National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Ceramics and Glass. (original) (raw)

Among the Smithsonian's earliest ceramic and glass artifacts were those acquired at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition and from archeological sites throughout North America. Edward R. Foreman, Curator for the ethnological collections at the United States National Museum (USNM), cataloged ceramic artifacts from 1881 to 1883, as did his successor, Otis Tufton Mason, from 1884 to 1902. The curator for the Section of Historical Collections, Alonzo Howard Clark, cataloged glass artifacts during the same years.

In 1897, the Section of Ceramics was established in the Division of Ethnology, Department of Anthropology. The glass collections were added to the Section but remained the curatorial responsibility of Clark, Curator of the newly organized Division of History. Paul Edmond Beckwith, Assistant Curator for the Division of History, was responsible for the Section from 1903 to 1907. From 1907 to 1920, a National Gallery of Art (NGA) was established and administered by USNM, and selections of contemporary porcelain and glass were placed with NGA during this period.

From 1908 to 1935, the Section of Ceramics became the curatorial responsibility of Walter Hough, Curator of Ethnology. Mrs. Julien James, a patron of the Division of History at USNM, assisted Hough with maintaining the collections, as did private collectors and donors such as Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore and Olive Risley Seward. Samuel W. Woodhouse served as Collaborator of the Section from 1933 to 1943. In 1935, Herbert W. Krieger replaced Hough as Curator of Ethnology and was responsible for the Section.

In 1957, on the creation of the Museum of History and Technology (MHT) the Section was removed from the Division of Ethnology to become the Division of Ceramics and Glass, Department of Arts and Manufactures. In 1965 a Department of Industries was created to replace the Department of Arts and Manufactures during the museum's reorganization as the National Museum of History and Technology. In 1978, the Division transferred to the Department of Cultural History and continued under its successor departments, most recently a Department of Social history. It appears not to have been a reporting unit after 1994.

Curators and staff of the Division included Paul Vickers Gardner, Acting Curator, 1958-1960, Associate Curator, 1961, Curator, 1962-1977, and Curator Emeritus, 1978-1994; J. Jefferson Miller, Assistant Curator, 1962, Associate Curator, 1963-1969, Curator, 1970-1977, Consultant, 1978, and Curator Emeritus, 1979-1994; Susan H. Myers, Assistant Curator, 1980-1983, and Curator, 1984-1994; and Ivor Noèel Hume, Research Associate, 1980-1984.

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Agency History. Record 220928

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