USNM CURATORS ANNUAL REPORTS -- Department of Ethnology, Section of Aboriginal Pottery, 1887- 1893

The Smithsonian’s Bureau of Ethnology—established in 1879—was tasked with preserving the records and materials of Native American tribes throughout North America. This included a variety of initiatives, like manuscript repositories, music and language recordings, and a collection of aboriginal pottery. These annual reports document the accessions, exhibitions, and other work done by the Section of Aboriginal Pottery during the beginnings of the Bureau of Ethnology. Get a look into the Smithsonian’s past and help transcribe these reports for future generations of researchers.