Decorative Arts - Helen S. Foote, 1958

This subseries contains memoranda, correspondence, and notes between the director and museum departments. The records are organized alphabetically by the department's name at the time the records were created. Departmental name changes can be followed by referring to the appendix. Within each folder the records are organized chronologically. Departmental names do not represent organizational hierarchy, but rather reflect their relative importance to Sherman Lee. He was primarily interested in the curatorial departments and in the purchase of art, particularly in the oriental department, where he served as chief curator. Curatorial departments are all listed separately whereas departments such as development and operations administration group all internal divisions together. Some department records are further organized by staff member, while other departments have all of the correspondence grouped together chronologically. Subject areas include the purchase, exhibition, and safety of artwork, personnel issues, and museum policies and procedures. High-level staff members hired during Lee's directorship often have the initial job search correspondence included in the folder. Records under "Director's Office" include policy and memoranda sent out to all museum staff as well as information maintained by Lee's secretaries.