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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

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- .

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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.

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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 352, National Air and Space Museum. Assistant Director for Exhibits, Exhibition Records

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Container List

Box 1

U.S.S. America Plaque, 1974

Box 1 of 16

Poseidon, 1973-1974

Box 1 of 16

Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1973

Box 1 of 16

Exhibit Cases (MHT - Museum of History and Technology)

Box 1 of 16

Elevator Information, 1972

Box 1 of 16

Damaged Exhibit, 1974

Box 1 of 16

Mannequins, 1973

Box 1 of 16

NASM - General, 1973-1975

Box 1 of 16

OAO (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory) - Copernicus, 1973-1974

Box 1 of 16

Viking Mission, 1975-1976

Box 1 of 16

Engine Photos, c. 1974

Box 1 of 16

Puppets (Flight Technology Gallery), 1974-1976

Box 1 of 16

Flight Technology (General), 1975

Box 1 of 16

Flight Technology - Engines and Miscellaneous, 1975-1976

Box 1 of 16

Flight Technology, 1974-1975

Box 1 of 16

General Information - Exhibits Scheduling, 1975-1976

Box 1 of 16

Building - Miscellaneous, 1974-1976

Box 1 of 16

Scripts to be Reviewed, 1975

Box 1 of 16

Stamps (Hall of Philately and Postal History), 1972

Box 1 of 16

MNH (Museum of Natural History) Faculty Lounge Case

Box 1 of 16

Grasshopper, 1971-1972

Box 1 of 16

Teaching Machine (Electricity Hall), 1971

Box 1 of 16

Hall of Historic Americans, 1971

Box 1 of 16

S. F. Baird, 1971

Box 1 of 16

Foyer - MNH

Box 1 of 16

Telegraph Exhibit, 1972

Box 1 of 16

Spiders, 1971

Box 1 of 16

Center for Earth and Planetary Studies Photo File

Box 1 of 16

Perry Correspondence, 1963-1970

Box 1 of 16

Box 2

Perry, 1968-1970

Box 2 of 16

Commodore Perry, 1968-1969

Box 2 of 16

M. C. Perry - Loan Material, 1968-1970

Box 2 of 16

Electricity, 1968-1971

Box 2 of 16

Docent Chart, 1971-1972

Box 2 of 16

Eskimo Ivory Carving, 1973

Box 2 of 16

Whale Hall File, c. 1969

Box 2 of 16

Andrew Jackson Downing File, c. 1969

Box 2 of 16

Commemorative Stamp to Honor XI International Botanical Congress, 1969

Box 2 of 16

Miscellaneous Photographs and Negatives

Box 2 of 16

Art of Organic Forms, 1968

Box 2 of 16

High School Graphics, 1971

Box 2 of 16

Photo Exhibit Poster, 1971

Box 2 of 16

Early Birds Mural, 1970

Box 2 of 16

Vibrating World, 1969

Box 2 of 16

Hall No. 6 Photo - Lab and BMD (Buildings Management Division) Requests, 1970

Box 2 of 16

Receipt for Stamps, 1971

Box 2 of 16

Man's New Environment: Life in the Sea - Balcony Exhibit (Temporary), 1969

Box 2 of 16

The Japan Expedition: Commodore Perry (Union Carbide), 1969

Box 2 of 16

Yugoslavian Tapestries and Graphic Art, 1963

Box 2 of 16

The Japan Expedition: Commodore M. C. Perry, 1968

Box 2 of 16

Postal History Miscellaneous, 1971-1972

Box 2 of 16

Renaissance Astronomy, 1972

Box 2 of 16

Hall No. 6 - Miscellaneous, 1966-1970

Box 2 of 16

Hall No. 6 - General, 1965

Box 2 of 16

Hall No. 2 - Balcony Drawings

Box 2 of 16

Scientific Illustrations, 1969

Box 2 of 16

Japan Expedition of Commodore Perry, 1968

Box 2 of 16

Reading Files, 1977-1979 (4 folders)

Box 2 of 16

Bonnie Dalzell and Other Slide Shows, 1977-1978

Box 2 of 16

Copyright Law

Box 2 of 16

Early Flight Film, 1979-1980

Box 2 of 16

Box 3

Oak Tree Films - Apollo to the Moon, Cosmic Awakening, and Great Spacecraft, 1980

Box 3 of 16

Releases, 1979-1980

Box 3 of 16

Production Records, 1978

Box 3 of 16

Wheels, Wings, and Wire, 1984

Box 3 of 16

Space Shuttle IMAX Film, 1981-1983

Box 3 of 16

Dukane Equipment Information

Box 3 of 16

Flyers Script, 1982

Box 3 of 16

IMAX Film #3 - Meeting, 1980

Box 3 of 16

Flyer - Production Records

Box 3 of 16

Flyer - Final Script, 1981

Box 3 of 16

Historical Films - Aerospace, 1974

Box 3 of 16

UK Film - Rocket Flight, 1968

Box 3 of 16

Film Lists, 1972-1979

Box 3 of 16

Leadership Materials

Box 3 of 16

Films in the Astronautics Department, 1972

Box 3 of 16

Creative Dept. Inc., 1977

Box 3 of 16

Denoyer-Geppert, 1980

Box 3 of 16

Sharp-Compet

Box 3 of 16

Metro Manual, 1977

Box 3 of 16

Spacial Images Ltd., 1977

Box 3 of 16

Notes - March 1974-February 1975 (12 folders)

Box 3 of 16

Ardmore

Box 3 of 16

Winbush, 1975

Box 3 of 16

Yankelovich Inc.

Box 3 of 16

Walter Landor Associates - Industrial Designers

Box 3 of 16

Toshihiko Sakow Associates

Box 3 of 16

Shipping Invoices and Bills of Lading, 1975

Box 3 of 16

Project Status Reports, 1980

Box 3 of 16

Vertical Flight - Electronic Console, 1974

Box 3 of 16

Inventory (Design), 1974-1975

Box 3 of 16

Complete Requisitions, FY 1976

Box 3 of 16

Purchase Orders, 1975

Box 3 of 16

Requests, FY 1976

Box 3 of 16

Contracts, 1975-1977 (Folders 1-2 of 6)

Box 3 of 16

Box 4

Contracts, 1975-1977 (Folders 3-6 of 6)

Box 4 of 16

Weekly Reports, FY 1984 (3 folders)

Box 4 of 16

Weekly Reports, 1982-1983 (2 folders)

Box 4 of 16

Air Transportation - Contracts, 1975

Box 4 of 16

Benefits from Flight Fabrication - Contracts, 1975-1976

Box 4 of 16

World War II - Contracts, 1975-1976

Box 4 of 16

Satellites and Rocketry - Contracts, 1976

Box 4 of 16

Balloons and Airships - Contracts, 1976

Box 4 of 16

Air Transportation - Contracts, 1976

Box 4 of 16

Mannequins - Contracts, 1976

Box 4 of 16

Experimental Flight - Contracts, 1976-1977

Box 4 of 16

Space Hall - Contracts, 1976

Box 4 of 16

Vertical Flights - Contracts, 1975-1977

Box 4 of 16

Flight Technology - Contracts, 1975

Box 4 of 16

West Gallery - Contracts, 1976-1977

Box 4 of 16

Trophy Cases - Contracts, 1975-1976

Box 4 of 16

Sea Air Operations, 1975-1976

Box 4 of 16

"I Need" Lists, 1975

Box 4 of 16

Inventory Record Sheet

Box 4 of 16

Announcement and Memoranda, 1979

Box 4 of 16

Paul Garber Newspaper Article, Washington Post, June 3, 1980

Box 4 of 16

Exhibits Scripts Logbook, 1979-1981

Box 4 of 16

Box 5

Audiotape Used in Television Footage by Michael Shapiro, 1/4" audiotape

Box 5 of 16

Scripts 1-180 (8 folders)

Box 5 of 16

Box 6

Administrators of NASA - Architectural Drawings, 1984

Box 6 of 16

Space Hall - Braille Script

Box 6 of 16

East Gallery - Braille Script

Box 6 of 16

Sea Air Operations - Braille Script

Box 6 of 16

Air Transportation - Braille Script

Box 6 of 16

Milestones of Flight - Braille Script

Box 6 of 16

Pioneers of Flight - Braille Script

Box 6 of 16

World War II - Braille Script

Box 6 of 16

Image of Airplane

Box 6 of 16

Box 7

Audiotapes Used in Exhibitions, 1978-1979 (4 audio cassettes)

Box 7 of 16

Motion Picture Inventory (3 folders)

Box 7 of 16

NASM Exhibit Policy

Box 7 of 16

Exhibit Reports

Box 7 of 16

Exhibits - Alberto Santos Dumont

Box 7 of 16

Douglas World Cruiser

Box 7 of 16

Lighter Than Air

Box 7 of 16

Balloons and Airships (2 folders)

Box 7 of 16

HK-1 (3 folders)

Box 7 of 16

Exhibition Flight

Box 7 of 16

Douglas Northrup Legacy

Box 7 of 16

Flying for Fun

Box 7 of 16

West Gallery Concept Script, 1980

Box 7 of 16

Box 8

Exhibition Updates and Special Exhibitions, 1977 (3 folders)

Box 8 of 16

Apollo to the Moon (4 folders)

Box 8 of 16

Benefits of Flight (2 folders)

Box 8 of 16

Rocketry and Space Flight (2 folders)

Box 8 of 16

Sales Shop - Becker and Becker, 1975-1976

Box 8 of 16

Ramsey Room

Box 8 of 16

Elevator Signs

Box 8 of 16

Signage

Box 8 of 16

Apollo to the Moon - Signage

Box 8 of 16

Balloon Material

Box 8 of 16

Sea Air Ops

Box 8 of 16

Satellites and Sounding Rockets (Folders 1-3 of 4)

Box 8 of 16

Box 9

Satellites and Sounding Rockets (Folder 4 of 4)

Box 9 of 16

Spacearium (3 folders)

Box 9 of 16

Production Expenditures, FY 1975

Box 9 of 16

X-Airplane Original, 1975-1976

Box 9 of 16

World War II Aviation, 1975-1976

Box 9 of 16

X-Airplanes, 1975-1976

Box 9 of 16

Air Transportation, 1975

Box 9 of 16

Air Traffic Control, 1974

Box 9 of 16

Vertical Flight, 1975-1979

Box 9 of 16

General Aviation, 1976

Box 9 of 16

Independence Lobby - Trophy Hall, 1975-1976

Box 9 of 16

Apollo to the Moon - Preliminary Design, 1974

Box 9 of 16

Theater and Miscellaneous Designs

Box 9 of 16

Charles Forberg - Architectural Consulting

Box 9 of 16

Flight in Arts Quotations, 1976

Box 9 of 16

Mannequins, 1975-1976

Box 9 of 16

Balloons and Airships - Toshihiko Sakow Associates

Box 9 of 16

Balloons and Airships - Target Communications, Inc.

Box 9 of 16

Balloons and Airships - Brown and Craig Inc.

Box 9 of 16

Balloons and Airships - Lopez Salpeter Inc.

Box 9 of 16

Balloons and Airships - Roger Tierney Associates

Box 9 of 16

Balloons and Airships - Design and Productions Inc.

Box 9 of 16

Balloons and Airships - Walter Dorwin Teague Associates

Box 9 of 16

Balloons and Airships - LeRoy Winbush Design

Box 9 of 16

Balloons and Airships - Friday Architects Planners

Box 9 of 16

X Airplanes - Robert P. Gersin Associates Inc.

Box 9 of 16

Box 10

Contractual Design and Fabrication Specifications

Box 10 of 16

Experimental Flight - Specifications

Box 10 of 16

Sea Air Operations - Specifications

Box 10 of 16

Flight Testing (X Planes)

Box 10 of 16

Sea Air Gallery - Budget Estimate

Box 10 of 16

X Airplanes - Joseph A. Wetzel Associates

Box 10 of 16

Space Hall and X Airplanes - Roger Tierney and Associates

Box 10 of 16

X Airplanes - Lopez Salpeter Inc.

Box 10 of 16

X Airplanes - Corporate Design Systems

Box 10 of 16

Central Control System - General Exhibits Inc.

Box 10 of 16

X Airplanes - Raymond Loewy

Box 10 of 16

Satellites and Air Transportation - Roger Tierney Associates

Box 10 of 16

X Airplanes - Walter Dorwin Teague Associates Inc.

Box 10 of 16

Sea Air Ops - Lawrence Deutsch Design

Box 10 of 16

Sea Air Ops - Toshihiko Sakow Associates

Box 10 of 16

Sea Air Ops - Nelson Benzing Design Associates Inc

Box 10 of 16

Felix Stephen Gula Associates - Sea Air Ops

Box 10 of 16

X Airplanes - Design Etcetera Ltd.

Box 10 of 16

X Airplanes - Lawrence Deutsch Design

Box 10 of 16

Sea Air Ops - Roger Tierney Associates

Box 10 of 16

Sea Air Ops - General Exhibits Inc.

Box 10 of 16

Space Hall

Box 10 of 16

Space Suits

Box 10 of 16

World War I

Box 10 of 16

Silver Hill/Garber

Box 10 of 16

Life in the Universe

Box 10 of 16

Animals

Box 10 of 16

Life in the Universe - Phase II

Box 10 of 16

Contracts

Box 10 of 16

Box 11

Mars Globe

Box 11 of 16

Martin Marietta - Life in the Universe Loans

Box 11 of 16

Mariner 10

Box 11 of 16

Life in the Universe

Box 11 of 16

Specification and Contracts, 1975-1976 (2 folders)

Box 11 of 16

Special Exhibits Gallery, 1976-1977

Box 11 of 16

Spacearium

Box 11 of 16

First World Cruiser, 1978

Box 11 of 16

Contracts for Rotunda Exhibit

Box 11 of 16

World Cruiser

Box 11 of 16

Douglas World Cruiser - Script and Photos

Box 11 of 16

Medals, 1978

Box 11 of 16

Douglas World Cruiser - Script, etc.

Box 11 of 16

Man's Right to Knowledge and the Free Use Thereof

Box 11 of 16

Quasars, Pulsars, Black Holes, and HEAOs (High Energy Astrophysical Observatory)

Box 11 of 16

Exhibit Ideas, Notes, and Research

Box 11 of 16

Langley Visitor Center

Box 11 of 16

Notes and Specifications

Box 11 of 16

Aircraft Photos

Box 11 of 16

Beech Aircraft Special

Box 11 of 16

NAM (National Air Museum) (A&S) Panels 4-19 - Original and Edited

Box 11 of 16

NAM (A&S) Panels 20-32B - Original and Edited

Box 11 of 16

NAM (A&S) Panels 4-31 - Typography

Box 11 of 16

NAM (A&S) Floor Exhibits and Floor Cases - Original and Edited

Box 11 of 16

A&I Aerospace Art Hall - Original and Edited

Box 11 of 16

Tiros Exhibit - Original and Edited

Box 11 of 16

Box 12

NASM North Hall

Box 12 of 16

NAM Miscellaneous

Box 12 of 16

NAM (A&I - Arts & Industries Building) General Aviation Units 1-25 - Original and Edited

Box 12 of 16

NASM West Hall

Box 12 of 16

NASM Special Exhibits - Original and Edited

Box 12 of 16

NAM (A&I) Astronautics - Original and Edited

Box 12 of 16

NASM Fallen Astronauts

Box 12 of 16

NAM (A&I Outside) - Original and Edited

Box 12 of 16

NAM (A&I) Aeronautical Propulsion - Original and Edited

Box 12 of 16

Apollo 17 Launch

Box 12 of 16

NASM Aerial Exploration

Box 12 of 16

Return to Files

Box 12 of 16

Flying Tigers - NASM Special

Box 12 of 16

Spirit of St. Louis

Box 12 of 16

NASM (Miscellaneous) - Original and Edited

Box 12 of 16

Pan-American Goodwill Flight - Original and Edited

Box 12 of 16

NAM DC-7 Exhibit (I-VIII) - Original and Edited

Box 12 of 16

Great Hall

Box 12 of 16

Great Hall - Panels

Box 12 of 16

Great Hall - Case

Box 12 of 16

Copernicus

Box 12 of 16

Benefits from Flight (3 folders)

Box 12 of 16

Miscellaneous - All Halls

Box 12 of 16

Benefits from Space (Flight) (folders 1-3 of 4)

Box 12 of 16

Box 13

Benefits from Space (Flight) (folder 4 of 4)

Box 13 of 16

Air Transportation - Lawrence Deutsch Design

Box 13 of 16

Air Transportation - Walter Dorwin Teauge Associates

Box 13 of 16

Air Transportation - The Burdick Group

Box 13 of 16

Air Transportation - Roger Tierney Associates

Box 13 of 16

Air Transportation - Herb Rosenthal and Associates Inc.

Box 13 of 16

Air Transportation - ISD Inc.

Box 13 of 16

X Airplanes - Herbst/Lazar Design Inc.

Box 13 of 16

Air Transportation - Target Communications Inc.

Box 13 of 16

Air Transportation - Felix Steph Gula Associates

Box 13 of 16

Air Transportation - Design and Production Inc.

Box 13 of 16

X Airplanes - Harper and George Inc.

Box 13 of 16

X Airplans - Toshihikow Sakow Associates

Box 13 of 16

X Airplanes - Joseph Wetzel Associates

Box 13 of 16

Model of the Surface of Planet Mars - Design and Production Inc., 1977

Box 13 of 16

Design Contract Specifications

Box 13 of 16

Metro Signs

Box 13 of 16

Music Rights - The Mask, 1977

Box 13 of 16

Exhibition - Flight

Box 13 of 16

Benefits - Baby

Box 13 of 16

Bil Baird

Box 13 of 16

East Bay

Box 13 of 16

East Gallery

Box 13 of 16

Museum Shops, 1976

Box 13 of 16

Doolittle

Box 13 of 16

Signage, 1976-1977

Box 13 of 16

Evaluation Forms - Fabrication

Box 13 of 16

Air Traffic Control - Specifications

Box 13 of 16

Box 14

Flying for Fun

Box 14 of 16

Micro-master Exhibition Drawings

Box 14 of 16

Viking Exhibition

Box 14 of 16

Apollo to the Moon (3 folders)

Box 14 of 16

Balloons and Airships (4 folders)

Box 14 of 16

World War II Aviation Gallery

Box 14 of 16

Coordinator - World War II

Box 14 of 16

WT - Correspondence

Box 14 of 16

WT 1 - Recognition Models

Box 14 of 16

WT 2 - Reviews

Box 14 of 16

WT 2 - P-51 Mustang

Box 14 of 16

WT 3 - Macchi C 202

Box 14 of 16

WT 4 - Messerschmitt Bf.109G

Box 14 of 16

WT 5 - Super Marine Spitfire

Box 14 of 16

WT 6 - Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero

Box 14 of 16

WT 7 - Martin B-26 "Flak Bait"

Box 14 of 16

WT 8 - B-17 Mural

Box 14 of 16

WT 9 - Aircraft Identification

Box 14 of 16

WT 10 - Uniforms

Box 14 of 16

WT 11 - Missing Numbers

Box 14 of 16

Box 15

WT 12 - A Wing and a Prayer

Box 15 of 16

WT 13 - Flying Tigers

Box 15 of 16

WT 14 - Battle of Britain

Box 15 of 16

WT 15 - Eagle Squadron

Box 15 of 16

WT 16 - WASPs

Box 15 of 16

WT 18 - Aces

Box 15 of 16

WT 19 - Training Cartoons

Box 15 of 16

WT 20 - Aircraft

Box 15 of 16

WT 21 - Tokyo Raid

Box 15 of 16

WT 22 - Art

Box 15 of 16

WT 23 - History

Box 15 of 16

WT 24 - Engines

Box 15 of 16

WT 25 - Enola Gay

Box 15 of 16

WT 26 - Armament

Box 15 of 16

WT 27 - Fifty Mission Cap

Box 15 of 16

WT 28 - Fight for the Sky

Box 15 of 16

WT 29 - US Air Crew Badges

Box 15 of 16

Photos and Negatives of Aircraft (3 folders)

Box 15 of 16

Battle of Britain Tableau

Box 15 of 16

Miscellaneous Scripts

Box 15 of 16

Box 16

NASM Floor Plans - Drawings 1.0-7.3

Box 16 of 16
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Folder 1 Cultures of Asia and Africa (National Museum of Natural History, Hall 7) - Exhibition Drawings, by Lucius Lomax, 1963-1971

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Folders 3-9 Life in the Universe - Exhibition drawings, 1975-1978

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Folders 10-11 Miscellaneous drawings

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Folder 12 Benefits from Flight - Exhibition drawings, 1975

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Folder 13 Museum shop drawings, 1976

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Folders 14-15 NASM restaurant addition drawings, 1986

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