The US Diplomacy Center collection holds more than 6,000 artifacts, over 400 of which are currently on display in exhibitions. The USDC collects artifacts that tell the story of all aspects of American diplomacy, its history, practice, and challenges. Viewing the actual objects used in the conduct of diplomacy complements written materials, and shows how diplomacy is grounded in real life day-to-day activities performed by real people.
The time span covered by the collections is from the 18th Century to the present. The scope of the collections includes items that represent the activities, events and people who engaged in American diplomacy during this period.
The USDC is actively seeking artifacts for the collections that represent the range of work at American embassies and consulates overseas, including that of local employees and diplomatic family members. In addition, the USDC seeks objects representing diplomats’ work on the range of global issues today, including trafficking in persons, the environment, refugees, HIV/AIDS, global pandemics, and human rights. The USDC also seeks objects that show the challenges diplomats face in simply trying to do their jobs, including security, health issues, communications, and transportation. Click here for contact information.
Read more about featured artifacts from the collections.
The USDC collections currently include examples of the following:
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Documents and historic pens
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Historic passports and visas
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Condolence messages
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Diplomatic uniforms (19th century), courier bags and security items
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Objects associated with diplomats and their families – family passports, embassy family activities, photographs, embassy visitor logs
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Fine art, including paintings, portraits, engravings, and sculpture, many given as gifts to Secretaries of State
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Flags and medals
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Technology and tools of diplomacy, such as consular seals, cash registers, typewriters, early computers, pneumatic tubes, Rolodexes, directories and address books
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Gifts to Secretaries of State and Ambassadors from foreign officials
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Artifacts associated with public diplomacy programs
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Objects telling of tragedies in diplomatic history
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Photographic records and other media such as newspapers and magazines
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