Office of Business Administration records

Summary: Series 1. Clinton N. Hunt documents the activities of the Office of Business Administration during Clinton N. Hunt's (CNH) tenure as the Business Administrator of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (SRGM). The records include Board meeting minutes and member information; the SRGM's mission, by-laws, and charter; financial and legal records; and records relating to the permanent collection, acquisitions, and exhibitions. The collection is organized into three subseries: A.) Governance; B.) Administration; and C.) Exhibitions and Objects. Subseries A.) Governance includes CNH's documents relating to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation's Board of Trustees and governance of the SRGM. The series consists of: correspondence; Board of Trustees meeting minutes, agendas, and member information; reports on museum activities; and governing documents such as a copy of the Foundation's charter, mission, and by-laws. The majority of the Board of Trustees records are restricted. Subseries B.) Administration reflects CNH's administrative functions within the SRGM. Financial and legal activities, the staff organization of the SRGM, the and the tenure of SRGM directors are documented here through policies, reports, correspondence, and memoranda. All legal records are restricted. Insurance information for daily operations is located in this subseries; insurance information for loans, exhibitions, and the permanent collection can be found in subseries C.) Exhibitions and Objects. Subseries C.) Exhibitions and Objects contains records concerning exhibitions, loans, and the permanent collection. Permanent collection records include correspondence, invoices, and memoranda. All loan records and a large number of records on the permanent collection are restricted.

Arrangement: Organized into 3 subseries: 1.) Governance; 2.) Administration; and 3.) Exhibitions and Objects.

Summary: Series 2. Glenn H. Easton reflects the activities of the Office of Business Administration under the direction of Glenn H. Easton (GHE), Business Administrator of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (SRGM) from 1959-1972. Records pertain primarily to financial matters and retail operations, the SRGM building at 1071 Fifth Avenue, and public programming and exhibitions. Record types within this series include correspondence, memoranda, reports, inventories, blueprints, permits, and invitations. A select number of records within this series originally belonged to Clinton N. Hunt but were passed on to GHE. The series is divided into three subseries: A.) Administration; B.) Building; and C.) Exhibitions and Objects. The records in subseries A.) Administration largely deal with finance and include operating budgets and admissions and sales reports, which record the amount of money taken in from both admission and retail sales on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Also heavily represented within this series are records covering the museum's public programming events and retail operations. Events files contain invitations, memoranda, and correspondence documenting concerts, film screenings, performances, and poetry readings. Retail records document production costs, inventories, and sales of audio guides, catalogues, postcards, posters, and slides. Subseries B.) Building includes records related to the construction, renovation, maintenance, and daily physical operations of the SRGM building. Subseries C.) Exhibitions and Objects contains records on exhibitions held at the SRGM during GHE's tenure, loans, and the permanent collection. The exhibition records document catalogue and invitation production, receptions, insurance, and shipping. The majority of records within this subseries are restricted.

Arrangement: Organized into three subseries: A.) Administration; B.) Building; C.) Exhibitions and Objects.

Summary: Series 3. Henry Berg documents the activities of Henry Berg (HB), Deputy Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (SRGM) from 1973-1980, including his responsibility for overseeing the Office of Business Administration. Also included in this series are a select number of documents from HB's tenure as a legal consultant to the SRGM. The majority of material within this collection pertains to legal and financial matters; retail operations (including publication production and distribution); and exhibitions. Record types include correspondence, memoranda, reports, minutes, contracts, inventories, blueprints, permits, grant proposals, and invitations. The series is divided into four subseries: A.) Board of Trustees; B.) Administration; C.) Exhibitions and Objects; and D.) Professional. Subseries A.) Board of Trustees contains correspondence between HB and trustees, but also includes copies of correspondence between Thomas M. Messer and trustees and between trustees and individuals not employed by the SRGM. The majority of records within this subseries are restricted. Subseries B.) Administration largely pertains to retail, finance, and legal matters. A large section of general correspondence can also be found in this subseries. Financial reports included within subseries B.) Administration provide information on revenue from admissions, retail sales, membership, and the restaurant, as well as information on expenses. Budget files contain information on proposed budgets as well as reports used as supporting material in the creation of budgets. Legal files primarily contain contracts. Contracts and other legal documents pertaining to specific exhibitions can also be found in subseries C.) Exhibitions and Objects. All legal files are restricted. Also included within Subseries B.) Administration are a select number of records belonging to individuals who worked under HB, including Susan Halper, Duncan Ralph, and Kurt Struever. Subseries C.) Exhibitions and Objects covers exhibitions as well as loans and the permanent collection. A large number of exhibition files contain information on printed material, which encompasses catalogue information, brochures, invitations, wall texts, and labels. General information on acquisitions can be found in subseries C.) Exhibitions and Objects, while legal documents pertaining to the acquisitions can be found in the legal section of subseries B.) Administration. All records on loans and the majority of records on permanent collection works are restricted. Subseries D.) Professional documents HB's professional development activities, including conference participation and affiliation with various professional organizations.

Arrangement: Organized into four subseries: A.) Board of Trustees; B.) Administration; C.) Exhibitions and Objects; D.) Professional. Alphabetical arrangement within each subseries.