Charles David Kleymeyer Oral History Interview: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The oral history consists of 2016.129.18.1a and 2016.129.18.2a: two versions (unedited, and edited) of a single digital video recording.

Dr. Charles D. Kleymeyer was interviewed as part of the NMAAHC Donor Oral History Collection. Dr. Kleymeyer is a close friend and research partner of Juan Garcia. Juan Garcia Salazar, an Afro-Ecuadorean, donated the very first item to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a carved stool of clear tropical hardwood etched with a spider web motif, symbolizing West African folklore character, Anansi the Spider. This item is featured in our Cultural Expression Gallery. Dr. Kleymeyer, who lives in the DC Metropolitan area, has often acted as interpreter for Garcia Salazar and was present when the stool was delivered to NMAAHC Director Lonnie Bunch.

In this oral history interview Dr. Charles D. Kleymeyer discusses his life and work at length, including his memories of growing up near the African American community of Lyles Station in Indiana and the extensive work he did for many years with African and Indigenous peoples in Ecuador while working for the Inter-American Foundation (IAF). It was his work with the IAF that brought him into contact with Juan Garcia Salazar and he discusses their relationship in detail.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: December 7, 2016
• Created by: National Museum of African American History and Culture, American, founded 2003
• Recorded by: Patrick Telepictures, Inc., American
• Interview of: Dr. Charles David Kleymeyer, American, born 1944
• Interviewed by: Kelly Elaine Navies, American
• Subject of: Juan García Salazar, Ecuadorian, 1944 - 2017
• Subject of: Inter-American Foundation, American, founded 1969
• Type: video recordings
• Type: oral histories
• Type: digital media - born digital
• Medium: digital
• Dimensions: Duration (2016.129.18.1b): 85.1 min.
• Dimensions: Duration (2016.129.18.2a): 85.1 min.
• Dimensions: 128.98 GB
• Place collected: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Indiana, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Ecuador, Latin America, South America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Africa
• Topic: Communities
• Topic: Folklife
• Topic: Museums
• Topic: Travel
• Object number: 2016.129.18.1a-.2a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.