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Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Accession 19-095

National Museum of American History. Division of Politics and Reform

Exhibition Records, 1993-2004

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:National Museum of American History. Division of Politics and Reform
Title:Exhibition Records
Dates:1993-2004
Quantity:3.65 cu. ft. (3 record storage boxes) (1 document box) (1 oversize folder)
Collection:Accession 19-095
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

This accession consists of exhibition records created and maintained by Harry R. Rubenstein, Curator. The materials document Rubenstein's work as co-curator with Peter Liebhold, Curator, Division of the History of Technology, on the exhibition: "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A History of American Sweatshops, 1820-Present." This exhibition was on view at the National Museum of American History (NMAH) from April 22 to December 10, 1998. The show's approximately 100 objects and graphics examined the history of sweatshops in the United States and the complex factors that contributed to their existence. Artifacts that were on display included photographs of sweatshops from 1900 on; early and modern sewing machines; photographs of the tragic 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Co. fire in New York City; and a re-created sweatshop that was in an El Monte, California, apartment complex raided in August 1995. The exhibition also provided information about how affordable garments were being made in non-sweatshop conditions in the United States. Also included in the accession are videotape recordings with individuals related to the El Monte, California sweatshop raid, a video showing that good quality clothes can be made under good working conditions at reasonable prices, programming materials for a symposium that provided a forum for participants to explore strategies for developing and implementing codes of conduct to prevent labor abuses, and traveling exhibition records related to the installation of the show at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California. Some records date to when the division was known as the Department of Social and Cultural History and subsequently the Division of Social History. Materials include correspondence, memoranda, scripts, budget records, exhibition drawings, floor plans, design files, an exhibition catalog, interview transcripts, images, object lists, videotapes, and other related records.

Descriptive Entry

This accession consists of exhibition records created and maintained by Harry R. Rubenstein, Curator. The materials document Rubenstein's work as co-curator with Peter Liebhold, Curator, Division of the History of Technology, on the exhibition: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A History of American Sweatshops, 1820-Present. This exhibition was on view at the National Museum of American History (NMAH) from April 22 to December 10, 1998. The show's approximately 100 objects and graphics examined the history of sweatshops in the United States and the complex factors that contributed to their existence. Artifacts that were on display included photographs of sweatshops from 1900 on; early and modern sewing machines; photographs of the tragic 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Co. fire in New York City; and a re-created sweatshop that was in an El Monte, California, apartment complex raided in August 1995. The exhibition also provided information about how affordable garments were being made in non-sweatshop conditions in the United States. Also included in the accession are videotape recordings with individuals related to the El Monte, California sweatshop raid, a video showing that good quality clothes can be made under good working conditions at reasonable prices, programming materials for a symposium that provided a forum for participants to explore strategies for developing and implementing codes of conduct to prevent labor abuses, and traveling exhibition records related to the installation of the show at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California. Some records date to when the division was known as the Department of Social and Cultural History and subsequently the Division of Social History. Materials include correspondence, memoranda, scripts, budget records, exhibition drawings, floor plans, design files, an exhibition catalog, interview transcripts, images, object lists, videotapes, and other related records.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 19-095, National Museum of American History. Division of Politics and Reform, Exhibition Records

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Container List

Box 1

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A History of American Sweatshops, 1820-Present - April 22 to December 10, 1998

Sweatshop - Exhibition chronology, 1993-1998

Box 1 of 4

Budget, 1998

Box 1 of 4

Exhibition proposal, 1996-1997

Box 1 of 4

Scripts and comments, 1997-1998

Box 1 of 4

Draft script

Box 1 of 4

Contacts, 1997

Box 1 of 4

Exhibit designs, 1997-1998

Box 1 of 4

Exhibition graphics and objects, 1997-1998 (6 folders)

Box 1 of 4

Exhibition installation images, 1998 (2 folders)

Box 1 of 4

Secretary of Labor - Alexis Herman - Teaching a class at NMAH - Images, 1998

Box 1 of 4

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: A History of American Sweatshops, 1820-Present - Exhibition catalog, 1999

Box 1 of 4

Exhibition catalog - Permissions, 1999

Box 1 of 4

National Leaders section

Box 1 of 4

Spokesperson panel - Kathie Lee Gifford, 1997

Box 1 of 4

Spokesperson panel - Maria Echaveste, 1997

Box 1 of 4

Spokesperson panel - Kmart (Floyd Hall), 1997-1998

Box 1 of 4

Spokesperson panel - Julie Su, 1997-1998

Box 1 of 4

Spokesperson panel - Levi's (Robert Haas), 1997-1998

Box 1 of 4

Spokesperson panel - UNITE (Jay Mazur)

Box 1 of 4

Box 2

El Monte, California - Video Oral History Transcripts and other related materials, 1997-1998

Box 2 of 4

El Monte, California - Video interview - Images, 1998

Box 2 of 4

California Department of Industrial Relations - Controversy, 1997

Box 2 of 4

Fundraising, 1996-1998

Box 2 of 4

Press conference, 1998

Box 2 of 4

Exhibition support, 1997-1998

Box 2 of 4

Congressional petition, 1997

Box 2 of 4

Correspondence, 1997-1998

Box 2 of 4

Complaints from the public, 1997-1998

Box 2 of 4

Complaints from businesses, 1997-1998

Box 2 of 4

No Sweat University - Symposium, 1998

Box 2 of 4

Visitor comment books, 1998 (Folders 1-9 of 13)

Box 2 of 4

Box 3

Visitor comment books, 1998 (Folders 10-13 of 13)

Box 3 of 4

Clippings, 1996-2004 (3 folders)

Box 3 of 4

Traveling exhibition, 1998

Box 3 of 4

Museum of Tolerance - Los Angeles installation, 1998-1999

Box 3 of 4

Museum of Tolerance - Comment books, 1999-2000

Box 3 of 4

Museum of Tolerance - Images, 2000

Box 3 of 4

Exhibition award submission, 1999

Box 3 of 4

Sweatshop articles by curators, 2000-2002

Box 3 of 4

Video Logs

Box 3 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Disk master, TRT: 00:20:16, March 25, 1998 (D-2 Composite Digital tape)

Box 3 of 4

El Monte video - TRT: 00: 09:35 and Good Industry Practices - TRT: 00:05:20 (VHS tape)

Box 3 of 4

"Good Practices" - Smithsonian Institution, TRT: 00:05:20, April 1998 (Betacam SP tape)

Box 3 of 4

No Sweat University - Panels 1-3, followed by Representative Miller and Kitty Higgins, TRT: 04:39:00, October 6, 1998 (VHS tape)

Box 3 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Narration - Master, TRT: 00:06:00, March 9, 1998 (DAT)

Box 3 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Edited master, Mono, TRT: 00:09:23, March 10, 1998 (Digital Betacam)

Box 3 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Revised/Texted with open captions - Edited master, TRT: 00:09:35, March 25, 1998 (Digital Betacam)

Box 3 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Subtitled Key Reel, March 27, 1998 (Digital Betacam)

Box 3 of 4

Box 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 1 - El Monte Sweatshop - Tong Kun Kim - Start, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 2 - El Monte Sweatshop - Tong Kun Kim - Continued, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 3 - El Monte Sweatshop - Tong Kun Kim - Stop at 03:12:07; Jose Milan - Start, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 4 - El Monte Sweatshop - Jose Milan - Continued, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 5 - El Monte Sweatshop - Jose Milan - Stop at 05:17:59; Phil Bonner - Start, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 6 - El Monte Sweatshop - Phil Bonner - Continued, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 7 - El Monte Sweatshop - Phil Bonner - Stop at 07:16:11; Mike Gennaco - Start, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 8 - El Monte Sweatshop - Mike Gennaco - Stop at 08:27:00, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 9 - El Monte Sweatshop - Araceli Castro - Start, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 10 - El Monte Sweatshop - Araceli Castro - Stop at 10:10:57; Antonio Daneian - Start, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 11 - El Monte Sweatshop - Antonio Daneian - Stop at 11:09:00, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 12 - El Monte Sweatshop - Malinan Radomphon - Start, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 13 - El Monte Sweatshop - Malinan Radomphon - Stop at 13:21:49, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 14 - El Monte Sweatshop - Praphaphan Pongpid - Start, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 15, Part 1 - El Monte Sweatshop - Praphaphan Pongpid - Continued, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4

Watertown Productions - Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Reel 15, Part 2 - El Monte Sweatshop - Praphaphan Pongpid - Stop at 15:34:29, March 10, 1998 (Betacam SP)

Box 4 of 4
Oversize

Folder 1 Exhibition drawings, 100%, Office of Exhibits, Design Division, November 14, 1997

Oversize