Ralph Ellison’s literary executor John Callahan of Lewis and Clark College and Adam Bradley, Univ. of Colorado - Boulder, will discuss the author’s follow-up to his 1952 classic, Invisible Man. Wil Haygood, staff writer for the Washington Post, will moderate the discussion.

The program will feature welcoming remarks by Lonnie Bunch, museum director.

The “Treasures” program includes the following sessions:

• Preservation Presentations: Four informal basic preservation sessions will take place during the day.  One will focus on textiles, a category that includes cloth dolls, flags, hats, clothing, lace, quilts, needlework and table linens.  The session on photographs and paper will inform participants on simple and inexpensive techniques to keep their family Bibles, historic pictures and important documents such as diplomas and wedding licenses safe from deterioration.  A third session explains to potential donors the process of establishing provenance of an object.  Participants will learn what is needed to establish and document the age, place of origin and line of ownership of objects with historical value.  During the fourth session participants will receive tips and resources for recording  and archiving their family’s oral history.
• Hands-on Preservation: Participants are invited to learn how to properly store letters, pack garments and prepare photographs for preservation storage and presentation.
• Oral Histories: Participants may record a brief personal memory, a family story or a memory of a historical event.  Family members are encouraged to interview each other.

Participants can reserve in advance to bring up to three personal items for a 20-minute, one-on-one professional consultation with experts on how to care for them.  The specialists will serve as reviewers, not appraisers, and will not be able to determine an item’s monetary value.  Objects such as books, paper and textiles no larger than a shopping bag (furniture, carpets, firearms, and paintings are excluded) can be reviewed.

Those wishing to have items reviewed must make reservations by emailing treasures@si.edu or by calling toll free, (877) 733-9599. 

Reservations are not required for those not wishing a one-on-one consultation. Additional information is available at nmaahc.si.edu.

African American History Month
Family Day Program
1:30 pm, Saturday, February 6
LeFrak Lobby, First Floor
National Museum of American History
14^th St., and Constitution Ave., NW

NMAAHC curator Paul Gardullo discusses visitor comments about the Scurlock photo exhibition that were left at the interactive station. Memories will be read by writers Brian Gilmore, E. Ethelbert Miller, and Holly Bass. 

SCURLOCK PHOTO EXHIBITION CLOSES FEBRUARY 28TH! 

The National Museum of African American History and The National Portrait Gallery present Words Between Two Reformers:
Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt, with Ysaye Barnwell as Mary McLeod Bethune and Linda Kenyon as Eleanor Roosevelt.  The work is produced by Jewell Robinson, renowned actress and Helen Hayes nominee.

Admission is free, but due to limited space we recommend making a reservation by calling (202) 633-8520.

Participants will learn how to assemble storytelling quilts by creating their own quilt square using personal images and text.  The workshop is led by Joan M.E. Gaither, a documentary quilt-maker of the Maryland Institute College of Art.  Prior quilting experience is not required.  Participants are invited to bring personal photos to scan onto their quilt squares.  Families are welcome. 

Call (202) 633-0070 or (202) 541-6255 for more information.

Sponsors:  National Museum of African American History and Culture, Banneker Douglass Museum, D.C. Public Library

This program is presented in collaboration with the National Building Museum.  In April 2009, the architectural team of Freelon Adjaye Bond / SmithGroup won the competition to design the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to be located on the National Mall.  Museum director Lonnie Bunch will share the vision for the new building, followed by a discussion with Lonnie Bunch, David Adjaye, and Phil Freelon. 

Special limited time offer to NMAAHC Charter Members only:  Members who call
(202) 633-0070 before midnight Friday, February 12, 2010 and register will receive
FREE admission for this program.

After February 12, the program admission charge will be:  $12 for National Building Museum members and NMAAHC Charter Members; free for students; $20 for the general public; 1.5 LU HSW-SD (AIA).  Please register for this event on-line at www.nbm.org/programs-lectures within the announcement of this program.

All programs are free and open to the public, unless otherwise stated. 
Books will be available for purchase and signing after author event.
For more information, call 202-633-0070 or visit nmaahc.si.edu.

To many, the African American struggle for civil rights began in the 1950s and ended with the signing of the Civil Rights Act in 1968.  This workshop conducted by the American Institute for History Education will provide context for expanding the timeline of the civil rights struggle and exploring the antecedents of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s.  Through an interactive lecture and group activities participants will discover new content information and strategies for including this material in their classrooms.  This workshop correlates with District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia social studies standards for grades 5, 8 and 11.

Space is limited.  Registration is required by Thursday, March 4.  To register, please email NMAAHCeducation@si.edu.

EXHIBITIONS

EXHIBIT CLOSES FEBRUARY 28TH!
The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise   

Visit the NMAAHC Gallery on level 2 at the
National Museum of American History
14^th Street and Constitution Ave., NW
METRO:  Smithsonian or Federal Triangle

Catalogue on sale at fine bookstores everywhere.

TRAVELING EXHIBITION:

For more information please visit the Atlanta History Center Website.

Support the Museum with a contribution of $25 or more and your name will be permanently recorded on the Museum's electronic Honor Roll of Charter Members.  Created to recognize our earliest  supporters, the Honor Roll will be seen by millions of visitors to the Museum.  It will also be available on the Museum's website if you can't visit in person.