Browse Projects
North Carolina Assistant Commissioner, Freedmen’s Labor Contracts, Jan. 1865–Oct. 1868, Part 2
The Bureau of Refugees, Freemen, and Abandoned Lands, often referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established on March 3, 1865. The duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau included supervision of all affairs relating to refugees, freedmen, and the custody of abandoned lands and property. These documents come from the Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of North Carolina, Series 18: Freedmen’s Labor Contracts Please help us transcribe these records to learn more about the experiences of formerly enslaved men and women in North Carolina during the Reconstruction Era. Have questions about how to transcribe tables in these documents? View special directions here.
William Ockleford Oldman Archive Research Materials - Sales Register, 1910-1914
Help us transcribe "Sales Register, 1910-1914" from the William Ockleford Oldman Archive research materials! For instructions on how to transcribe this material, please view the project instructions page here . The William Ockleford Oldman Archive research materials are comprised of digital surrogates of the business records of Oldman held by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. These records include detailed information about his purchases and sales of objects including names of original sources for objects he acquired and sold. Since this provenance information is critically important to the documentation of NMAI’s collections, NMAI and Te Papa have begun a collaborative research project to make the Oldman materials available to the public for research and scholarship. William Ockleford Oldman (1879 – 1949) was a British collector and dealer of ethnographic art and European arms and armour. His business W.O. Oldman, Ethnographical Specimens, London was active between the late 1890s and 1913. Oldman purchased items from various sources including from auctions, directly from other collectors and dealers and also from many small British museums and historic houses. He held regular auctions to sell items and also reserved items for possible sale to particular private collectors, scholars, and heritage institutions including the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, NMAI’s predecessor institution. Ethnographic specimens with a provenance to Oldman’s business can now be found in various public institutions around the world including the National Museum of the American Indian.
William Ockleford Oldman Archive Research Materials - Collection Ledger, 1902-1916: 1 to 33668 (Part 1)
Help us transcribe "Collection Ledger, 1902-1916: 1 to 33668 (Part 1)" from the William Ockleford Oldman Archive research materials! For instructions on how to transcribe this material, please view the project instructions page here . The William Ockleford Oldman Archive research materials are comprised of digital surrogates of the business records of Oldman held by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. These records include detailed information about his purchases and sales of objects including names of original sources for objects he acquired and sold. Since this provenance information is critically important to the documentation of NMAI’s collections, NMAI and Te Papa have begun a collaborative research project to make the Oldman materials available to the public for research and scholarship. William Ockleford Oldman (1879 – 1949) was a British collector and dealer of ethnographic art and European arms and armour. His business W.O. Oldman, Ethnographical Specimens, London was active between the late 1890s and 1913. Oldman purchased items from various sources including from auctions, directly from other collectors and dealers and also from many small British museums and historic houses. He held regular auctions to sell items and also reserved items for possible sale to particular private collectors, scholars, and heritage institutions including the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, NMAI’s predecessor institution. Ethnographic specimens with a provenance to Oldman’s business can now be found in various public institutions around the world including the National Museum of the American Indian.
Playbill for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf
One of the time-honored traditions of the theater is the playbill. From local community theaters to Broadway, playbills provide the audience with information about the story being told on stage and the artists who bring it to life. After the show, playbills often become cherished souvenirs. "Playbill," a monthly magazine distributed at major theaters in New York and nationwide, presents details about particular productions along with articles about current happenings in the theater world. The Museum's collection of playbills, which spans from the nineteenth century to the present, offers insight into the roles African Americans have played in the development of American theater as actors, playwrights, directors, producers, costume designers, choreographers, and more. Help us transcribe this Playbill from for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf to discover and share the history of African Americans taking the stage.
North Carolina Assistant Commissioner, Freedmen’s Labor Contracts, Jan. 1865–Oct. 1868, Part 1
The Bureau of Refugees, Freemen, and Abandoned Lands, often referred to as the Freedmen’s Bureau, was established on March 3, 1865. The duties of the Freedmen’s Bureau included supervision of all affairs relating to refugees, freedmen, and the custody of abandoned lands and property. These documents come from the Records of the Assistant Commissioner for the State of North Carolina, Series 18: Freedmen’s Labor Contracts Please help us transcribe these records to learn more about the experiences of formerly enslaved men and women in North Carolina during the Reconstruction Era. Have questions about how to transcribe tables in these documents? View special directions here.
Loose pages from a magazine about the Cotton Club
Part of the music domain includes nightlife and nightclubs, which were often the centerpiece of musical life during the first half of the twentieth century. Sisters Laura “Laurie” Cathrell and Sally J. Cathrell Jr. were both involved in New York’s nightlife scene, one as a showgirl and the other as a publisher of magazines featuring famous musicians and dancers of the time. Laurie performed in many famous nightclubs throughout America including Club Plantation and the Cotton Club. She is featured in many of the photographs and magazines of this collection. Sally followed in the footsteps of their parents, and made a career in publishing and created “The Show-Down” magazine, which was devoted to nightclub life and entertainment. In volume 1, number 1, “The Showdown” magazine is described as "a monthly publication, which caters to theatricals exclusively." The magazine featured night club reviews, show reviews, and features on performers. The magazine mainly covered New York, Indianapolis, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, and St. Louis. Help us transcribe the photographs, magazines, and programs and discover the many famous musicians and dancers featured.
Princeton University Poster Collection - Catalog Sheets, Binder 16
The Princeton University Library donated the Princeton University Poster Collection documenting World War I and World War II posters to the Smithsonian Institution in 1963 and 1967. The collection represents one of the largest and most complete collections of United States war posters produced. The collection is also rich in non-US materials that include French government proclamations, British Army recruiting posters, and civil defense posters from smaller US allies such as Canada and New Zealand. Also included are non-government produced posters reflecting pre-war as well as wartime patriotic, anti-German, and pro-refugee sentiments. Together these provide a broader picture of public attitudes. The breadth of public and charitable agencies, images, and slogans represented in the collection make it valuable not only as single items, but as a comprehensive expression of the support and sentiment for war during these two periods. The collection provides a unique opportunity for diverse use of the material for research (social, military, media, ethnic, and political), exhibitions, and educational purposes. Help us transcribe these catalog sheets containing information about each poster in this important collection. Find instructions for transcribing these projects here . Your work will help the Archives Center staff make the collection more widely accessible through the Smithsonian�s Online Virtual Archives.�
Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, General Correspondence: American Exporter, 1947-1948
Letters from the General Correspondence subseries of the Jacques Seligmann & Co. records. The Jacques Seligmann & Co. records in the Archives of American Art are among the world's foremost resources for provenance research. The collection documents the business dealings of international art galleries which were active for nearly a century, and contains invaluable information for tracing the provenance of works of art which passed through the Jacques Seligmann & Company holdings.
Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, General Correspondence: American Express Company, 1924, undated
Letters from the General Correspondence subseries of the Jacques Seligmann & Co. records. The Jacques Seligmann & Co. records in the Archives of American Art are among the world's foremost resources for provenance research. The collection documents the business dealings of international art galleries which were active for nearly a century, and contains invaluable information for tracing the provenance of works of art which passed through the Jacques Seligmann & Company holdings.
Princeton University Poster Collection - Catalog Sheets, Binder 17
The Princeton University Library donated the Princeton University Poster Collection documenting World War I and World War II posters to the Smithsonian Institution in 1963 and 1967. The collection represents one of the largest and most complete collections of United States war posters produced. The collection is also rich in non-US materials that include French government proclamations, British Army recruiting posters, and civil defense posters from smaller US allies such as Canada and New Zealand. Also included are non-government produced posters reflecting pre-war as well as wartime patriotic, anti-German, and pro-refugee sentiments. Together these provide a broader picture of public attitudes. The breadth of public and charitable agencies, images, and slogans represented in the collection make it valuable not only as single items, but as a comprehensive expression of the support and sentiment for war during these two periods. The collection provides a unique opportunity for diverse use of the material for research (social, military, media, ethnic, and political), exhibitions, and educational purposes. Help us transcribe these catalog sheets containing information about each poster in this important collection. Find instructions for transcribing these projects here . Your work will help the Archives Center staff make the collection more widely accessible through the Smithsonian�s Online Virtual Archives.�
