight women stand in a line and pose for a photograph in front of a tall doorway. ">
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<p><strong>Related Resources</strong></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/support/wall-of-honor/lillian-dzmura-kozloski"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lillian Dzmura Kozloski</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Wall of Honor, National Air and Space Museum</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=lillian-terese-kozloski-dzmura&pid=193044949"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lillian Terese (Dzmura) Kozloski</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, obituary, Legacy</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">“</span><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-10-16-8802080396-story.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Galactic Goals</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">” by Joyce Dall Acqua and Smithsonian News Service, Chicago Tribune, October 16, 1988</span></li>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-3 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Categories: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/smithsonian-history">Smithsonian History</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-4 field--type-entityreference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Tags: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/tag/wonderful-women-wednesday">Wonderful Women Wednesday</a></div></div></div>Wed, 24 Aug 2022 15:17:00 +0000NiekraszEJ101017 at https://siarchives.si.eduCelebrating National Radio Day
https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/celebrating-national-radio-day
<div class="field field--name-field-guest-author field--type-text field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">Kira Sobers</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-synopsis field--type-text-long field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>We’ve shared a lot about <em>The World Is Yours</em>, the Smithsonian’s first educational radio show, but this National Radio Day, we are highlighting some of the other radio programs in our collections.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><p>Over the last two years, we have shared a lot about <em><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/its-national-radio-day-and-world-yours" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The World Is Yours</a>, </em>the Smithsonian’s first educational radio program, but that is certainly not the only radio show in our collections. This National Radio Day, we’re taking a moment to highlight some of the other amazing programs that we are sure you will enjoy.</p><p><img class="centered imagecache" title="Watson Davis (right) and Dr. Raymond D. Garver (left) of U.S. Forest Survey on air January 20, 1945. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 90-105, Image no. SIA2008-1817." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-SIA2008-1817.jpg" width="801" height="654" alt="Two men are seated at a table, A microphone and a water pitcher is in between them. " /></p><p><em>Adventures in Science</em> was a weekly radio show created by Science Service between 1938 and 1958, with disruptions in programming during World War II and football seasons. Programs featured interviews between Science Service director Watson Davis and an expert scientist in the field of a relevant topic. Some of the interviews included Dr. Thomas M. Rivers, medical director of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, <a href="https://transcription.si.edu/project/36754" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">discussing the rollout of the polio vaccine</a>; Dr. Genevieve Stearns, research professor of the School of Medicine at the State University of Iowa, <a href="https://transcription.si.edu/project/36612" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">discussing childhood nutrition</a>; and Dr. Leone N. Claman, attending phyisican in charge of allergies at the New York Infirmary, <a href="https://transcription.si.edu/project/36757" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">discussing causes and treatments for allergic reactions</a>.</p><p><em>Radio Smithsonian</em> began its weekly half-hour broadcasts in the summer of 1969. The program was played by local radio stations in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area and educational radio stations around the country and overseas. The intention of the broadcasts was to provide information about the activities of the Smithsonian to the public, and, as a result, the programs covered a wide range of topics. Episode 667, which aired on September 19, 1982, featured the work of artist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Greco" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">El Greco</a>, a brief history of fashion, and comments from photographer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berenice_Abbott" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Berenice Abbott</a> and playwright <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Hellman" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lillian Hellman</a> on women in America. Listen to Berenice Abbott discuss why so many artists fled to France after World War I.</p><p><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-audio/SIA000590_A0001OM_000325-000403.mp3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Listen here</a>. </p><blockquote><p><em>[Berenice Abbott] Uh, then you’d hear “well, Paris is the art center.” And indeed it really was and it was a genuine one because the rulers of France from earliest, very earliest times were interested in art and who used it. All the Middle Ages. All the things they built were commissioned. The making of Versailles. All the parks, the fountains, the churches. There was a tremendous thing of a lively activity. The soil was rich to grow. If you have no soil, how can you grow?</em></p></blockquote><p><em><img class="centered imagecache" title="Portrait of Ann Carroll, Voice of "Radio Smithsonian," 1978, by Lawrence Kline. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 371, Image no. 94-2876." src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/blog-attached-images/SIA-94-2876-000001.jpg" width="838" height="685" alt="A portrait of a woman seated a desk. She is smiling toward the camera. A microphone hangs near her h" /></em></p><p><em>Smithsonian Galaxy</em>, a series of two-and-a-half-minute radio features about the work of the Institution's curatorial, scientific, and research staffs, began production in 1978, and was broadcast throughout the United States and overseas. Each edition featured four separate recordings on topics ranging from astronomy to the history of the teddy bear and from entomology to traveling medicine shows. You can listen to Edition 26, which featured African American folk culture, ancient Swedish rock carvings, the photography of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Eisenstaedt" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alfred Eisenstaedt</a>, and crime-solving with the FBI, <a href="https://transcription.si.edu/project/17294" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p><p><em><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_251665" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Black Radio: Telling It Like It Was</a></em> was a 13-part program produced by Radio Smithsonian that told the story of the impact of radio on America’s Black communities through interviews with radio hosts, record executives, and cultural historians. The series was produced by Jacquie Gales Webb and hosted by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Rawls" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lou Rawls</a>, and it won a <a href="https://peabodyawards.com/award-profile/black-radio-telling-it-like-it-was/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peabody Award</a> in 1996. Take a listen to a clip from the episode titled “A Woman’s Touch.”</p><p><a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/attached-audio/SIA04-080_A0007AC_000258-000352.mp3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Listen here</a>. </p><blockquote><p><em>[music playing]</em></p><p><em>[Lou Rawls] Black Radio: Telling It Like it Was. A history of radio and the African American culture. I’m Lou Rawls.</em></p><p><em>[music playing]</em></p><p><em>[hip hop music playing]</em></p><p><em>[Lou Rawls] You know, some talented folks work in Black radio. And while African American men have dominated the industry, Black women have been there from the beginning. And they’ve been having their say. Contributing their skills and struggling to survive. </em></p><p><em>[music playing]</em></p><p><em>[woman rapping] Take this down as a dictation, we’re a true hip hop radio station from the North to South, East to West y’all. AJ’s bout to rip up the roll call. I made the switch to 106 to play the jams that ya like now I’m flowing in the morning with the Jamma.</em></p><p><em>[man rapping] Right, right. </em></p><p><em>[woman rapping] Perkin’ ya up, like a cuppa hot coffee. The competition’s weak, they need to back up off me…</em></p></blockquote><p>As the Libraries and Archives media digitzation manager, part of my job is to digitize these radio programs and make them available to our researchers. There are more programs like these in our collections waiting to be discovered, and everytime I find one, I fall in love with my job all over again.</p><p><strong>Related Resources </strong></p><ul><li>“<a href="https://siarchives.si.edu/blog/its-national-radio-day-and-world-yours" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">It's National Radio Day and The World Is Yours</a>” by Kira Sobers and Emily Niekrasz, <em>The Bigger Picture, </em>Smithsonian Institution Archives</li></ul></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-header-image field--type-image field--label-above"><div class="field__label">header_image: </div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><img data-src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-SIA2008-1817.jpg" src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/all/modules/lazyloader/image_placeholder.gif" width="1200" height="980" alt="Two men are seated at a table, A microphone and a water pitcher is in between them. " title="Watson Davis (right) and Dr. Raymond D. Garver (left) of U.S. Forest Survey on air January 20, 1945. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 90-105, Image no. SIA2008-1817." /><noscript><img src="https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/header_images/SIA-SIA2008-1817.jpg" width="1200" height="980" alt="Two men are seated at a table, A microphone and a water pitcher is in between them. " title="Watson Davis (right) and Dr. Raymond D. Garver (left) of U.S. Forest Survey on air January 20, 1945. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 90-105, Image no. SIA2008-1817." /></noscript></div></div></div>Thu, 18 Aug 2022 14:20:39 +0000Anonymous101009 at https://siarchives.si.edu
