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Brooklyn Museum. Department of Asian Art. Records, 1925-2003 (inclusive).

Title: Records, 1925-2003 (inclusive).

The records of the Department of Asian Art document the administrative and curatorial activities of the department from when the collections were a part of the Department of Ethnology to its present separate curatorial designation. The collection contains materials that document the various stages and name changes of the department from Department of Eastern and Near Eastern Art to its present title, Department of Asian Art. This includes records reflecting the Islamic collection's separation from and reintegration into the Asian collections. The records document the history and development of the department and its collections. These records provide insight into the activities of various curators, relationship with donors and dealers, administrative functioning of the department, and the development of its object collections and exhibitions. A large portion of the records consist of correspondence and memos but also includes reports, notes, photographs, slides, transparencies, writings, clippings, and typescripts. Included, as well, are letters to and from donors, Museum staff, collectors, dealers, other institutions, scholars, and the general public. Subject matter of letters and memos include coordination of exhibitions and loans, gifts and purchases, research on objects, fundraising, professional activities, and departmental management. Of note are the records pertaining to the development of the department's collections. These materials often contain information on specific objects in the Asian art collection; on influential donors, including Ernest Erickson, Paul E. Manhiem, and Alastair B. Martin; and on various foundations and estates, including the Hagop Kevorkian Foundation and the Joseph V. McMullan estate.

ArchivalResource: 16.2 l.f.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/84679194 View

Brooklyn Museum. Department of Asian Art. Records: Research and writings 1941-1986 (inclusive).

Title: Records: Research and writings 1941-1986 (inclusive).

The Research and writings series consists of records relating to articles and lectures produced by members of the department. Included among the material are drafts of articles; correspondence and memos; a bibliography of publications authored by the department's staff; lectures; proposed publication; and meeting and research notes.

ArchivalResource: 0.1 l.f.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/84679214 View

Brooklyn Museum. Department of Asian Art. Records: Objects 1928-1993 (inclusive).

Title: Records: Objects 1928-1993 (inclusive).

Objects series contains records relating directly to objects in the Museum's collections, including acquisitions, gifts (both accepted and refused), loans, purchases, conservation, exchanges and sales, inventories, and installations. Materials include correspondence, memos, Registrar's forms, lists, copies of accession cards, and visual materials. Many of the records in this series are grouped into larger categories. Installations (1956-1988): this group of records documents the installation of various Asian art galleries, including Indian, Islamic, and Japanese galleries. Most of the materials are comprised of memos, plans, sketches, text for labels and didactics, and notes. Inventories (c.1960-1989): these files contain lists of objects according to their location or type of material. Some of the dates of when the lists were created are unclear, but best efforts have been made to approximate the dates of these lists. Loans in (1936-1993): these records pertain to loans of objects from individuals and institutions. Some of these objects were loaned to the Brooklyn Museum for possible acquisition, exhibition, study, and long-term loan. Loans out (1947-1993): the documents in this group of records refer to loan requests made to the Brooklyn Museum, including completed, refused, or cancelled. Aside from a few general files, the majority of the files are arranged according to the institutions requesting the loans. Loans out documentation includes correspondence; memos; loan request forms, recommendation forms, and agreements forms; facility and conservation reports; and Registrar's forms.

ArchivalResource: 2.7 l.f.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/84679209 View

Brooklyn Museum. Department of Asian Art. Records: Extra-museum activities 1946-1986 (inclusive).

Title: Records: Extra-museum activities 1946-1986 (inclusive).

The Extra-museum activities series contains materials relating to outside activities of the curators. Included are records about the curators' involvement with outside organizations, which consist of correspondence regarding membership, meetings, lectures, programs, and exhibitions. In addition, there are files relating to various tours in which curators participated in or coordinated. These study tours included travel to India, Nepal, and Japan.

ArchivalResource: 0.4 l.f.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/84679218 View

Brooklyn Museum. Department of Asian Art. Records: Exhibitions 1930-2003 (inclusive).

Title: Records: Exhibitions 1930-2003 (inclusive).

The Exhibitions series documents the exhibition activities of the department, covering all the different facets of an exhibition, from inception to execution. The records contain material on object research and selection; scheduling; design and preparation; installation; public relations; deinstallation; and administrative and financial matters. The material reveals the leadership and taste of the department's many curators. The majority of the contents consists of correspondence, but also includes loan agreements, object records, loan negotiations, invoices, brochures, receipts, object lists, press and news releases, brochures, floor plans, labels, curators' notes, lists of contributors, and bibliographies. In addition, the series contains scholarly documentation, such as notes and personal memos, relating to published and printed material that supplement the other materials. Of particular interest are the extensive materials on the exhibitions "Light of Asia: Buddha Sakyamuni in Asian Art" (1984-1985) and "From Indian Earth: 4,000 Years of Terracotta Art" (1986), which provide a wealth of detailed information regarding the specifics of two significant international exhibitions. Other notable exhibitions included in this series are "Thank God for Tea!" (1955); "Oriental Carpets from the Kevorkian Foundation" (1967); "Indian Miniature Painting" (1969-1970); "Mingei: Japanese Folk Art" (1985); and "Lacquer: A Panorama of Asian Decorative Arts" (1988-1989).

ArchivalResource: 5.7 l.f.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/84679208 View

Brooklyn Museum. Department of Asian Art. Records: Departmental administration 1929-1994 (inclusive).

Title: Records: Departmental administration 1929-1994 (inclusive).

Departmental administration series contains records, created and received, regarding the administrative functions of the department. The series includes correspondence, memos, notes, reports, lists, and visual materials. A large portion of the records is comprised of correspondence and memos. The correspondence details the dialog between the department's personnel and donors, institutions, colleagues, dealers and collectors, and the general public. Many of the memos contain communication with other Museum departments and officers, including Conservation, Collections Management, Registrar's Office, Chief Curator, and Director. Included in the correspondence and memos are inquiries; general object related issues (e.g., research, transactions, offers, conservation, etc.); exhibition proposals and logistics; administration and staff; publications; installations; collection management; and special programs (e.g., Junior Membership). This series contains records pertaining to some of the department's donors, including Ernest Erickson, Paul E. Manheim, Alastair B. Martin, and Arthur M. Sackler. There are also materials pertaining to the Joseph V. McMullan estate, and the Hagop Kevorkian Foundation and estate. Valuable information regarding the development of the department can be found in the Reports files, which contain monthly and annual reports on the activities of the department. The various travel reports written by the curators also provide additional insight into the development of the collections.

ArchivalResource: 5.4 l.f.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/84679202 View