Grace Dunham Guest Correspondence from the Freer-Sackler Central Files

Grace Dunham Guest was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 16, 1872. She was a teacher for many years in Detroit before coming to Washington, D.C. to be an assistant curator at the Freer Gallery of Art (part of the National Museum of Asian Art) in 1922. Guest, along with her colleagues, Katharine Nash Rhoades, Agnes Ernst Meyer, and Louisine Havemeyer, played a major role in the creation of the Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian and in its collecting. Through her work as assistant curator, Guest put on exhibitions and educational programs on Asian art, in addition to organizing the museum's library. Guest published multiple books on Asian art and retired in 1946 having been Assistant Director for 8 years. Upon her retirement she was given the honorary title of Freer Gallery of Art research associate. Guest passed away in 1964 at the age of 91. Accession 03-018 consists of the Central Files of the Freer Gallery of Art from 1919–1986. Within the collection there are over 30 folders documenting Guest's work as assistant curator and assistant director on exhibitions, collecting, and educational programming. Highlights include Guest's original letter of appointment to the Freer and correspondence documenting Guest's assistance towards the war effort during World War II.

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