National Museum of the American Indian
Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation audio and video collection
Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation
NMAI.AC.001.003
Archival Resource Key
29 Sound tape reels
1/4 inch
30 Sound cassettes
14 Videocassettes (U-matic)
5 Videocassettes (VHS)
1 Videoreels (2 inch)
1960-1989
This collection includes audio and video recordings produced by the Museum of the American Indian, Heye foundation for museum events between 1960 and 1989. This includes materials such as recordings from exhibitions, staff meetings, public programs, and interviews with former MAI directors, Frederick Dockstader and Roland Force.
English
.
Arrangement
Arranged in two series by event type and then chronologically. Series 1: Exhibits Materials, 1972-1983 and Series 2: Museum Programs and Events, 1962-1988.
Biographical / Historical
The Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation was established by wealthy collector George Gustav Heye in 1916. Heye began collecting Native American and Indigenous artifacts as early as 1897 and his collection rapidly increased over the next several years. Based in New York, Heye bought collections and documentary photographs, sponsored expeditions, and traveled and collected items himself. In addition, once MAI was established, he sponsored numerous expeditions across the Western Hemisphere, including North American, Canada, South America and Central America. From 1908 to 1917 Heye housed his artifacts on temporary loan at the University of Pennsylvania's University Museum, Pennsylvania, in lofts on East 33rd Street in New York City, and at other depositories. In 1917, the collections moved from his apartment to their permanent museum location at Audubon Terrace, at 155th Street and Broadway in New York City. The museum, containing ethnographic and archaeological collections from North, Central and South America, opened to the public in 1922. Less than ten years later, Heye completed a storage facility in the Pelham Bay area of the Bronx, known as the Research Branch. Heye served as Chairman of the Board and Museum Director until his death in 1957. After growing concern about the financial and other management of the collections came to a head, the museum became part of the Smithsonian Institution in 1989 and in 1994 opened exhibit space in the U.S. Customs House at Bowling Green near New York City's Battery Park. The Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, Maryland later opened in 1999 and the main Washington, DC museum opened in 2004. Please visit the following links for more information about the history of the museum; History of the Collection, Collections Overview, and Significance of the Collection. Moreover, for information about how the museum currently cares for and exhibits the collection, please see the Conservation department and recent entries regarding Exhibitions and Conservation on the NMAI Blog. In addition, see portions of the NMAI Archive Center's collections highlighted in the SIRIS Blog.
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is closed until the materials have been digitized.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation audio and video collection, item #, NMAI.AC.001.003; National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.
Processing Information
Processed by Rachel Menyuk, Processing Archivist, 2023
Scope and Contents
Series 1: Exhibits Materials, 1972-1983, includes audio and video materials, such as exhibit soundtracks and slide shows, created by and for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation for their exhibitions between 1972 and 1983. The following exhibits are represented in this series; "Sounds That Beautify the Land," "Ancestors," "Echoes of the Drums," "Arctic Art," "Star Gods of the Americas," and "With Eagle Glance."
Series 2: Museum Programs and Events, 1962-1988, includes non-exhibition related video and audio materials created by and for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation between 1962 and 1988. This includes ¼ inch open reel sound tapes, sound cassettes, and videotapes (U-m documenting—staff meetings, docent tours and docent training sessions, lectures, and radio interviews. The recordings feature staff members such as E. K. Burnett, Frederick Dockstader, Vincent Wilcox, William Stiles, Robert Venables, Roland Force, Suzanne Aurelio, and Susan Martin, among others.
Related Materials
Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation records (NMAI.AC.001)
Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation photograph collection (NMAI.AC.001.002)
Videocassettes
Audiocassettes
Sound recordings
Exhibits
Dockstader, Frederick J.
Force, Roland W.
Exhibits Materials
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
18 Sound tape reels
1/4 inch
4 Sound cassettes
13 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1972-1983
Scope and Contents
This series includes audio and video materials, such as exhibit soundtracks and slide shows, created by and for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation for their exhibitions between 1972 and 1983. The following exhibits are represented in this series; "Sounds That Beautify the Land," "Ancestors," "Echoes of the Drums," "Arctic Art," "Star Gods of the Americas," and "With Eagle Glance."
Related Materials
See Series 10.1: MAI Exhibits, in the Museum of the American Indian Heye Foundation records (NMAI.AC.001) for accompanying documentation.
See Series 3: Exhibits Photographs, in the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation photograph collection (NMAI.AC.001.002) for accompanying photographs.
"The Sounds That Beautify the Land"
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1/4 inch
1972
1
001
"The Ancestors" soundtrack
Archival Resource Key
6 Sound tape reels
1/4 inch
1978
1
002-007
"The Ancestors" TV, News spots
Archival Resource Key
2 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1979 August 15
1979 December 6
4
063-064
Scope and Contents
Includes interview with Dr. Anna Roosevelt.
"The Ancestors" slide presentation
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1978-1979
4
065
"The Ancestors," Indians in China, ABC News
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1981 December 6
4
062
"The Ancestors," China Connection
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1982 Feb 1
4
066
Oklahoma Cherokee
"The Ancestors," Chinese Museum of History
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1982 Feb 4
4
067
"The Ancestors" and "Echoes of the Drums," Rusty Russell recording
Archival Resource Key
2 Sound cassettes
undated
2
031-031
"Echoes of the Drums," Rusty Russell AV program
Archival Resource Key
4 Sound tape reels
1978 August 14
1
008-011
"Echoes of the Drums," Documentary Copy
Archival Resource Key
3 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1978
4
068-070
"Echoes of the Drums," TV Spot
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1978
4
071
"Echoes of the Drums," Slide Show Master tape
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1978
4
072
"Arctic Art," Soundtrack
Archival Resource Key
2 Sound tape reels
1980
1
013-014
"Arctic Art," Show dub
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1980 September 26
1
012
"Star Gods of the Ancient Americas," Soundtrack
Archival Resource Key
3 Sound tape reels
1 Sound cassette
1982
1
015
"Star Gods of the Ancient Americas," Big Apple Minute Spot
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1982-1983
4
073
"With Eagle Glance," sound recording
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1982-1983
1
018
"Glimpses of the Ancestors," sound recording
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1983 October
2
033
Museum Programs and Events
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
10 Sound tape reels
1/4 inch
26 Sound cassettes
1 Videocassettes (U-matic)
5 Videocassettes (VHS)
1 Videoreels (2 inch)
1962-1988
Scope and Contents
This series includes non-exhibition related video and audio materials created by and for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation between 1962 and 1988. This includes ¼ inch open reel sound tapes, sound cassettes, and videotapes (U-m documenting—staff meetings, docent tours and docent training sessions, lectures, and radio interviews. The recordings feature staff members such as E. K. Burnett, Frederick Dockstader, Vincent Wilcox, William Stiles, Robert Venables, Roland Force, Suzanne Aurelio, and Susan Martin, among others.
Wallensak and Dockstader interview
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1962
1
019
Oklahoma Cherokee
H. Ponce interview, New York
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1962 July 24
1
020
Edwin K. Burnett sound recording
Archival Resource Key
3 Sound tape reels
1960s
1
021-023
Frederick Dockstader radio interview
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1969 February
1
024
Conversation on the Crystal Skull
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1973
2
034
Frederick Dockstader ABCTV interview
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1974 September 30
1
025
Friends of the Museum sound recording
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1975 March 7
1
026
Vincent Wilcox and WIlliam Stiles radio interview
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1975-1976
1
028
Mattia Appraisal
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
circa 1975
2
035
Docent Tour recordings: Frederick Dockstader
Archival Resource Key
2 Sound cassettes
1975 April
2
036-037
Docent Tour recordings: Annette Grob
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1975 April
2
038
Docent Tour recordings: Susan Martin, 3rd floor
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1975 April
2
039
Docent Training session
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1975 May
2
040
Staff Meeting
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1977 October 4
2
041
Lecture #2, Pre-columbian archaeology: Vincent Wilcox
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1970s
2
042
Lecture #3, Arts and Diversity, American Indian Artists in Society: Susan Martin
Archival Resource Key
2 Sound cassettes
1970s
2
043-044
Lecture #4, The Indian in American Society: Peter Dyer
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1970s
2
045
Suzanne Aurelio, SA Special
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1970s
2
046
Lewis Krevolin on cast bronze skull
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1970s
2
047
Robert Venables and Roland Force sound recording
Archival Resource Key
3 Sound cassettes
1982 September 6
2
048-050
New York Art Theft phone transcripts
Archival Resource Key
2 Sound cassettes
1982 September 7
3
051-052
Voice of America, Interview on the Native Film and Video Festival with Elizabeth Weatherford
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound tape reel
1/4 inch
1982 October 28
1
029
E-WBAI Drum Beats
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1983
3
053
Discovery Day at MAI
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (U-matic)
1983 October 9
4
075
Marty de Mantano interview on "Everything Else"
Archival Resource Key
1 Videocassettes (VHS)
1986 December 31
4
076
NPR interview with Secretary Adams
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
1988 April 17
3
054
Wood intro, NWC, WNYC News release
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
undated
3
055
Tape used for lunch 12pm to 1pm
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
undated
3
056
Kampfer Mask notes
Archival Resource Key
1 Sound cassette
undated
3
057
Claude Medford and William Brescia (Mississippi Choctaw) at MAI
Archival Resource Key
2 Sound cassettes
undated
3
058-059
Interview with Ina McNeil
Archival Resource Key
2 Videocassettes (VHS)
undated
4
077-078
"Only One New York" episodes
Archival Resource Key
2 Videocassettes (VHS)
undated
4
079-080
"I Love New York," Museum of the American Indian TV spots
Archival Resource Key
1 Videoreels (2 inch)
undated
4
081