Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records

Object Details

Scope and Contents

The records of the Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition presented by the Anacostia Community Museum measure 5.83 linear feet and date from 1898 to 1988. Included are exhibit administrative files, lists of images, press releases for the promotion of the exhibit, oral history transcripts and permission forms, and extensive research files into the Anacostia community in southeast Washington D.C. The Research Files series contains news clippings, publications, unpublished articles, project files, and research material for the exhibitions. Subjects include local figures and the Barry's Farm neighborhood, unpublished historical narratives, and project records related to archaeological investigations and neighborhood development programs. The Interview series consists of the audio cassettes and transcripts of the oral history interviews collected in 1970-1971 for the Evolution of a Community exhibits. This series also includes interview notes and thank you letters from the museum to the interviewees. Digital audio files are available for some of the oral history interviews. Exhibit File series includes an outline for exhibit themes and proposed layouts, drafts of the exhibit scripts, lists of exhibit objects, promotional press releases, and related correspondence.

Historical Note

Evolution of a Community began as a research project to investigate the history of Anacostia through oral histories. This project was funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Housing and Urban Development Department, and the Cafritz Foundation of Washington, D.C. The purpose of creating an oral history project was to record Anacostia's history from the perspective of its residents and translate those stories into meaningful and interesting exhibits. Three exhibitions were created from this project by the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum) between 1972 and 1975 The first exhibition was The Evolution of a Community, Part 1: 1608-1955 and was held from February 27, 1972 – August 31, 1972. This exhibition centered on the history of Anacostia from 1608 until shortly after World War II, drawing from the 1970 oral histories interviews with longtime residents. The second exhibition was The Evolution of a Community, Part 2: 1955-Present and was held from September 1, 1972 – December 31, 1972. This exhibition showcased Anacostia's history from 1955 to 1972 and was organized into five major topics: housing, unemployment, education, crime, and drugs. The last exhibition was Anacostia Today: The Evolution of a Community, Part 2: Continued and was held from March 1, 1973 – July 31, 1973. This exhibition was the same exhibition as The Evolution of a Community, Part 2: 1955-Present but brought back for the museum's fifth anniversary and continued its focus on its five major topics.

Date

1898-1988

Extent

5.83 Linear feet (5 boxes)

Provenance

Records of the Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition were created by the Anacostia Community Museum.

Rights

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Citation

Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Exhibition catalogs

Contact sheets

Correspondence

Clippings

Photographic prints

Negatives

Exhibition records

Oral histories (document genres)

Topic

Museum exhibits

African American neighborhoods

African Americans

Place

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Identifier

ACMA.03-040