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Finding Aids to Oral Histories in the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 9623

Weaver, Riccardo, interviewee

Riccardo Weaver Oral History Interview, 2009

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Weaver, Riccardo, interviewee
Title:Riccardo Weaver Oral History Interview
Dates:2009
Quantity:0.5 cu. ft. (1 document box)
Collection:Record Unit 9623
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

For an American University oral history seminar, Emma Lang, a Museum Studies master's candidate at George Washington University, conducted an interview of Riccardo Weaver, a security officer at the National Museum of American History. This collection is comprised of one interview session, totaling approximately 0.75 hours of recordings. See Record Unit 9622 for an interview she conducted with security officer Anton Bell of the National Museum of Natural History.

Historical Note

Riccardo Weaver is a security officer at the National Museum of American History. After attending Frostburg State College and Morgan State College, Officer Weaver worked in security at private firms for several years. In 1999, he joined the Smithsonian Institution Office of Protection Services, where his father worked and where he believed he had more potential for a career in security services. He has worked both day and night shifts at the National Museum of American History and provided a perspective on the demands for each shift.

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Introduction

The Oral History Program is part of the Smithsonian Institution Archives. The purpose of the program is to conduct interviews with current and retired members of the Smithsonian staff who have made significant contributions, administrative and scholarly, to the Institution. The project's goal is to supplement the published record and manuscript collections in the Archives, focusing on the history of the Institution and contributions to the increase and diffusion of knowledge made by its scholars.

The Riccardo Weaver Interview was recorded for the Oral History Collection to document the role of security staff at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

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Descriptive Entry

For an American University oral history seminar, Emma Lang, a Museum Studies master's candidate at The George Washington University, conducted an interview of Ricardo Weaver, a security officer at the National Museum of American History. See Record Unit 9622 for an interview she conducted with security officer Anton Bell of the National Museum of Natural History. The interview consists of one original digital audio .wav file, one reference digital audio .mp3 file, and a transcript of the interview.

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Use Restriction

Restricted. Contact SIHistory@si.edu to request permission.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 9623, Riccardo Weaver Oral History Interview

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Container List

Interviews

Interview 1: October 9, 2009

Interviews

Interview of Officer Riccardo Weaver cover his youth in Prince Georges County, Maryland; college studies at Frostburg State College and Morgan State College; early career working for private security services; his decision to pursue a career in security at the Smithsonian in 1999; and reminiscences and contrasts of his work as a day shift and night shift security officer at the National Museum of American History; impact of September 11, 2001 on security at the museum; work with engineering staff during building emergencies; learning to work with visitors diplomatically to ensure safety without overreacting; and his views of various exhibits at the museum, c. 1980s to 2009.

Interviews

Transcript, pp. 1-24, of audio recording, 0.75 hour.

Interviews

Audio Recording of Interview: Total Recording Time: 00:44:46 hour

Interviews
Original Master: 1 digital audio .wav file
Reference Copy: 1 digital audio .mp3 file.

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