William J. Rhees and Daniel Leech Outside the
USNM Under Construction, 1880.
Series 1. SUBJECT FILES, 1839 - 1945, AND UNDATED
Series 2. BIOGRAPHICAL FILES, 1852-1907 AND UNDATED
Series 3. JOURNAL AND INDEX FILES, 1852-1945, AND UNDATED
|
William J. Rhees and Daniel Leech Outside the USNM Under Construction, 1880. |
After graduating he went to Meadville, Pennsylvania, and took a position as clerk and draughtsman for the Holland Land Company; three years later he moved to Washington, D.C., and was appointed a clerk in the Census Office in the Department of the Interior. Although only twenty years old, he had charge of the Division of Social Statistics and a large force of clerks under him. While at the Census Office he acted as secretary to the Executive Committee of the United States on the Industrial Exposition in London in 1851, the first great World's Fair.
When Rhees moved to Washington in 1850, he carried with him a letter of introduction to Joseph Henry from his uncle, Nicholas Murray, who must have been acquainted with Henry at Princeton. Henry acted on Rhees' behalf when his position at the Census Office was terminated in 1853, but Rhees let it be known that he had been reinstated only on a temporary basis and would appreciate a position at the Smithsonian if one opened up. Later that year Rhees was hired as a "general assistant" and private secretary to Joseph Henry, and by 1855 he held the position of chief clerk. He left the Institution in 1870 to pursue the stationery business in Springfield (state unspecified) but was gone less than a year. He continued as chief clerk under Spencer F. Baird, and by a special act of Congress served as secretary of the Institution when Baird was absent. After Baird's death and Samuel P. Langley's appointment as secretary, Rhees was asked to take the position of the first keeper of the Archives in 1891.
Although Rhees' job titles may give the impression that his work was limited in scope, an examination of his job description proves otherwise; among the sixty-six duties he lists are: opening and directing all mail; furnishing any information or data called for by the Secretary; preparing all contracts, finances, and estimates for appropriations; reading proofs of Smithsonian publications and supervising drawings, engravings, and illustrations; acting as secretary to the Board of Regents and preparing a Journal of Proceedings; and having charge of the Archives. After the completion of the National Museum in 1881, he gained additional responsibilities as a liaison between the Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.
Rhees was a prolific writer and editor of Smithsonian history. He wrote An Account of the Smithsonian Institution in 1857, which briefly described the history and organization of the Institution and served as a guide to the National Museum. Rhees also produced editions of the Account in 1858-59, 1863-66, and 1869. His Visitor's Guide to the Smithsonian Institution, published in 1880-87, 1889, and 1891-92 served a similar function but contained fewer details of the Smithsonian's history. He traced the ancestry and life of the Institution's founder in James Smithson and his Bequest (1879), and the next year edited The Scientific Writings of James Smithson (1880). Acting as secretary to the Board of Regents, he edited The Smithsonian Institution: Journal of the Board of Regents, Reports of Committees, Statistics, etc. (1879). His Manual of Public Libraries, Institutions, and Societies in the United States and British Provinces of North America (1859) recommended guidelines for the construction of library buildings, classification of volumes, and local organization and exchanges. The list of libraries included in the volume was often reprinted.
Rhees' work with Smithsonian publications produced List of Publications of the Smithsonian Institution (1874, 1879, 1896, and 1903) and Catalogue of Publications of the Smithsonian Institution (1882, 1886, and 1889). He followed the network of academic associations with the Institution in List of the Institutions, Libraries, Colleges, and other Establishments in the United States in Correspondence with the Smithsonian Institution (1872, 1886).
Rhees' most significant contributions to Smithsonian history came later in his career. He compiled and edited The Smithsonian Institution: Documents Relative to Its Origin and History (1879), which included Smithson's will, Congressional records of debate over the acceptance of the bequest and the organization of the Institution, and other documents important to its early history. The second edition of the Documents book, published in 1901, contained documents through 1899 as well as a revised version of the 1879 volume. He also contributed to The Smithsonian Institution, 1846-1896: The History of Its First Half-Century (1897), edited by Assistant Secretary George Brown Goode. His chronology, "Principal Events in the History of the Smithsonian Institution" appeared as an appendix to the book, and his biographical sketches of the Regents were printed in the chapter on the Board of Regents.
In addition to his responsibilities at the Smithsonian, Rhees was actively involved in other organizations. He helped found and served as president of the Young Men's Christian Association of Washington, and was active in its philanthropic work during the Civil War. He was a member and officer of the District chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and compiled the Register of the District of Columbia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (1896) and its Yearbook (1897). He retained his interest in public schools, serving as a trustee in the District for eight years. At the time of his death, he was also a member of the Anthropological Society, the District of Columbia Historical Society, the National Geographic Society, and the Pennsylvania Historical Society.
Rhees served as a correspondent on special topics for many national and local newspapers, and his strong association with the press is evidenced in the number and variety of newspaper clippings in this collection.
Little is known of his family and personal life. He was married to Laura O. Clark, with whom he had a daughter, Fannie Augusta. After the death of his first wife he married Romenia F. Ellis, and they had five children: William Henry, Charles Frank, Grace Margaret, Flora Gertrude, and Benjamin Rush.
Rhees served at the Smithsonian almost until his death in 1907 and was remembered in a memorial resolution of the Board of Regents as a "trustworthy officer," "born archivist," and "model citizen."
March 13, 1830 Born in Philadelphia, son of Dr. Benjamin Rush Rhees and
Margaret Grace Evans Rhees. 1847 Graduated from Central High School and
went to Meadville, Pennsylvania, for position at the Holland Land Company. 1850 Came to Washington, D.C., as a clerk in the Census Office of the
Department of the Interior; carried letter of introduction to Joseph
Henry. 1851 Served as secretary to the Executive Committee of the
United States for the Industrial Exhibition in London. 1852
Co-founded the Y.M.C.A. in Washington, D.C. 1853 Appointed "general
assistant" and personal secretary to Joseph Henry at the Smithsonian
Institution; later became Chief Clerk. 1856 Named president of the
Y.M.C.A. 1859 Compiled Manual of Public Libraries, Institutions, and
Societies in the United States and British Provinces of North America. 1879 Completed The Smithsonian Institution: Journals of the Board of the
Regents, Reports of Committees, Statistics, etc. and The
Smithsonian Institution: Documents Relative to Its Origin and History,
both of which he compiled and edited. 1880 Wrote James Smithson and
His Bequest. 1884 Appointed acting secretary in the absence of
Secretary Baird. 1891 Appointed keeper of the Archives. 1897
Published "Principal Events in the History of the the Smithsonian
Institution," and biographical sketches of Smithsonian Regents in The
Smithsonian Institution, 1846-1896: The History of its First
Half-Century. 1900 Elected vice-president of the Sons of the
American Revolution. 1901 Completed the two-volume compilation,
The Smithsonian Institution: Documents Relative to Its Origin and History,
1835-1899. March 17, 1907 Died in Washington, D.C. The William J. Rhees Collection consists of the remains of his Manuscript
and Newspaper Scrap portfolio files. The dates of the material indicate that
Rhees was collecting these papers from the beginning of his tenure at the
Smithsonian, but the files were not organized until 1891 when he was appointed
keeper of the Archives. The collection is mainly comprised of subject and
biographic files, which include manuscripts, memoranda, letters and
other correspondence, newspaper clippings, excerpts from the
Congressional Record and Smithsonian Annual Report, printed
circulars, and publications. Although Rhees generated these files as chief
clerk and keeper of the Archives, he collected information that pertained to
his own interests as well as those of the Smithsonian. It is likely that he
used these files as resources when writing his histories of the Institution and
in compiling volumes of documents pertaining to its establishment and
operations. Series 1 comprises alphabetically arranged subject
files. A large number of these subject files document the activities and
interests of major Smithsonian operations. These include the Bureau of
Ethnology, the United States National Museum, the National Zoological Park,
the Board of Regents, and the Office of Exchanges. Also included are files
with information on the expenditures, finances, document storage, inventories,
and other routine activities of the Institution. Especially important is
material relating to the publications of the Smithsonian, including works that
involved Rhees personally. The collection also contains material on
scientific subjects of interest to the Institution as a whole and to the
individual secretaries for whom Rhees worked. These fields include acoustics,
aeronautics, archaeology, astronomy, botany, entomology, genealogy, geography,
meteorology, mineralogy, and topography. Clubs and organizations not
directly affiliated with the Smithsonian are also represented in this
collection. Some of these groups are the American Academy of Arts and
Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the
American Historical Association, the Carnegie Institution, the Sons and
Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Y.M.C.A. Series 2
contains biographical files on almost two hundred individuals. Most of these
people were either noted figures in their scientific field or affiliated
with the Smithsonian; some were both. Although most of the files are
limited to newspaper articles published after the person's death, others
contain speeches, papers, and more extensive biographical information. Also
included are obituary notices for Rhees himself. These files are arranged
alphabetically by subject's last name. Series 3 includes information on
the library and the beginnings of the archives. Files contain letters to and
from Rhees on the founding of the archives, listings of library and archival
inventories, and indices and journals used for establishing control over
archival material. Although these records resemble the assorted indices and
journals in Record Unit 64 (Chief Clerk's Records), they relate more to Rhees'
work as keeper of the Archives than to his duties as chief clerk. This series
contains records of the fireproof vault through 1945, postdating Rhees'
death. Record Unit 7081 is by no means the only record of Rhees' work at
the Smithsonian. Record Units 64-67 contain indexed correspondence to
and from Secretaries Baird and Langley; forms, circulars, and blanks; and other
material that Rhees would have acquired and been responsible for as chief
clerk. Given the presence of similar files in Record Unit 7081, it seems
likely that Rhees transferred some files from his official records to another
location for use on his projects for publication; these transferred files
helped form what is now known as Record Unit 7081, The William J. Rhees
Collection. Another collection of Rhees papers was sold to the Huntington
Library by Rhees' widow in 1922. The documents in this collection were
probably of special significance or perceived value for Rhees, since he kept
these documents at home rather than among his files at the Smithsonian. Nathan
Reingold described the Rhees collection at the Huntington in a speech that was
later published as "The Anatomy of a Collection: The Rhees Papers,"
American Archivist 27 (1964): 251-259. Microfilm copies of the
Huntington collection have been placed in the Henry Papers, Record Unit
7001. This series consists of the subject files of Rhees' Manuscript and Newspaper Scrap Collection, which he generated throughout his career at the Smithsonian and organized as its first archivist. The files are arranged alphabetically and contain manuscripts, reports, letters, memoranda, Congressional material, newspaper clippings, and other materials relevant to the subjects. This division retains weak archival integrity as a collection due to obvious signs of additions to and removals from its contents after Rhees' death. Box 1 of 52
CHRONOLOGY
DESCRIPTIVE ENTRY
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
SERIES 1.
SUBJECT FILES, 1839 - 1945, AND UNDATED
| Folder | 1 | Acoustics: includes experiments done on "Sue's Whistle" and "Helen's Whistle," 1870-1871; clippings of acoustical observations by M. O. Nichols; paper presented to American Institute of Architects by Henry R. Searle, 1873, and another entitled "A Belt of Silence" by Louis Nickerson, circa 1875; report on fog whistles in Yarmouth, 1869 | |
| Folder | 2 | Aeronautics: letter to Secretary Langley from P. Bindra Ban Misir, concerning the perfection of the aerodrome; excerpt from Thunder and Thunderstorms by J. Wise on trips taken with Secretary Henry in meteorological balloons, circa 1860; leaflet on the invention of the aerion, an early flying machine, 1877. | |
| Folder | 3 | Aeronautics, Newspaper Clippings: 1891-1907. | |
| Folder | 4 | Alaskan Territory: includes Henry's report on Alaska to John F. Hartley, assistant secretary of the Treasury, 1867; Congressional bills, resolutions, and reports concerning Alaska and the Alaskan Fur Company, 1882-1892; newspaper clippings concerning the Alaskan seal industry and the seal extermination issue, 1890. | |
| Folder | 5 | Amendment Suggestions: letter from Samuel Freeman Miller to Langley concerning the S.I.'s capacity to acquire real estate, 1888; letter from M. W. Fuller to Langley on the revision of S.I. statutes, 1891; letter to Secretary Baird from William Tallach of the Howard Association, criticizing Smithsonian operations, 1885. | |
| Folder | 6 | American Academy of Arts and Sciences: Academy's eighth annual report, considering the proposition for the organization of the S.I., 1847. Henry served as president of the Academy. | |
| Folder | 7 | American Association for the Advancement of Science: letters concerning the A.A.A.S., 1866. Henry held a position on the executive committee; Langley served as president. | |
| Folder | 8 | American Historical Association: letter of Baird's acceptance as a member, 1886. | |
| Folder | 9 | American Ornithologists' Union: includes two early circulars of the Union, 1883. | |
| Folder | 10 | Archaeology - 1: collection of reports and letters dealing with the Davenport, Iowa, find of inscribed tablets of bituminous shale, 1877; reports and letters of the North Carolina archaeological fraud of 1882-1886. | |
| Folder | 11 | Archaeology - 2: report on the papyrus find at Beirut by Professor Scyffarth, 1876; copy of publication concerning the Rockford, Illinois, tablet, 1874; letter from Captain Blake to Dr. John Lanthell referring to the present condition of several Roman ruins, 1855; letter to Baird from Alfred Mead concerning a shyster selling books, 1886; report on the contents of the paleontological Museum, 1880; letters concerning the Tanis Stone discovery in Egypt, circa 1866; miscellaneous newspaper clippings and lists | |
| Folder | 12 | Archaeology - 3: includes report of L. P. de Cesnola on the Phoenician burial ground and Temple of Venus at Cyprus, 1871. |
Box 2 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Armory Building: includes letters and proposals concerning the building and repair of the Armory, 1855-1876; statements of expenditures, 1876-1882. | |
| Folder | 2 | Army Medical Museum: memoranda from the assistant surgeon of the Museum and Records to Henry concerning the nature of the surgical museum, 1875; questionnaire about S.I. objects purchased for the Medical Museum, and memorandum with answers, 1866; official records and newspaper clipping concerning the selection of the site for the Museum, 1883-1885. | |
| Folder | 3 | Art - 1: includes clippings from the Smithsonian Annual Report and the Proceedings of the Board of Regents concerning the purchasing of art by the S.I. and the establishment of the Corcoran and National Galleries of Art, 1850-1904. | |
| Folder | 4 | Art - 2: Congressional bills authorizing the purchase of portraits of famous Americans. | |
| Folder | 5 | Articles Written on the Smithsonian Institution - 1: handwritten copies of articles written about the S.I., 1852-1873. | |
| Folder | 6 | Articles Written on the Smithsonian Institution - 2: as above, undated. |
Box 3 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Assistant Secretary [of the U.S. National Museum], Office of: letter from Baird to the Board of Regents concerning the appointment of an assistant secretary, 1887; clippings addressing the question of a successor to George Brown Goode, circa 1896. | |
| Folder | 2 | Astronomers, List of: addresses of international astronomers, 1876. | |
| Folder | 3 | Astronomical Observatories, List of - 1: letters, papers, and memoranda relating to a project to list the observatories of the world, 1901. | |
| Folder | 4 | Astronomical Observatories, List of - 2: includes additional letters concerning observatories listing project; reports and clippings on observatories. | |
| Folder | 5 | Astronomy - 1: letter from Henry to James Lick concerning developments in telescopes, 1873; letter from Henry to Lick concerning the appointment of an astrophysicist, 1874; letter from Lewis M. Rutherford to Admiral B. F. Sands on The Transit of Venus, 1872; memorandum from H. P. Tuttle on comet discoveries, 1874; report from L. P. Venne to Henry on stellar parallax, 1876; letter from George A. Lathrop to Henry on the rotation and axis of the earth, 1872; extracts from the indenture of James Lick, 1874; report of E. J. Gonoud on the orbit and paths of comets, 1881; Parvin Wright, "The Source of Heat and Light of the Sun," 1881; Parvin Wright, "The Formation of the Solar System," 1881 | |
| Folder | 6 | Astronomy - 2: letter and memorandum from Ormond Stone to Henry on Tuttle's Comet, 1874; report from W. P. Wheeler to Henry on reflecting telescopes, 1874; letter from Clinton Roosevelt on astronomical theory, undated; memorandum on the observation of a total eclipse by Mr. Harkness, 1869; notes, clippings, and bills relating to the field of astronomy | |
| Folder | 7 | Astrophysical Observatory: pamphlets, clippings, and excerpts from articles concerning the S.I. observatory, circa 1900. | |
| Folder | 8 | Astrophysical Observatory, Construction of: specifications and proposals for the construction of the observatory, 1889-1890. |
Box 4 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Astrophysical Observatory, Telegraph System - 1: telegraph messages to the S.I. | |
| Folder | 2 | Astrophysical Observatory, Telegraph System - 2: letters and regulations pertaining to the telegraph system, 1872-1881. | |
| Folder | 3 | Beaufort Library Collection: information concerning a collection of literature, art, and science books advertised to be sold by the government, but withdrawn and stored at the S.I. The collection was later destroyed in the fire of 1865. File includes a catalogue of the collection and miscellaneous bills and clippings, 1886-1893. | |
| Folders | 4-5 | Bequests to the S.I. - 1 & 2: materials of the Rev. Dr. A. G. Mercer's bequest, 1882-1885. | |
| Folder | 6 | Bequests to the S.I. - 3: information and materials concerning the bequests of the following people: Dr. J. R. Bailey, Dr. Jerome H. Kidder, Lafayette C. Loomis, Dr. Habel (no first name given), James Hamilton, J. W. Sprague, and Thomas Wynns. Also includes material on bequests in general. |
Box 5 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Betsy Ross Association: newspaper clippings on the association, 1900-1901. | |
| Folder | 2 | Binding, Business of: material concerning book binding, 1852-1854; bound book of floor plan of Smithsonian building, undated. | |
| Folder | 3 | Botany: final report of the Botanical Survey of Louisiana by Americus Featherman, 1872; report by E. L. Berthand on the trees of the Rocky Mountains, 1867; scientific drawings of plants and seeds, undated; memoranda, letters, and clippings concerning botanical specimens deposits, undated | |
| Folder | 4 | Botany, Smithsonian Grounds and D.C.: notebook containing a list of trees of Washington, D.C., and maps of the Department of Agriculture, the White House, and Dupont Circle, undated; report by Dr. Arthur Schott on the botany of the Smithsonian grounds, with alphabetical list of specimens, undated; letter from Dr. Schott to Henry on botany of the S.I., undated; circular on tree planting in the District of Columbia, 1883 | |
| Folder | 5 | Building, Architecture - 1: letters, reports, memoranda, and related articles concerning the reconstruction of the Smithsonian building after the fire of 1865, 1866-1873. | |
| Folder | 6 | Building, Architecture -2: as above, 1877-1886; advertisements and lists of expenditures. This file contains material similar to that in the Building, Reconstruction file (Box 6, folders 1 and 2). | |
| Folder | 7 | Building, Expenditures: expenditure reports and office memoranda concerning the financing of the reconstruction of the building and building finances in general, 1847-1901. |
Box 6 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Building, Reconstruction - 1: letters, memoranda, proposals, and specifications concerning the reconstruction and improvement of the Smithsonian building, 1849-1867. | |
| Folder | 2 | Building, Reconstruction - 2: as above, 1879-1912. Included in these files is correspondence between the Smithsonian and Cluss and Schulze, the architects for the reconstruction. This file contains material similar to that in the Building, Architecture file (Box 5, folders 5 and 6). | |
| Folder | 3 | Carnegie Institution: includes clippings mentioning the Carnegie Institution and its contributions, 1901-1904; House and Senate bills concerning the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1904. | |
| Folder | 4 | Chemical Lab, Letters of: letters and reports from the laboratory of the Smithsonian, 1872-1880; House and Senate bills for the establishment of a National Pathobiological Laboratory, 1889-1890. | |
| Folder | 5 | Children of the American Revolution: clippings and pamphlets of the activities of the organization, 1895-1902. | |
| Folder | 6 | Civil Service Commission: clippings concerning the amendment to the Civil Service rules restricting the power of dismissal, 1897-1905. | |
| Folder | 7 | Collections of the Museum, Most Valued: letters to the curator of the National Museum concerning the most valuable collections: forestry, animal fossils, fish, corals, marine invertebrates, Cinchona products, and graphic arts. | |
| Folder | 8 | Congressional Material (3 folders) : Congressional proposals on a wide variety of subjects with some relevance to the Smithsonian, including bills that did not pass, 1899-1906. Material is generally arranged by subject, rather than date. Congressional Material - 3 also contains an index from Rhees' book The Smithsonian Institution: Documents Relative to its Origin and History, with typed additions. (Congressional Material - 2 and 3 are in Box 7) |
Box 7 of 52
| Folders | 1-2 | Congressional Material: described above. | |
| Folder | 3 | Congressional Record Listings: letter from Langley to Superintendent of Documents L. C. Ferrell, requesting several volumes of Congressional records, 1900; list of the copies of the Congressional Record available at the S.I. and those wanted, circa 1900. | |
| Folder | 4 | Copyrights: letters and memoranda concerning copying and copyright, circa 1858. | |
| Folder | 5 | Cosmos Club: list of members, 1883; clipping relating the history of the club, including Baird's role as president of the organization, 1943. | |
| Folder | 6 | Customs Duties: includes circulars from the Internal Revenue office and House bills concerning the admission and removal of alcohol in scientific institutions, 1865-1886. | |
| Folder | 7 | Dakota Territory: report by Siegmund N. Rothhammer to the S.I. concerning observations he made during an Indian expedition in the Dakota Territories under General Alfred Sulley, 1865. | |
| Folders | 8-10 | Daughters of the American Revolution (3 folders) : clippings pertaining to the D.A.R., 1894-1904. 1: 1894-1897; 2: 1889-1900; 3: 1901-1904. This folder also contains House and Senate bills that relate to the D.A.R., and notices of the D.A.R. |
Box 8 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Decorations from Foreign Powers: House and Senate bills allowing the acceptance of foreign decorations by U.S. citizens, 1888-1904. Baird received the Knight of St. Olaf award from Norway and Sweden. | |
| Folder | 2 | Department of Commerce and Industries: Senate bills to establish the department, 1899-1900. | |
| Folder | 3 | Department of Industry: House bill to establish the department, 1882. | |
| Folder | 4 | Department of the Interior: list of experts and special agents of the census office appointed to investigate economic relations, manufacturing, railroads, fishing, mining, and other industrial fields in the U.S. Investigation also included analysis of statistics of telegraph, railroad, express, transportation, and insurance companies. File contains information concerning the collection of social statistics in the U.S., 1879. | |
| Folder | 5 | District of Columbia - 1: House and Senate bills and reports pertaining to the interests of the District, 1868-1911. | |
| Folder | 6 | District of Columbia - 2: clippings concerning District events and issues, 1886-1904. | |
| Folder | 7 | District of Columbia - 3: includes announcements and notices of District plans and celebrations; pamphlets on District monuments and history, 1877-1904. | |
| Folder | 8 | Document Storage: includes lists and indices of documents stored in the S.I.; House and Senate bills concerning distribution and storage of public documents, 1880-1900. |
Box 9 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Documentary History Project of 1877-1897: office memoranda concerning the project, in which Rhees collected and compiled official documents with any relevance to the Smithsonian, including records of the Smithson bequest, Congressional debate and legislation of the organization of the Smithsonian, establishment of the National Museum and the National Zoological Park, and numerous other issues, 1903. | |
| Folder | 2 | Doulton Memorial: letters and other documents relating to the memorial bequest of Sir Henry Doulton, 1879-1891. | |
| Folder | 3 | Electricity: includes circular on the promotion of underground electrical wiring, 1884; letter from George W. Beardslee to Henry on telegraphs, 1868; itemized expenses for electricity, telephones, and telegraphic lines, 1883-1884; report by Dr. Page on lighting the dome of the Capitol, undated; House bills to define the unit of measurement for electricity, and to reduce the cost of electricity in the District, 1894-1900; clippings about electricity, 1889-1899; manuscript and clipping about electrical storms and their mysterious effect on telegraphs, 1874-1877 | |
| Folder | 4 | Employee Material - 1: papers and notices relating to S.I. employees, most likely gathered during normal office functions. Includes matters concerning office organization, salaries, individual duties, discharges, sick leave, and the eight-hour day. File also contains clippings referring to employee interests, 1872-1906. | |
| Folder | 5 | Employee Material - 2: employee responses to a circular from Baird concerning job duties, 1884. | |
| Folder | 6 | Employee Material - 3: employee questionnaire circulars, 1893. |
Box 10 of 52
| Folders | 1-2 | Employee Material - 4 & 5: lists and directories of employees, duties, and salaries, 1858-1891. | |
| Folder | 3 | Employee Material - copies: xerox copies (circa 1993) of employee lists of the 1890s. Some originals remain in Employee Material - 4 & 5. | |
| Folder | 4 | Entomology: manuscripts by Gideon Linthicum to Baird on the collection of grasshopper egg specimens, 1861-1868; report by Linthicum on the Mud Dauber group; clippings on grasshoppers and locusts, 1858-1859. | |
| Folder | 5 | 'Establishment' of the Smithsonian: lists of the members of the Establishment, 1846-1899; minutes of its meetings, 1873-1877. | |
| Folder | 6 | Estimates for Appropriations by Congress (2 folders): worksheets and reports; 1: 1868-1888; 2: 1890-1898; includes clippings concerning appropriations |
Box 11 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Ethnology, Bureau of - 1: includes records of the history of the Bureau and appropriations, 1880-1892; Smithsonian distribution of the annual reports of the Bureau of American Ethnology, undated. | |
| Folder | 2 | Ethnology, Bureau of - 2: includes records of government property held by the Bureau, circa 1900; lists of expenses, 1879. | |
| Folder | 3 | Ethnology, Bureau of - 3: includes disbursements of the Bureau, 1879-1905. | |
| Folder | 4 | Ethnology, Bureau of - 4: clippings from the Report of the Secretary and from newspapers, 1887-1905. |
Box 12 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Executive Committee - 1: lists of members; notes and records of Committee establishment and procedures, 1846-1898. These files were probably useful in Rhees' editing of Journal of the Board of Regents, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1879. | |
| Folder | 2 | Executive Committee - 2: diary of administrative activities, 1865-1889; notes of expenditures and appropriations, 1856-1887; notes for a history of the Committee, 1897; records concerning Committee procedure, 1891; report of the Committee on the Corcoran Gallery, 1873 | |
| Folder | 3 | Executive Committee - 3: notes on activities of the Executive Committee account examination; accounts for the Committee, 1892-1903. | |
| Folder | 4 | Executive Committee - 4: loose-leaf pages of printed Journal of the Executive Committee, 1846-1849; draft and loose pages of the journal, 1846-1876; draft notes, minutes, and correspondence, 1882-1891. | |
| Folder | 5 | Executive Department of the Smithsonian Institution: holographic draft of the argument against treating the Institution as an executive department, 1887; copies of the relevant Congressional legislation and reports, 1895. | |
| Folder | 6 | Expenditures - 1: monthly and annual reports of S.I. disbursements, 1888-1889; draft and typed copies of expenditures, 1857-1888. | |
| Folder | 7 | Expenditures - 2: itemized list and memoranda of expenses, 1886-1887. Additional lists of expenditures are contained in the Finances file; several of these lists are identical to those in Expenditures; charts of expenditures, 1847-1867; salary lists, 1857 & 1887; freight expenses, 1856 |
Box 13 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Experiments: crushing tests of different cuts of marble stone at the U.S. Navy Yard, 1873; draft scheme for the Endowment of Scientific Research, undated; paper by Charles M. Wetherill on carbonic acid in the atmosphere, circa 1873; list of investigations | |
| Folder | 2 | Explorations - 1: clippings from the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1851-1882. | |
| Folder | 3 | Explorations - 2: clippings from the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1883-1904, and undated; newspaper clippings, 1885-1906, and undated. | |
| Folder | 4 | Explorations - 3: Congressional proposals for conducting explorations, 1877-1890; exploration of the Congo, 1888; J. P. MacLean's investigation of Blennerhassetts Island, undated; Edward Brigham's expedition in South America, 1881; paper by Dr. Habel on the exploration in South America, 1876; A. Ridgeway's exploration of Cobbs Island, 1879; Professor Sumichrast's expedition to Tehuantipee (?), 1869 | |
| Folder | 5 | Explorations - 4: includes reports of explorations, 1871-1900; lists of books and equipment for collectors and explorers, undated; records of appropriations and advances by the Smithsonian and the U.S. Navy Department, 1854-1855; papers and correspondence relating to explorations and exploration collections, 1871-1892; papers of the Greeley Relief Expedition, 1884 |
Box 14 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Finances - 1: includes financial receipts, 1846-1865; expenditures, 1846-1850; correspondence regarding delivery of and interest on Treasury Notes, 1847-1854; records of appropriations, expenditures, and credits in the Smithsonian Fund in the U.S. Treasury, 1848; itemized lists of expenditures, 1857-1889. Similar lists are contained in the Expenditures file; some lists are identical. | |
| Folder | 2 | Finances - 2: notices from the Department of the Interior and the Treasury Department reporting balances in the Smithsonian Fund, 1878-1889. | |
| Folder | 3 | Finances - 3: includes financial disclosures of individual accounts; records of interest drawn on the Smithsonian Fund, 1862-1874. | |
| Folder | 4 | Finances - 4: accounts of William W. Seaton, Regent and Treasurer of the S.I., 1846-1850. | |
| Folder | 5 | Finances - 5: history of financial affairs by Rhees, 1835-1900. | |
| Folder | 6 | Fire of 1865: includes statements of institutional and private losses sustained in the fire; newspaper articles concerning losses, 1865-1866. | |
| Folder | 7 | Fire Protection: repairs to the Smithsonian building after the fire of 1865; memoranda, reports, and expenditures relating to fire-proofing the building, 1867-1896. Further information on rebuilding and improvements after the fire is contained in the Building, Architecture and Building, Reconstruction files. |
Box 15 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Fish Commission: questionnaire on the Coal Fisheries, undated; clippings on the activities of the Commission, 1882-1895; receipts for shipments of fish and supplies, 1879; specifications for the Fish Hawk, 1879; Congressional report and bills on the Commission, 1882-1900 | |
| Folder | 2 | Forest Glen Park: visitors' pamphlet explaining its history and grounds. The park was located just north of Washington. | |
| Folders | 3-5 | Forms, Circulars, and Blanks (3 folders) examples of forms used by the Smithsonian in its everyday operations, circa 1850-1900. The file has no subject or chronological arrangement. Additional examples of forms used during this period can be found in the Records of the Chief Clerk, 1846-1933, Record Unit 65. | |
| Folder | 6 | Fuel, Proposals for: proposals by the Department of the Interior, 1882-1884; bids for fuel use, 1880; fuel expenses, 1883; meter reading of gas usage, 1876; Senate bill on gas-works regulation, 1874 | |
| Folder | 7 | Genealogy: reports of local genealogical societies; clippings of genealogical works, circa 1900. | |
| Folder | 8 | Geography - 1: materials on the National Geographic Society, 1900-1905; report of the Eighth International Geographic Congress, held in Washington, D.C., 1904; list of geographic societies, undated; material on geography in general, 1890-1905 | |
| Folder | 9 | Geography - 2: Report of the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, 1890-1899, 1901. |
Box 16 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Geological Survey - 1: includes report by E. P. North on the rise and fall of the Great Salt Lake, 1876; memoranda referring to the establishment of a Museum of Geology; clippings and papers concerning geological surveys. | |
| Folder | 2 | Geological Survey - 2: clippings and copies of the Congressional Record and bills, 1882-1899. | |
| Folder | 3 | George Washington University: winter convocation program, 1905; House and Senate bills concerning the founding of the university in the place of Columbian College, and public notice of the effect of the decision, 1905. | |
| Folder | 4 | Ground Plans of the Smithsonian Institution: includes ground plans of the East Wing, undated memoranda between Watkins and Rhees on plans, 1899-1900; index to ground plans, undated early map of the grounds, undated; rough draft of ground plans, 1871 | |
| Folder | 5 | Half-Century Book - 1: index to articles in The Smithsonian Institution, 1846-1896, History of its First Half-Century, edited by Assistant Secretary George Brown Goode, Washington, 1897. | |
| Folder | 6 | Half-Century Book - 2: includes draft and printed copies of Rhees' chronological list of events in Smithsonian history, "Principal Events in the History of the Smithsonian Institution," which appeared as an appendix to the book. | |
| Folder | 7 | Half-Century Book - 3: notes on history of S.I. property, undated; correspondence and memoranda to Rhees regarding the book, 1896; cut-and-paste of Rhees' chronology with corrections and additions, undated; list of gratuitous services and gifts offered to the Institution, 1852-1866 |
Box 17 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Half-Century Book - 4: list of illustrations, undated; list of S.I. benefactors, undated; papers relating to drafts and corrections, undated; list of articles, undated | |
| Folders | 2-5 | Half-Century Book - 5-8: cut-and-paste indexing of dates used in the book; 5: 1148-1851 (earliest dates refer to ancestry of Assistant Secretary George Brown Goode); 6: 1852-1867; 7: 1868-1884; 8: 1885-1900 |
Box 18 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Half-Century Book - 9: clippings from newspapers, journals, and magazines that mention the book, 1896-1898. | |
| Folder | 2 | Halls of the Ancients: tickets and invitations to F. W. Smith's presentation, 1892; pamphlet, "The Conspiracy in the U.S. Navy Department Against Franklin W. Smith of Boston, 1861-1865," undated; booklet on Smith's other large-scale project in St. Augustine, Florida, 1887; brochure for the Ten Halls of the Ancients, 1897; clippings of the Halls of the Ancients proposal, circa 1899 | |
| Folder | 3 | Hudson's Bay Company: letters, mostly addressed to Baird, from individuals connected with the Hudson's Bay Company, 1864-1875. | |
| Folder | 4 | Illustrations - 1: includes correspondence to Baird concerning ornithology illustrations, 1852-1854; bids for lithography and other matters, 1850-1854; list of illustrations in the Half-Century Book, undated. | |
| Folder | 5 | Illustrations - 2: list of illustrations for the Catalogue of Pre-Historic Anthropology at Madrid by Thomas Wilson, 1892-1893. | |
| Folder | 6 | Inaugural Balls: includes tickets, souvenirs, programs, and memoranda from the presidential inaugurations and balls of 1885 and 1897; four blue ribbons, possibly worn by members of the reception committee, undated. |
Box 19 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Indian Affairs - 1: includes information and publications on Indian languages and vocabularies, 1869-1870; clippings pertaining to Indian affairs, 1894; index to Indian vocabularies, undated; report by Colonel Brachey on the Crow Indians, 1886 | |
| Folder | 2 | Indian Affairs - 2: list of Indian tribes and vocabularies, 1876. | |
| Folder | 3 | Insurance Policies: premium receipts and insurance policies, 1852-1876. | |
| Folder | 4 | International Bureau of weights and Measures: includes letters and documents of the International Bureau (also referred to as Commission) on Weights and Measures, 1871-1877; letter to Henry concerning a treaty with France for the establishment of the Bureau, circa 1873. | |
| Folder | 5 | International Catalogue of Scientific Literature: clippings referring to the catalogue, 1896-1902. | |
| Folder | 6 | International Congresses: literature on the International Congress of Geologists, 1880-1891; letters, literature, and papers on the International Congress of the Americanists of France, 1874-1877; list of meetings of scientific associations, undated. | |
| Folder | 7 | International Exchanges, Office of - 1: includes rules for the transmission of scientific exchanges, 1897; memorandum of reimbursement by government exchanges, undated; reference books in the Exchange Office, 1887. | |
| Folder | 8 | International Exchanges, Office of - 2: includes exchange estimates, 1884-1885; draft copy of The International Exchange System by W. C. Winlock, undated; clippings on scientific exchanges, 1886-1902; expenditures, 1883-1888 |
Box 20 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Inventions, Alcoholic Distillation - 1: letters and memoranda regarding the invention of an improvement to alcoholic distillation, 1866-1868. | |
| Folder | 2 | Inventions, Alcoholic Distillation - 2: patents for a spirit meter and distilling apparatus, 1865-1868. | |
| Folder | 3 | Inventories - 1: lists of doors and keys, 1876-1881. | |
| Folder | 4 | Inventories - 2: includes inventory of tools and instruments, 1876; pamphlets in South Tower, undated. | |
| Folder | 5 | Inventories - 3: responses to a circular from Rhees requesting employee disclosure of S.I. keys in their possession, 1881; lists of furniture and other equipment in the building, 1860-1887. |
Box 21 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Japanese Indemnity Fund: memorandum from Henry to Congress on the Fund, undated; letters to Henry from D. Murray and E. P. Waterbury on the Fund, 1873-1875; memoranda, circulars, and bills on the subject, 1871-1875. | |
| Folder | 2 | Jewett's Stereotyping of Catalogues: published pamphlet, A Plan for Stereotyping catalogues, and for Forming a General Stereotyped Catalogue of Public Libraries in the U.S. by C. C. Jewett; notes, references, expenses, and examples of stereotyping project, 1849-1855. Charles Coffin Jewett was the assistant secretary and librarian of the Smithsonian from 1847-1854, but left as a result of a conflict with Henry over the purpose of the S.I. library. | |
| Folders | 3-4 | Kerler Manuscripts (2 folders): letters and manuscripts sent by John Kerler of Fort Buford, Dakota Territory, 1869. Papers deal with a variety of subjects from physics to religion, often attempting to integrate the two, and though Kerler presented these as scientific works, he does not appear to have conducted any experiments. | |
| Folder | 5 | Language: report by American Ethnological Society on Indian languages in America, 1852; article on neographics, 1874; clippings concerning language in general, circa 1896; pamphlet concerning Ideological Etymology, 1881 | |
| Folder | 6 | Laws of Nature: clippings from periodicals commenting on Langley's speech and article on the "laws of nature," 1902. | |
| Folder | 7 | Lectures - 1: pamphlets and programs for the U.S. National Museum and lectures by scientific societies. | |
| Folder | 8 | Lectures - 2: clippings on lectures; article on S.I. lectures in the National Intelligencer, a Washington, D.C., newspaper, 1857. |
Box 22 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Libraries - 1: questionnaires and letters responding to S.I. surveys of public libraries, 1855-1857. | |
| Folder | 2 | Libraries - 2: includes catalogue of books in library of the chief clerk, undated; article on colonial libraries, undated. | |
| Folder | 3 | Libraries - 3: list of Carnegie libraries, domestic and foreign, undated; list of Carnegie libraries by state, undated. Rhees wrote Manual of Public Libraries, Institutions, and Societies in the United States, and British Provinces of North America, Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott and Co., 1859. | |
| Folder | 4 | Library of Congress: list of volumes received by the Library of the Smithsonian Institution and transferred to the Library of Congress, 1881; clippings on the Library of Congress, 1866-1897; House and Senate reports of the Library of Congress, 1866-1898. The Smithsonian Library was transferred to the Library of Congress in 1866. | |
| Folder | 5 | Library of the Smithsonian Institution - 1: book containing charge-out records, 1857-1863. | |
| Folder | 6 | Library of the Smithsonian Institution - 2: overdue notices, memoranda, and statistics, 1859-1882; constitution of the central library, 1887; accession records, 1881-1886; article by Cyrus Adler on the library, used in the Half-Century Book, circa 1896; memorandum by Henry about the transfer of materials to the Library of Congress, 1866; notes on the transfer of the library, 1866; Senate bill for the transfer of the library, 1866 | |
| Folder | 7 | Lighthouse Service: letter and memorandum on the use and practicality of petroleum in lighthouses, 1869; pamphlet on the use of mineral and other oils in lighthouses, 1874. Henry served as chairman of the U.S. Light-House Board from 1871-1878. | |
| Folder | 8 | Magnetic Observations: memoir by T. H. Fergus on the dynamics of magnetic currents; letters to a Mr. Aubin (no first name given) on magnetic fluctuation, 1872; clippings and notes on magnetism, undated. | |
| Folder | 9 | Magnetic Papers (4 folders) : monthly readings of magnetic deviations in Castleton, Vermont, by R. G. Williams. 1: 1870; 2: 1871; 3: 1872; 4: 1873; Magnetic Papers - 2-4 are in Box 23 |
Box 23 of 52
| Folders | 1-3 | Magnetic Papers: as above. | |
| Folder | 4 | Manuscripts - 1: paper by C. C. Jones on the silver crosses found in an Indian burial ground in Georgia, 1881; paper by B. F. Green on adjustable ship binnacles, 1877; paper by J. D. Marvin to Henry on the combustion of gunpowder in the Ames Gun, 1868; J. F. Bennett, "The Theory of Rot in Grapes," 1866 | |
| Folder | 5 | Manuscripts - 2: W. S. Hopkins, "Essay on the Reconstruction and Trade," 1865; V. K. Powers, "Story of a Discovery, " undated; R. Anderson, "The Tides," 1874; J. Morton, "Quadrature of the Circle," 1877 | |
| Folder | 6 | Manuscripts - 3: F. B. Elliot, "Report on De Forest's Methods of Interpolation," 1869-1870; Simon Newcomb, "Trisection of the Angle," 1873; G. R. Perkins, "General Algebraic Solution of the Equation of the Fifth Degree," undated; this sealed letter was opened in 1978; L. S. Benson, "The Remedy for Discrepancies Now Found in Mathematical Methods," undated; T. W. O'Neill, "Essay on Heat and Electricity," 1873; Henry Korner, "Notice of Discoveries," 1878; P. Wright's theory of ether, 1878 |
Box 24 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Manuscripts - 4: L. Nickerson, "Experiment on Light Beams," undated; W. B. Taylor, "Report on Harvey on Ether," 1878; L. Mackall, "Physical Laws," 1872; list of deficient references in Progress in Physics, 1882; anonymous, "Theory of Gravitation," undated; E. Lewis, Jr.,"The Physics of Ice," 1872; L. Nickerson, "The Character of Neutral Axis," 1872; M. Abria, "Reflections on the Constitution of a Ray in Relation to the Wave Theory," undated; J. A. Spurlock, "Theory of Light," 1869 | |
| Folder | 2 | Manuscripts - 5: W. B. Taylor, "Report on Denovan's paper," 1877; L. Mackall, "Views of Nature," 1875; G. R. Catler, "The Hypothesis of the Projectile," 1866 | |
| Folder | 3 | Manuscripts - 6: letters from Carl Hallberg to Henry on physics, 1871-1872; anonymous, "Concerning the Water Elevator," undated; J. J. B. Albia, "The Repulsive Force of Gas," 1867; C. R. Catler, "Treatice on Projectile Force," 1866; various clippings, undated | |
| Folder | 4 | Maps - 1: drawings for the Archives Room, 1894; two floor plans of the Pension Bureau Building, 1882; file card maps of midwestern states, 1869; drawings of S.I. grounds, undated | |
| Folder | 5 | Maps - 2: District street extension proposals, 1897; two maps of the stars near the North Pole, undated; map of D.C., undated; map of D.C., 1901; two maps of D.C., 1902; map of Wabash railroad system, undated; map of Petworth area, undated; map of the Mississippi River valley, 1878 |
Box 25 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Maps - 3: first floor plans of the Iowa Apartment House, undated; map of Rock Creek Park, undated; two maps of Takoma Park, undated; list of post-route maps, 1880; hyposometrical map of the U.S., 1877; map of North Columbia Heights, 1901; four maps of the Deer Island vicinity, undated; floor plan of Lincoln Hall, undated | |
| Folder | 2 | Memoranda - 1: notes on the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1880; memoranda for the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1867, 1869, 1889; work done on the National Museum, 1883; requisitions issued, 1886; business of the Chief Clerk, 1884; memoranda calendar, 1883 | |
| Folder | 3 | Memoranda - 2: includes work in progress, 1871-1872; cut and paste memorandum sheets, undated; on statue of Henry for the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1884 | |
| Folder | 4 | Meteorology 1: includes "Publications on Meteorology by the Smithsonian Institution," by Rhees, 1892; history by Rhees of the Smithsonian and its experiences with meteorology, 1878. | |
| Folder | 5 | Meteorology - 2: alphabetical list of meteorological observers, 1868-1873; letters to Henry and Baird on publications in meteorology and related topics, 1869-1879. | |
| Folder | 6 | Meteorology - 3: records of meteorological readings, undated; circular of the Thermometric Bureau, 1880; pamphlets and advertisements for meteorological instruments, circa 1870; clippings concerning weather and meteorology, 1857-1903 |
Box 26 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Meteorology - 4: correspondence and articles submitted for publication on meteorological and atmospheric phenomena, 1869-1882 and undated. | |
| Folder | 2 | Meteorology - 5: includes House bill concerning the reorganization and improvement of the United States Weather Bureau, 1899; reports of meteorological stations, and observers, 1849-1873. | |
| Folder | 3 | Mineralogy: pamphlet, "Mineral Products of the U.S.," 1883; clippings on the lecture, "Mines and Mining, " 1874; list of minerals in the National Museum by T. W. Taylor, undated; House bill to create an Executive Department of Mines and Mining, 1900 | |
| Folder | 4 | Miscellaneous - 1: clippings on the first regiment of Minutemen, 1901-1902; letters discussing the origin of the name "Baraboo" in Wisconsin, 1872; clippings on the disposition of Wallace C. Andrew's will, 1903; selections from Popular Science Monthly, 1897-1903; notes for the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1878-1884 | |
| Folder | 5 | Miscellaneous - 2: proposal for the printing of the Miscellaneous Collections of the Smithsonian Institutions, circa 1905; recipes: furniture polish, carpet cleaner, library paste, white wash, undated; clipping, "Man's Life Ends At 40 Years ... Use Chloroform at 60," 1905; autographs of Baird and S.I. staff, 1883; clippings and document on the Daughters of Cincinnati, 1894; documents on the International Congress of Hygiene, 1882, 1891; awards given at the World's Columbian Exposition, 1893; clippings on coins and coinage, circa 1895; clippings on the Children's Room at the S.I., 1902-1905; Italian correspondence to Henry requesting information on the S.I., 1877; circulars of the Johns Hopkins University, 1876; Act of Incorporation for the American Literary Association, undated; clippings on the Panama Canal Projects, 1902 | |
| Folder | 6 | Miscellaneous - 3: "Buffalo for Washington," in Forest and Stream, 1888, discussing possibility of a national zoo note with reference to a Mary King, possibly the author of Livengood, 1903; clipping from the Congressional Record for the protection of the American Bison, 1890; two letters from the mother of collector E. M. Brigham concerning the S.I.'s receipt of boxes and use of her son's archaeological collections, 1881; circular of the Academy of Natural Sciences announcing a new Bureau of Scientific Information, 1884; agreements between the S.I. and a caterer, and draft of contract, undated; appeal by the American Printing House and the American University for the Blind, of which Henry was a Regent, for public aid, circa 1870. Henry was on the Board of Regents; clippings and a letter to the Sons of the American Revolution concerning the effort by the citizens of Alexandria, Virginia, to hold the tercentenary celebration of the settlement of Jamestown in their city, 1902; program for an exposition in New Mexico to mark 333 years since the first European settlement in Santa Fe, 1883; circular announcing a "Centennial of Chemistry" to commemorate 100 years since the discovery of oxygen, 1874; newspaper clipping on the Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C., 1897; letter to the editor by the Rev. L. R. James, on the occasion of the seventieth birthday of his friend, William H. Moffatt, celebrating the joys of a long and happy life, 1878; clipping describing a human-shaped sweet potato grown by Moffatt, 1878; document listing subdivisions and total acreage of Arlington Estate (no further explanation), 1888; description of the midshipmen assigned to the S.I., 1883; letter from the president of Georgetown College, agreeing to loan Rhees the college's Memorial Volume, 1896; clipping concerning printing a collection of obituaries of distinguished men, undated; list of the "Captains of Industry" who met Prince Henry, 1902; copy of Chicago Field, containing article about S.I. men involved with natural history, 1880; letter from the Bureau of Education requesting the return of college catalogues, 1896; humorous House resolution proposing a Grave-Yard Committee, to be composed of those members who demonstrate the ability to lodge the "dead weight of an objection to the considering of unobjectionable and needed legislation," 1886; obituary of William B. Cooper, an employee of the National Museum, 1904; obituary of Mary Schaeffer, daughter of George C. and Mary Martin Schaeffer, 1904; clipping about natural history and ethnological specimens of Borneo received from W. L. Abbott, undated; note from S. J. Coffin of Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, regarding Rhees' request to borrow a copy of "Men of Lafayette," 1896; obituary of Israel C. Russell, former president of the Geological Society of America, 1906; clipping concerning a claim for compensation by the widow of Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes, 1904; article about women scientists at the S.I., 1905; article about the choir at the Church of the Incarnation, Washington, D.C., undated; clippings about the Florida expedition of Albert M. Reese, 1905; obituary of William Weightman, who introduced quinine to America, 1904; article about collections of the Ulysses S. Grant Historical Society of Chicago, undated; clipping describing how to protect the home from insect invasions in the summer, 1901; receipt for the sale of a Smithsonian horse and carriage to an employee, 1889; notice of receipt of diary of the museum from Rhees, 1902; review of The Smithsonian Geographic Tables, 1895; letter to Baird concerning a letter of recommendation for a Mr. Markoe (sender's signature illegible), undated; index to Foraminifera, listing reviews; title page of A Table of Special Gravity for Solids and Liquids by Frank Wigglesworth Clark, Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1888; memorandum to Frederick True concerning the use of a set of sheets for indexing, undated; note concerning the poor financial management of Girard College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, undated; poem entitled, "Presidential Alphabet," about the election of 1864; Rhees' notes for Baird's report in Smithsonian Annual Report, 1881; map of mounds in Henry County, Iowa, 1880; letter from James G. Swan regarding his collecting work in the Queen Charlotte Islands, and a draft of a report of his work, 1884; questions by Rhees concerning an unspecified expedition, with which Emil Bessels may have been involved, undated; notes recording office activities, including the issuing and returning of keys, record of groups using the Smithsonian building for meetings, and letters to men in the laboratory and in Congress. Notes appear to have been cut from a notebook or journal, undated; list of publications for 1882; list of events and office activities, undated |
Box 27 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Miscellaneous - 4: index to Book Numbers 76-83, probably bound volumes of correspondence and memoranda, and Professor Baird's book, undated; list of treaties to be transferred to the State Department, 1877; list of memoranda sent, 1878; notes on business methods to secure economy, undated; circular regarding the use of the Smithsonian name, 1894; circular on the business arrangements of the S.I. , 1879; copy of inscriptions on the memorial vase of Andrew Jackson Downing, the horticulturalist and landscape gardener for the S.I. grounds, 1852; salary voucher for a foreman at the National Zoological Park, 1891; note from Fredrick V. Hayden ordering that the keys to his private room be given to William Henry Holmes, 1880; newspaper articles concerning the lack of public knowledge about the activities of the S.I., 1895; clippings concerning the failure to honor James Smithson, 1895; article about research being conducted by the government, circa 1903; copy of the Congressional Record of 1903, with debate concerning the Sundry Civil Appropriations Bill; newspaper article about the Smithsonian, with pictures of Smithson, Henry, Baird, Langley, and the S.I. building; articles and clippings complimentary and critical of the S.I. , and announcements of a memorial to James Smithson, circa 1903; description of policies adopted by the S.I. , 1853-1856; memorandum from Rhees advising on the Mann bequest, 1889; Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885; article announcing the awarding of the Hodgkins Gold Medal to J. J. Thomson for his investigation on the conductivity of gases, 1902; clipping from the Congressional Record concerning the printing of a comprehensive index to government publications for 1881-1893 and 1903, the congressional directory, and the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1901; report concerning appropriations for the National Museum, undated; speech by R. Adams, Jr., to the House made in response to criticism of the S.I. by another House member. Adams was a Regent at the time. | |
| Folder | 2 | Miscellaneous - 5: copy of the Congressional Record of 1903 regarding the sundry Civil Appropriations bill; clippings concerning Alexander Graham Bell's criticism of Langley's flying machine, 1903; excerpt from President Theodore Roosevelt's message concerning the National Museum, 1902; article in Science addressing the relationship between the national Museum and the S.I. ; copy of the Congressional Record in which a member refers to an ethnology book published by the S.I., 1903; note with reference to a paper on the malarial mosquito, 1901; article about the derivation of girls' names; note with reference to J. Stoneapher, librarian of Lafayette college, 1903; note with reference to Charles Drybread, 1900; note from F. A. Lucas regarding Rhees' collection of names, undated; note with reference to C. O. Goodpasture, 1902; letter to the editor regarding the origin of a name mentioned in an article, 1902; note acknowledging return of articles by a Mr. Schuermann (no first name given), 1889; letter to the editor criticizing government publication of "Jefferson's Bible," 1902; Senate bill to provide for an official index of published documents, 1892; itinerary for Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, State Normal School Educational Tour, 1901; copy of the Congressional Record regarding appropriations for building the National Museum, 1903; unidentified list of "numbers missing from files," undated; letter from W. Hill (or Hall) requesting any information on the origin of the word "Baraboo" (see also Box 26, Folder 2); announcement of the meeting of the corporators of the National Military and Naval Asylum, 1865. Henry was a member; article by Langley describing important research conducted by the S.I., some of which was criticized as impractical when it was first begun, 1904; Senate bill to incorporate the White Cross of America in D.C., 1899; articles on the recipients of the Nobel Prize, 1901; circular for the International Oriental Congress, 1905. Cyrus Adler, the librarian of the S.I., was the U.S. representative on the organizing committee; article from a San Francisco newspaper about the new overland stage mail route in Southern California, undated; articles on pensions for the widows and children of men who fought in the Revolutionary War, 1897; list of books in the library of Count Castelnaus that were not named in the original catalogue of his collection, undated; draft of guidelines for selecting articles to be included in the appendix to the Smithsonian Annual Report of 1898; Annual Report of the Progress of Science, 1879-1886; clipping on the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1902; article which mentions an exhibit of Egyptian archaeology and other interesting works at the National Museum. Also included in the article is an announcement of a meeting of the state boards of health to discuss the danger threatened by the possible introduction of the bubonic plague in the U.S., 1903; letter to the editor of Science advocating that the S.I. be converted from a museum to an institute for research, 1906; directions for resetting the combination of a safe, undated; booklet of the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor, 1897; thank-you note to Rhees (sender unidentified) , 1899; circular describing lots and prices in Columbia Heights; includes photographs of the area, undated; House bill to establish a pantheon for illustrious women in D.C., 1900; clipping concerning citizens' claim to compensation for land taken for a street extension, 1901. Included are Smithsonian officers Charles Walcott and Richard Rathbun; clipping on the Annual Report of the White Cross University of Science, communicating the university's condemnation of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, undated; obituary notices of members of the Philosophical Society of Washington, including those of George Brown Goode, Emil Bessels, and William B. Taylor, 1891 and 1900 | |
| Folder | 3 | Miscellaneous - 6: booklet about the Children's Room, reprinted from the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1901; History of the Great "Tuczon Meteorite", donated by B.J.D. Irwin, Surgeon U.S.A., to the Smithsonian Institution, Memphis: Blelock and Co., 1865; Isaac Lea, "Rectification of Mr. T. A. Conrad's 'Synopsis of the Family of Naiades of North America,'" from Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1853; G. A. Rowell, An Essay on the Beneficient Distribution of the Sense of Pain, London: Williams and Norgate, 1862; paper by W. P. Trowbridge about heat, undated; examples of "magic squares," undated; I. P. Tice, The Whiskey Tax. Remarks as to the best method of Collecting It, (place, publisher unidentified), undated; W. Brower, The Quadrature of the Circle: being a full exposition of the problem, Philadelphia: Sower, Potts, and Co., 1871; engravings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 1830; catalogue of the casts by Edwin Hamilton Davis (reference to 'ethnology'), 1868. Davis was co-author of the first of the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge series; G. A. Rowell, On the Effects of Elevation and Floods on Health; and the General Health of Oxford, compared with That of Other Districts, London: Williams and Norgate, 1866 | |
| Folder | 4 | Miscellaneous - 7: The Library Journal, reporting on the Conference of Librarians in Washington, 1881; R. Koenig, "Instruction pour le maniement du Phonautographe," 1863; memoranda requesting that this paper be located and translated, and typed translation, 1899; newspaper clippings of the embezzlement scandal involving S.I. disbursing clerk William W. Karr, 1905; floor plan of the National Museum, undated; sheet music of "Honor thy Father and Mother," with words by Solomon G. Brown, 1889; letter of introduction for Miss M. B. Breed from the Acting Secretary; copy of Nature, including an article about the S.I. , 1896; pamphlet reprinted from William J. Rhees, An Account of the Smithsonian Institution, 1859; program of the unveiling of the statue of Henry, 1883; announcement of the sale of Collins Printing House, 1886; poster of the Smithsonian, undated | |
| Folder | 5 | Mollusks: includes report to Henry from P. P. Carpenter on his work with S.I. shells, 1865; letters from Henry on conchology, 1860-1864; memoranda on purchasing shell collections, 1883; report from T. Bland to Henry on mollusks of the West Indies, 1873 | |
| Folder | 6 | National Conservatory of Music: House and Senate bills for the incorporation of the N.C.M. of America, 1890-1891; clipping on the N.C.M., 1891. | |
| Folder | 7 | National Gallery of Art: report concerning the appropriation of funds to found a National Gallery of Art; list of American paintings at the National Gallery, 1907. |
Box 28 of 52
| Folder | 1 | National Herbarium: signed agreement between Henry and H. Capron for the disposition of botanical specimens, 1868; list of specimens received from the S.I. for the Herbarium, 1870-1882; letter from G. Vasey reporting on the Herbarium, 1868-1874. | |
| Folder | 2 | National Institute: includes notes on the organization of the National Institute; paper concerning the Columbian Institute; congressional report on the National Institute, 1844. | |
| Folder | 3 | National Military and Naval Museum: House bills and clipping concerning the establishment of a National Military and Naval Museum in Washington, 1889-1901. | |
| Folder | 4 | National Museum - 1: includes memoranda concerning location and building of the National Museum, and Congressional appropriations, 1876-1902; clippings mentioning the National Museum, 1886-1905. | |
| Folder | 5 | National Museum - 2: bound letter from George Brown Goode to Langley concerning the disposition of the National Museum, undated; records of keys and doors in the museum; undated; lists of donations and additions to the Museum, 1870. | |
| Folder | 6 | National Museum - 3: number of visitors to the S.I. and National Museum per year, 1880, 1883; memoranda on the relationship between the S.I. and the National Museum, 1869; notices requesting specific sections and exhibits in the National Museum, 1876; list of building and furniture expenses of the S.I., 1847-1902 | |
| Folder | 7 | National Museum - 4: includes correspondence on the numbering of museum bulletins and circulars, 1900-1901; lists of papers and circulars in the museum's Proceedings, undated. | |
| Folder | 8 | National Museum - 5: includes fire-proofing the museum, 1881; memorandum concerning the reorganization of the museum, undated. | |
| Folder | 9 | National Museum - 6: includes clippings on the museum from the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1876-1901; articles by Frederick True and Baird on the museum. |
Box 29 of 52
| Folder | 1 | National University: Senate bills, congressional records, and clippings on the establishment of a National University and/or a University of the United States, 1870-1894. | |
| Folder | 2 | National Zoological Park - 1: forms, circulars, and blanks used by the N.Z.P., undated | |
| Folder | 3 | National Zoological Park - 2: set of letters between Olmsted Landscaping and Baird on the original site for the N.Z.P., 1890; clippings about the N.Z.P. and zoos in general, 1883-1898. | |
| Folder | 4 | National Zoological Park - 3: additional articles about the N.Z.P., 1889-1902; lists of Congressmen who voted in favor of or against the N.Z.P., 1889. | |
| Folder | 5 | Naval Observatory: unsigned draft manuscript and House bill on the reorganization of the Naval observatory, 1900; work done, 1876. | |
| Folder | 6 | Necrology: includes obituaries, memorials, and clippings on the oldest inhabitants of Washington, 1900-1907. | |
| Folder | 7 | Parks: House and Senate bills, Congressional records, and clippings on the following parks: Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C., 1888-1906; Yellowstone Park, 1874; Valley Forge Park, Pennsylvania, 1902. | |
| Folder | 8 | Photography: proposal for a circular on photographs of scientists, 1885; letter from Henry concerning the classification of photographs, 1877; memorandum from Assistant Secretary Richard Rathbun concerning a photograph from an archives portfolio, 1903; clippings on photographic art at the National Museum and new developments in newspaper illustrations, 1895-1896 | |
| Folder | 9 | Plates: collection of Diptera plates in the Document Room, 1878; list of Glover plates, undated. | |
| Folder | 10 | Pneumatic Tubes: memoranda, letters, and advertisements on the application of pneumatic tubes to mass transportation, 1873. | |
| Folder | 11 | Postal Regulations: Post Office Department circulars on regulations and revisions of domestic and international mailings, 1879-1884; clippings on postage stamp releases, undated. | |
| Folder | 12 | Postmaster, Office of: letters from the Postmaster of the S.I. to Baird on the quantity and type of mail sent and received, 1884-1888; analysis of mail received, 1885-1889; memorandum to the Postmaster listing the journals wanted and not wanted, circa 1885; list of persons receiving mail, 1885; clippings about mail and mailings, undated |
Box 30 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Printing of Documents - 1: House and Senate bills and reports concerning printing for the S.I. , 1870-1894. | |
| Folder | 2 | Printing of Documents - 2: list of publications printed by order of Congress for the S.I., 1877-1895; memorandum on the revised statutes on public printing; clippings on public printing and printing of the S.I. , 1892-1902. | |
| Folder | 3 | Public Schools: floor plans of several schools; letters received concerning education; clippings about public schools, 1863-1900. | |
| Folder | 4 | Publications - 1: memoranda and reports concerning the Record of Scientific Progress and Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, as well as questions of what kind of works the S.I. ought to publish in the future. | |
| Folders | 5-7 | Publications - 2-4: handwritten copies of descriptions of S.I. publications by Henry which appeared in the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1846-1878. 2: #1-#114; 3: #116-#271; 4: unnumbered |
Box 31 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Publications - 5: memoranda to Rhees on the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1902-1905; distribution of the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1900-1905; report on publication distribution, 1903; itemized list of distribution, 1901-1902 | |
| Folder | 2 | Publications - 6: includes itemized list of distribution, 1903-1905. | |
| Folder | 3 | publications - 7: itemized list of distribution, 1905-1909; statistics of Smithsonian publications, 1847-1864; notes concerning reprinting and renumbering S.I. publications, undated. | |
| Folder | 4 | publications - 8: checklist of publications of the S.I. , 1896. | |
| Folder | 5 | publications, Cost of - 1: letters to Rhees on printing estimates, 1887-1891; letters to Henry on printing estimates, 1870-1873; notes and annual publications costs, 1847-1887. | |
| Folder | 6 | Publications, Cost of - 2: includes cut-and-paste list of publications printed for the S.I. by order of Congress, 1864-1893; cost of Smithsonian Annual Report to government, 1846-1902. |
Box 32 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Publications, Cost of - 3: includes index cards showing publications and figures; cost of publications and extras to the S.I. , 1886-1897. | |
| Folder | 2 | Publications, Cost of - 4: includes printing for the National Museum, 1890-1891; books and circulars printed, 1880; publications records for the Bureau of Ethnology. | |
| Folders | 3-4 | Publications, Press Notices (4 folders): press notices and other clippings from local and international newspapers and journals that refer to S.I. publications, 1856-1914. 1: 1856-1901; 2: 1902; 3: 1903-1907; 4: 1908-1914, and undated (Publications, Press Notices - 3 & 4 are in Box 33) |
Box 33 of 52
| Folders | 1-2 | Publications, Press Notices - 3 & 4: described above. | |
| Folder | 3 | Publications, Sales of: lists, letters, and tabulations of sales of S.I. publications, 1878-1889. | |
| Folder | 4 | Receptions: invitations, schedules of music, and menus used at the opening of the National Museum, 1903; reception given by Langley for the members of the National Academy of Science, 1895. | |
| Folder | 5 | Regents, Board of - 1: minutes, proceedings, and other material related to the regular meetings of the Board of Regents, 1903-1907. | |
| Folder | 6 | Regents, Board of - 2: alphabetical card file on all members of the Board, listing date of appointment, whom appointed by, and dates of attendance, 1846-1895. |
Box 34 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Regents, Board of - 3: includes notes and minutes of board meetings, 1887-1892; clippings mentioning the Board, 1901-1904; history of the Establishment and the Board of Regents by George Brown Goode (incomplete), 1896. | |
| Folder | 2 | Regents, Board of - 4: lists of board meetings, 1846-1902; lists of committees appointed by the Board. | |
| Folder | 3 | Regents, Board of - 5: lists of Board members and terms of service, 1846-1899. A file labeled "Regents, Board of - Attendance" is listed in a previous finding aid, but that file either is now missing from this collection or was combined with the general Board of Regents file and now exists as "Regents, Board of - 2." | |
| Folders | 4-5 | Regents, Board of - Attendances and Acts (2 folders): unbound volume labeled Attendance and Acts, circa 1898. Arranged by Regents' last name: 1: A-F; 2: G-Z |
Box 35 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Regents, Board of - College Degrees: includes list of colleges with the degrees that each conferred on Regents who served on the Board between 1846 and 1901; list of Regents with degrees received from these institutions, undated. | |
| Folder | 2 | Regents, Board of - Election and Appointment - 1: Journal of the Proceedings of the Board of Regents, 1883-1891. | |
| Folder | 3 | Regents, Board of - Election and Appointment - 2: notes, Congressional records, and clippings concerning appointments, 1849-1904. | |
| Folders | 4-5 | Regents, Board of - Meetings (2 folders): notes and rough drafts of minutes from the meetings of the Board of Regents, 1882-1890. 1: 1882-1887; 2: 1888-1890; clippings referring to meetings conducted by the Board, 1846-1905. |
Box 36 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Regents, Board of - Portraits - 1: brief biographies of each Regent and portrait cards of many. These biographies were used in the chapter on the Board of Regents in the Half-Century Book. | |
| Folder | 2 | Regents, Board of - Portraits - 2: list of photographs of Regents in the Archives Room; materials relating to portraits, photographs, or engravings of the regents, 1885-1904. | |
| Folder | 3 | Regulations - 1: Smithsonian regulations of 1887, outlining the duties of S.I. officers; general index by Rhees of the contents of the S.I. building and the duties of the officers and employees, 1871; rules and regulations, 1879. | |
| Folder | 4 | Regulations 2: manuscript of the duties of office for S.I. regents and officers, undated. | |
| Folder | 5 | Reports of the Smithsonian Institution: House and Senate bills concerning the publication and circulation of the Smithsonian Annual Report, 1882-1890; list of Annual Reports, 1847-1894. | |
| Folder | 6 | Rumford Committee: draft of the minutes of the last meeting of the Rumford Committee, dealing with the performance of hot-air engines, 1865. | |
| Folder | 7 | Secretary, Office of: report on the powers and duties of the Secretary, undated; clippings referring to Langley's appointment of an Assistant Secretary, 1897; circular concerning the appointment of an Acting Secretary, 1884; memoranda and Congressional bill discussing the appointment of an Acting Secretary, 1881-1884 |
Box 37 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Security Passes, Smithsonian Institution Building: list of pass-holders, issued by the Chief Clerk, 1885-1891; lists of passes issued, 1883 and 1892; memorandum concerning entrance with packages, 1891; instructions for the S.I. watchman and janitors, circa 1888 | |
| Folder | 2 | Smithson, Bequest and History of - 1: remarks by Nahum Capen on the Law of Congress relating to the S.I., undated; newspaper articles on the Smithson Bequest, 1839-1846. | |
| Folder | 3 | Smithson, Bequest and History of -2: 1846-1867. Includes Rhees' original plan of the life of Smithson and the history of the S.I., undated. This was probably used in writing James Smithson and His Bequest, Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1880; letters to Rhees from the State Department concerning Congressional documents on the Smithson bequest, 1878; list of residences of James Smithson, compiled by Rhees; commission and narrative of Henry L. Dickerson, undated. Dickerson was the half-brother, also illegitimate, of James Smithson. | |
| Folder | 4 | Smithsonian Fund - 1: documents and letters relating to the establishment of an S.I. fund from the Smithson bequest, 1856-1867; documents, letters, and memoranda concerning the Arkansas, Indiana, Georgia, and Corporation of Washington stocks, 1856-1898. | |
| Folder | 5 | Smithsonian Fund - 2: documents, letters, and memoranda concerning the Tennessee and Virginia stocks and bonds, 1852-1881. |
Box 38 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Smithsonian History - 1: report by George Brown Goode on the National Museum, 1885-1886; article by Rhees on James Smithson and his bequest, undated; "Principal Events in the History of the Smithsonian Institution, " reprinted from the Half-Century Book, 1897; article about the Smithsonian from the American Journal of Pharmacology 76(1904): 151-172. | |
| Folder | 2 | Smithsonian History - 2: includes Act to Establish the S.I., circa 1844; "The Smithsonian Institution and James Smithson," in The Book Lover, 1904; report of the Board of Regents on the establishment of a Bureau of Graduate Study under the S.I., 1900. | |
| Folder | 3 | Smithsonian History - 3: clippings on the history of the S.I., 1857-1905. | |
| Folder | 4 | Smithsonian, Misspelling of Name: unique set of papers listing some of the misspelled attempts to address mail to the S.I., apparently compiled by Rhees, undated; clipping on this subject, 1904. | |
| Folder | 5 | Smithsonian Relief Association: copies of the constitution of the S.R.A., 1900; printed material pertaining to the Association, undated; office solicitations for funds, 1882 and undated. | |
| Folder | 6 | Sons of the American Revolution - 1: includes The Spirit of '76, a publication of the S.A.R., 1902; notices, schedules, and programs of receptions of the S.A.R., 1898-1905. | |
| Folder | 7 | Sons of the American Revolution - 2: newspaper clippings that refer to the S.A.R., 1890-1906. |
Box 39 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Sons of the American Revolution - 3: clippings announcing the deaths of members of the S.A.R., 1893-1905. | |
| Folder | 2 | Standards, Bureau of: French report concerning the international standardization of metric standards, 1870; report by the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce to the Emperor of France on the standardization of archival standards, 1869; letter from J. E. Hilgard to Henry discussing the International Standards Committee, 1870; clippings concerning the Bureau of Standards, undated | |
| Folders | 3-4 | Statues and Monuments (2 folders) : House and Senate bills authorizing erection of statues and monuments, 1889-1904. 1: 1889-1899; 2: 1900-1904; clippings on statues erected, 1890-1905. | |
| Folder | 5 | Stereotype Plates 1: prints from stereotype plates consisting of bold-type numerals from 1 to 1104, undated; thirteen reports by G. L. Snyder on the examination of stereotype plates. | |
| Folder | 6 | Stereotype Plates - 2; reports from Snyder to Rhees, 1890. |
Box 40 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Stereotype Plates - 3: inventory of stereotype and electrotype plates, 1887; catalogue of steel and copper plates, 1886; catalogue of steel and copper plates of the United States Pacific Railroad Survey: U.S. and Mexico boundary, U.S. and Japan expedition, and U.S. Naval Australian Expedition, 1886. |
The following four folders contain memoranda, letters, and notes concerning printing and stereotyping for the S.I., 1851-1891. Additionally, these folders include:
| Folder | 2 | Stereotype Plates - 4: estimates and proposals for printing and stereotyping, 1851-1890 and undated. | |
| Folder | 3 | Stereotype Plates - 5: statement of amounts paid by the S.I. for stereotyping plates of several non-S.I. publications, 1852-1890; lists of stereotype plates to be disposed of, undated; lists of boxes of stereotype plates containing Smithsonian Annual Reports, 1882 and undated. | |
| Folder | 4 | Stereotype Plates - 6: letters and memoranda to Rhees concerning transmission of plates to various printers, 1888-1891; summary of museum stereotype boxes, 1895. | |
| Folder | 5 | Stereotype Plates - 7: requests from the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries for stereotype plates; list of plates belonging to the S.I. deposited in the vault of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, 1888. |
Box 41 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Telephones: clippings of the patent scandal involving Alexander Graham Bell, 1885; photographs of the original Smithsonian telephone, 1885-1886 list of subscribers to the National Capitol Phone Company, 1882-1883; schedule of rates by the National Capitol Phone Company, 1881; affidavit by Rhees concerning a memorandum from a Mr. E. Berliner that was placed in a public correspondence file, 1881. This may have had some relevance to the Bell dispute; advertisements for the Holcomb telephone, 1876 | |
| Folder | 2 | Thefts: memorandum concerning theft of funds from Rhees' desk, 1874; pictures of discs taken from the Anthropological Hall, 1881. | |
| Folder | 3 | Topography: letters from W. L. Nicholson to Henry concerning the mapping of the U.S., 1875, and to Baird of an effort to map the elevations of the U.S., 1880; lists of books and pamphlets forming part of the Collection of Heights in North America, circa 1882. | |
| Folder | 4 | Transportation: book of rates for the B & O Express from Washington, D.C., 1880; letter to Baird from S. C. Brown concerning the shipment and transportation of papers from the S.I., 1886; letter from Baird to Central Pacific Railroad for free freight, undated; proposed rules for "A Division of Transportation," by S. C. Brown, 1884; general regulations in regard to transportation, undated; letters and memoranda concerning the purchase of horses and carriages, 1883 | |
| Folder | 5 | U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey: clipping on the history of the survey, 1903; letter to Rhees from the U.S.C.G.S. about the delivery of survey articles, 1889; memorandum for Henry concerning the operations of the Survey, 1876. | |
| Folder | 6 | Y.M.C.A. - 1: material collected by Rhees for the fifty-year history of the Washington, D.C., Y.M.C.A., undated; biographical sketches of the two men who founded the Washington, D.C., Y.M.C.A. with Rhees in 1852, undated. | |
| Folder | 7 | Y.M.C.A. - 2: photographs of members, undated; letters to Rhees concerning local and national Y.M.C.A. activities and conventions, 1902-1905; clippings and papers related to the Association, 1903-1905. |
This series consists of biographical files generated by Rhees, similar to the subject files of series 1. Most of the files contain obituaries and other articles written about the person after his or her death, but folders also include letters, manuscripts, copies of speeches and papers, and other miscellaneous material. Individuals represented range from famous scientists and regents of the Smithsonian to regular Smithsonian employees, including Rhees himself. This series retains weak archival integrity as a collection due to obvious additions to and removals from to its contents after Rhees' death in 1907.
Box 42 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Abbe, Cleveland | |
| Folder | 2 | Adam, J. G. | |
| Folder | 3 | Adams, Robert | |
| Folder | 4 | Adler, Cyrus | |
| Folder | 5 | Agassiz, Louis | |
| Folder | 6 | Andrews, Wallace C. | |
| Folder | 7 | Avery, Robert S. | |
| Folder | 8 | Barnard, J.G. | |
| Folder | 9 | Barnett, Frank N. | |
| Folder | 10 | Beard, Miss N.C. | |
| Folder | 11 | Benjamin, Marcus | |
| Folder | 12 | Berendt, Carl Hermann | |
| Folder | 13 | Berliner, E. | |
| Folder | 14 | Berret, J.G. | |
| Folder | 15 | Bessels, Emil | |
| Folder | 16 | Bischoff, F. | |
| Folder | 17 | Bland, Thomas | |
| Folder | 18 | Boehmer, George H. | |
| Folder | 19 | Bolton, H.C. | |
| Folder | 20 | Bowen, Sayles Jenks | |
| Folder | 21 | Bowers, George M. | |
| Folder | 22 | Breckinridge, W.C.P. | |
| Folder | 23 | Brentano, Simon | |
| Folder | 24 | Brown, Solomon G. | |
| Folder | 25 | Brown-Sequard, Charles Edward | |
| Folder | 26 | Carpenter, Philip | |
| Folder | 27 | Catlin, George | |
| Folder | 28 | Chavero, Alfredo | |
| Folder | 29 | Clark, Henry James | |
| Folder | 30 | Cluss, Adolf | |
| Folder | 31 | Cogswell, William F. |
Box 43 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Colcock, William Ferguson | |
| Folder | 2 | Cooper, James G. | |
| Folder | 3 | Coppee, Henry | |
| Folder | 4 | Craig, B.F. | |
| Folder | 5 | Cullom, Shelby Moore | |
| Folder | 6 | Daguerre, Louis Jacques Mande | |
| Folder | 7 | Darwin, Charles | |
| Folder | 8 | Davis, Henry W. | |
| Folder | 9 | Dayton, William Lewis | |
| Folder | 10 | Delafield, Richard | |
| Folder | 11 | Devens, Charles | |
| Folder | 12 | Dewey, Chester | |
| Folder | 13 | Diebitsch, Herman | |
| Folder | 14 | Donaldson, Thomas | |
| Folder | 15 | Dorsey, Vernon M. | |
| Folder | 16 | Douglas, Stephen A. | |
| Folder | 17 | Downing, Andrew Jackson | |
| Folder | 18 | DuBois, Edward C. | |
| Folder | 19 | Durand, John | |
| Folder | 20 | Egleston, Thomas | |
| Folder | 21 | Ellis, Charles W.H. | |
| Folder | 22 | Emery, Matthew G. | |
| Folder | 23 | English, William H. | |
| Folder | 24 | Espy, James P. | |
| Folder | 25 | Felton, Cornelius C. | |
| Folder | 26 | Force, William Q. | |
| Folder | 27 | Foreman, Edward | |
| Folder | 28 | Foster, Thomas | |
| Folder | 29 | Gale, Leonard D. | |
| Folder | 30 | Gant, James | |
| Folder | 31 | Garett, Mary S. | |
| Folder | 32 | Gass, Henry | |
| Folder | 33 | Gibson, Randall L. | |
| Folder | 34 | Goode, George Brown | |
| Folder | 35 | Griffin, Thomas | |
| Folder | 36 | Hawes, George W. | |
| Folder | 37 | Hawley, Gideon | |
| Folder | 38 | Hendley, John W. | |
| Folder | 39 | Hitt, Robert R. | |
| Folder | 40 | Hoar, Ebenezer Rockwood | |
| Folder | 41 | Hoar, George F. |
Box 44 of 52
| Folder | 1 | Hough, Walter | |
| Folder | 2 | Hubbard, Gardiner Green | |
| Folder | 3 | Hyatt, Alpheus | |
| Folder | 4 | Johnston, William P. | |
| Folder | 5 | Jones, Charles S. | |
| Folder | 6 | Jones, Joseph | |
| Folder | 7 | Karr, William W. | |
| Folder | 8 | Kellogg, Miner K. | |
| Folder | 9 | Kennicott, Robert | |