The Museum of Natural History and Planetarium,
Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
The Museum of Natural History, located in Roger Williams Park and
administered by the City of Providence, was built between 1894 and 1895 and was
designed by the Providence architectural firm of Martin and Hall in the French
chateau style. It opened on June 6, 1896, and is Rhode Island's only natural
history museum. The Museum houses worldwide collections numbering over a quarter
of a million objects representing natural and cultural history assembled
primarily by local collectors in the late 19th and early
20th centuries. The Museum also houses the Cormack Planetarium, which
opened in 1953. Founded by Maribelle Cormack, the Museum's director from 1947 to
1972, it is the state's only public planetarium.
Books published using images from the Museum's photograph collections include The Jewel of Providence, an Illustrated History of Roger Williams Park 1871-1961 (1987, Providence Parks Department); All Things Connected, Native American Creations (1995, Museum of Natural History); and Roger Williams Park, A Gift of Seasons (1997, Providence Parks Department).
The Museum's web address is http//www.ProvidenceRI.com/museum
Key to Guide Entries
How to Use the Guide
This guide is intended as a finding aid to the Museum's photoarchives collections. Each collection is listed as a separate entry in the Guide. Each entry contains information about a given collection in this format:
Collection
Number (P__) Title
Date(s) Dates where known, undated
Number of Images*
Medium* Type of image/photographic medium
Summary/Scope and Content: A brief description of contents
Biographical/Historical Note: For some entries only
* The entries for number of images and for medium are often combined; most collections contain more than one kind of photographic medium.
This guide is an extracted version of an expanded database for these collections in the Museum's photoarchives.
P01 The Jewel of Providence Collection, 1987, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1872- ca. 1960
1000 black and white prints
895 black and white 35mm negatives and contact sheets
141 black and white negatives
This collection consists of late 19th to mid-20th century photos assembled for possible inclusion in the 1987 Providence Parks Department book, The Jewel of Providence [Roger Williams Park], edited by David Marshall, Museum Curator. The two sources for the collection are the Museum's archives and the general public. Most images were derived from the Museum's historic glass plate negative collection (P3). Images document the history of the Park, including its buildings, monuments, gardens, and landscape, seasonal uses, and public events which occurred there. A few images depict other sites in Providence, Rhode Island.
P02 Natural History Glass and Cellulose-Based Educational Resources
1903-1934
6,350 black and white glass plate negatives, glass lantern slides, cellulose-based negatives
This collection contains negatives and slides that were used to illustrate the Museum's educational programs. All subjects relevant to Museum focus are represented, especially natural history (plants, animals, fungi, etc.), but also physical sciences (astronomy, geology, minerals, fossils), and some ethnology and geography. About 50 images depict William L. Bryant's bird feeding stations (1929) on Museum grounds. About 100 commercial color lantern slides depict birds in natural habitats.
William Bryant was the Museum's director from 1925 to 1947.
P03 Historic Negatives, Roger Williams Park and other Rhode Island Sites
ca. 1895-1945 (very few earlier or later)
967 glass plate and cellulose-based negatives; lantern slides and black and white prints
2 large folios of black and white prints
This collection consists of mostly glass images of Rhode Island sites with a preponderance of Roger Williams Park scenes. Non-Park scenes include historic mills and waterways. Park images document the buildings, monuments, gardens, landscape, seasonal uses and public events which occurred there. This collection is significant for having served as the primary resource for visual materials for the book The Jewel of Providence, (1987) by the Providence Parks Department.
P04 Maribelle Cormack Era (Museum Staff 1926-1972, Director, 1947-1972), Exhibits, Events, Staff, and Educational Resources. Museum, Roger Williams Park, Prov., Rhode Island
1947-1971
320 color slides
640 black and white prints and polaroid color prints
This collection includes commercial and non-commercial slides used as educational resources showing plants and animals (mainly birds), including wild species present in Roger Williams Park as well as zoo specimens. Plant images include specific species, with some landscape views. Also included are albums documenting Museum exhibits, including the Hall of the Pacific and special events, exhibit openings and the Museum's 75th Anniversary Celebration in 1971.
P05 Ethnography: World Photos
1873-1903, undated
25 black and white prints
A collection of 25 images documenting individuals and activities in the interest of anthropology and world cultures. Subjects include mainly Native North American reservations and individuals from 1873-1903, but include other areas as well. Subjects include the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, one individual from Oceania, "Princess Faenino, daughter of King Malietoa" and Charles Tallman, a survivor of an 1866 shipwreck.
P06 Elizabeth West Gould House and Family Portraits, Cambridge, Massachusetts
undated
7 black and white prints
This collection depicts interior views of Elizabeth Angell West Gould's home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Gould's family also owned the Admiral Esek Hopkins Homestead in Providence, which she bequeathed to the City for use as a house museum in 1908 along with both original furnishings and others assembled by her son, Marshall Hopkins Gould. Some Gould House furnishings are now in the Hopkins House collection.
These images were used in A Providence Legacy: Furniture from the Esek Hopkins House Exhibit at Rhode Island School of Design as part of the Providence 350th Celebration, February 28-May 11, 1986.
P07 City of Providence 350th Anniversary Celebration
1986
3,133 black and white prints
33 black and white contact prints
775 color slides
5 color prints and color contact sheets
This collection depicts the public events, concerts, neighborhood festivals, Museum exhibits and other celebrations held for Providence's 350th anniversary in 1986. Premier Museum contribution to these festivities was an exhibition entitled Providence Visionaries that focused on the history of Providence industrialists and entrepreneurs from the mid 19th through the 20th century. Key personnel depicted are Mayor Joseph R. Paolino, Jr. and his wife Leanne, Parks Department Superintendent Nancy Derrig, Museum Director Elizabeth Tatian [Fradin]. City Council members, Park Commissioners, neighborhood leaders, and local entertainers.
P08 Mrs. Horace Carpenter Rhode Island Postcard Collection
1906-1917
9 hand-tinted postcards
This collection contains postcards sent to Mrs. Horace Carpenter (nee Jennie Hastings) between 1906 and 1917. Edgewood and Pawtuxet in Cranston, Providence, Pawtucket, Newport Beach, Conimicut Light in Narragansett Bay, and Block Island, all in Rhode Island, are depicted. The postcards were sent to the Carpenters' Edgewood residence.
Jennie Hastings Carpenter was the wife of Horace Carpenter (1842-1937), Museum donor.
P09 Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island, Postcard Collection
Undated, some with postmarks
244 postcards
8 oversize postcards
1 stereocard
1 souvenir booklet of postcards
Many of these postcards were produced from hand-tinted photographs of the landscape and buildings of Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island. Included are the Museum, Casino, Dalrymple Boathouse, Betsey Williams Cottage, Zoo, Bandstand, Carousel, Temple to Music, tennis courts, gardens, fountains, monuments and statues, gates, bridges, and general landscape views.
P10 The Jewel of Providence Exhibit Large Format Blow-ups, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1987
87 black and white prints, including hand-tinted color, sepia toned, green toned; color prints
This collection consists of large format reproductions of historic photographs, postcards, and maps that were graphic components of The Jewel of Providence exhibit installed in the Museum in 1987 and whose venue continued in some form until 1994. The Jewel of Providence refers to Roger Williams Park. Its landscape, buildings, monuments and use are all represented.
The exhibit blow-ups were produced by Color Lab, Providence, Rhode Island.
P11 Providence Visionaries Exhibit Large Format Blow-ups, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1986
11 black and white prints, including hand tinted color, sepia toned, and green toned
This collection consists of large format reproductions of historic photographs related to Providence's industrial past and the key figures/visionaries who shaped it. The exhibit represented the Museum's major contribution to the Providence 350th Anniversary Celebration of 1986 and remained installed until early 1989 in the Museum's 1st floor north gallery. Exhibit subjects include Corliss Steam Engines, Brown and Sharpe Manufacturing, Gorham Silver Foundry, and Nicholson File Company.
P12 Providence's Hidden Treasures Exhibit Large Format Blow-ups, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1984
41 black and white prints, sepia toned; text panels with color and black and white photos
This collection consists of large format reproductions of photographs of Providence's rich legacy of figural sculpture and cast statuary used in a temporary exhibit whose venues included the Museum of Natural History and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum in 1984. Included are images of monuments and statues in Roger Williams Park.
P13 Old Narragansett Bay Exhibit Large Format Blow-ups, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1979
4 color prints and hand-tinted
This collection contains the only extant exhibit graphics salvaged from the original Narragansett Bay Gallery, installed in 1979 with assistance from Rhode Island Sea Grant and Save the Bay. It was dismantled in 1988 and replaced by an updated exhibit, Narragansett Bay Worlds in 1990.
P14 Primo J. L. Landi Exhibit - Plaster Ornaments/Architectural Details Exhibit Panels, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1983-1984
7 panels which include text and black and white photos
This collection consists of narrative and graphic panels that were components of a temporary exhibit at the Museum of Natural History featuring photographs of the sculptural art and architectural details of local artist Primo J. L. Landi. Plaster casts and molds of his handiwork provided a three-dimensional exhibit component.
The exhibit's venue was from September 1983 to August 1984. Landi was a well known local ornamental architect.
P15 Elizabeth Tatian Fradin Era (Director, 1986-1994) Exhibits, Events, Staff and Renovations, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1986-1994
1,452 color prints
808 color slides
702 color negatives
34 color Polaroids
288 black and White prints
712 black and white contact prints
317 black and white negatives
This collection documents the highlights of Elizabeth Tatian Fradin's eight year directorship (1986-1994) of the Museum of Natural History, including exhibits, programs, events and extensive building renovations that occurred during this period. Museum full and part-time staff, volunteers and interns, planetarium assistants are also included. Museum staff include Elizabeth Tatian Fradin, Marilyn Massaro, Carol Hagglund, Michael Umbricht, Mary Greene, Michael Gardner, Denise Mowchan, and Beryl Krapf.
P16 Tracey Brussat Keough Era (Director,1994-) Exhibits, Events, Staff, and Renovations, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1994-[ongoing]
610 color prints
480 color negatives
83 color slides
5 black and white negatives
This collection contains color slides, prints, and negatives documenting Museum exhibits, programs, events, renovations and staff that characterized this era. It also includes the production photos for the Museum's first exhibit catalogue, All Things Connected (1995). Key personnel include Tracey Brussat Keough, Judith Sweeney, Marilyn Massaro, Michael Umbricht, Gary Holliday, Jennifer Hope Antes, Kristine Hastreiter, and Joanne Wilcox.
P17 Collections and Exhibits, 1965, 1980-1984, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1965, 1980-1984
333 color slides
10 black and white contact prints/negatives
This collection contains images of Museum exhibits and collection objects from approximately 1980-1984. A fountain in the Museum lobby is shown in an image dated 1965. Museum Curator Mary Ellen Conaway is also shown in an image dated 1983.
P18 Landscape and Activities, 1909-1916, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1909-1916, undated
48 black and white lantern slides
This collection contains slides depicting the landscape, plantings, statuary, and other aspects of the built and natural environment of Roger Williams Park in the years 1909-1916. The Park is a prime example of the late 19th century Urban Parks Movement. It was designed in 1878 by landscape architect Horace Shaler Cleveland and is on the National Historic Register.
P19 Collection Storage and Maintenance, 1982-1983, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1982-1983
74 black and white prints
151 black and white negatives
These images document basement collection storage areas in the Museum in 1982-1983. Several images show Ted Tedeschi, Parks Department maintenance staff. Maryanne Cocchini, Director, Division of Public Programming, Providence Parks Department, is also shown Natural history and cultural objects are also featured.
P20 Japanese Doll Ceremony Photographs
ca. 1927-ca. 1930
10 black and white prints, sepia tone
These photographs of Japanese dolls and accessories may have been received as part of an international "Friendship Doll" exchange program between the U.S. and Japan in 1927. They probably depict Japanese Doll Festival activities, including ceremonies in Japan observed by and participated in by children and adults. In 1927 the schoolchildren of Japan sent a doll, Miss Nagano, along with accessories, to the Museum, which accepted it on behalf of the children of Rhode Island.
The doll is no longer in the Museum although the accessories are still held there.
P21 Jeremiah J. Triggs, (1876-1929), Superintendent of Public Parks (1921-1929), Providence, Rhode Island
ca. 1900-1929, undated
13 black and white photographs
Images include Jeremiah J. Triggs (1876-1929), Superintendent of Providence Parks from 1921 to 1929. Triggs is shown in the Roger Williams Park rose garden and in a portrait. Park landscapes, gardens, floral art, and the Bandstand are also represented, most likely during the time period that Triggs was Superintendent. Jeremiah J. Triggs (1876-1929) was a popular Superintendent of Parks in Providence, Rhode Island from 1921 to 1929. Triggs Golf Course in Providence is named for him. A rare Lewis' woodpecker collected by him in Providence is in the Museum's collection.
P22 Williams Family Cemetery, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
ca. 1993 August
19 color slides
This collection documents the extant headstones (ca. August 1993) in the Williams Family Cemetery in Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island. It was Betsey Williams, the great-great-great- granddaughter of Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, who bequeathed her farm to the City of Providence at her death in 1871. This land served as the nucleus of Roger Williams Park, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
P23 Collection Storage Documentation, January 1982, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1982 January
74 photographs
20 slides
36 negatives
Although the purpose of these images is not specified, it can be inferred that they were taken to document the poor conditions that existed in the Museum's basement collection storage area in January 1982 during the tenure of Ray Funaro, Curator.
P24 Ethnology Collection: N.E.H. Self-Study Grant, 1982-1983, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1982-1983
66 color prints
1,020 35mm black and white contact prints
2,220 35 mm black and white negatives
This collection documents the 1982-1983 conditions of the Museum of Natural History's 4000-object ethnological collection. It serves as a curatorial department resource and is linked to the Museum's card catalogue and accession registers. One binder documents the Native North American Northwest Coast basketry collection and the Oceanic Tapa (bark cloth) collections; both are strengths within the Museum's ethnology collection.
P25 Betsey Williams Cottage, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1908, 1911, undated
23 black and white photographs
1 color photograph
This collection depicts the Betsey Williams Cottage in Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island, built in 1782. The cottage was the residence of the great-great-great-granddaughter of Roger Williams, Rhode Island's founder. At the time of her death in 1871 Betsey Williams willed her farmstead (which included the Cottage) to the City of Providence. The donation was the basis for the land that became Roger Williams Park.
P26 City Hall and Other City Properties, Postcard Collection, Providence, Rhode Island
ca. 1905, ca. 1909, undated
3 hand tinted postcards
These cards depict Providence scenes, including the Bajnotti Memorial Fountain, City Hall (with Hotel Dorrance visible) and people strolling in Davis Park, now the site of a Veterans' Administration Hospital, built in the late 1940's.
P27 Public Events: Folk Arts, Cultural Festivals, and Exhibits (1976-1984), Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1976-1984
800 color slides
86 black and white negatives
35 black and white prints
This collection documents various public events, folk arts and cultural festivals and exhibits sponsored by the Providence Parks Department Division of Public Programming, of which the Museum was a subunit. Most of these events were held at the Museum or in Roger Williams Park.
In the early 1980's the Museum's focus temporarily shifted to folk arts and cultural studies; it briefly housed a Hmong-Cambodian center. The Museum tried to reach out to various ethnic groups that characterized Providence during this time period.
P28 Captain and Mrs. Poyntell C. Staley Jr. Collection, Marshall Islands
1956
157 color slides
This collection contains slides of several of the Marshall Islands, including Kwajalein, Utrick, Enewetok Ailiinglaplap, Kingapinge Maringi, Kapingi Maringi, Ponape, Ugalang. Subjects include hydrogen bomb tests, U.S. ships, aircraft, naval base, aerial views, land and seascapes, gardens, Marshall Islanders, naval personnel, celebrations, and recreational activities including fishing and snorkeling.
Captain Poyntell C. Staley, Jr., USN and Mrs. Mary Staley lived on Kwajalein Island (he as Commanding Officer of the Naval Station on the Island) in 1956 during "Operation Redwing" (a test of the hydrogen bomb at Enewitok).
P29 Helen Fitts' Collection - World Travel Slides
1946-1970
10,376 color slides
This collection of color slides documents the world travels of Helen Fitts. She visited many countries and regions, documenting the people, places, and events of each. Countries and regions she visited include North and South America, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Europe and Eastern Europe, India, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan, Hong Kong, the Middle East, including Israel and Jordan, South Africa, Samoa, and Fiji. A few family images are also included.
These photographs are from the estate of Helen Fitts, a nurse who lived in Providence and was, at least in the latter part of her life, a member of the Beneficent Congregational Church. Ms. Fitts died in 1971. Her relationship to the Museum (if any) remains unknown.
P30 All Things Connected Catalogue Photographs, 1995, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1995
74 color slides
4 band w prints
These photographs were assembled in 1995 for the Museum's first exhibit catalogue All Things Connected, Native American Creations, and for the exhibit of the same name. The catalogue includes additional photographs which are not in this collection, including 1 black and white print from the Museum archives.
P31 Louise B. Baynes Antiquarian Botanical Photograph Collection
ca. 1912, undated
343 black and white prints
This collection is an assemblage of prints featuring wildflowers native to New England shown mostly in natural settings. The name "Louise Birt Baynes" is handwritten on the reverse of several; she was likely the photographer and/or donor. A few prints are dated 1912.
P32 Natural History Collections and Exhibits, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
ca. 1920 - ca. 1980
20 black and white prints
11 black and white negatives
This collection documents the Museum's mounts of birds and mammals and its natural history exhibitions over a 60 year period (ca. 1920-1980). Several images depict the Wildlife Hall installed in the Museum's first floor north gallery in 1963 under Maribelle Cormack's directorship. It was dismantled in the mid-1980's.
P33 City Parks and Properties, Providence, Rhode Island
ca. 1886 - ca. 1938
4 black and white prints
74 color slides
This collection documents some of Providence's municipally-owned parks and properties other than Roger Williams Park, including Davis Park, Garibaldi Park, Hayward Park Fountain, and the Christopher Columbus Monument. Dates encompass the period 1886-1939. Davis Park is currently the site of a Veterans' Administration Hospital.
P34 Douglas A. Aldrich Collection, Landscapes (Roger Williams Park and Other) and Cityscapes (Providence, Rhode Island)
1899-1900, undated
9 color prints, hand-tinted
This is a collection of nine hand-tinted antique prints, five of which depict views of Roger Williams Park in the late 19th and early 20th century. Four feature other Rhode Island scenes including downtown Providence and Bristol.
P35 Roger Stewart Collection, Hurricane Damage, Southern New England
1938 September
14 black and white prints
These small-format prints were taken in September 1938 to document extensive hurricane damage in Roger Williams Park and other areas of southern New England. They were donated in October 1989 by Roger Stewart of Swansea, Massachusetts.
P36 Fossil Fish Research, William L. Bryant, Director, 1925-1947, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
undated
1000 black and white glass negatives
This collection consists of glass negatives of Devonian fossil fish species illustrating research subjects of William L. Bryant, Director of the Museum of Natural History (1925 until his death in 1947). Some of Bryant's fossil fish specimens are held in the Museum's paleontology collection. The Museum library and archives hold several of his publications and manuscripts. William Letchworth Bryant was director of the Buffalo Museum of Science until his appointment to the directorship of the Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History in Providence in 1925. Consult the Buffalo Museum library/archives for further information.
P37 Zoo Exhibit Opening, Plains of Africa, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1991
3 black and white prints
These photographs were taken at the opening of the Roger Williams Park Zoo's Plains of Africa exhibit in 1991. Mayor Vincent Cianci, Jr. and Parks Superintendent Nancy L. Derrig are shown at the opening ceremonies, as well as musicians and members of the public.
P38 Landscape and Activities, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1980-ca. 1989
21 black and white prints
This collection is an assemblage of images depicting various views of the landscape, buildings, and use of Roger Williams Park. The original container was labeled as being from Mat Lebowitz to Sam Beck, the incumbent Director of Public Programming, thus dating receipt of the collection to the early 1980's. Statuary, the Temple to Music, the Bey-Lin Pony-Go-Cart, the Charles H. Smith Greenhouse, and gardens are also featured.
P39 Ethnology and Archaeology Collections and Exhibits, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1908-1996, undated
2 black and white negatives
46 black and white prints
19 color prints
6 color negatives
This collection is an assemblage of photographs pertaining to the Museum's cultural collections and exhibits. Both archaeological and ethnographic materials are represented in this artificial collection spanning the years 1913 to 1996. Many images are not dated. People portrayed include Passamoquoddy and other North American Native Americans. Subjects include documentation of collection storage conditions and Museum cultural objects.
P40 Paleontology, Geology, and Mineralogy Collections and Exhibits, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
Undated
4 black and white prints, sepia tone
This artificial collection includes four images, one of a crater, one of dinosaur footprints, and two of Carboniferous Period plant fossils. It is not known whether the latter represent specimens that are/were in the Museum's collections.
P41 Aerial Views and Maps, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1962 December 12, undated
11 black and white prints
12 color negatives
This created collection consists of color negatives of maps (possibly from the Museum Archives) and black and white aerial views of the Park, including the Museum, Racetrack, Dalrymple Boathouse, the Temple to Music, the Zoo and the general landscape.
P42 Park Landscapes Unidentified (non-Roger Williams Park)
ca. 1900, undated
15 black and white prints
This created collection includes 3 images of an amusement ride in a park setting (ca. 1900), and several unidentified landscapes, as well as buildings and species-identified trees, some located in Providence, Rhode Island. Several photographs were probably taken by H. L. Madison, Museum Director from 1908 to 1921, whose name appears on their reverse.
P43 Birthplace of Charles H. Smith (1844-1900), Park Benefactor and Museum of Natural Donor, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
ca. 1930 - ca. 1940
1 black and white print, sepia tone
This photograph shows the private residence that was the birthplace of Museum donor and Park benefactor Charles H. Smith (1844-1900). It shows the facade of a two-story wooden house at 4 West Clifford Street, Providence, Rhode Island. A car can be seen to the right of the house.
A bequest of funds to the Park after Smith's death led to the eventual construction of the greenhouses named for him (1964). Charles H. Smith (1844-1900) was a Providence businessman whose collection of 350 mounted birds native to Rhode Island was acquired by the Museum in 1899 and served as a major reference for Howe and Sturtevant's Birds of Rhode Island (1899).
P44 Buildings and Landscapes, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
Pre-1915
20 black and white prints, sepia tone
1 postcard
This collection includes images of Roger Williams Park, including the Museum, Casino, Dalrymple Boathouse, Betsey Williams Cottage, bridges, waterways, fountains, and statues. Three non-Park images include Hunts Mills, Providence (photo and postcard from photo), a mill site on the Blackstone River, and an unidentified boy. A photograph of the Rhode Island Library Association meeting at the Museum in 1911 is also included.
P45 Paul Martelly Collection: John LeRoy Spielmacher (1895-1949), Hunting Expeditions
ca.1930-1949
41 black and white prints
The images in this collection illustrate the big game hunting exploits of John LeRoy Spielmacher (1895-1949), a Providence businessman. Spielmacher hunted in the U.S., the Canadian Rockies, Mexico, South America, and Africa. These images were part of the documentation accompanying a donation of Spielmacher's mounted trophy game heads collected in North America and Africa.
John LeRoy Spielmacher was born February 7, 1895, in Michigan and died March 4, 1949 in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a businessman and was active in local politics. He gained wide prominence for his big game hunting exploits.
P46 Directors, Staff, and Donors, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
ca. 1896- ca. 1990
20 black and white, color, and black and white sepia tone prints, some mounted on board
This collection is an assemblage of various-size images depicting former directors, staff members, and donors of the Museum of Natural History, Roger Williams Park. Shown also is the natural history shop in Providence co-owned by the Museum's first director, James M. Southwick. Directors featured include James M. Southwick, C. Abbott Davis, Harold Madison, William L. Bryant, and Maribelle Cormack. Donors include James Angus and Horace Carpenter. An image shows five staff members, unidentified, on Museum grounds, early 20th century.
These images were gathered for the exhibit Natural Selections, 1992, but were mostly unused.
P47 Naturalist's Club- Professor Freudmacher Collection
ca. 1930
18 black and white sepia tone prints
This collection consists of photographs of Professor Freudmacher both in the Museum and on its grounds; also at a residence. Some include a young girl, Marcia, possibly his daughter. One image is labeled "The Naturalist's Club." Other images feature natural history subjects, including plants and insects. Some outdoor locations are also near the Park greenhouse.
The date of ca. 1930 is derived from negative #5897 in collection P03. No further information on Professor Freudmacher or the Naturalists' Club has been located.
P48 Educational Resources: Non-Natural History Glass Slides, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1901, 1911 - ca. 1950, undated
64 black and white glass slides
This collection of glass slides (some from Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Department of Visual Education) covers a wide range of non-natural history topics, including a first grade class, cartoons and paintings, and street scenes from Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East.
P49 Dr. Hilde Huttman Collection: Egyptian Tourist Attractions
1962
211 color slides
This collection consists of color slides depicting Egyptian historical sites and tourist attractions taken by Dr. Hilde Huttman. Images include Temple Hat-hor, the Pyramid of Zoser, the Temple of Nackht, Abu Simed, the Valley of Kings, and the Aswan Dam. These images may have been used to illustrate a program held at the Museum.
Maribelle Cormack, Museum director (1947-1972), had an interest in Egyptology; the presence of these slides may relate to that interest.
P50 Hawaiian Support Figure Records, Museum Archives, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1996-1998, undated
20 color prints
32 black and white 35mm slides
4 color 35mm slides
These images document a wooden Hawaiian support figure held by the Museum from 1916 to 1998. They also record a press conference held at the Museum to publicly announce the transfer of the figure from the Museum to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in August 1998. A quilt donated to the Museum at the time of the transfer is also shown. Also included are images used by Museum staff at the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Review Committee meeting held by the National Park Service at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in November 1996.
The photographs include Providence Mayor Vincent Cianci, Jr., Providence Parks Superintendent Nancy L. Derrig, Linda Delaney, Hannah Springer, and Ed Ayau, Hawaiian NAGPRA representatives, and the support figure itself. The press conference was held in front of the Museum of Natural History. The quilt shown has been assigned the number E-4350 in the Museum's ethnology collection.
P51 Horace Carpenter (1842-1937), Personal Photo Albums, Museum and Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1903-1906, 1909, undated
364 black and white prints, hand-tinted prints, cyanotypes
This is an assemblage of three albums, two of which contain photos of Roger Williams Park landscape, buildings, and statuary. Other photos include Horace Carpenter, other adults, children, and pets in leisure settings, at home, in the mountains, and at the Rhode Island seashore. Various leisure and sporting activities are also shown.
Chemist and industrialist, Horace Carpenter (1842-1937) was a collector/donor to the Museum in the early 1900's. His contributions in mineralogy and malacology (mollusks) were significant. His publications include Shell-bearing Mollusca of Rhode Island (1889).
P52 Reginald Perry and Robert Fain Collection: Views of Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
ca. 1896-1915, undated.
84 black and white prints
This album contains scenes of the Park, including landscapes, bridges, buildings, statuary, zoo animals, sheep, horses, and geese. The Park is represented in all seasons; winter scenes depict ice skating and ice scraping using horse power. The photographer's name, D. K. Barrett, appears in the album. This album was among the materials solicited for possible inclusion in The Jewel of Providence (1987).
P53 Formal Gardens and Estates Photo Album
undated
168 black and white prints and hand-tinted prints
This unbound photo album includes photographs of formal estate gardens and landscapes with residences and outbuildings. The hand-tinted photos depict informal landscapes. Although unidentified, sufficient diagnostic detail is present to permit their future identification by a landscape or garden historian.
P54 Ethnology Collection: All Things Connected Object Documentation, Museum of Natural History, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island
1995
147 color slides
These photos were taken by conservator/consultant Alexandra O'Donnell and assistant Carolyn Riccardelli in 1995 to document the condition of objects in the Museum's Native American collection. Many of these objects were featured in the All Things Connected: Native American Creations exhibit and catalogue (1995).
The Museum of Natural History and Planetarium,
Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 1
How to Use the Guide 2
P01 The Jewel of Providence Collection, 1987, Roger Williams Park,
Providence, Rhode Island
3
P02 Natural History Glass and Cellulose-Based Educational Resources 3
P03 Historic Negatives, Roger Williams Park and other Rhode Island Sites 3
P04 Maribelle Cormack Era (Museum Staff 1926-1972, Director, 1947-1972), Exhibits, Events, Staff, and Educational Resources. Museum, Roger Williams Park, Prov., Rhode Island 3
P05 Ethnography: World Photos 4
P06 Elizabeth West Gould House and Family Portraits, Cambridge, Massachusetts 4
P07 City of Providence 350th Anniversary Celebration 4
P08 Mrs. Horace Carpenter Rhode Island Postcard Collection 4
P09 Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island, Postcard Collection 5
P10 The Jewel of Providence Exhibit Large Format Blow-ups, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 5
P11 Providence Visionaries Exhibit Large Format Blow-ups, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 5
P12 Providence's Hidden Treasures Exhibit Large Format Blow-ups, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 6
P13 Old Narragansett Bay Exhibit Large Format Blow-ups, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 6
P14 Primo J. L. Landi Exhibit - Plaster Ornaments/Architectural Details Exhibit Panels, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 6
P15 Elizabeth Tatian Fradin Era (Director, 1986-1994) Exhibits, Events, Staff and Renovations, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 6
P16 Tracey Brussat Keough Era (Director,1994-) Exhibits, Events, Staff, and Renovations, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 7
P17 Collections and Exhibits, 1965, 1980-1984, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 7
P18 Landscape and Activities, 1909-1916, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 7
P19 Collection Storage and Maintenance, 1982-1983, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 7
P20 Japanese Doll Ceremony Photographs 8
P21 Jeremiah J. Triggs, (1876-1929), Superintendent of Public Parks (1921-1929), Providence, Rhode Island 8
P22 Williams Family Cemetery, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 8
P23 Collection Storage Documentation, January 1982, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 8
P24 Ethnology Collection: N.E.H. Self-Study Grant, 1982-1983, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 9
P25 Betsey Williams Cottage, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 9
P26 City Hall and Other City Properties, Postcard Collection 9
P27 Public Events: Folk Arts, Cultural Festivals, and Exhibits (1976-1984) 9
P28 Captain and Mrs. Poyntell C. Staley Jr. Collection 10
P29 Helen Fitts' Collection - World Travel Slides 10
P30 All Things Connected Catalogue Photographs 10
P31 Louise B. Baynes Antiquarian Botanical Photograph Collection 10
P32 Natural History Collections and Exhibits, Museum, Roger Williams Park 11
P33 City Parks and Properties, Providence, Rhode Island 11
P34 Douglas A. Aldrich Collection, Landscapes (Roger Williams Park and Other) and Cityscapes (Providence, Rhode Island 11
P35 Roger Stewart Collection, Hurricane Damage, Southern New England 11
P36 Fossil Fish Research, William L. Bryant, Director, 1925-1947, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 11
P37 Zoo Exhibit Opening, Plains of Africa, Roger Williams Park 12
P38 Landscape and Activities, Roger Williams Park 12
P39 Ethnology and Archaeology Collections and Exhibits 12
P40 Paleontology, Geology, and Mineralogy Collections and Exhibits, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 12
P41 Aerial Views and Maps, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 12
P42 Park Landscapes Unidentified (non-Roger Williams Park) 13
P43 Birthplace of Charles H. Smith (1844-1900), Park Benefactor and Museum of Natural Donor, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 13
P44 Buildings and Landscapes, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 13
P45 Paul Martelly Collection: John LeRoy Spielmacher (1895-1949), Hunting
Expeditions
13
P46 Directors, Staff, and Donors, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence,
Rhode Island
14
P47 Naturalist's Club- Professor Freudmacher Collection 14
P48 Educational Resources: Non-Natural History Glass Slides, Museum, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 14
P49 Dr. Hilde Huttman Collection: Egyptian Tourist Attractions 14
P50 Hawaiian Support Figure Records, Museum Archives, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 15
P51 Horace Carpenter (1842-1937), Personal Photo Albums, Museum and Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 15
P52 Reginald Perry and Robert Fain Collection: Views of Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 15
P53 Formal Gardens and Estates Photo Album 16
P54 Ethnology Collection: All Things Connected Object Documentation, Museum of Natural History, Roger Williams Park, Providence, Rhode Island 16