Reference Request
Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Record Unit 352
National Air and Space Museum. Assistant Director for Exhibits
Exhibition Records, circa 1963-1986
Collection Overview
| General Information About This Collection | |
|---|---|
| Repository: | Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu. |
| Creator: | National Air and Space Museum. Assistant Director for Exhibits |
| Title: | Exhibition Records |
| Dates: | circa 1963-1986 |
| Quantity: | 17.5 cu. ft. (14 record storage boxes) (1 tall document box) (1 tube box) (15 oversize folders) |
| Collection: | Record Unit 352 |
| Language of Materials: | English |
| Summary: | These records provide documentation of the creation and preparation of exhibits for the most important period in the history of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM): the planning, fabrication, and installation of two dozen major galleries for the new museum building, which opened in 1976. Also included is material on exhibits in the Arts and Industries Building, where the museum collections were located before 1975, and on smaller, changing, exhibitions, as well as on the plans for the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) restaurant. A very small portion of the records relate to exhibitions at the National Museum of Natural History, created by staff who worked on exhibitions at both museums. The records consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, policy statements, procedure lists, reviews, contracts, some photographs, and a number of oversize plans and drawings. |
Historical Note
The Exhibits Division was created in 1974 with Francis A. Baby as its Chief. Baby served until 1978 when Frank A. Nelms became Acting Chief. In 1979 Melvin B. Zisfein held the title of Acting Chief. In 1980 the Exhibits and Presentations Division was formed with Richard D. Crawford as Acting Chief. Edward Bedno was selected as Chief in 1981, with Crawford succeeding him in 1982. Crawford served in the position of Chief in 1983 and then as Assistant Director for Exhibits and Production Operations in 1984. Later that year Nadya A. Makovenyi became Chief of Exhibits, then Assistant Director for Exhibits, 1985- .
Descriptive Entry
These records provide documentation of the creation and preparation of exhibits for the most important period in the history of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) - the planning, fabrication, and installation of two dozen major galleries for the new museum building, which opened in 1976. Also included is material on exhibits in the Arts and Industries Building, where the museum was located before 1975, and on smaller, changing exhibitions, as well as on the plans for the NASM restaurant. A very small portion of the records relate to exhibitions at the National Museum of Natural History, created by staff who worked on exhibitions at both museums. The records consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, policy statements, procedure lists, reviews, contracts, some photographs, and a number of oversize plans and drawings.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
Name
- Arts and Industries Building (Washington, D.C.)
- Baby, Francis A.
- Bedno, Edward
- Crawford, Richard
- Makovenyi, Nadya A.
- National Museum of Natural History (U.S.)
- Nelms, Frank A.
- Zisfein, Melvin B.
Subject
Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 352, National Air and Space Museum. Assistant Director for Exhibits, Exhibition Records
Container List
Box 1
U.S.S. America Plaque, 1974
Poseidon, 1973-1974
Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1973
Exhibit Cases (MHT - Museum of History and Technology)
Elevator Information, 1972
Damaged Exhibit, 1974
Mannequins, 1973
NASM - General, 1973-1975
OAO (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory) - Copernicus, 1973-1974
Viking Mission, 1975-1976
Engine Photos, c. 1974
Puppets (Flight Technology Gallery), 1974-1976
Flight Technology (General), 1975
Flight Technology - Engines and Miscellaneous, 1975-1976
Flight Technology, 1974-1975
General Information - Exhibits Scheduling, 1975-1976
Building - Miscellaneous, 1974-1976
Scripts to be Reviewed, 1975
Stamps (Hall of Philately and Postal History), 1972
MNH (Museum of Natural History) Faculty Lounge Case
Grasshopper, 1971-1972
Teaching Machine (Electricity Hall), 1971
Hall of Historic Americans, 1971
S. F. Baird, 1971
Foyer - MNH
Telegraph Exhibit, 1972
Spiders, 1971
Center for Earth and Planetary Studies Photo File
Perry Correspondence, 1963-1970
Box 2
Perry, 1968-1970
Commodore Perry, 1968-1969
M. C. Perry - Loan Material, 1968-1970
Electricity, 1968-1971
Docent Chart, 1971-1972
Eskimo Ivory Carving, 1973
Whale Hall File, c. 1969
Andrew Jackson Downing File, c. 1969
Commemorative Stamp to Honor XI International Botanical Congress, 1969
Miscellaneous Photographs and Negatives
Art of Organic Forms, 1968
High School Graphics, 1971
Photo Exhibit Poster, 1971
Early Birds Mural, 1970
Vibrating World, 1969
Hall No. 6 Photo - Lab and BMD (Buildings Management Division) Requests, 1970
Receipt for Stamps, 1971
Man's New Environment: Life in the Sea - Balcony Exhibit (Temporary), 1969
The Japan Expedition: Commodore Perry (Union Carbide), 1969
Yugoslavian Tapestries and Graphic Art, 1963
The Japan Expedition: Commodore M. C. Perry, 1968
Postal History Miscellaneous, 1971-1972
Renaissance Astronomy, 1972
Hall No. 6 - Miscellaneous, 1966-1970
Hall No. 6 - General, 1965
Hall No. 2 - Balcony Drawings
Scientific Illustrations, 1969
Japan Expedition of Commodore Perry, 1968
Reading Files, 1977-1979 (4 folders)
Bonnie Dalzell and Other Slide Shows, 1977-1978
Copyright Law
Early Flight Film, 1979-1980
Box 3
Oak Tree Films - Apollo to the Moon, Cosmic Awakening, and Great Spacecraft, 1980
Releases, 1979-1980
Production Records, 1978
Wheels, Wings, and Wire, 1984
Space Shuttle IMAX Film, 1981-1983
Dukane Equipment Information
Flyers Script, 1982
IMAX Film #3 - Meeting, 1980
Flyer - Production Records
Flyer - Final Script, 1981
Historical Films - Aerospace, 1974
UK Film - Rocket Flight, 1968
Film Lists, 1972-1979
Leadership Materials
Films in the Astronautics Department, 1972
Creative Dept. Inc., 1977
Denoyer-Geppert, 1980
Sharp-Compet
Metro Manual, 1977
Spacial Images Ltd., 1977
Notes - March 1974-February 1975 (12 folders)
Ardmore
Winbush, 1975
Yankelovich Inc.
Walter Landor Associates - Industrial Designers
Toshihiko Sakow Associates
Shipping Invoices and Bills of Lading, 1975
Project Status Reports, 1980
Vertical Flight - Electronic Console, 1974
Inventory (Design), 1974-1975
Complete Requisitions, FY 1976
Purchase Orders, 1975
Requests, FY 1976
Contracts, 1975-1977 (Folders 1-2 of 6)
Box 4
Contracts, 1975-1977 (Folders 3-6 of 6)
Weekly Reports, FY 1984 (3 folders)
Weekly Reports, 1982-1983 (2 folders)
Air Transportation - Contracts, 1975
Benefits from Flight Fabrication - Contracts, 1975-1976
World War II - Contracts, 1975-1976
Satellites and Rocketry - Contracts, 1976
Balloons and Airships - Contracts, 1976
Air Transportation - Contracts, 1976
Mannequins - Contracts, 1976
Experimental Flight - Contracts, 1976-1977
Space Hall - Contracts, 1976
Vertical Flights - Contracts, 1975-1977
Flight Technology - Contracts, 1975
West Gallery - Contracts, 1976-1977
Trophy Cases - Contracts, 1975-1976
Sea Air Operations, 1975-1976
"I Need" Lists, 1975
Inventory Record Sheet
Announcement and Memoranda, 1979
Paul Garber Newspaper Article, Washington Post, June 3, 1980
Exhibits Scripts Logbook, 1979-1981
Box 5
Audiotape Used in Television Footage by Michael Shapiro, 1/4" audiotape
Scripts 1-180 (8 folders)
Box 6
Administrators of NASA - Architectural Drawings, 1984
Space Hall - Braille Script
East Gallery - Braille Script
Sea Air Operations - Braille Script
Air Transportation - Braille Script
Milestones of Flight - Braille Script
Pioneers of Flight - Braille Script
World War II - Braille Script
Image of Airplane
Box 7
Audiotapes Used in Exhibitions, 1978-1979 (4 audio cassettes)
Motion Picture Inventory (3 folders)
NASM Exhibit Policy
Exhibit Reports
Exhibits - Alberto Santos Dumont
Douglas World Cruiser
Lighter Than Air
Balloons and Airships (2 folders)
HK-1 (3 folders)
Exhibition Flight
Douglas Northrup Legacy
Flying for Fun
West Gallery Concept Script, 1980
Box 8
Exhibition Updates and Special Exhibitions, 1977 (3 folders)
Apollo to the Moon (4 folders)
Benefits of Flight (2 folders)
Rocketry and Space Flight (2 folders)
Sales Shop - Becker and Becker, 1975-1976
Ramsey Room
Elevator Signs
Signage
Apollo to the Moon - Signage
Balloon Material
Sea Air Ops
Satellites and Sounding Rockets (Folders 1-3 of 4)
Box 9
Satellites and Sounding Rockets (Folder 4 of 4)
Spacearium (3 folders)
Production Expenditures, FY 1975
X-Airplane Original, 1975-1976
World War II Aviation, 1975-1976
X-Airplanes, 1975-1976
Air Transportation, 1975
Air Traffic Control, 1974
Vertical Flight, 1975-1979
General Aviation, 1976
Independence Lobby - Trophy Hall, 1975-1976
Apollo to the Moon - Preliminary Design, 1974
Theater and Miscellaneous Designs
Charles Forberg - Architectural Consulting
Flight in Arts Quotations, 1976
Mannequins, 1975-1976
Balloons and Airships - Toshihiko Sakow Associates
Balloons and Airships - Target Communications, Inc.
Balloons and Airships - Brown and Craig Inc.
Balloons and Airships - Lopez Salpeter Inc.
Balloons and Airships - Roger Tierney Associates
Balloons and Airships - Design and Productions Inc.
Balloons and Airships - Walter Dorwin Teague Associates
Balloons and Airships - LeRoy Winbush Design
Balloons and Airships - Friday Architects Planners
X Airplanes - Robert P. Gersin Associates Inc.
Box 10
Contractual Design and Fabrication Specifications
Experimental Flight - Specifications
Sea Air Operations - Specifications
Flight Testing (X Planes)
Sea Air Gallery - Budget Estimate
X Airplanes - Joseph A. Wetzel Associates
Space Hall and X Airplanes - Roger Tierney and Associates
X Airplanes - Lopez Salpeter Inc.
X Airplanes - Corporate Design Systems
Central Control System - General Exhibits Inc.
X Airplanes - Raymond Loewy
Satellites and Air Transportation - Roger Tierney Associates
X Airplanes - Walter Dorwin Teague Associates Inc.
Sea Air Ops - Lawrence Deutsch Design
Sea Air Ops - Toshihiko Sakow Associates
Sea Air Ops - Nelson Benzing Design Associates Inc
Felix Stephen Gula Associates - Sea Air Ops
X Airplanes - Design Etcetera Ltd.
X Airplanes - Lawrence Deutsch Design
Sea Air Ops - Roger Tierney Associates
Sea Air Ops - General Exhibits Inc.
Space Hall
Space Suits
World War I
Silver Hill/Garber
Life in the Universe
Animals
Life in the Universe - Phase II
Contracts
Box 11
Mars Globe
Martin Marietta - Life in the Universe Loans
Mariner 10
Life in the Universe
Specification and Contracts, 1975-1976 (2 folders)
Special Exhibits Gallery, 1976-1977
Spacearium
First World Cruiser, 1978
Contracts for Rotunda Exhibit
World Cruiser
Douglas World Cruiser - Script and Photos
Medals, 1978
Douglas World Cruiser - Script, etc.
Man's Right to Knowledge and the Free Use Thereof
Quasars, Pulsars, Black Holes, and HEAOs (High Energy Astrophysical Observatory)
Exhibit Ideas, Notes, and Research
Langley Visitor Center
Notes and Specifications
Aircraft Photos
Beech Aircraft Special
NAM (National Air Museum) (A&S) Panels 4-19 - Original and Edited
NAM (A&S) Panels 20-32B - Original and Edited
NAM (A&S) Panels 4-31 - Typography
NAM (A&S) Floor Exhibits and Floor Cases - Original and Edited
A&I Aerospace Art Hall - Original and Edited
Tiros Exhibit - Original and Edited
Box 12
NASM North Hall
NAM Miscellaneous
NAM (A&I - Arts & Industries Building) General Aviation Units 1-25 - Original and Edited
NASM West Hall
NASM Special Exhibits - Original and Edited
NAM (A&I) Astronautics - Original and Edited
NASM Fallen Astronauts
NAM (A&I Outside) - Original and Edited
NAM (A&I) Aeronautical Propulsion - Original and Edited
Apollo 17 Launch
NASM Aerial Exploration
Return to Files
Flying Tigers - NASM Special
Spirit of St. Louis
NASM (Miscellaneous) - Original and Edited
Pan-American Goodwill Flight - Original and Edited
NAM DC-7 Exhibit (I-VIII) - Original and Edited
Great Hall
Great Hall - Panels
Great Hall - Case
Copernicus
Benefits from Flight (3 folders)
Miscellaneous - All Halls
Benefits from Space (Flight) (folders 1-3 of 4)
Box 13
Benefits from Space (Flight) (folder 4 of 4)
Air Transportation - Lawrence Deutsch Design
Air Transportation - Walter Dorwin Teauge Associates
Air Transportation - The Burdick Group
Air Transportation - Roger Tierney Associates
Air Transportation - Herb Rosenthal and Associates Inc.
Air Transportation - ISD Inc.
X Airplanes - Herbst/Lazar Design Inc.
Air Transportation - Target Communications Inc.
Air Transportation - Felix Steph Gula Associates
Air Transportation - Design and Production Inc.
X Airplanes - Harper and George Inc.
X Airplans - Toshihikow Sakow Associates
X Airplanes - Joseph Wetzel Associates
Model of the Surface of Planet Mars - Design and Production Inc., 1977
Design Contract Specifications
Metro Signs
Music Rights - The Mask, 1977
Exhibition - Flight
Benefits - Baby
Bil Baird
East Bay
East Gallery
Museum Shops, 1976
Doolittle
Signage, 1976-1977
Evaluation Forms - Fabrication
Air Traffic Control - Specifications
Box 14
Flying for Fun
Micro-master Exhibition Drawings
Viking Exhibition
Apollo to the Moon (3 folders)
Balloons and Airships (4 folders)
World War II Aviation Gallery
Coordinator - World War II
WT - Correspondence
WT 1 - Recognition Models
WT 2 - Reviews
WT 2 - P-51 Mustang
WT 3 - Macchi C 202
WT 4 - Messerschmitt Bf.109G
WT 5 - Super Marine Spitfire
WT 6 - Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero
WT 7 - Martin B-26 "Flak Bait"
WT 8 - B-17 Mural
WT 9 - Aircraft Identification
WT 10 - Uniforms
WT 11 - Missing Numbers
Box 15
WT 12 - A Wing and a Prayer
WT 13 - Flying Tigers
WT 14 - Battle of Britain
WT 15 - Eagle Squadron
WT 16 - WASPs
WT 18 - Aces
WT 19 - Training Cartoons
WT 20 - Aircraft
WT 21 - Tokyo Raid
WT 22 - Art
WT 23 - History
WT 24 - Engines
WT 25 - Enola Gay
WT 26 - Armament
WT 27 - Fifty Mission Cap
WT 28 - Fight for the Sky
WT 29 - US Air Crew Badges
Photos and Negatives of Aircraft (3 folders)
Battle of Britain Tableau
Miscellaneous Scripts
Box 16
NASM Floor Plans - Drawings 1.0-7.3
Folder 1 Cultures of Asia and Africa (National Museum of Natural History, Hall 7) - Exhibition Drawings, by Lucius Lomax, 1963-1971
Folder 2 Posters, drawings, etc.
Folders 3-9 Life in the Universe - Exhibition drawings, 1975-1978
Folders 10-11 Miscellaneous drawings
Folder 12 Benefits from Flight - Exhibition drawings, 1975
Folder 13 Museum shop drawings, 1976
Folders 14-15 NASM restaurant addition drawings, 1986
- Finding Aid encoded on: 06-07-2019
- Contact us at osiaref@si.edu