MS 2011-19 William Henry Holmes watercolors of Italian daily life
odd: label: Local Numbers
content: NAA MS 2011-19
label: Exhibition Note
content: Two of the paintings were exhibited in Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, October 8, 2021 – May 8, 2022.
name: label: Creator
content: Holmes, William Henry, 1846-1933
place: label: Place
content: Italy
label: Place
content: Europe
creator: label: Creator
content: Holmes, William Henry, 1846-1933
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: William Henry Holmes (1846-1933) was an artist, geologist, and archaeologist who spent most of his career with the United States Geological Survey of the Territories, United States Geological Survey, Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE), and Department of Anthropology of the Smithsonian. From 1894-1897, he was the head of anthropology at the Field Columbian Museum (Field Museum of Natural History) and on the staff of the University of Chicago. He later served as head curator for the US National Museum Department of Anthropology from 1897-1902 and head of the BAE from 1902-1909.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3 Paintings (visual works) (watercolor)
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1880
container: label: Container
content: Box 2011-19
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The paintings were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Lola Vearl Ferdon in July 2011.  They were acquired by her husband, Edwin Ferdon, from Edgar Lee Hewett.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.MS2011-19
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Graphic Materials
label: Type
content: Paintings (visual works)
label: Type
content: Works of art
label: Type
content: Paintings
label: Type
content: Watercolors
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Works of art
label: Genre/Form
content: Paintings
label: Genre/Form
content: Watercolors
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists of three (3) small watercolor paintings by William Henry Holmes depicting women sewing and a man mending sails.  All three paintings were signed to "Clara Saunders" with holiday greetings from Holmes.

Item 2011-19.1 depicts two women sewing on the banks of the Tiber River. 

Item 2011-19.2 ("Bead stringer, Venice") shows a woman sitting in a chair beading. 

Item 2011-19.3 ("Venice - mending sails") shows a man mending sails.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Correspondence by Holmes can be found throughout the National Anthropological Archives in MS 7206, the records of the Bureau of American Ethnology, and the records of the Department of Anthropology.

Manuscripts, notes, and artwork by Holmes can be found throughout the National Anthropological Archives in MS 4698, MS 2125, MS 7112, MS 7570, MS 87825 and others.

The Smithsonian Institution Archives holds the William Henry Holmes Papers, 1870-1931 (SIA RU007084).