Agency history, 1968-

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Subject

  • Girard, Thomas J
  • Hirshhorn, Joseph H
  • Lerner, Abram
  • Gettings, Frank
  • Elias, James J
  • Kavanagh, Brian G
  • O'Higgins, Myron
  • Pearson, Sandra L
  • Robinson, Douglas
  • Sage, Nancy
  • Front, Melissa
  • Solanki, Rajshree
  • Jain, Andrea R

Category

Agency History

Notes

  • This is an agency history. It does not describe actual records. The Smithsonian Institution Archives uses these histories as brief accounts of the origin, development, and functions of an office or administrative unit to set that unit in its historical context. To find information on record holdings, please double-click the highlighted field "Creator/Author", which will open on a brief view of relevant records.
  • Guide to the Smithsonian Archives 1996
  • http://www.si.edu/hirshhorn/start.htm 03/10/00
  • Smithsonian Directory, 2017
  • "Making Titanic Claims," by Michael O'Sullivan, February 12, 1998, The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/02/12/making-titanic-claims/169b0caf-240f-4ee1-b413-799dbc267879/, accessed February 22, 2023
  • LinkedIn, Melissa Front, https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-front-ab928a4/, accessed February 22, 2023
  • "Hirshhorn Staffer Nabs 'Registrar of the Year' Award, Gives $5,000 Prize to Smithsonian Internship Program," by Claire Selvin, December 12, 2019, https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/registrar-of-the-year-donation-1202672280/, accessed February 22, 2023
  • The Office of the Registrar is responsible for preserving all documentation on the provenance of works of art in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden's (HMSG) collection. In addition, it is responsible for documenting, shipping, and inspecting all the art that the HMSG loans to other institutions or borrows from other collections for use in its own exhibitions.
  • Prior to acceptance of Joseph H. Hirshhorn's gift by the United States Congress, registrarial duties were managed by Abram Lerner. In 1968, Myron O'Higgins became the first Registrar. He was succeeded in 1969 by Thomas J. Girard. In 1970, James J. Elias and Frank Gettings served as Associate Registrars. In 1971, Sandra L. Pearson became Acting Registrar and later Registrar, serving 1972-1973. Nancy Sage served as Registrar 1973-1974. Douglas Robinson succeeded her, serving as Registrar, 1974-1996. Brian G. Kavanagh served as Acting Registrar, 1996-1998 and Chief Registrar, 1998-circa 2003. Melissa Front was Senior Registrar, 2010-2014; followed by Rajshree Solanki as Chief Registrar from circa 2017-2020; and then Andrea R. Jain, was Registrar, 2021- .
  • For a history of the larger creating unit, refer to "Forms part of" above.

Repository Loc.

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Capital Gallery, Suite 3000, MRC 507; 600 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20024-2520

Date

  • 1968
  • 1968-

Topic

  • Art
  • Art museums
  • Museums
  • Museum registrars
  • Museums--Collection management
  • Art, Modern

Form/Genre

Mixed archival materials

Local number

SIA AH00179

Full Record

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