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Catalog Data

Creator:
Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943  Search this
Names:
American Museum of Natural History  Search this
Royal College of Surgeons in London  Search this
United States National Museum  Search this
Extent:
595 Negatives (photographic) (circa, glass and nitrate)
Culture:
Pueblo  Search this
Omaha  Search this
Osage  Search this
Jicarilla Apache  Search this
Diné (Navajo)  Search this
Lakota (Teton/Western Sioux)  Search this
Hopi Pueblo  Search this
Indians of North America -- Great Plains  Search this
Mongols  Search this
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Negatives (photographic)
Photographs
Date:
1912-1917
Scope and Contents note:
The bulk of the collection consists of photographs commissioned by Ales Hrdlicka for the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, collected 1912-1914. They include front and profile portraits of Mongols in Urga, Mongolia, as well as Apache, Teton, Hopi, Navajo, Omaha, Osage, and Pueblo people. There are some full-length portraits of Apaches and views of Southwest Native dwellings, activities, and a dance. Additionally, there are some images of United States National Museum exhibits and items from the USNM, American Museum of Natural History, and the Royal College of Surgeons in London, some of which were made by Hrdlicka in 1917.
Biographical/Historical note:
Ales Hrdlicka (1869-1943) was born in Czechoslovakia and came to the United States at the age of thirteen. Originally trained in medicine, he developed an interest in physical anthropology while working with the New York State hospitals and researching with the Department of Anthropology in the Pathological Institute of the New York State hospitals. Hrdlicka joined the Hyde Expeditions to the American Southwest and made his own expeditions to study physical characteristics of Southwest tribes. In 1903, he was appointed head of the United States National Museum's newly formed Division of Physical Anthropology. In 1912, Hrdlicka planned and directed seven expeditions, gathering information that helped him prepare physical anthropology exhibits for the Panama-California Exposition at San Diego, California (1915). Hrdlicka hired sculptor Frank Micka to make busts of people from around the world to display in the exposition. While in the field making casts, Micka also took front and profile photographs of subjects. Hrdlicka made his own trip to photograph the people in Urga, Mongolia, making 360 images of Mongolians and some Tibetans for use in the exposition.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot 73-26B
Location of Other Archival Materials:
Additional photographs relating to the exposition, including prints of many of these negatives, are held in National Anthropological Archives Photo Lot 8, Photo Lot 9, and Photo Lot 88-25.
The National Anthropological Archives also holds the Ales Hrdlicka Papers ca. 1887-1943 and his photographs in Photo Lot 8, Photo Lot 24, Photo Lot 70, Photo Lot 78, Photo Lot 97, Photo Lot 73-26G, Photo Lot 83-41, and Photo Lot 92-46.
Restrictions:
Nitrate negatives are in cold storage and require advanced notice for viewing.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Physical anthropology  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Photo lot 73-26B, Ales Hrdlicka photograph collection relating to the Panama-California Exposition, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.PhotoLot.73-26B
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw31148c370-c9e9-4e37-bd55-ae405d0df066
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-photolot-73-26b