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Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 284

Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Department of Membership and Programs

Records, 1973-1978
Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator: Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Department of Membership and Programs
Title: Records
Dates: 1973-1978
Quantity: 8 cu. ft. (16 document boxes)
Collection: Record Unit 284
Language of Materials: English
Summary:

These records consist of correspondence with prospective donors; invitations to auction previews, supper parties, and the auctions; drafts for invitations, announcements, and the auction catalogs; photographs of items for auction; auction bids; expense statements; and sales receipts. Also included are newspaper and journal articles, materials pertaining to special events, and inactive volunteer files.

Historical Note

The Department of Membership and Programs handles the Cooper-Hewitt Museum's fundraising, special events, education, membership, and volunteer programs. One of the fundraising programs is the annual benefit auction of antiques and fine works of art. From 1974 to 1976, the funds earned from these auctions were used for the renovation of the Carnegie Mansion, and since 1977, to support the Museum's education programs.

The first auction was coordinated by Dorothy Twining Globus, an Exhibits Specialist in the Museum. Mary Kerr, Assistant Registrar, coordinated the second auction in 1975. In 1976, responsibility for the auctions was combined with a new membership program under Kerr as Membership Coordinator.

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Descriptive Entry

These records consist of correspondence with prospective donors for cash donations or donation of items for auctions; invitations to the auction and auction-related events; photographs of items for auction; drafts for auction catalogues; invitations and announcements; auction bids; expense statements; sale receipts; and newspaper and journal articles. Other records concern the special events programs such as the Save Venice fundraising picnic, 1977; the opening of the Carnegie Mansion, 1976; and the 75th anniversary of the Carnegie Mansion, 1977. The Department's inactive volunteer files are also included.

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This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.

Name

Subject

Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 284, Cooper-Hewitt Museum. Department of Membership and Programs, Records

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Container List

Series 1

AUCTIONS, 1974-1977

Box 1

Auction, 1974

Folder 1 Background Summary report of auction

Box 1 of 16

Folder 2 Bids, for sealed bid and evening sales

Box 1 of 16

Folder 3 Bills and expense list, includes photocopies of invoices and receipts

Box 1 of 16

Folder 4 Bills, museum's copy of bills for items auctioned

Box 1 of 16

Folder 5 Catalogue

Box 1 of 16

Folder 6 Conditions of sale

Box 1 of 16

Folder 7 Estimates, estimates of amounts that various lots would bring

Box 1 of 16

Folder 8 Illustrations, photographs and negatives

Box 1 of 16

Folder 9 Isobe, Yukihisa, correspondence concerning donation

Box 1 of 16

Folder 10 Models, examples of catalogues, forms, etc. used at other auctions

Box 1 of 16

Folder 11 Notes, Dorothy T. Globus file

Box 1 of 16

Folder 12 Objects, follow-up and no reply concerning donors

Box 1 of 16

Folder 13 Printing, samples of materials printed up for auction

Box 1 of 16

Box 2

Folder 1 Publicity

Box 2 of 16

Folder 2 Transmittals, photocopies of forms transmitting proceeds to Smithsonian Treasurer

Box 2 of 16

Folder 3 Unsold, concerning objects not sold at auction and consigned to Sotheby Perke Bernet and outstanding accounts

Box 2 of 16

Folders 4-63 BA001-BA060, correspondence with donors, catalogue forms and other materials concerning donation of objects for auction

Box 2 of 16

Box 3

Folders 1-80 BA061-BA140

Box 3 of 16

Box 4

Folders 1-89 BA141-229

Box 4 of 16

Box 5

Auction, 1975

Folder 1 Bids, evening auction sale

Box 5 of 16

Folders 2-3 Bids, silent auction

Box 5 of 16

Folder 4 Committees

Box 5 of 16

Folder 5 Correspondence

Box 5 of 16

Folder 6 Correspondence, Irving Jermansky

Box 5 of 16

Folders 7-14 Donors, A-H

Box 5 of 16

Box 6

Folders 1-12 Donors, J-W

Box 6 of 16

Folder 13 Donors, monetary

Box 6 of 16

Folder 14 Invoices

Box 6 of 16

Box 7

Folder 1 Mailing list

Box 7 of 16

Folder 2 Notes

Box 7 of 16

Folder 3 Outstanding bills

Box 7 of 16

Folder 4 PB84

Box 7 of 16

Folders 5-7 Photographs and negatives

Box 7 of 16

Folder 8 Tickets

Box 7 of 16

Folder 9 Transmittal reports

Box 7 of 16

Box 8

Auction, 1976

Folder 1 Acknowledgements

Box 8 of 16

Folder 2 Auction letters

Box 8 of 16

Folder 3 Auction notes

Box 8 of 16

Folder 4 Auction party

Box 8 of 16

Folder 5 Auction printing

Box 8 of 16

Folder 6 Auction prospects and promises

Box 8 of 16

Folder 7 Auction receipts

Box 8 of 16

Folder 8 Benefit Committee

Box 8 of 16

Folder 9 Correspondence

Box 8 of 16

Box 9

Folder 1 Correspondence (continued)

Box 9 of 16

Folder 2 Catalogue

Box 9 of 16

Folder 3 Catalogue slips, addendum

Box 9 of 16

Folders 4-21 Catalogue slips, A-Q

Box 9 of 16

Box 10

Folders 1-6 Catalogue slips, R-W

Box 10 of 16

Folder 7 Donors

Box 10 of 16

Folders 8-9 Photographs

Box 10 of 16

Folder 10 Publicity

Box 10 of 16

Folder 11 Thank yous

Box 10 of 16

Folder 12 Thank yous, unsent

Box 10 of 16

Folder 13 Transmittal reports

Box 10 of 16

Folder 14 Unpaid auction bills

Box 10 of 16

Box 11

Auction, 1977

Folder 1 Acknowledgements

Box 11 of 16

Folder 2 Acquisition Committee lists

Box 11 of 16

Folder 3 Advertising

Box 11 of 16

Folder 4 Auction, lists of bids, lots 95-305

Box 11 of 16

Folder 5 Auction party and donations responses

Box 11 of 16

Folder 6 Auction pending

Box 11 of 16

Folder 7 Auction sale receipts

Box 11 of 16

Folder 8 Benefit auctions

Box 11 of 16

Folder 9 Catalogue

Box 11 of 16

Folder 10 Committees

Box 11 of 16

Folder 11 Contributors

Box 11 of 16

Box 12

Folders 1-80 Donors, A-J

Box 12 of 16

Box 13

Folders 1-90 Donors, K-Z

Box 13 of 16

Box 14

Folders 1-2 Donors, arranged by receipts numbers (notebooks I & II)

Box 14 of 16

Folder 3 Evening auction bids

Box 14 of 16

Folder 4 Expenses

Box 14 of 16

Folders 5-7 Photographs of items for sale at auction

Box 14 of 16

Box 15

Folder 1 Press release

Box 15 of 16

Folders 2-3 Sealed bids

Box 15 of 16

Folder 4 Thank yous

Box 15 of 16

Folder 5 Transmittal reports

Box 15 of 16

Folder 6 Miscellaneous (unfiled materials)

Box 15 of 16

Series 2

SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAMS, 1976-1978

Box 16

Folders 1-4 Carnegie House: Museum opening, 1976

Box 16 of 16

Folder 5 Carnegie House: 75th Anniversary, 1977

Box 16 of 16

Folder 6 Save Venice Picnic fundraising, June 13, 1977

Box 16 of 16

Folders 7-8 Special events, general, 1976-1977

Box 16 of 16

Series 3

VOLUNTEER FILES, 1974-1978

Box 16

Folders 9-10 Volunteer Programs applications, 1974-1978

Box 16 of 16

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