Personal Papers
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7322, C. Malcolm Watkins Papers
C. Malcolm Watkins (1911- ) was born in Malden, Massachusetts, and developed an interest in early American material culture at a young age through the work of his parents
and grandfather. His mother, Lura Woodside Watkins, collected glass and pottery and published
Watkins received his B.S. from Harvard College in 1934 and began his museum career as curator for the Wells Historical Museum (Southbridge, Massachusetts), the predecessor of Old Sturbridge village (Sturbridge, Massachusetts). Watkins was its first curator, working there from 1936 to 1948, except for a leave of absence from 1942-1946 to serve in the United States Air Force during World War II. In 1949, he began his career at the Smithsonian as an associate curator in the Division of Ethnology, Department of Anthropology, United States National Museum (USNM). Watkins was responsible for the collections of American technology and decorative arts. When a separate Museum of History and Technology was created in 1958, Watkins assumed responsibility for the new Division of Cultural History in the Department of Civil History, as curator (1958, 1960-1966) and supervisor and curator (1967-1968). In this position, Watkins developed the national collections of American material culture, especially ceramics and glass. He also built the staff of the Division and in 1969 achieved departmental status for Cultural History. He was appointed its first chairman, in addition to his duties as curator of Pre-Industrial History and Ethnic and Western History. In 1973, he became senior curator of the Department of Cultural History, the position he held until his retirement in 1980. He continued research as curator emeritus until 1984.
Watkins' wife, Joan Pearson Watkins, collaborated with him. From 1964 to 1977, she held the position of honorary curator, and from 1978 to 1979 she was an honorary research associate. In 1980, she became a collaborator in the Division of Ceramics and Glass, a position she held until 1983.
During his career at the Smithsonian, Watkins worked on numerous exhibits. In 1955, he prepared an exhibition on "Folk Pottery of Early New England," which contained the redware and stoneware from his mother's collection. The first large exhibition hall devoted to the history of everyday life in colonial and federal America was developed by Watkins and opened in 1957 as part of the Exhibits Modernization Program. In 1964, a revised version of the hall opened in the new History and Technology Building as the "Hall of Everyday Life in the American Past." Watkins was also involved in the construction of the "Growth of the United States" exhibit in the new museum, which represented the material culture of the developing nation. The California Kitchen, found by Watkins and Pearson Watkins, was added to the exhibits in the History and Technology Building in 1965. In celebration of the Bicentennial of the American Revolution, Watkins contributed to the colonial section of the exhibition, "A Nation of Nations," which opened in 1976.
In addition to working on exhibits, Watkins spent much of his time acquiring and developing collections. His most important acquisition was the Arthur and Edna Greenwood Collection of some 2,000 objects of Americana documenting everyday life in colonial America. Other major acquisitions during his tenure included the Remensnyder Collection of American Stoneware and the Morgenstern Collection of early American material culture.
In addition to his curatorial duties, Watkins devoted much of his time to lecturing and writing scholarly and popular articles. His major publications include
Watkins was a pioneer in the field of historic archeology. He began his excavations of a colonial plantation at Marlborough, Virginia, with Frank M. Setzler in 1953 and continued through 1969. Watkins also began excavations at the Jamestown, Virginia, site in 1955. In addition, he wrote and lectured extensively on historic archeology, served as a consultant to numerous historic archeology projects, and was an active member of the Society for Historic Archeology, which he helped found.
In 1960, Watkins began his research on North Devon pottery imported to the United States in the 17th century, which led to a monograph on that topic. In 1965, he and Pearson
Watkins collaborated on an oral history project in Moore County, North Carolina, researching folk pottery traditions. In addition to Watkins' interest in ceramics, he also
spent considerable time researching early California history. Publications on this topic include
Watkins was active in numerous associations and societies including the Early American Industries Association, the Society of Architectural Historians, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Western History Association, the California Historical Society, and the American Association of Museums. During the 1960s, Watkins also taught for the American Studies Program at George Washington University.
For additional information on Watkins, see Record Unit 331, Department of Cultural History, 1954-1979, and undated, Records, and the C. Malcolm Watkins Interviews in the Smithsonian Archives.
The papers of C. Malcolm Watkins provide comprehensive documentation of his professional career from 1934 to 1980. The collection documents his interest in early American culture; his research on ceramics, historic archeology, and early California history; his curatorial and administrative activities in the Department of Anthropology, USNM, and the Departments of Civil and Cultural History, NMHT; exhibits planning; and his role in professional societies
Series 1 consists of correspondence written and received by Watkins between 1941 and 1978. This large correspondence file documents his career at the Smithsonian, particularly his interest in American material culture, especially ceramics, glass, and artificial lighting; historic archeology; teaching; and his role in professional societies. Correspondence also documents exhibitions; restoration and identification of historic material; acquisitions; and museum administration. Correspondence files include magazine and newspaper articles, booklets, photographs, graphic illustrations, and brochures.
Series 2 contains subject files, 1949-1979, documenting his research, exhibits planning, and professional society activities including his role in founding the Society for Historical Archeology. These research files and those found in Series 5, 6, 7, and 8 document Watkins' work on early American culture, including the Marlborough and Jamestown, Virginia, excavations; California early history and California Kitchen projects; North Devon pottery; Yorktown pottery; decorative arts; and American imports. Research files include notes, correspondence, graphic illustrations, articles, photographs, site drawings, seminar and conference literature, and exhibit scripts.
Series 2 also contains information compiled by Watkins on historic sites, institutions dedicated to historic preservation and historic archeology, museums, and museum practices. Museology files in Series 3 contain correspondence, brochures and pamphlets, newsclippings, and articles, reports, procedures manuals, proposals, and lecture notes.
Throughout his years at the USNM and NMHT, Watkins amassed a variety of material on the Smithsonian. The files in Series 4 document administrative policies; acquisitions; ideas for departmental reorganization and future planning; Smithsonian Council meetings; the Smithson Bicentennial; exhibits including "Everyday Life in the American Past," "Artificial Lighting in America," and "A Nation of Nations"; symposia and seminars; Watkins' sabbatical; and general information on travel, teaching, and the Smithsonian Research Foundation. Smithsonian files include memoranda, copies of reports, correspondence, notes, scripts, proposals, newsclippings, name and address lists, and articles. Series 9 documents his work on the "A Nation of Nations" exhibit.
The collection also includes a Series (10) on historical archeology mainly comprising the files of Marilyn Sara Cohen, a museum specialist working on the Historical Archeology Project in the Division of Cultural History. It contains conference information, an interview with Watkins, correspondence, research notes, memoranda, and reports.
This collection contains oversize material.
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
This series contains incoming and outgoing correspondence documenting many areas of Watkins' professional life. He corresponded with many museums, colleagues, historical groups, researchers, and the general public on such topics as restoration, pottery, lighting, exhibits, antiques, and glass. Photographs, newspaper clippings, magazine articles and brochures are included in his correspondence.
This series consists of subject files ranging from historical research projects to Smithsonian administration. Included is material on organizations dedicated to historic preservation and historic archeology, including the founding of the Society for Historic Archeology; exhibit models, ideas for departmental organization, research notes, copies of manuscripts, correspondence, photographs and discussion of pottery, and information on other museums.
This series contains material on museums in the United States and Canada. Most of the material consists of brochures and booklets on various museums throughout America. Included is information regarding museum practices, storage, exhibits, programs, and training.
This series contains a variety of materials about the Smithsonian. Included is information on the Division of Cultural History staff; Smithsonian-wide projects and policies; proposals; Watkins' research sabbatical; administration; and newspaper articles, memoranda, forms, and announcements.
This series contains material on research topics of interest to Watkins. Included are files on historic sites, archaeology, and the California Kitchen exhibit. See series 6-8 for research files of major projects.
This series documents Watkins' research on pottery. Included are articles and manuscripts he wrote on American and British ceramics, some of which contain photographs.
Of special interest are his manuscript and photographs for
This series documents research done on the history and material culture of the state of California for exhibits and publication. Included are scripts for exhibitions, correspondence, notes, proposals, articles, and manuscripts. Of special interest is Watkins' publication of the letters of two California pioneers, Robert and Caroline Batchelder Thompson.
This series contains materials documenting Watkins' historic archeology excavations at Marlborough, Virginia. Included is correspondence with Frank M. Setzler and Oscar H. Darter, who contributed to Watkins' work with the Marlborough project, notes from the dig at Marlborough, photographs, site drawings, research notes, correspondence, newspaper clippings, maps of the area, graphic illustrations of artifacts, and three notebooks with manuscripts on the history and cultural history of Marlborough.
Marlborough - Photographs, Drawings, Etc., Related to Excavations and Site Interpretation (some field notes), 1954, and undated. Includes notes, 8x10 and 5x7 photographs, some with negatives attached, of the site, aerial views, artifacts, and site drawings.
Marlborough Research Notes, 1953-1969
Marlborough Project - Potomac Creek (Stafford County.) Courthouse Dig, 1957
Marlborough Point, Virginia, 1954-1956, and Williams Court House, Virginia, 1957.
Marlborough Photographs, undated
In 1976, the Museum of History and Technology opened the exhibit "A Nation of Nations" in honor of the Bicentennial of the American Revolution. This series contains preparatory work for the exhibit, including a manuscript, photographs, exhibit scripts, notes, drawings and plans, and correspondence between C. Malcolm Watkins and the exhibit contractor.
The majority of the files in this series were created by Marilyn Sara Cohen, who was a museum specialist working on the Historical Archeology Project in the Division of Cultural History. This series contains material on historical archeology, including conference information, an interview with C. Malcolm Watkins, correspondence, research notes, and a report by Cohen.
Original plates, Marlborough book, undated.
Folder 3 - Sketch books of drawings of Alexandria pottery, undated.
Folder 4 - Sketch books of drawings of Alexandria pottery, undated.