Frequently Used Smithsonian Archives Collections

Secretary's Records

The records of the Office of the Secretary are, arguably, the most important group of records, with the highest research value in the Archives. From the beginning of the Institution until around 1880, almost all business went through the Secretary's office. So, information on the early history of the Smithsonian is often found there. There are almost no Secretary's records from 1846-1863. The fire in the Castle in 1865 destroyed the early files. Secretary's records (as was the case with all correspondence files at the Smithsonian) were maintained in separate incoming and outgoing series until 1907. Outgoing correspondence was maintained in letterpress copy books. After 1907, the modern filing system was adopted and incoming letters and their responses were filed together. The Smithsonian Institution Archives also holds the personal papers of the Secretaries. The distinction between "official" and "personal" is often quite blurred--especially in the 19th century. So, if something is not found in the official files (Secretary's records), it is a good idea to consult the personal papers--and vice versa. Secretaries have included Joseph Henry, 1846-1878; Spencer F. Baird, 1878-1887; Samuel P. Langley, 1887-1906; Charles D. Walcott, 1907-1927; Charles G. Abbot, 1928-1944; Alexander Wetmore, 1944-1952; Leonard Carmichael, 1953-1964; S. Dillon Ripley, 1964-1984; Robert McCormick Adams, 1984-1994; Ira Michael Heyman, 1994-2000; Lawrence M. Small, 2000-2007; and Cristián Samper, Acting Secretary, 2007-present. Listed below are the primary Record Units of Secretary's records.

Record Unit 26, Secretary's Records, 1863-1879. Incoming correspondence addressed to Joseph Henry and Spencer F. Baird. Access is by a card index. Record Unit is on microfilm. The index to Record Unit 26 also indexes part of Record Unit 52 (Assistant Secretary correspondence of Baird).

Record Unit 27, Secretary's Records, 1873-1878. Incoming correspondence addressed to Joseph Henry; mostly routine requests for publications. Access is by an index in each volume. Record Unit is on microfilm.

Record Unit 28, Secretary's Records, 1879-1882. Incoming correspondence addressed to Spencer F. Baird. Access is by register number; letters arranged sequentially by this number. An index (alphabetic by name) is in several binders. Record Unit is on microfilm.

Record Unit 29, Secretary's Records, 1882-1887. Incoming correspondence addressed to Spencer F. Baird. Arranged alphabetically, within volumes; index to each volume with records.

Record Unit 30, Secretary's Records, 1882-1890. Incoming correspondence addressed to Spencer F. Baird and Samuel P. Langley. Arranged alphabetically, with an index in each volume.

Record Unit 31, Secretary's Records, 1891-1906. Incoming correspondence addressed to Samuel P. Langley. Arranged alphabetically. Card index for this correspondence as well as Record Unit 34.

Record Unit 33, Secretary's Records, 1865-1891. Outgoing correspondence written by Joseph Henry, Spencer F. Baird, and Samuel P. Langley. These are the answers to incoming letters in Record Units 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and a few in 31. Correspondence is in letterpress copybooks. Access is by a card index. Record Unit is on microfilm.

Record Unit 34, Secretary's Records, 1887-1907. Outgoing correspondence written by Samuel P. Langley and Richard Rathbun (as Acting Secretary). These are responses to incoming letters found in Record Units 30 and 31. Access is by a card index. Index also indexes Record Unit 31. Record Unit is on microfilm.

Record Unit 45, Secretary's Records, 1907-1924. Incoming and outgoing correspondence of Charles D. Walcott. Arranged alphabetically in a few series. Card index in red binders titled Record Unit 47.

Record Unit 46, Secretary's Records, 1925-1949. Incoming and outgoing correspondence of Charles D. Walcott, Charles G. Abbot, and Alexander Wetmore. Arranged alphabetically in a few series. Card index.

Record Unit 50, Secretary's Records, 1949-1964. Incoming and outgoing correspondence of Alexander Wetmore and Leonard Carmichael. Arranged alphabetically in a few series. Card index in bound volumes.

Record Unit 99, Secretary's Records, 1964-1971. Incoming and outgoing correspondence of S. Dillon Ripley. Arranged administratively. Card index for each year with the records.

Record Unit 613, Secretary's Records, 1971-1984. Incoming and outgoing correspondence of S. Dillon Ripley. Arranged administratively. Card index for each year with the records.

Secretary's Records, 1985-1995. These are controlled by accession number.

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Records of the Assistant Secretary in Charge of the U.S. National Museum, and Other USNM Records

Records of the Assistant Secretary in charge of the United States National Museum (USNM) are amongst the heaviest used collections, and most historically important records in the Archives. Incumbents included Spencer F. Baird, 1850-1881; G. Brown Goode, 1881-1896, including the years 1881-1887 when he served as Assistant Director of the Museum without the title of Assistant Secretary; Charles D. Walcott, Acting Assistant Secretary, 1897-1898; Richard Rathbun, 1897-1918; William de Chastignier Ravenel, 1918-1925, with the title Administrative Assistant to the Secretary, in charge of the USNM; Alexander Wetmore, 1925-1948; Remington Kellogg, Director, USNM, 1948-1962; and Frank A. Taylor, Director, USNM, 1962-1967. Important record units include:

Record Unit 52, Incoming correspondence of Spencer F. Baird as Assistant Secretary, 1850-1877. Baird's correspondence survived the 1865 fire making it some of the oldest Smithsonian records in the Archives. This collection contains a wealth of information on the early history of the Smithsonian and the development of the USNM. There is much correspondence with collectors and expeditions in the field. The records are indexed by a card file, as well as individually in each volume. Letters dated 1875-1877 are indexed as part of the Secretary's records (Record Unit 26), vols. 184-209.

Record Unit 53, Outgoing correspondence of Spencer F. Baird, 1850-1877. These are responses to incoming letters in Record Unit 52, and are indexed by card file. Tissue copies in letterpress volumes. Record Unit is on microfilm.

Record Unit 189, Incoming correspondence of G. Brown Goode, 1881-1996; C. D. Walcott, 1897-1898; and Richard Rathbun, 1898-1908. This rich collection documents expeditions and collecting work; acquisition of collections; and the administration and operation of museum divisions and departments.

Record Unit 112, Outgoing correspondence, 1879-1907. Responses to incoming letters in Record Unit 189 (and a few years of Record Unit 192). Tissue copies in letterpress volumes. Record Unit is on microfilm. This correspondence is indexed (along with Record Unit's 113, 114, 115, & 109) in Record Unit 116, also on microfilm.

Record Unit 192, USNM, Permanent Administrative Files, 1877-1975 (with most material dating from 1902). Incoming and outgoing correspondence of Richard Rathbun, William deC. Ravenel, Alexander Wetmore, and A. Remington Kellogg. These records comprise the central USNM file for roughly 60 years. Included are files documenting collecting trips and expeditions, USNM involvement at international expositions, permanent and temporary museum exhibits, the acquisition of collections, and miscellaneous subjects such as the museum's activities during World War II. In addition, it is the primary USNM public inquiry file. It is arranged by sequential register numbers and indexed by a card file on microfilm. The original index (which also indexes Record Unit 305) is in the Registrar's Office, National Museum of Natural History.

Record Units 54, 55, 88, 89. These small record units are files of Assistant Secretaries Goode, 1877-1896 (54); Rathbun, 1897-1918 (55); and Kellogg, 1925-1968 (88 & 89), and consist mostly of various administrative records. Goode's files include materials concerning the United States Fish Commission.

Record Unit 158, Curators' Annual Reports, 1881-1964. Manuscript annual reports prepared by USNM curators, preparators, administrators, and others, and submitted to the Assistant Secretary. These reports often contain more information than what ended up being published in the Annual Report of the USNM. Record Unit 408 consists of manuscript annual reports of USNM preparators and taxidermists.

Record Unit 201. This collection consists of G. Brown Goode's internal correspondence (incoming), 1875-1902, with his staff (curators, honorary curators, preparators, and administrative staff). Materials also include Goode's correspondence with U.S. Government agencies. Outgoing replies, 1879-1907, will be found in Record Units 112 and 113.

Record Unit 305, Accession Records of the US National Museum, circa 1850-1958. Available on microfilm. Arranged numerically and indexed (with Record Unit 192) via a microfilmed card index by donor name. Not only are these records the primary documentation of the national collections, but also a rich source of information on collecting expeditions, western exploration, and Smithsonian history among other topics.

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Other Frequently Used Official Records
(Smithsonian Institution Records)

Record Unit 60, Meteorological Project, Records, 1849-1875. Most requests are for weather data, or from researchers interested in the correspondence of an observer.

Record Unit 70, Exposition Records of the Smithsonian Institution and United States National Museum, 1867-1940. This is the primary record of the Smithsonian's involvement in world's fairs, but substantial records are also found in Record Unit 192. Photographs from expositions are found in Record Unit 95. There are also resources at other Smithsonian repositories relating to expositions--the largest being a collection of catalogs and other literature at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL). SIL, and other material can be found on SIRIS.

Record Unit 389, National Zoological Park, Animal Registration Records, 1943-1988. These records consist primarily of index cards that were created by the zoo when an animal arrived. On the card includes information on its arrival, donor, medical history, reproductive history, death, and final disposition. The cards are arranged by birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and others, and taxonomically thereunder. These records can be used by zoo communities to create genealogies for particular species in U.S. zoos. By using the information found on the animal registration card (or accession card), additional information on the animal can often be found in Record Unit 74.

Record Unit 74, National Zoological Park, Records, 1887-1966. This large record unit is a central file documenting the first 75 years of the zoo's history.

Record Units 311 and 312, Director, National Collection of Fine Arts, 1892-1965 (later renamed the National Museum of American Art, and now named the Smithsonian American Art Museum). Best source of information on early art exhibitions at the Smithsonian.

Record Unit 387, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Carbon-Dating Records, 1962-1986. The Smithsonian at one time had a carbon-dating lab as part of the Radiation Biology Laboratory (now the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center).

Record Unit 638, Office of Design and Construction, Project Files, 1965-1980. These records document the design, construction, renovation and maintenance of Smithsonian buildings.

Record Unit 321, Office of Program Support, National Museum of American Art, 1947-1981. These records are primary documentation of the United States art exhibitions abroad program after World War II.

Record Unit 245, Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program, Records, circa 1961-1973. These records document the administration, field work, and research activities of the POBSP, especially its bird banding, island survey, and pelagic survey programs.

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Frequently Used Special Collections

All of the Secretary's personal papers are frequently used special collections, especially Record Units 7001 (Henry); 7002 ( Baird); 7004 (Walcott); 7005 (Abbot); 7006 (Wetmore); and 7008 (Ripley). Scholars working in the history of science in 19th century America consistently use the Henry and Baird collections. C.D. Walcott was a major player in government science during the first two decades of the 20th century, and oversaw a period of tremendous growth and change at the Smithsonian. He was also a very important invertebrate paleontologist and the discoverer of the Burgess Shale biota. The Abbot papers not only document his research in solar studies, but include many official records of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO). The collection also contains many early photographs relating to SAO. Wetmore and Ripley are two of the most important ornithologists in the twentieth century and researchers interested in the history of that field will consult the collections. As is the case with many manuscript collections at the Smithsonian Archives, there is a fine line between "official" and "personal," so these collections all have records documenting Smithsonian history and policy, as well as materials concerning the Secretaries' research careers.

Record Unit 7308, American Ornithologists' Union, Biographical Files, 1883-present . This is collected biographical information solicited by the AOU on its members. We also have records of AOU (Record Unit 7150).

Record Unit 7098, Biographical File. This collection contains biographies of individuals associated with the Smithsonian as either administrative officers, curators, collectors, donors, regents, or research associates. The biographical file, accessible by personal name, consists primarily of news clippings, photographs, press releases and obituaries. Biographical subjects include Howard I. Chapelle, maritime and naval historian; Joseph Henry, scientist and first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; and photographer Thomas William Smillie. The finding aid is periodically updated.

Record Unit 7473 and Accessions 96-153 & 96-154, Alice Pike Barney Papers, 1861-1994 . This collection includes materials pertaining to this patron of the arts and her family.

Record Unit 7198, John Evans Papers, 1854-1856, 1860. Evans is purported to have discovered the Port Orford Meteorite in Oregon. Various researchers think that clues to the meteorite's whereabouts can be found in Evans' papers.

Record Unit 7228, Howard I. Chapelle Papers, 1969-1975. The Archives sometimes receives requests for ship drawings and plans done by Chapelle. These are at the National Museum of American History with the transportation collections. Our Chapelle collection consists of correspondence.

Record Unit 7281, William F. Foshag Collection, 1923-1965. This collection includes materials relating to the Paricutin Volcano.

Record Unit 7179, Edmund Heller Papers, circa 1898-1918. This collection contains materials concerning the Theodore Roosevelt-Smithsonian African Expedition, 1909-1910, and the Rainey-African Expedition, 1912.

Record Unit 7449, Joseph H. Hirshhorn Papers, circa 1926-1982. This collection includes correspondence between Joseph H. Hirshhorn and many famous artists.

Record Unit 7084, William Henry Holmes Papers, c. 1926-1982. Holmes is an important figure in Smithsonian history. An anthropologist and artist, Holmes served as Head Curator, Department of Anthropology, USNM, and, later, as Director of the National Gallery of Art (now the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM)). The Archives has a small collection of Holmes Papers. The majority of his papers are housed in the SAAM library in a collection called "Random Records of a Lifetime." The Smithsonian Archives has a microfilm copy of "Random Records." There is also considerable Holmes material at the National Anthropological Archives.

Record Unit 7172, Hartley H.T. Jackson Papers, circa 1883-1976. This collection includes many photographs of naturalists and staff of the U.S. Biological Survey.

Record Unit 7177, George P. Merrill Collection, circa 1800-1930. This Record Unit includes numerous photographs of 19th century and early 20th century scientists.

Record Unit 7058, National Institute, Records, 1839-1863. The National Institute was an early scientific institution in D.C. and precursor of the Smithsonian. The National Institute collections were transferred to the Smithsonian in 1858 and form the nucleus of the "museum."

Record Unit 7081, William J. Rhees Collection, circa 1878-1907. Rhees was the first Chief Clerk of the Smithsonian and first Archivist of the Institution. He served at the Smithsonian from 1852 until his death in 1907. This collection consists of a variety of materials documenting Smithsonian history which Rhees assembled from various means.

Record Unit 7091, Science Service, Records, 1902-1965. Science Service was a news service designed to popularize science and to disseminate scientific knowledge. The Archives' collection is very large and split between this Record Unit and a few accessions. Informational "morgue" files were organized according to the Library of Congress classification scheme. A few of these files are in RU 7091 (see Series 7); more extensive collections are located in SIA Accessions 01-122, 01-243, 90-068, 90-105, and 93-019 and in curatorial collections in Smithsonian Institution museums. A major portion of the biographical "morgue," containing photographs and information about scientists, engineers, and other public figures, is in SIA Accession 90-105.

Record Unit 7176, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Field Reports, 1860-1961. This collection consists of reports of USFWS and Bureau of Biological Survey naturalists conducting surveys of flora and fauna throughout the United States. Field notes which relate to these reports are in the National Museum of Natural History, and are described in Record Unit 1070201.

Record Unit 7055, Vail Telegraph Collection, 1830-1898, 1912-1917. This collection documents the history of the development of the telegraph and includes correspondence of Morse, Vail, Kendall and others important in the story.

Information File. This is a collection of assorted materials documenting and relating to the Smithsonian Institution. Arranged alphabetically, the collection includes exhibit catalogs, museum programs, brochures, news clippings and copies of legislation pertaining to the creation and development of the Institution. Examples of these materials are models and drawings of The Quadrangle, A Center for African, Near Eastern and Asian Cultures; Guidebooks to the National Museums; and Sybil E. Hamlet's manuscript, The National Zoological Park: From Its Beginnings to 1973.

Record Unit 96, News Clippings File, 1852-1971. These records consist of news clippings and magazine articles concerning persons and events in Smithsonian history. The clippings were collected between 1852 and 1968.

Record Unit 372, Office of Public Affairs, Clippings, 1965-1991. These records consist entirely of newspaper clippings concerning the Smithsonian Institution. Collected between 1956 and 1991, the collection includes clippings concerning the Smithsonian Bicentennial, the Festival of American Folklife and the Johnson Sea-Link accident.

Record Unit 95, Photograph Collection, 1850s- . This collection consists of ten series of photographs of people, places, things and events related to the Smithsonian Institution or United States history. The majority date from the mid- to late-19th century.

Series 1- Portraits. This collection division contains photographs of persons important in Smithsonian or United States history. The subjects include Smithsonian Institution secretaries, regents, staff, United States political figures, benefactors of the Smithsonian, notable foreign and domestic scientists, and other prominent individuals. The collection is arranged alphabetically.

Series 2 - Group Portraits. This collection division contains photographs of prominent scientific groups, Cornell University faculty, political groups and Smithsonian staff. The collection is arranged alphabetically.

Series 3 - Buildings and Facilities. This collection division contains photographs documenting the planning, construction, architecture and use of Smithsonian Institution buildings, grounds, and facilities. The materials are arranged by building, as are photographs related to building exteriors, floor plans and interiors. Photographs of ground breaking and cornerstone laying ceremonies are in Series 6, Events.

Series 4 - Exhibits. This collection division contains photographs of permanent and special exhibits of the Smithsonian and its museums. For photographs of exhibit openings, see Series 6, Events.

Series 5 - Specimens, Artifacts, Equipment. This collection division contains photographs of specimens in the Smithsonian collections and of equipment used in research and other activities of the Institution, as well as some photographs of other artifacts. Examples include an African Big-Eared Fox; boat and ship models; and Peruvian feather ponchos.

Series 6 - Events. This collection division contains a chronological file of photographs documenting events in the Smithsonian's history. The majority of photographs are of exhibit openings, specimen presentations, dedications, and other ceremonies held between 1871 and 1981. Photographs include the Shanidar Cave Excavation (Northern Iraq); Smithsonian African Expedition; and the Hope Diamond Presentation.

Series 7 - Expositions. This collection division contains photographs of expositions, mainly those in which the Smithsonian and its museums took part. Especially well-documented are the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893; Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, 1895; and the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, 1901.

Series 8 - Smithsonian Insignia and Medals. This collection division contains photographs of badges of office, documents, flags, insignia, medals, and other emblems of significance to the Institution.

Series 9 - Washington, D.C. and Vicinity. This collection division contains photographs of non-Smithsonian buildings and sites in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area. Subjects include Mount Vernon, the White House, and the Old Executive Office Building.

Series 10 - Slides. This collection division contains slides of people, groups, buildings, and exhibits (primarily negatives). Some of these slides are reproductions of photographs found in other series. Subjects include Joseph Henry's living quarters in the East Wing of the Castle, James Smithson, and James Renwick.

Record Unit 92, Prints and Drawings, 1840- . This is a collection of original drawings and reproductions documenting over thirty structures, primarily Smithsonian buildings. The collection documents the work of the architects who helped develop not only the Smithsonian Institution's buildings and grounds, but also Washington landmarks such as the Washington Monument and Rock Creek Park. Noted architects and firms represented include: Henry Bacon, Hornblower and Marshall, and James Renwick. Use the in-house database, the Architectural Drawings Database System, to perform a variety of searches.

Research File. This is a collection of files for quick referral to frequently asked questions about the Smithsonian Institution, research supported by the Institution, Smithsonian staff, and benefactors. Among the files maintained are materials relating to the National Air and Space Museum's Enola Gay exhibit; names of the members of the Smithsonian Institution's Board of Regents; and the Smithsonian Institution-Peace Corps Program to provide assistance to developing countries on natural and environmental issues.

Smithsonian Oral History Collection and Smithsonian Videohistory Collection. Collections with numbers starting with 9500. Since 1973, the Oral History Program has conducted interviews with current and retired Smithsonian staff and others who have made significant contributions to the Institution. The purpose of the program is to supplement the written documentation of the Archives records and manuscript collections, focusing on the history of the Institution, research by its scholars, and contributions of its staff. The interviews document the careers of Smithsonian administrators, scholars, craftsmen and craftswomen, guards, and technical staff, as well as volunteers and research associates.
The Smithsonian Videohistory Program, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation from 1986 until 1992, used video in historical research. The experimental program recorded projects that reflected the Institution's concern with the conduct of contemporary science and technology. Projects covered topics in the physical and biological sciences as well as in technological design and manufacture.

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Revised 1/11/2008



  
  

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