SI Records
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 70, Smithsonian Institution, Exposition Records of the Smithsonian Institution and the United States National Museum
After the success of the London Crystal Palace Exposition of 1851, expositions became increasingly popular in both the United States and in Europe. However, serious participation by the federal government did not commence until the International Exposition in Philadelphia, known as the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Government involvement in expositions was authorized by an Act of Congress. The purpose of the government exhibits was generally to set forth the nature of American institutions and various aspects of the life of the citizenry, and to illustrate the nation's military power. The act usually created a Government Board of Management or Government Exhibit Board, which would be composed of representatives from the executive departments, the Smithsonian, and the United States Fish Commission. This board was in charge of appropriations, organization, preparation, installation, and management of government exhibits.
The Smithsonian representative on the Board was in charge of the Institution's exhibit and might be asked to act in some capacity for the Board as well. Spencer F. Baird, George Brown Goode, Frederick W. True, and William deC. Ravenel served as representatives of the Institution from 1876 to 1916. Other Smithsonian staff members produced exhibits in their respective fields. They included Otis T. Mason, George P. Merrill, William H. Holmes, Leonhard Stejneger, and others.
During this period it was customary to differentiate between the exhibits prepared by the Smithsonian Institution proper--the "parent institution," as it was called--and those prepared by the United States National Museum. An effort was made to represent the work of the entire organization in these exhibits. However, the work of the main departments of the National Museum, Geology, Anthropology (including the Bureau of American Ethnology), and Biology lent itself to more vivid illustration; and it is not surprising that in practice the exhibits emphasized their work.
The Institution staff frequently found itself coping with gains and losses arising from participation in expositions. The chief benefit, and it was considerable, was that the Smithsonian received many accessions, especially from foreign exhibitors. It was also able to purchase specimens from government exposition appropriations, which it could add to the National Museum's collection when an exposition ended. Finally, the Institution was pleased to have the publicity which the expositions generated. Despite these undoubted benefits, there were decided disadvantages as well. Often Congress would not make an appropriation for an exposition until very near the time it was to open, which meant the Smithsonian staff had to create exhibits at short notice. Because of this circumstance, it was sometimes necessary to remove exhibit materials from the National Museum in an effort to prepare a creditable production. Moreover, staff members often had to be diverted from their regular duties to help make necessary preparations. This had the effect of removing Museum staff members from their duties in Washington for assignments at an exposition, which obliged those removed to delay work begun in the Museum. Despite these difficulties, the expositions were useful to the Smithsonian, which made effective use of them from 1876 until about World War I.
The exposition records of this collection provide an account of the Smithsonian's involvement in twenty-two domestic and foreign expositions between 1876 and 1908. The depth of coverage in the records is uneven, but they still convey a wealth of information about Smithsonian participation in expositions, chiefly during the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
The most significant material in this collection is undoubtedly the correspondence of the Smithsonian representative and the delegate to the Government Board, who were usually the same person. From the correspondence one can trace all the activities which went into making exhibits for expositions. Depending on the depth of coverage for an exposition, it is possible to trace its history from planning work in Washington, to hiring personnel and assembling or buying material for exhibits, to observe the operating routines at the exposition, and, finally, to track the return of personnel and materials to the Smithsonian. All these activities are documented in the correspondence of the representative-delegate and the special agent, who acted as the representative's deputy.
Curators from the National Museum greatly assisted the representative in preparation of the exhibits. The correspondence and records of curators and their particular exhibits present detailed information on the preparation, installation, and administration of the exhibit. Correspondence concerning efforts to collect specimens may be of interest as well.
Researchers should also consult Record Units 95 and 192 in the Smithsonian Archives. The former contains numerous photographs of expositions, though the coverage is uneven. The latter contains records documenting Smithsonian and National Museum participation in expositions, circa 1900-1940.
Researchers should also consult the Smithsonian Institution Library, which has a large collection of exposition catalogues. There is, moreover, a splendid interpretive
essay on American expositions, Robert W. Rydell's
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
On March 3, 1871, Congress sanctioned the International Exhibition, known as the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, to celebrate ". . . the one hundredth anniversary of American independence by holding an international exhibition of arts, manufactures, and products of the soil and mine. . . ." Major government buildings constructed to house exhibits at Philadelphia included the Main Building (which covered twenty-two acres), the Machinery Hall, the Agricultural Hall, the Horticultural Hall, and the Memorial Hall. The Centennial Exhibition opened in Philadelphia on May 10, 1876, and closed November 10, 1876.
In 1874, the President created a Board of Executive Departments to prepare a collective exhibition, to ". . . illustrate the functions and administrative faculties of the Government in time of peace and its resources as a war power and thereby serve to demonstrate the nature of our institutions and their adaptation to the wants of the people." The Smithsonian appropriation was $67,000, and the U.S. Fish Commission received $5,000. A later appropriation in 1876 provided the necessary funds for transportation, maintenance, and return of the exhibits.
The Smithsonian exhibition attempted to illustrate the activities of the Institution. The displays of mineral and animal resources were extensive and included a special fisheries exhibit. The anthropology exhibit, a combined effort with the Indian Bureau, represented manners and customs of the American aborigines, past and present. The government exhibit was praised by visitors as the most interesting and important at the Centennial. Material collected for the government exhibits and donations from both foreign and domestic exhibitors was transferred to the Smithsonian at the close of the exhibition. This very large accession, combined with the specimens and objects already on hand, necessitated the construction of a new building, and the National Museum occupied its own building in 1881, when what is now the Arts and Industries Building opened for the first time.
Joseph Henry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, appointed Spencer F. Baird, Assistant Secretary in charge of the United States National Museum, as representative of the Smithsonian Institution to the Government Board for the Centennial Exposition. Baird also represented the U.S. Fish Commission. Charles Rau directed the preparation of the exhibits. William P. Blake organized and directed the mineral resource exhibit. George Brown Goode prepared the animal division display, which also included the fisheries exhibit. James G. Swan was active in securing many natural history specimens for use in the exhibits.
This series provides only partial documentation of the Smithsonian's involvement in the Centennial Exhibition of 1876. The records, which were primarily created in 1875 and 1876, include five bound volumes containing records of the U.S. Centennial Commission, the Government Board of Executive Departments, and correspondence of Spencer F. Baird; correspondence, financial records, and other materials concerning W. P. Blake and his work on the mineral exhibit; financial records; miscellaneous correspondence; and photographs. Of special interest is correspondence of James G. Swan reflecting his work collecting specimens for exhibition at Philadelphia.
An Act of Congress appropriated $20,000 to enable the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries to exhibit ". . . a fair and full collection of the different specimens of American food fishes, casts thereof, models of implements, etc., used in the prosecution of American fisheries." The International Fishery Exhibition in Berlin, Germany, was held from April 20 to July 1, 1880.
The Fish Commission exhibit combined National Museum materials with privately donated articles for a collective exhibit illustrating the fishery resources, the fisheries, and the fish-culture of the country. The exhibit won the grand prize for the best display. Spencer F. Baird was the Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, as well as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in the 1880s. He spoke before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in support of participation at the Exhibition. George Brown Goode, curator of the U.S. National Museum, was appointed deputy commissioner in charge of preparations, installation, and management of the exhibit. Goode was assisted by Frederick William True and others.
This series consists of incoming correspondence addressed to Spencer F. Baird and George Brown Goode concerning preparation of exhibits for the exhibition, including correspondence with private companies. Other materials include shipment lists, collection lists, invoices, financial records, and miscellaneous brochures and printed materials.
For a photograph of the Grand Prize Vase, see Record Unit 95, Series 7.
The Great International Fisheries Exhibition was held in London and ran from May 12 to October 30, 1883. The exhibition was intended ". . . to include all kinds of specimens of fish life and to illustrate all the modes by which the Marine and Fresh water animals of economic value are captured and utilized, together with the commercial, scientific, social, historic, and legislative aspects of such fisheries . . ."
Congress appropriated $50,000 to enable the United States Fish Commission to prepare a complete and systematic representative exhibition of the fisheries of the United States. The United States National Museum provided much of the material, a large part of it previously collected for the Philadelphia and Berlin Exhibitions. Private individuals and companies contributed as well. After the close of the exhibition, the Smithsonian received significant accessions from donations by foreign and domestic exhibitors.
Secretary Spencer F. Baird led the Institution's contingent at the Exhibition. George Brown Goode, Assistant Secretary in charge of the National Museum, was appointed Commissioner to the Exhibition. The executive staff consisted of R. Edward Earll, Tarleton H. Bean, Joseph W. Collins, A. Howard Clark, William V. Cox, and other representatives of the National Museum and Fish Commission.
This series provides a detailed account of the collection and preparation of the Fish Commission exhibit. Most of the correspondence is administrative material related to individuals and companies participating in the exposition, transfer of materials, awards received, and other related topics. Official forms, newspaper clippings, and advertisements are also included.
The Southern Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky, was conceived by a privately incorporated group first organized in 1882. In 1883 the organization erected a permanent building and held an exposition for three months. In 1884, this same group held the Southern Exposition, which operated from September 3 until October 4. It should not be confused with another Southern Exposition, held in Louisville in 1886. For records of that exposition, see Series 7 in this finding aid.
In July 1884 Congress authorized government participation in three expositions: the Southern Exposition, the Cincinnati Industrial Exposition, and the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial at New Orleans. Congress had previously authorized the loan of duplicate specimens from the National Museum for the 1883 Southern Exposition, but at no expense to the government. Congress allotted $2,500 to the Smithsonian Institution for the 1884 term of the exposition. The exhibits were primarily educational, and most were sent to the New Orleans exposition when the Southern Exposition closed.
The series consists of correspondence, reports, and financial records regarding Smithsonian participation in the 1884 exposition, including records of George Brown Goode as representative of the U.S. Fish Commission and the Smithsonian Institution. However, the records for this exposition are very incomplete.
For other records concerning this exposition, see Series 6, World's Cotton and Industrial Exposition; Series 5, Cincinnati Industrial Exposition; and Series 2, London Fisheries Exhibition.
The Cincinnati Industrial Exposition was a well-established institution, held annually since 1873 within a permanent building. In 1884, the exposition opened August 16 and closed October 23.
In July 1884 Congress authorized government participation for three expositions: the Southern Exposition in Louisville; the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial in New Orleans; and the Cincinnati Industrial Exposition. The Smithsonian Institution received $2,300 for its exhibit at the Cincinnati Exposition. Because passage of the appropriation was delayed, the Institution was not able to prepare as complete an exhibit as would have been desirable. The majority of the exhibits were sent to New Orleans when the exposition closed.
George Brown Goode, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian in charge of the National Museum, represented the Smithsonian Institution at this exposition. R. Edward Earll was the executive officer in charge of preparation of exhibits.
This series consists of correspondence, reports, and financial records, but it is incomplete. For other records concerning this exposition, see Series 3, London Fisheries Exhibition; Series 4, Southern Exposition; and Series 6, World's Cotton and Industrial Exposition.
The World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition celebrated the 100th anniversary of the production, manufacture, and commerce of cotton. Held in New Orleans, it opened on December 16, 1884, and continued until May 31, 1885.
An Act of Congress provided for the participation of the executive departments of the government and the Smithsonian Institution in this exposition. From an appropriation of $75,000, the Smithsonian presented an exhibit at the New Orleans exposition which was much more elaborate than its smaller appropriations had permitted at the Cincinnati and Louisville Expositions. Exhibits from these two previous expositions were transferred to New Orleans. As in its 1876 exhibit at Philadelphia, the Smithsonian attempted to represent the ethnological, animal, and mineral resources of the United States, as well as adding a collection of the textile industries of the world. Curators from all the major departments of the National Museum were involved with the preparation of the exhibit, which required constructing a temporary building in Washington.
George Brown Goode was appointed to represent the Smithsonian and the U.S. Fish Commission. R. Edward Earll was the executive officer in charge of preparation of exhibits. William V. Cox was the financial clerk.
The series provides a fairly comprehensive account of the Smithsonian involvement in the New Orleans Exposition. Correspondence related to the collection of specimens, preparation of the exhibits, and subsequent accessions is of special interest. The administrative, and especially the financial, records are particularly well represented in this series. Other materials include publications, shipment records, and reports.
For other records concerning this exhibition, see Series 3, London Fisheries Exposition; and Series 4, Southern Exposition.
The Southern Exposition opened August 28, 1886, in Louisville, Kentucky. Congress authorized that exhibits by the National Museum and other government departments could only be provided if there was no cost to the government.
George Brown Goode appointed Austin H. Clark to be in charge of this exhibit, which consisted primarily of photographs.
This series contains miscellaneous correspondence and related legislative documents. It is not to be confused with an exposition of the same name held in Louisville in 1884. See Series 4 in this finding aid.
In 1887 the legislature of Ohio passed a resolution that ". . . the one hundredth anniversary of the 1st settlement of the North West Territory and the State of Ohio should be appropriately observed and celebrated in order that the progress of the century may be noted . . ." Industrial fairs had often been held at Cincinnati, beginning with the Ohio Mechanic Institute Fairs prior to the Civil War, and continuing with the Cincinnati Industrial Fairs, one of them treated in Series 5 of this finding aid. The Centennial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Central States, the culmination of the Cincinnati expositions, opened on July 4, 1888, and closed November 8, 1888. It was not until May 1888 that Congress provided for government participation in the exposition and appropriated $50,000 for the Smithsonian exhibits. The bill also required a final audit of the government exhibits at the Cincinnati Exposition, causing various difficulties for the Institution. Exhibits were prepared in anthropology, natural history, and arts and industries.
George Brown Goode, Assistant Secretary in charge of the National Museum, was representative of the Smithsonian Institution to the Government Board of the Exposition, and directed the Smithsonian exhibits. R. Edward Earll served as Goode's deputy and administrator of the exhibits in Cincinnati. Curators Otis T. Mason, Thomas Wilson, Cyrus Adler, Robert Ridgway, and others participated in the preparation of departmental exhibits. William V. Cox served as the financial clerk.
The series consists of correspondence, records, and reports pertaining to Smithsonian involvement in the Centennial Exposition. It includes correspondence concerning collection and preparation of the exhibits and subsequent accessions to the Museum, as well as financial records. Of special interest are comments concerning the government exhibit audit; information on specific exhibits; and the mammal specimen lists collected and prepared for the exposition. Other materials include reports of the exposition, special papers prepared by the curators of particular exhibits, and various publications.
For photographs, see Record Unit 95, Series 7. For related material, see Series 6, World's Industrial and Cotton Exposition.
The Columbian Historical Exposition in Madrid, Spain, was part of an extensive celebration of the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of America. In 1892, an Act of Congress authorized United States participation in this exposition. The United States Commission to the exposition included Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce, U.S.N., George Brown Goode of the Smithsonian Institution, and Dr. J. C. Welling, regent of the Smithsonian.
The Columbian Historical Exposition in Madrid consisted of two simultaneous expositions: the
Rear Admiral Luce was the Commissioner General of the U.S. Commission. George Brown Goode, Assistant Secretary in charge of the National Museum, was in charge of Smithsonian exhibits. The commission designated Thomas Wilson and Walter Hough of the National Museum as custodians of archaeological collections and ethnological and historical collections. This exposition is not very well documented. It consists mostly of correspondence of George Brown Goode and Admiral Luce. The remaining material consists of miscellaneous records, documents, publications, and news clippings related to the exposition. The terms of this exposition and the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, discussed in the next series, overlapped to a degree, so far as American participation was concerned.
For photographs, see Record Unit 95, Series 7; for related materials, see Series 6 in this finding aid, the World's Industrial and Cotton Exposition, oversize.
On April 25, 1890, Congress approved ". . . An Act to provide for celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, by holding an international exhibition of arts, industries, manufactures and the products of soil, mine and sea . . ." The exposition opened in Chicago, Illinois, on May 1, 1893, and closed October 31, 1893. Known as the 'White City,' its special effects included electric lighting of the buildings and the famed Midway Plaisance.
Preparations by the Smithsonian Institution began soon after the authorization of government exhibits in 1890. Complications concerning appropriations and expenditures caused some difficulties. By 1893, however, preparations for the exhibits had all but superseded regular operations at the Smithsonian. The displays encompassed most of the departments of the Museum, including a combined effort by the Bureau of Ethnology and Department of Anthropology. The Smithsonian also loaned materials to other U.S. government agencies and to the Woman's Pavilion.
The Government Board of Management, which controlled the government exhibits, was chaired by Edwin Williams, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. George Brown Goode, Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, represented the Smithsonian. R. Edward Earll assisted Goode as chief special agent and served as the executive officer to the exposition in Washington and Chicago. George P. Merrill, Robert Ridgway, Otis T. Mason, Frederick W. True, and other curators from the National Museum contributed substantially to preparations.
The series documents the Smithsonian Institution's participation in the World's Columbian Exposition. Correspondence between the Smithsonian Institution and the Government Board of Management is extensive. The majority of the collection consists of correspondence, records, and reports pertaining to the preparation of Smithsonian exhibits and subsequent acquisitions, including correspondence of Goode, Earll, and various curators. The collection reflects all phases of Smithsonian involvement, from the first exhibit proposals to the return of exhibits to Washington. Administrative records are also incorporated in the collection.
For photographs, see Record Unit 95, Series 7. For related materials, see Series 6, World's Industrial and Cotton Exposition, oversize.
The Cotton States and International Exposition opened in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 18, 1895, and closed December 31, 1895. Congress had, in 1894, supported this exposition by providing for government participation and also encouraged an exhibit featuring Black accomplishments.
The purpose of the Smithsonian exhibit was to explain and illustrate all phases of the activities of the Institution, especially the National Museum. However, due to limited appropriations, the preparation of the exhibit required the Museum to disturb its own exhibits and left the National Museum in a state of disrepair. The exhibits produced attempted to accomplish four goals: (1) To give as good an idea as possible of the character of the treasures which were preserved in the Museum by presenting an epitome of its contents, with contributions from every department; (2) To illustrate the methods by which science controls, classifies, and studies great accumulations of material objects, and uses these as a means for the discovery of truth; (3) To exhibit the manner in which collections are arranged, labeled, and displayed in a great museum; (4) To afford as much instruction and pleasure as possible to those who may visit the Atlanta Exposition, to impress them with the value of museums as agencies for public enlightenment, and thus to encourage the formation of public museums in the cities of the South.
George Brown Goode again represented the Smithsonian Institution on the Government Board for the Cotton States and International Exposition. R. Edward Earll served as the chief special agent in charge of exhibits, and William V. Cox was the chief clerk.
The series consists of correspondence of George Brown Goode and R. Edward Earll concerning their respective duties. Of special interest is a list of suggestions made to curators about exhibits. Other materials include related publications, administrative correspondence, records, notes, and photographs.
The purpose of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition was to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Tennessee's admission into the Union. Housed in such neoclassical structures as the still-extant Parthenon, the exposition opened in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 1, 1897, and closed on October 30, 1897.
In 1897, Congress approved an act to assist the exposition by providing for government exhibits. Eighteen departments of the Smithsonian Institution prepared special exhibits. These exhibits were installed and oriented around the Bureau of Ethnology's miniature Kiowa camping circle in the Government Building.
Frederick W. True represented the Smithsonian on the Government Board for the Tennessee Exposition. William V. Cox was the chief special agent in charge of the exhibits, and was also appointed secretary to the Government Board of Management. This series consists of general correspondence and records of the Smithsonian Institution pertaining to the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. The major correspondents are Frederick W. True and William V. Cox. The documentation of the exhibits is limited. Of special interest are selected responses by curators to questions about deficiencies in their exhibitions. Other related materials include newspaper clippings, reports, documents, records, and specimen lists.
The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, held in Omaha, Nebraska, opened June 1, 1898, and continued until October 31, 1898. A visit from President McKinley and an exhibit featuring live Indians were the highlights of this exposition.
An Act of Congress authorized this exposition and intended it to illustrate the resources of the United States and to demonstrate the progress and civilization of the Western Hemisphere. The act appropriated $20,000 to the Smithsonian for its exhibit.
The exhibits concentrated on the three main departments of the National Museum--anthropology, biology and geology--though other bureaus were represented. The Smithsonian representative to the Government Board was Frederick W. True. True directed Smithsonian participation and also prepared the Biology Department exhibit. William V. Cox served as chief special agent in charge of the exhibits, and J. L. Willige was acting chief clerk at the Museum in the absence of Cox. William H. Holmes, head curator of the Anthropology Department, and George P. Merrill, curator of the Geology Department, prepared the exhibits for their respective departments.
This collection consists primarily of the correspondence of Frederick W. True and William V. Cox concerning their duties at the exposition, as well as miscellaneous financial records, reports, documents, newspaper clippings, and notes.
For photographs, see Record Unit 95, Series 7. For other financial records, see Series 11, the Cotton States and International Exposition.
"To illustrate the marvelous development of the Western Hemisphere during the nineteenth century . . ." was the express purpose of the Pan-American Exposition. It concentrated primarily on the Western Hemisphere and relations between the American republics and the colonies, including a special Outlying Possessions Exhibit emphasizing the Philippines. Called the Rainbow City due to the color scheme of the buildings, the exposition opened on May 1, 1901, in Buffalo, New York, and closed November 2, 1901.
Congress allotted $50,000 for the Smithsonian in this exposition. The collection consisted of carefully prepared exhibits intended to present ". . . a display of the products of nature and the works of man in the Western Hemisphere . . ." The Department of Anthropology, in cooperation with the Bureau of Ethnology, presented clay figures of American aboriginal tribes and their dwellings. The Department of Biology concentrated on specimens of American vertebrates; and the Department of Geology exhibited a systematic collection of minerals, as well as some restorations of fossil vertebrate specimens.
The representative on the Government Board for the Smithsonian Institution was Frederick W. True. He also served as Chairman of the Special Committee on Outlying Possessions of this Board, as well as being head curator of the Department of Biology. William Henry Holmes was head curator of the Department of Anthropology, and George P. Merrill directed the Department of Geology. Leonhard Stejneger and Charles Richmond collected specimens in Puerto Rico. William Palmer and Joseph H. Riley collected in Cuba, W. J. McGee in Mexico. F. F. Hilder led the collecting expedition to the Philippine Islands for the Government Board's Outlying Possession Exhibit. Other Smithsonian representatives included William V. Cox as chief special agent to the exposition and secretary to the Government Board. J. E. Rockwell served as chief clerk of the National Museum in Cox's absence. William De Riemer was the assistant to William V. Cox.
This collection documents all phases of the Smithsonian's involvement in the Pan-American Exposition. The incoming and outgoing correspondence of Frederick W. True pertains to the organization, preparation, and administration of the Smithsonian exhibits. Of special interest are True's correspondence and records related to the Outlying Possessions Exhibit of the Government Board, including F. F. Hilder correspondence. The correspondence of other Smithsonian officials deals with general administrative concerns. Of particular interest is the curators' correspondence concerning preparation and installation of exhibits. The series contains much information about Smithsonian involvement, such as reports, accession records, newspaper clippings, and extensive financial materials.
Financial records of this exposition can be found among those of the Cotton States and International Exposition, Series 11. For photographs, see Record Unit 95, Series 7.
The South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exposition, held at Charleston, South Carolina, promoted the new industries and commerce of the South. Although Congress failed to provide appropriations for this exposition, President Roosevelt, at the request of Director General J. H. Averill of the exposition, directed the executive departments to transfer exhibits from the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo to the Charleston Exposition. This exposition opened December 1, 1901, and closed May 31, 1902.
The Smithsonian selected displays which could be transferred directly to Charleston and opened the collection to the public on January 13, 1902, using in this way about two thirds of the material from the recently concluded Pan-American Exposition.
Frederick W. True represented the Smithsonian Institution at the South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exposition. Charles W. Richmond managed the transfer and installation of the exhibit. William E. De Riemer became the special agent in charge of the Smithsonian and Philippine exhibit at the exposition.
For photographs, see Record Unit 95, Series 7.
To celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase, Congress sanctioned the Louisiana Purchase Exposition ". . . for exhibitions of arts, industries, manufactures, and products of soil, mine, forest, and sea." The exposition was held at St. Louis from April 30 to December 1, 1904. It encompassed 1,240 acres of indoor and outdoor exhibits, including an actual Philippine village. Foreign and domestic participants provided an "exposition of processes" including such divisions as electricity, transportation, anthropology, physical culture, and an International Congress of Arts and Science designed to be an "academic accompaniment" to the exposition.
In 1902 Congress appropriated $110,000 to the Smithsonian Institution for its exhibits, which took over two years to prepare, for ". . . no pains have been spared to make the display both interesting and noteworthy." The Smithsonian's display represented the Smithsonian Institution proper, including a reproduction of the Children's Room in the Smithsonian Building in Washington; the Bureau of International Exchange; and the Astrophysical Observatory. National Museum exhibits consisted of models of Aztec ruins from the Department of Anthropology and a cast and skeleton of a sulfur bottom whale from the Department of Biology. The Department of Geology provided restorations of the Stegosaurus and Triceratops as well as a collection of meteorites. Two outdoor exhibits were also provided--the National Zoological Park's flying bird cage and a coelostat from the Astrophysical Observatory. In 1905, as a direct result of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the National Museum increased its accessions more than at any other time except after the close of the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition.
The Smithsonian's participation was managed in what was by now the usual way. Secretary Langley appointed Frederick W. True as the Smithsonian representative to the U.S. Government Board of Management for the exposition. True also was chairman of the Installation and Decoration Committee. Dr. Marcus Lyon, Jr., was chief special agent in St. Louis during the exposition. William deC. Ravenel represented the U.S. Fish Commission on the Government Board of Management and was also administrative assistant to Richard Rathbun, the Assistant Secretary in charge of the U.S. National Museum. The U.S. National Museum's exhibits were prepared by specialists from its various branches. William H. Holmes, head of the Bureau of American Ethnology, collaborated with the Museum's Department of Anthropology to create the anthropology exhibit. Frederick W. True, acting in a dual capacity, planned the Department of Biology exhibit, assisted by Frederic A. Lucas. George P. Merrill, curator of the Department of Geology, directed plans for its exhibit.
This series includes both correspondence and administrative records pertaining to the Smithsonian Institution's participation in the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The records include correspondence concerning the collection, preparation, and management of the exhibits, and subsequent acquisitions. Other True correspondence relates to his position as chairman of the Installation and Decoration Committee for the Government Board. Correspondence between Richard Rathbun and William deC. Ravenel concerns desirable exhibits (both foreign and domestic) they hoped to obtain for the National Museum, including comments from Otis T. Mason, Paul Beckwith, Walter Hough, and others. The remainder of the series relates to administrative and financial records, including draft and final reports of Smithsonian participation in the exposition and lists of specimens exhibited.
For photographs, see Record Unit 95, Series 7.
In 1903, the Oregon state legislature authorized a Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition "to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the exploration of the Oregon country by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the years 1804, 1805, and 1806." In 1904 Congress provided for government participation in this exposition, stipulating that government exhibits from the Louisiana Purchase Exposition would be used to create the federal presence at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. A few additional displays were added, such as skeletons of the dodo bird, great auk, and piked whale, plus a reproduction of Charles Edward's dodo bird painting. The exposition opened June 1, 1905, and closed October 15, 1905, in Portland, Oregon.
Frederick W. True was representative for the Smithsonian at this exposition. Marcus W. Lyon, Jr., was again the chief special agent in charge of the exhibits. This collection consists primarily of general correspondence of Frederick W. True and Marcus W. Lyon, Jr., pertaining to administrative and financial matters. Since most of the exhibits were transferred from St. Louis (see previous series), documentation on the exhibits themselves is generally limited. Other related materials include specimen lists, reports, freight lists, and telegrams. For photographs, see Record Unit 95, Series 7.
The Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition celebrated ". . . the birth of the American nation, the first permanent settlement of English speaking people in the western hemisphere . . ." This international naval, marine, and military celebration opened April 26, 1907, and closed November 30, 1907. It was held in and about Hampton Roads, Virginia.
In 1906 an Act of Congress provided appropriations for government participation in the exposition. This act also directed the Smithsonian to provide an exhibit of ". . . such articles and materials of an historical nature as would serve to impart a knowledge of our colonial and national history . . ." The major display was one of Captain John Smith trading for corn with the Powhatan Indians.
The Secretary of the Smithsonian, Charles D. Walcott, appointed William deC. Ravenel, administrative assistant of the National Museum, to the government board. He was assisted in the preparation of the exhibits by an advisory council made up of Cyrus Adler, William H. Holmes, and A. Howard Clark.
This series consists mainly of correspondence of William deC. Ravenel relating to the preparation of the exhibits for the exposition and other administrative matters. Also included are reports, catalogues, and other related materials.
The International Maritime Exposition commemorated the centennial of steam navigation. Held in Bordeaux, France, the exposition was operated from May 1 to November 1, 1907.
At the request of the Secretary of State, the Smithsonian directed the preparation, installation, and management of the entire United States exhibit, which included other government departments besides the Smithsonian. William deC. Ravenel was placed in charge of the work.
The series consists primarily of correspondence of William deC. Ravenel pertaining to the organization of the government exhibit.
The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition did not commemorate a single event, but rather the growth and development of the Pacific Northwest. Held in Seattle, Washington, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition opened June 1 and closed October 15, 1908.
In 1908, the act of Congress which authorized and funded government participation in this exposition directed that the Smithsonian exhibit include ". . . such articles and materials of a historical nature as will impart a knowledge of our national history, especially that of Alaska, Hawaii, and the Philippine Islands, and that part of the United States west of the Rocky Mountains . . ." Many materials were transferred from the Jamestown Exposition, but extensive additions were made to illustrate the western United States.
William deC. Ravenel, administrative assistant in the National Museum, directed the preparation and management of the Smithsonian exhibit, as well as serving on the Government Board at the Exposition.
This series consists of William deC. Ravenel's correspondence and records pertaining to the preparation, installation, and management of the Smithsonian exhibit. Of special interest is correspondence concerning new western exhibits.
The Act of Congress which authorized funds for government participation in the Panama-Pacific Exposition provided that exhibits should be ". . . such articles and materials as illustrate the function and administrative faculty of the Government of the United States [and tend] to demonstrate the nature and growth of our institutions, their adaptation to the wants of the people, and the progress of the Nation in the arts of peace and war." The Smithsonian and the National Museum chose to focus their contributions on ethnological subjects.
These records include the incoming and outgoing correspondence of William deC. Ravenel and other related materials pertaining to his administrative duties as Secretary of the Government Exhibit Board. There is extensive correspondence with J. C. Boykin, assistant to the Chairman of the Board. Of special interest are materials concerning the exposition's aquarium and photographs of exhibits.
The Smithsonian took part in some expositions, domestic and foreign, in only a minor way or declined to participate at all. A chronological list of these expositions and the few records available for them follows.