This collection contains one 8mm silent film that was shot by Hugo Teweles presumably while he and his wife Alice Heller Teweles and their children Lawrence, Richard, and Marie, were on vacation in New Mexico and Arizona. Included in the film is footage of an Apache Fire Dance, possibly by the White Mountain Apache dancers in Arizona.
The film canister indicates that the film was shot in Dec. 1929, however, the month or year must be inaccurate as Hugo died in June of that year. The label on the front of the original film canister reads, "M.T.W. & E.C.W. New Mexico and Arizona. Dec. 1929. X Fire Dance." The label on the back of the original film canister reads, "H. Teweles. 986 Sheperd. Children"
The initials M.T.W. and E.C.W. most likely refer to Marie Teweles Wallau and her husband Ernest C. Wallau. Marie inherited the film from her father.
Arrangement:
Film is on one film core.
Biographical / Historical:
Hugo Teweles was born in Cheboygan, Wisconsin on Sept. 18, 1871. In 1898, he married Alice Heller Teweles who was born in Milwaukee, Wis. on April 9, 1882. The Teweles had three children Lawrence (1899-1967), Richard (1902-1969), and Marie (1907-2000). Hugo worked as a seed merchant in Milwaukee. According to U.S. Passport applications and ship passenger lists, the Teweles family traveled for leisure often, and presumably, they shot this film when visiting New Mexico or Arizona.
Hugo died in June 1929 and Alice died in 1948.
Provenance:
This film was shot by Hugo Teweles, inherited by his daughter Marie Teweles Wallau and donated to NMAI by her great niece Tracy Teweles in 2017.
Restrictions:
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.
Topic:
Indians of North America -- New Mexico Search this
