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Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 463

National Collection of Fine Arts/National Portrait Gallery Library

Records, 1916, 1922, 1929-1930, 1946-1984

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:National Collection of Fine Arts/National Portrait Gallery Library
Title:Records
Dates:1916, 1922, 1929-1930, 1946-1984
Quantity:6.58 cu. ft. (6 record storage boxes) (1 tall document box)
Collection:Record Unit 463
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These records document the opening of the National Collection of Fine Arts and the National Portrait Gallery in the Patent Office Building in 1968. Included are press kits; photographs; development files; pamphlets of the opening; catalogs from the "Henry Ward Ranger" exhibition, 1929-1930; an annotated copy of "Catalog of Collections," volume I, 1922, by William Henry Holmes; and minutes of the Smithsonian Art Commission, 1963-1964. There are a few records predating 1964 in this record unit, including House and Senate bills and congressional records relating to Smithsonian interests and activities; and one folder devoted to the bequest of Reverend Bruce Hughes of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, to establish the "Hughes Alcove" and fund efforts to amass "a reference library of art works" for study.

Also included are newsletters, association information, library count sheets, policies, minutes of meetings, surveys, a variety of reports, brochures, volunteer and internship information, and other general administrative records. Some materials date to when the museum was known as the National Gallery of Art.

Historical Note

The Fine Arts and Portrait Gallery Library was established in 1965 as a joint operation of the National Collection of Fine Arts (NFCA) and the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) and was originally housed in the Arts and Industries Building. In 1968, the two museums moved into the newly-renovated Old Patent Office Building, renamed the Fine Arts and Portrait Gallery Building, where the Library continued as before. In 1980, the Library became the National Museum of American Art and Portrait Gallery Library (AA&PG) as a result of the name change.

William B. Walker was hired as Librarian in 1965 and held that position until 1979. Katherine Ratzenberger was named Acting Librarian in 1980 followed by Acting Librarian Susan Gurney in 1981. Cecilia H. Chin served as Librarian of AA&PG Library, 1982- .

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Descriptive Entry

These records document the opening of the National Collection of Fine Arts and the National Portrait Gallery in the Patent Office Building in 1968. Included are press kits; photographs; development files; pamphlets of the opening; catalogs from the Henry Ward Ranger exhibition, 1929-1930; an annotated copy of Catalog of Collections, volume I, 1922, by William Henry Holmes; and minutes of the Smithsonian Art Commission, 1963-1964. There is also one folder devoted to the bequest of Reverend Bruce Hughes of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, to establish the "Hughes Alcove" and fund efforts to amass "a reference library of art works" for study.

Also included are newsletters, library count sheets, policies, minutes of meetings, surveys, a variety of reports, brochures, volunteer and internship information, and other records. Some materials date to when the museum was known as the National Gallery of Art.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 463, National Collection of Fine Arts/National Portrait Gallery Library, Records

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Container List

Box 1

List Posters: Acceptances/Regrets

Box 1 of 7

Opening Invitations: Correspondence

Box 1 of 7

Media Contacts: Pre-Opening

Box 1 of 7

Contact - Miscellaneous

Box 1 of 7

Material: NCFA background

Box 1 of 7

Post-Opening Correspondence

Box 1 of 7

Pre-Opening Dinner Parties

Box 1 of 7

Opening Teas: April 2 & 3, 1968

Box 1 of 7

Lists: Post-Opening Thank-You Notes

Box 1 of 7

Contributors to Exhibits

Box 1 of 7

"Johnson Wax" label information and mediums

Box 1 of 7

NPG Opening

Box 1 of 7

Complete File of "Artyfacts"

Box 1 of 7

Meeting of Smithsonian Art Commission, December 1, 1964

Box 1 of 7

Smithsonian Art Commission Forty-First Annual Meeting, December 3, 1963

Box 1 of 7

"Directions for the National Collection of Fine Arts"

Box 1 of 7

Press Kits

Box 1 of 7

Ford's Theater Celebration Photos

Box 1 of 7

Presentation of a Portrait of Joseph Smith Photos

Box 1 of 7

John J. Lewis Unveiling, June 16th, 1971 Photos

Box 1 of 7

NPG Opening Symposium

Box 1 of 7

NPG Adams Exhibit, December 8, 1970

Box 1 of 7

NPG Opening, A & I Building, October 4, 1966

Box 1 of 7

NCFA Fellows, May 1978

Box 1 of 7

Staff Photographs, NPG and NCFA

Box 1 of 7

NCFA Opening, May 1968. Includes photographs of President and Mrs. Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Box 1 of 7

NCFA - Supplementary list and photos

Box 1 of 7

NCFA opening exhibition archival materials

Box 1 of 7

NCFA Archives

Box 1 of 7

NPG Archives

Box 1 of 7

National Gallery of Art Archive (Folder 1 of 2)

Box 1 of 7

Box 2

National Gallery of Art Archive (Folder 2 of 2)

Box 2 of 7

Bureau of Fine Arts

Box 2 of 7

House & Senate Bills

Box 2 of 7

Senate Bills, 1960

Box 2 of 7

Senate Bills, 1961

Box 2 of 7

Legislative Calendar, 1969

Box 2 of 7

Congressional Record, January 30, 1956

Box 2 of 7

Congressional Record, July 18, 1956

Box 2 of 7

Congressional Record, July 20, 1956

Box 2 of 7

H.R. 4347 (Copyright law)

Box 2 of 7

Smithsonian Institution General Hearings before the Sub-Committee on Library & Memorials (vol. 1)

Box 2 of 7

Smithsonian Institution General Hearings before the Sub-Committee on Library & Memorials (vol. 2)

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1959

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1959

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1963

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1959

Box 2 of 7

Senate Bills, 1960

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1958

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1957

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1961

Box 2 of 7

Senate Bills, 1950, 1953, 1954

Box 2 of 7

Senate Bills, 1955

Box 2 of 7

Senate Bills, 1956

Box 2 of 7

Senate Bills, 1957

Box 2 of 7

Senate Bills, 1959

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1959

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1961

Box 2 of 7

House Bills, 1960

Box 2 of 7

Senate Bills, 1963

Box 2 of 7

Public Laws

Box 2 of 7

Acts; passed the House, 1955; passed the Senate, 1956

Box 2 of 7

Senate Reports

Box 2 of 7

Hearings

Box 2 of 7

Box 3

SI General & Facilities for Special Events

Box 3 of 7

SI Interoffice Memos, FY 1972 & Earlier

Box 3 of 7

Pending - Other SI

Box 3 of 7

SI Libraries - general

Box 3 of 7

SI Policy, 1980

Box 3 of 7

Director of SI Libraries

Box 3 of 7

SI Libraries (SIL) ADCON, 1980

Box 3 of 7

SI Libraries ADCON, 1978-1979

Box 3 of 7

SI Libraries ADCON, 1976-1977

Box 3 of 7

SI Libraries ADCON, 1974-1975

Box 3 of 7

SI Libraries ADCON, 1968-1973

Box 3 of 7

SIL Bureau Libraries, 1979-1980

Box 3 of 7

SIL Bureau Libraries, 1977-1978

Box 3 of 7

SIL Branch Meetings thru 1976/User survey, 1974/1975

Box 3 of 7

SIL Acquisitions/Selections Committee

Box 3 of 7

Pending SIL - Acquisitions & Serial records

Box 3 of 7

SIL Tech Processing, 1976

Box 3 of 7

SIL Tech Processing, 1974-1975

Box 3 of 7

SIL Tech Processing, 1970-1973

Box 3 of 7

Correspondence re: Book Values & Miscellaneous re: Appraisals

Box 3 of 7

Library Preservation/Conservation

Box 3 of 7

Tech Processing - Serials

Box 3 of 7

SIL - Cataloging

Box 3 of 7

SIL - Databases

Box 3 of 7

SIL - Cooper-Hewitt

Box 3 of 7

SIL - Branches

Box 3 of 7

Box 4

1978/1979 Form Inventory

Box 4 of 7

Other Libraries - Forms

Box 4 of 7

Exchanges

Box 4 of 7

Library Inventory, 1976-1979

Box 4 of 7

Library Inventory - Missing Books

Box 4 of 7

Library Questionnaires, 1979-1982

Box 4 of 7

Library Questionnaires, 1977-1978

Box 4 of 7

Library Questionnaires, 1974-1976

Box 4 of 7

Library Questionnaires, 1973

Box 4 of 7

NPG Library resources

Box 4 of 7

Study of NPG/NCFA Library

Box 4 of 7

NCFA/NPG Library: Art Works

Box 4 of 7

NCFA/NPG Library Collections: Pre 1967 move

Box 4 of 7

General Budget

Box 4 of 7

General Budget, 1971-1975

Box 4 of 7

Budget, 1976 (July-September)

Box 4 of 7

Budget, 1976

Box 4 of 7

Budget, 1977

Box 4 of 7

Budget, 1978

Box 4 of 7

Budget, 1979

Box 4 of 7

Work typed by GD April, 1982

Box 4 of 7

Budget

Box 4 of 7

Library Accounting, 1977-1979

Box 4 of 7

Accounting Classification Codes

Box 4 of 7

"Five Year" Reports, 1968-1973; 1974-1979

Box 4 of 7

Statistics - General, 1974-

Box 4 of 7

Annual Report, FY 1976, 1977

Box 4 of 7

Annual Report, FY 1974, 1975

Box 4 of 7

Library Reports - Monthly

Box 4 of 7

Box 5

Statistics, 1965-1967

Box 5 of 7

Statistics, 1968-1974

Box 5 of 7

Monthly Statistics, 1971-1974

Box 5 of 7

NCFA/NPG Monthly Reports, 1975-1977

Box 5 of 7

Monthly Statistics, 1978-1981

Box 5 of 7

Library Visitors, FY 1978-1980

Box 5 of 7

Library Visitors, FY 1975-1977

Box 5 of 7

Library Visitors, FY 1973-1974

Box 5 of 7

Library Visitors, FY 1970-1972

Box 5 of 7

Semi-Annual Reports, 1971-1973

Box 5 of 7

Library Reports - Annual

Box 5 of 7

Staff - General

Box 5 of 7

NCFA/NPG Staff - Current

Box 5 of 7

NCFA/NPG Staff - Prospective

Box 5 of 7

Personnel Office - General

Box 5 of 7

Box 6

Library Volunteers/Interns

Box 6 of 7

Summer Interns, 1978-1979

Box 6 of 7

NCFA - General

Box 6 of 7

NPG - General

Box 6 of 7

NCFA/NPG Correspondence

Box 6 of 7

SI Staff - Staff Exhibit Committee

Box 6 of 7

Associations - ALA

Box 6 of 7

Affiliations

Box 6 of 7

College Art Association (CAA)

Box 6 of 7

Council on Library Resources

Box 6 of 7

CNLA - General

Box 6 of 7

Associations - DCLA

Box 6 of 7

Associations - ICFA

Box 6 of 7

Associations - SLA (General)

Box 6 of 7

Associations - SLA Conferences (1977-1980)

Box 6 of 7

Associations - SLA Conferences (1973-1975)

Box 6 of 7

Box 7

Associations - SLA Conferences (1970-1972)

Box 7 of 7

Associations - SLA Conferences (1975-1978)

Box 7 of 7

Associations - SLA - DC Chapter

Box 7 of 7

Associations - SLA - Museums

Box 7 of 7

Associations - SLA - Pictures

Box 7 of 7

Washington Art Library Resources Committee

Box 7 of 7

The Hughes Alcove

Box 7 of 7

NPG Opening Ceremonies Programs, October 1968

Box 7 of 7

Washington Star, May 5, 1968

Box 7 of 7