Oral history interview with Barbara Fellows

Object Details

Names: Carver Theater (Washington, DC); Cooper's Restaurant; Operation Crossroads Africa; Mayo, James (1936-1995)
Collection Creator: Anacostia Community Museum

Provenance: Conducted as part of the ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, which includes approximately 100 interviews of residents and influential people of the Anacostia area of Washington, DC.

Biographical / Historical: Barbara Fellows graduated from Huntington High School as a National Merit Scholar, and then from the Rhode Island School of Design, earning a BFA in Illustration and graduating with honors in 1959. She worked as a Visual Information Specialist at the Smithsonian Museum of History and Technology (now called the National Museum of American History) for ten years. She was a member of the original design team and worked in preparation for the museum's opening in 1964. She also worked on the inaugural exhibit for the Anacostia Community Museum in 1967. She later worked for the National Park Service, and then The Defense Mapping Agency (DMA). She retired from Senior Executive Service at the DMA in 1994.

Collection Citation: ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Scope and Contents note: Barbara Fellows was working as an exhibit designer for the National Museum of American History when she first heard about the development of the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum). In this interview, she recalls working on the museum's inaugural exhibit, and the effect the museum had on the surrounding community upon opening. She also describes the critical role John Kinard and Zora Martin-Felton played in shaping and leading the museum. The interview was recorded on July 23, 1991. The audio quality is clear throughout.

Restrictions: Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.