Cherry Lowman was an anthropologist and health science administrator whose ethnographic studies focused on the cultural ecology of the Maring people of highlands Papua New Guinea. Her papers contain fieldnotes and research data, correspondence, photographs, and artworks by Maring men and women.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Cherry Lowman primarily concern her ethnographic fieldwork in Papua New Guinea in the 1960s, and subsequent follow up studies based on data collected at that time. Lowman's work for NIAAA is not represented in the papers. It should be noted that there is a great deal of related and overlapping material on the Papua New Guinea research between Lowman's papers and the papers of Andrew P. Vayda, so researchers are encouraged to consult both collections on the topic.
The largest series - Series 1: Field notes and research data - contains field notes from the 1962-1963 and 1966 field work as well as research notes and data files from subsequent analyses and studies. There are some handwritten field notes but the majority are typed. Field notes are arranged chronologically and also by subject, but many related notes are found in separate locations from each other, for instance there may be notes on a particular topic filed by subject, but related notes may be found in the field notes organized chronologically as well. This series also includes a number of paper drafts, as well as Lowman's doctoral dissertation.
Series 2: Correspondence contains only a few files, but includes significant correspondence with Ann and Roy Rappaport and Georgeda Buchbinder.
Series 3: Photographs contains photographs made primarily on the first research trip and include negatives, contact sheets and prints, with associated typed photo logs. Photographs document Maring people, activities, and events. It should be noted that not all of the negatives have corresponding prints.
Series 4: Artwork consists of drawings and paintings made by Maring men and women.
Arrangement:
The collection is organized into four series:
Series 1: Field notes and research data
Series 2: Correspondence
Series 3: Photographs
Series 4: Artwork
Biographical Note:
Cherry Lowman was an anthropologist and health science administrator whose ethnographic studies focused on the cultural ecology of the Maring people of highlands Papua New Guinea.
Lowman was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on September 19, 1934. She attended Russell Sage College, University of Louisville, and received her bachelor's degree in anthropology from Columbia University in 1959. She then became a graduate student in anthropology at Columbia, and in 1962, she joined the two-year "Columbia University Expedition" to the Maring communities of western highlands Papua New Guinea, a National Science Foundation-funded research project to investigate the cultural ecology of the Maring people in the Simbai Valley of the Bismarck Mountains. Andrew P. "Pete" Vayda (to whom Lowman was married at the time) was principal investigator. The research team included Lowman and Vayda, Ann and Roy "Skip" Rappaport, and Allison and Marek Jablonko. The research pairs lived in different villages but communicated frequently. Lowman and Vayda were situated primarily in Gunts, in the Simbai Valley.
Once there, Lowman gave particular attention to collecting data on the role of women in subsistence, the care and development of children under five, cultural conceptions of and responses to disease, and the use and management of both wild and domesticated resources. With Vayda, she conducted surveys on health and marriage practices and other demographic points which continued during Lowman and Vayda's return trip in 1966. This second research trip brought Lowman and Vayda and their daughter Andi to the the Jimi Valley, where they collected systematic interview data on household histories of illness and its treatment and collaborated with Anglican Mission health providers to conduct health surveys in adjacent Jimi Valley communities. On both research trips Lowman also studied the interrelations of Maring art and war as expressed in shield designs.
The two related field experiences produced a wealth of data that Lowman continued to analyze and work with through her master's degree (Columbia, 1976), and culminating with her doctoral dissertation (Columbia, 1980), "Environment, Society and Health: Ecological Bases of Community Growth and Decline in the Maring Region of Papua New Guinea." In it, Lowman developed a model to explain the influence of interdependent regional-level environmental processes, health patterns, and social practices on the growth and decline of local communities.
In 1979, Lowman moved from New York to the Washington DC area to work as a health science administrator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a division of the National Institutes of Health. There, she administered grants, coordinated health services research, and published widely on alcoholism issues in adolescents. Lowman worked for NIAAA until her retirement in 2014. Lowman died on November 22, 2019, in Ithaca, New York.
Related Materials:
The National Anthropological Archives/Human Studies Film Archives holds the films of Alison and Marek Jablonko from the Columbia University Expedition fieldwork.
The National Anthropological Archives holds the papers of Andrew P. Vayda.
The papers of Roy A. Rappaport relating to the Papua New Guinea fieldwork are held at the Tuzin Archive for Melanesian Anthropology at the University of California Santa Barbara.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Andi Vayda, Cherry Lowman's daughter, in 2021.
Restrictions:
The Cherry Lowman papers are open for research. Access to the collection requires an appointment.
The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88.0 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.
Scope and Content Note:
The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.
Circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the papers are highlighted in an article by Garnett McCoy ("The Rockwell Kent Papers," in the Archives of American Art Journal, 12, no. 1 [January 1972]: 1-9), recommended reading for researchers interested in the collection. The collection is remarkably complete, for in the mid 1920s Kent began keeping carbon copies of all outgoing letters, eventually employing a secretary (who became his third wife and continued her office duties for the remainder of Kent's life).
Series 1: Alphabetical Files contain Kent's personal and professional correspondence, along with business records of the dairy farm and associated enterprises; also included are printed matter on a wide variety of topics and promotional literature relating to organizations and causes of interest to him. Voluminous correspondence with his three wives, five children, and other relatives, as well as with literally hundreds of friends, both lifelong and of brief duration, illuminates Kent's private life and contributes to understanding of his complex character. Among the many correspondents of note are: his art teachers William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri, and Kenneth Hayes Miller; fellow artists Tom Cleland, Arthur B. Davies, James Fitzgerald, Hugo Gellert, Harry Gottleib, Marsden Hartley, Charles Keller, and Ruth Reeves; collectors Duncan Phillips and Dan Burne Jones; critics J. E. Chamberlain and Walter Pach; and dealers Charles Daniel, Felix Wildenstein, and Macbeth Galleries. Kent corresponded with such diverse people as Arctic explorers Peter Freuchen, Knud Rasmussen, and Vilhjalmar Steffanson; composer Carl Ruggles and songwriters Lee Hays and Pete Seeger; civil rights pioneers Paul Robeson and Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois; writers Bayard Boyesen, Scott and Helen Nearing, and Louis Untermeyer; and art historian and print curator Carl Zigrosser.
Kent's interest and involvement in the labor movement are reflected in correspondence with officials and members of a wide variety and large number of unions and related organizations, among them: the Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union of America, Farmers' Union of the New York Milk Shed, International Workers Order, National Maritime Union, and United Office and Professional Workers of America. Of special interest is his participation, often in leadership roles, in various attempts to organize artists. Files on the American Artists' Congress, Artists League of America, The Artists Union, United American Artists, and United Scenic Artists contain particularly valuable material on the movement.
A supporter of New Deal efforts to aid artists, Kent was actively interested in the various programs and often was critical of their limitations; he advocated continuing federal aid to artists after the Depression abated. The Kent papers include correspondence with the Federal Arts Project, Federal Fine Arts Project, Federal Writers Project, and the War Department, as well as correspondence with the Citizens' Committee for Government Art Projects and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the subject.
Kent's professional correspondence documents exhibitions, sales, consignments, and reproduction of prints and paintings. He kept meticulous records of his advertising commissions and illustration work. Detailed correspondence with publishers and printers indicates Kent's involvement in the technical aspects of production and provides a good overview of the publishing industry during the mid-twentieth century.
Business records of Asgaard Farm include records of the dairy and transfer of ownership to its employees, tax and employee information, and documents concerning several related business ventures such as distributor ships for grain, feed, and farm implements.
Series 2: Writings consists of notes, drafts, and completed manuscripts by Rockwell Kent, mainly articles, statements, speeches, poems, introductions, and reviews. The Kent Collection given to Friendship House, Moscow, in 1960, was augmented later by a set of his publications and the illustrated manuscripts of many of his monographs. Also included are a small number of manuscripts by other authors.
Series 3: Artwork consists mainly of drawings and sketches by Kent; also included are works on paper by other artists, many of whom are unidentified, and by children.
Series 4: Printed Matter consists of clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, brochures, broadsides, programs, and newsletters. These include items by and about Kent and his family, as well as articles written and/or illustrated by him, and reviews of his books. There is also material on a variety of subjects and causes of interest to him. Additional printed matter is included among the alphabetical files, mainly as attachments to correspondence.
Series 5: Miscellaneous includes biographical material, legal documents, and memorabilia. Artifacts received with papers include textile samples, a silk scarf, dinnerware, ice bucket, and rubber stamp, all featuring designs by Rockwell Kent. Also with this series are a variety of documents including a phrenological analysis of an ancestor, lists of supplies for expeditions, a hand-drawn map of an unidentified place, and technical notes regarding art materials and techniques.
Series 6: Photographs includes photographs of Kent, his family and friends, travel, and art number that over one thousand. Also included here are several albums of family and travel photographs.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into six series. Series 1 is arranged alphabetically. The arrangement of the remaining series is explained in each series description. Note that sealed materials that became available in 2000 were microfilmed separately on reels 5740-5741, but have integrated into this finding aid.
Missing Title
Series 1: Alphabetical Files, circa 1900-1971, undated (Reels 5153-5249, 5256, 5740-5741)
Series 2: Writings, 1906-1978, undated (Reels 5249-5252, 5741)
Series 3: Art Work, 1910-1972, undated (Reels 5252, 5741)
Series 4: Printed Matter, 1905-1993, undated (Reels 5252-5254)
Series 5: Miscellaneous, 1859-1969, undated (Reels 5254, 5741)
Series 6: Photographs, circa 1840-1970, undated (Reels 5254-5255, 5741)
Biographical Note:
Rockwell Kent (1882-1971), an energetic and multitalented man, pursued many interests and careers during his very long and active life. At various times he was an architect, draftsman, carpenter, unskilled laborer, painter, illustrator, printmaker, commercial artist, designer, traveler/explorer, writer, professional lecturer, dairy farmer, and political activist.
While studying architecture at Columbia University, Kent enrolled in William Merritt Chase's summer school at Shinnecock Hills, Long Island. He then redirected his career ambitions toward painting and continued to study with Chase in New York. Kent spent a summer working and living with Abbott H. Thayer in Dublin, New Hampshire, and attended the New York School of Art, where Robert Henri and Kenneth Hayes Miller were his teachers.
Critically and financially, Kent was a successful artist. He was very well known for his illustration work--particularly limited editions of the classics, bookplates, and Christmas cards. He was a prolific printmaker, and his prints and paintings were acquired by many major museums and private collectors. During the post-World War II era, Kent's political sympathies resulted in the loss of commissions, and his adherence to artistic conservatism and outspoken opposition to modern art led to disfavor within art circles. After many years of declining reputation in this country and unsuccessful attempts to find a home for the Kent Collection, Kent gave his unsold paintings--the majority of his oeuvre--to the Soviet Union, where he continued to be immensely popular.
An avid traveler, Kent was especially fascinated by remote, Arctic lands and often stayed for extended periods of time to paint, write, and become acquainted with the local inhabitants. Between 1918 and 1935, he wrote and illustrated several popular books about his experiences in Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, and Greenland. In the 1930s and 1940s, Kent was much in demand as a lecturer, making several nationwide tours under the management of a professional lecture bureau; he spoke mainly about his travels, but among his standard lectures were some on "art for the people."
In 1927, Kent purchased Asgaard Farm at AuSable Forks, New York, in the Adirondacks, where he lived for the remainder of his life, operating a modern dairy farm on a modest scale for many years.
As a young man, Kent met Rufus Weeks, became committed to social justice, and joined the Socialist Party. Throughout his life, he supported left-wing causes and was a member or officer of many organizations promoting world peace and harmonious relations with the Soviet Union, civil rights, civil liberties, antifascism, and organized labor. Kent was frequently featured as a celebrity sponsor or speaker at fund-raising events for these causes. In 1948, he ran unsuccessfully as the American Labor Party's candidate for Congress. Kent's unpopular political views eventually led to the dissolution of his dairy business, resulted in a summons to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and prompted the U.S. State Department to deny him a passport, an action that subsequently was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Kent wrote two autobiographies, This Is My Own (1940) and It's Me, O Lord (1955). In 1969, he was the subject of an oral history interview conducted by Paul Cummings for the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
In 1969, Rockwell Kent donated his papers to the Archives of American Art; textile samples were received in 1979, and his widow gave additional papers in 1971 and 1996. Letters to Rockwell Kent from wives Frances and Sally, sealed during Sally Kent Gorton's lifetime, became available for research after her death in 2000, and further material was donated to the Archives of American Art in 2001 by the Estate of Sally Kent [Shirley Johnstone] Gorton.
Restrictions:
The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not microfilmed or digitized requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
One scrapbook of fourteen pages consisting of hand-drawn illustrations cut from envelopes and glued to the scrapbook pages.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Thomas Garvin was a fighter pilot during the Korean War. During his tour he wrote letters home with a hand-drawn illustration on each envelope. He also edited an Air Force magazine calledAir Scoop.
According to an unidentified article sent by Gail Vines, Garvin's daughter:
"Thomas Garvin graduated from the Army Air Corps cadets as a second lieutenant in 1945. He served as a flight instructor at Perrin Field, Texas, and was then transferred to Williams AFB, Arizona. His next duty assignment was to Korea, where he served through 1952, flying 100 missions in F-86 and being credited with one confirmed MIG-15 kill and one probable kill.
"After Korean combat, he was assigned to the 50th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico, and then to duty as operations officer of the 38th Squadron, Alexandria, Louisiana...."
Related Materials:
Of interest to researchers might be collection #755, Stephen A. Douglas World War II Envelopes, 1942-1945. Douglas used watercolors to decorate envelopes he sent home to his family during the war.
The Archives Center also has numerous collections containing scrapbooks and war related materials.
Provenance:
The scrapbook was donated to the Archives Center by Ms. Gail Vines, Garvin's daughter, in December 2000.
The collection was donated by Ms. Gail Vines, daughter of the artist.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Constable, W. G. (William George), 1887-1976 Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1942 December 31
Citation:
George L. (George Leslie) Stout. George L. Stout letter to W. G. Constable, 1942 December 31. W.G. Constable papers, 1905-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Constable, W. G. (William George), 1887-1976 Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1942 December
Citation:
George L. (George Leslie) Stout. George Stout draft of Protection of Monuments, 1942 December. W.G. Constable papers, 1905-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Constable, W. G. (William George), 1887-1976 Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1943 March 28
Citation:
George L. (George Leslie) Stout. George L. Stout letter to W. G. Constable, 1943 March 28. W.G. Constable papers, 1905-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with S. Lane Faison, 1981 December 14. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.