Cultures & Communities - Overview
Furniture, cooking wares, clothing, works of art, and many other kinds of artifacts are part of what knit people into communities and cultures. The Museum’s collections feature artifacts from European Americans, Latinos, Arab Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, African Americans, Gypsies, Jews, and Christians, both Catholics and Protestants. The objects range from ceramic face jugs made by enslaved African Americans in South Carolina to graduation robes and wedding gowns. The holdings also include artifacts associated with education, such as teaching equipment, textbooks, and two complete schoolrooms. Uniforms, insignia, and other objects represent a wide variety of civic and voluntary organizations, including youth and fraternal groups, scouting, police forces, and firefighters.
"Cultures & Communities - Overview" showing 53 items.
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Engraved woodblock of a "Zuni eating bowl"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of a “Zuni eating bowl” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1883 as Figure 425 (p. 357) in an article by James Stevenson (1840-1888) entitled “Illustrated Catalogue of the Collections Obtained from the Indians of New Mexico and Arizona in 1879” in the Second Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1880-81.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1883
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- author
- Stevenson, James
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0032
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0032
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraved woodblock of a "Zuni eating bowl"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of a “Zuni eating bowl” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1883 as Figure 427 (p.357) in an article by James Stevenson (1840-1888) entitled “Illustrated Catalogue of the Collections Obtained from the Indians of New Mexico and Arizona in 1879” in the Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1880-81.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1883
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- author
- Stevenson, James
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0038
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0038
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraved woodblock titled "Shell Gorget - The Cross"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of “Shell Gorgets – the Cross” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1883 as Plate LI.1 (p.268) in an article by William H. Holmes (1846-1933) entitled “Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans” in the Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1880-81.
- A gorget is a piece of shell that has been engraved and perforated so that it can be worn as a pendant; in this case, it has been engraved with a cross insignia. The caption beneath the image reveals that the gorget was found in Union County, Illinois.
- In a footnote to his article, Holmes identifies “Kate C. Osgood” as an accompanying artist on his collecting expedition.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1883
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- author
- Holmes, William Henry
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0080
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0080
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraved woodblock of a "House-burial"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of a “House-burial” was prepared by Henry Hobart Nichols (1838-1887); the print was published by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. in 1881 as Figure 27 (p. 175) in an article by Dr. H. C. Yarrow (1840-1929) entitled “Mortuary Customs of the North American Indians” in the First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1879-80.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1881
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- graphic artist
- Nichols, H. H.
- author
- Yarrow, Harry Crecy
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0084
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0084
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraved woodblock of a "Handled cup, province of Tusayan"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of a “Handled cup, Province of Tusayan” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1886 as 298 (p.327) in an article by William H. Holmes (1846-1933) entitled “Pottery of the Ancient Pueblos” in the Fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1882-83.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1886
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- author
- Holmes, William Henry
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0152
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0152
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraved woodblock of a "Navajo Indian with silver ornaments"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of “Navajo Indian with silver ornaments" was prepared, after a photograph, by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published as Plate XX (p. 178) in an article by Dr. Washington Matthews (1843-1905) entitled “Navajo Silversmiths” in the Second Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian, 1880-81.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1883
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- author
- Matthews, Washington
- block maker
- J. J. & Co.
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0442
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0442
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraved woodblock of "The Warrior and his Bride"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of “The Warrior and his Bride” was prepared by Henry Hobart Nichols (1838-1887) and the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the print was published in 1875 as Figure 15 (p.44) in Report of the Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and Its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872, under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution by John Wesley Powell (1834-1902).
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1875
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- author
- Powell, John Wesley
- graphic artist
- Nichols, H. H.
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0465
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0465
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraved woodblock of an "Eskimo child's clothing"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of “Eskimo child’s clothing” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C.; the image was published as Figure 512 (p.557) in an article by Franz Boas (1858-1942) entitled “The Central Eskimo” in the Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian,1884-85.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1888
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- author
- Boas, Franz
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0477
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0477
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraved woodblock of an American Indian board and wrapping for a baby
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of an American Indian board and wrapping for a baby was printed and published by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C. for the Bureau of American Ethnology about 1880.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1880
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0481
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0481
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Engraved woodblock of a "Basket with pendants"
- Description
- This engraved woodblock of “Basket with pendants” was prepared by the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C; the print was published as Figure 313 (p.213) in an article by William H. Holmes (1846-1933) entitled “A Study of the Textile Art in its Relation to the Development of Form and Ornament” in the Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian,1884-85.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1888
- publisher
- Bureau of American Ethnology
- printer
- Government Printing Office
- author
- Holmes, William Henry
- ID Number
- 1980.0219.0504
- accession number
- 1980.0219
- catalog number
- 1980.0219.0504
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center