Exposition records of the Smithsonian Institution and the United States National Museum, 1867-1940

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 United States government did not begin 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 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 exposition records of this collection provide an account of the Smithsonian's involvement in United States and foreign expositions. Although the depth of coverage in the records is uneven, they convey much information about Smithsonian participation in expositions, especially during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The most significant material in this collection is 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, D.C., 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 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. Records documenting Smithsonian and National Museum participation in expositions, circa 1900-1940, are also included.