Smithsonian Institution, 1997-1999

Following Robert Scott's retirement as museum President in 1996, d'Harnoncourt was appointed the following year as the museum's Chief Executive Officer in addition to her continued role as its George D. Widener Director. This subseries coincides with d'Harnoncourt's earliest years leading the museum in her dual roles. During this period, with the approach of the new millennium as well as its 125th anniversary, the museum began to plan for its future while building upon its past. There are several sets of files in this subseries that document how the museum identified new goals and the steps needed to achieve them.

The first folder in this subseries, "125th anniversary: Curators' meeting," consists of a few memos and notes that delineate some of the curators' initial brain-storming as to how the museum might mark its 125th anniversary. (How these ideas are further developed and brought to fruition is documented in the 2000-2003 subseries.) Other 1997-1999 records addressing the museum’s future comprise the folders entitled "Long Range Planning," for which the museum sought to define its needs for the next five and ten years, and "Ruth and Raymond G. Perelman Building," which pertain to the museum's initial steps in purchasing the nearby art deco building.

As the office responsible for defining and implementing major gift and funding campaigns, the Development Department plays a vital role in an institution's plans for its future. This is clearly evidenced by the amount of documentation filed here by that department's name. With 2001 marking the museum's 125th anniversary, the department files subtitled "Campaign 2001" and "Cabinet for Campaign 2001," pertain to what would be the museum's most ambitious capital fund drive in its history. The subset of departmental files entitled "Collections 2001" and "Committee on Collections 2001" document an equally ambitious program. As part of the anniversary campaign, the museum sought to enrich its collection with the acquisition of 125 collection-transforming works of art. Although these files are identified with the Development Department, the program's success was dependent on the input of curatorial staff and their collaboration with d'Harnoncourt and the committee, which consisted of museum trustees, curators and staff from the development and executive offices. As shown in these files, d'Harnoncourt kept regular correspondence with all participants, most particularly with the committee chair, Harvey S. Shipley Miller.

Two major anniversary acquisitions well-documented in this subseries are the bust of Benjamin Franklin by Jean-Antoine Houdon and the portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin by John Singleton Copley. Documentation of the Franklin bust is filed under the department responsible for its acquisition, "European Decorative Arts and Sculpture." The latter is filed under the name of the institution that originally received the painting as a bequest, "Historical Society of Pennsylvania." Another significant object-related event is the museum's 1999 agreement to return five works of armor to the State Art Collections in Dresden, Germany. These, too, are filed under department name, "European Decorative Arts and Sculpture: Kienbusch Collection of Arms and Armor." Although much of the acquisition and Dresden documentation is closed to public access, researchers can find a significant amount of related information on the museum's website.

A final subject with significant documentation is one d'Harnoncourt first orchestrated almost 15 years earlier. Just as the museum was required to apply for reaccreditation with the American Association of museums in 1983 when she began her tenure as director, the museum was called upon to repeat the process in 1997--again just as d'Harnoncourt began her new, expanded role. Documentation consists of more than 30 "Reaccreditation 1997" folders.