Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Washington, D.C. Archives
| Address: |
5713 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20011 |
| Telephone Number: |
(202) 291-5532 |
| Fax Number: |
(202) 291-3849 |
| Contact Persons: |
Thomas Moritz, Archivist |
| Hours of Service: |
|
| Open to the public: |
By appointment only |
| Photocopying:: |
Yes |
| Interlibrary loan: |
No |
All research is done at the discretion of the governing body,
the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Washington, D.C. Hours
for research must be arranged in advance.
- Reference Policy:
- For telephone reference, call the Baha'i Center and leave a
message with the Resident Manager for the Archivist to return
the call. Reference inquiries by mail should be sent in care of
the Archivist.
- Borrowing Privileges:
- Not a lending institution. All research work must be done on
the premises.
- Networks/Consortia:
- None.
- Background Note:
- Baha'is were first in the Washington D.C./Maryland area by about
1896-1897. The Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Washington,
D.C. was incorporated in 1933-1934.
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- Books and monographs:
- The Archives holds an extensive collection of books and monographs
dating from 1896 to the present, including a volume from the first
World Congress of Religions in Chicago in 1893 (containing the
first mention of the Baha'i faith in the United States); first
editions of Baha'i scriptures in English; and many other works.
There is no catalog for this collection.
- Periodicals and newspapers:
- Nine titles dating from 1908 to the present, including The
American Baha'i (1970-present), Baha'i News (1919-present),
Bah ' World (1925-present), the Baha'i children's magazine
Brilliant Star, the Australian Baha'i magazine
Herald of the South, the Journal of Baha'i Studies,
the Baha'i international magazines One Country, Star of
the West (1910-1919), and World Order magazine.
These contain scholarly articles and news items relating to the
Baha'i faith in America and worldwide.
There is no catalog for this collection.
- Archives, manuscripts, correspondence, and oral histories:
- Materials dating from 1896 to the present, including copies
of tablets from 'Abdu'l Baha to individual believers and fledgling
institutions of the Faith; copies of letters from Shoghi Effendi,
Guardian of Baha'i Faith; numerous manuscripts by individual Baha'is;
extensive holdings of Baha'i pamphlet literature (1910-present);
and records, membership lists, correspondence, and financial and
legal documents of the Spiritual Assembly of the of Washington,
D.C. There is also a group of holdings called the "Small Collections"
which feature some 200 or so Baha'is who gave exemplary service
(teachers, lecturers, administrators, etc.). Some lived in Washington,
others traveled through the city.
There are finding aids for the collections, arranged chronologically
and/or alphabetically.
The present Archivist is Miriam Wiener, (703) 683-3751. Write
or telephone her in care of the Washington, D.C. Baha'i Center.
Note: Several area Baha'i communities (e.g. Greenbelt, Alexandria)
maintain their own archives.
- Videos and Sound Recordings:
- Recordings of Baha'i talks, presentations and events, and newsreels
of the United States and international Baha'i activities, dating
from 1975 to the present. There is no catalog for this collection.
- Paintings, photographs, slides, and prints:
- Several paintings of 'Abdu'l Baha; photographs of 'Abdu'l Baha,
including those taken while He visited in Washington, D.C. in
1912. These include houses where He stayed while here as well
as churches, synagogues, and meeting halls where He spoke. There
are hundreds of pictures of Baha'is, groups of Baha'is, Baha'i
gatherings, and Baha'i meetings, etc., from 1940 to the present).
'Abdu'l Baha, 1844-1921; Baha'i faith; Baha'i faith--Sacred books;
Baha'is--Washington, D.C.
Preliminary Inventory of the Washington, D.C. Baha'i Archives.
N.p., 1972. |
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