Fogg Archives Get Organized

With file cabinets in the Fogg Museum filled to maximum capacity and cardboard boxes full of papers cluttering every office, the Harvard University Art Museum’s first-ever curator has her hands full.

Susan von Salis, a long-time employee of the Schlesinger Library, has been hired to bring order—in the form of an online record system—to the archives of one of the largest museum systems in the world.

One month into her new job, Salis has begun wading through the forty file cabinets, many of which have not been organized since the 1970s, sorting, indexing and trashing as she goes.

“I think people didn’t know what to throw out and what to keep, so they just kept everything,” Salis says.

Although the museums already employed a part-time archivist, interim museum director Marjorie B. Cohn says that the enormity and importance of the collection warranted full-time attention.

“An educated archivist who knows catalogs and how to search for information is invaluable,” Cohn says.

Salis says she hopes to eventually have the entire collection organized, annotated and catalogued, connecting the resources of all of the University’s museums.

She also hopes to expand access to the archives, with detailed descriptions of the materials on Harvard’s library system’s online Hollis catalog.

“I’m picturing an all-access point for people to jump off of—all information in one place,” she says. “It will be an invaluable resource not only for people who work here, but also for researchers looking for documentation about everything from the history of art education to history of Harvard’s museums.”

So far, Salis’ finds range from arcane records of exhibitions to the personal correspondence of former museum directors.

“I know it sounds geeky, but the archives are fascinating,” she says.

In particular, Salis says she’s enjoyed seeing how papers from the collection reflect the people who maintained them.

Recently she found a series of black leatherbound books, with the initials PJS embossed in gold on the covers. Paul J. Sachs, class of 1900, was assistant director of the Fogg from 1915-1924 and Associate Director of the Harvard Art Museums from 1924-1944.

In the books, Sachs recorded the names and addresses of art collectors, museums, curators, and art scholars worldwide.

“He had these beautiful, organized books, and could pull out contact information for his colleagues traveling around the world,” she says. “It is a useful resource, but it indicates something about him too, and that’s exciting.”

Also included in the archives are the student papers of future directors of major art museums.

“We have been a base for the training of museum professionals since the 1920s,” Cohn says. “The papers in our possession reflect the growth in art museums around the country and around the world.”

A familiar face in Radcliffe Yard, Salis has worked in the Schlesinger Library for the past sixteen years. She says she “stumbled upon” the opportunity to apply for the new curator position last September.

“I literally hadn’t looked at a job posting in eight years,” she says. “I knew it was a golden opportunity for me. I’m hoping to contribute to the museums—I know I’ll be able to.”

Cohn, a member of the curator search committee, cited Salis’ personality, experience working with archives in Schlesinger, and involvement with professional archivists associations as traits that persuaded the committee to recommend her.

Salis is enjoying work in her coveted corner office in the Fogg.

“It’s a pleasant work environment,” she says.

And the piles of paper stacked around her haven’t deterred Harvard’s first art museum curator. “There’s a whole realm of things for me to sink my teeth into,” she says. “It really energizes me.”

—Staff writer Kristi L. Jobson can be reached at jobson@fas.harvard.edu.