The papers of Frank A. Dubinskas, a noted anthropologist of organizational culture, primarily documents his research into automated manufacturing at Apple Computer, Inc., but also includes material relating to his research in Sierra Leone and Yugoslavia. Also included is some biograhical material as well as manuscripts and publications.
Scope and Contents:
The Frank A. Dubinskas papers primarily document his research into the social aspects of automated manufacturing at Apple Computer, but also includes a small mount of material from his earlier research as well as biographical information and writings.
Series 1. Biographical, comprises newsclippings, photographs, and other documents relating to Dubinskas' education, opposition to the draft, and employment. Also included are photographs of Dubinskas, as well as obituaries and memorials that followed his death.
Series 2. Research, includes a small amount of correspondence home and final paper relating to Dubinskas' Sierra Leone research into Mende woodcarving, and correspondence home and completed dissertation relating to research into Slavonian folklore in Yugoslavia. The bulk of the research series comprises Dubinskas' work on automated manufacturing at Apple Computer, Inc., specifically related to the istallation and implementation of an automated assembly line at Apple's Fremont facility. Materials consist of both paper and born-digital files and include correspondence, notes, reports, and presentations.
Series 3, Writings, include drafts and published articles and chapters by Dubinskas, as well as reviews of his edited volume, Making Time: Ethnographies of High-Technology Organizations. Also included are case studies that Dubinskas prepared for Harvard Business School and Digital Equipment Corporation.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in three series: 1. Biographical; 2. Research; and 3. Writings.
Biographical Note:
Frank A. Dubinskas (1946-1993) was an anthropologist of organizational behavior best known for his pioneering work in the field of the anthropology of science and technology. He went to Yale Universtiy for undergraduate studies in 1964, and in 1967 he conducted research in Sierra Leone, looking at the aesthetics of Mende woodcarving. He received his B.A. in anthropology 1972. He then went to Stanford University for his M.A. (1976) and Ph.D. (1983) in Anthropology, focusing his doctoral research on village expressive culture in Yugoslavia.
Dubinskas is most well known for his research into culture and technology in high-tech companies, particularly in manufacturing automation, knowledge management, and Chaos Theory in organizations. Among his various projects was his groundbreaking research into automated manufacturing implementation at Apple Computer in 1989-1990.
Dubinskas joined the faculty of the Organizational Studies Department in the Carroll School of Management at Boston College in 1987. From 1991-1992 he was a visiting scholar at the School of American Research in Santa Fe, NM, and in 1992 became the Howard W. Alkire Chair in International Business and Economics at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN.
1946 -- Born
1964-1972 -- Undergraduate studies at Yale University (BA 1972)
1967 -- Research in Sierra Leone
1970-1972 -- Research assistant, Biology/biochemistry, Yale University
1972-1974 -- Research associate, physiology, Anatomy and biochemistry departments, UC Berkeley
1975-1976 -- MA in anthropology, Stanford University
1977-1980 -- Doctoral research in Yugoslavia
1983 -- PhD in anthropology, Stanford University
1983-1984 -- Exxon Fellow, MIT Science, Technology, and Society program
1984-1985 -- Visiting scholar, MIT Science, Technology and Society program and program in anthropology and archaeology
1981-1986 -- Research into US biotechnology industry
1984, 1988 -- Follow up research in Yugoslavia
1985-1987 -- Associate for Case Development, Harvard Business School, Production and Operations Management Group
1985-1993 -- Research into US computer industry and computer integrated manufacturing
1986-1988 -- Research into US and European automotive industry
1987-1992 -- Assistant professor, Organizational Studies Department, Carroll School of Management Boston College
1989-1991 -- Research into automated manufacturing at Apple Computer
1991-1992 -- NEH resident scholar, School of American Research
1992-1993 -- Howard W. Alkire Chair in International Business and Economics, associate professor of Anthropology, and director of international studies, Hamline University
1993, October 25 -- Dies in St. Paul, MN
Provenance:
Received from Anna Hargreaves and Dorothy W. Dubinskas in 1998 and 2000.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Access to the Frank A. Dubinskas papers requires an appointment.
Barbara Winston Blackmun was a scholar of African art history who conducted pioneering research into the art and history of the Aken'ni Elao, or carved tusks from the royal altars of Benin, Nigeria, as well as other Arican art. The collection contains Blackmun's notes, photographs, research data, correspondence, and writings and talks.
Scope and Contents:
The Barbara W. Blackmun papers primarily document Blackmun's dissertation research into the carved altar tusks of Benin, Nigeria. Series 1: Research, includes tusk data files, charts, data and analysis on motifs and types, photographs, and correspondence. Also included is volume 1 of Blackmun's dissertation, "The iconography of carved altar tusks from Benin, Nigeria" and files related to the appendices (Volumes 2 and 3). Though the bulk of the material relates to the tusk research, there are files on other Nigerian art forms as well, such as bronzes, terracottas, and other carved ivory objects held in museums and collections wordwide.
Series 2: Writings and talks, are working files containing manuscripts and drafts, photographs and illustrations, correspondence, and notes for published articles as well as for lectures and talks given.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in two series: 1. Research; and 2. Writings and talks.
Biographical Note:
Barbara Winston Blackmun was a scholar of African art who conducted pioneering research into the art and history of Aken'ni Elao, the carved tusks from the royal altars of Benin, Nigeria.
Born in 1928 in Merced, California, Blackmun grew up in US national parks where her father managed camps for the Civilian Conservation Corps. She graduated from UCLA in 1949 with a BFA and a teaching certificate, and taught art, music, and drama at a public school in Trona, California. There she met and married Rupert Blackmun, a professor of industrial arts. The couple had three children.
In 1964, Rupert was asked to help build a polytechnic college in Malawi. The family spent five years there, with Blackmun teaching at both the polytechnic college as well as at the University of Malawi. There, Blackmun developed her interest in African art, conducting research into Maravi mask traditions. Upon returning to the United States in 1969, Blackmun enrolled at Arizona State University, earning her MA in art history in 1971. Following this, the Blackmuns moved to San Diego, where Blackmun joined the faculty at San Diego Mesa College.
In 1978 Blackmun enrolled in a PhD program in African art history at UCLA, and spent the summers of 1978 and 1979 working with Frank Willett at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow. In 1981-1982, funded by a Fulbright award, Blackmun conducted field research in Benin City, Nigeria, interviewing members of the Igbesanmwan ivory carvers guild and others as she learned about the motifs carved into altar tusks.
Blackmun received her PhD in 1984, based on her study of the Benin altar tusks. Her work was significant for its examination of over 130 tusks held in museums and collections worldwide, and for her early use of computer analysis of the motifs depicted on the tusks. Blackmun continued research into tusks over the years, as well as other Nigerian art forms, including bronzes, terracottas, and other carved ivory objects.
From 1988 to 1990 Blackmun served as the director of the San Diego Museum of Man, overseeing the renovation of the museum's Africa gallery. In 2003, she founded the African Art Collection at San Diego Mesa College, curating numerous exhibits. She retired from San Diego Mesa College in 2010, but continued to remain active, lecturing, publishing, and consulting on African art history. Blackman died in 2018.
Sources consulted
"Obituary: Barbara Winston Blackmun," https://networks.h-net.org/node/12834/discussions/2439735/obituary-barbara-winston-blackmun (accessed April 2, 2024)
Ezra, Kate. "Barbara Winston Blackmun, 1928-1918." African Art Vol. 52, No. 1, Spring 2019, pp. 11-13
Chronology
1928 -- Born on June 29
1949 -- Receives AB in fine art and teaching certificate from UCLA
1964-1969 -- In Malawi with family, teaching at Malawi Polytechnic College and the University of Malawi
1971 -- Receives MA in art history from Arizona State University Joins faculty at San Diego Mesa College
1978 -- Starts PhD program in African art history at UCLA
Summers, 1978 and 1979 -- Works with Frank Willett at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow, UK
1981-1982 -- Field research in Benin City, Nigeria
1984 -- Receives PhD
1988-1990 -- Serves as director of the San Diego Museum of Man
2003 -- Founds the African art collection at San Diego Mesa College
2010 -- Retires from San Diego Mesa College
2018 -- Dies on July 6
Historical note:
Aken'ni Elao, or carved altar tusks of Benin, Nigeria, are carved elephant tusks featuring scenes representing rituals and other activities of the Oba (traditional ruler of the Edo people), and were made as a historical record of events in the Kindom of Benin. The tusks were placed on the ancestral altars or shrines of the Oba, fitted into a pedestal in the shape of a head, made of bronze or brass.
Related Materials:
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art holds the Barbara Blackmun Collection of photographic slides.
All three volumes of Blackmun's dissertation are held in the Library at the National Museum of African Art.
Provenance:
Received from Monica Blackmun Visonà in 2016.
Restrictions:
Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.
Record 1 Side A. North America: French Canada. Fiddle and foot-stamping --United States: Eskimo. Drum and voices ; Indian. Flute, Drums and voices ; Hawaiian. Bamboo poles, Nose-flute ; Northeast. Dulcimer ; Southeast. 5 string banjo, 12 string guitar, Fiddle and banjo ; Southern. Harmonica, Skiffle band and voice, Guitar, New Orleans street band -- Mexico and Central America: Indian harp and gourds, Marimba, Mariachi --West Indies: Steel band ; Cafe Orchestra --South America: Brazil. Drum, fife and voices ; Peru. Indian harps ; Bolivia. Cana, Quena and bombo, Sicu and drums ; Argentina. Quena, bombo, and charango. Record 1 Side B. British Isles: England. Pipe and tabor, Hand bell ringers, Concertina and voice ; Ireland. Irish harp and voice ; Uillenn bagpipes, Mouth music ; Scotland. Scotch bagpipes --Scandinavia: Norway. Hardanger fiddle, Langeleik ; Finland. Kantele --Western Europe: Netherlands. Clogs and voices ; Belgium. Street organ, Hurdy-gurdy, Vielle ; Switzerland. Alphorn and cowbells ; Austria. Zither ; Spain. Pipes, tabor and castanets, Flamenco guitar, castanets, hand-clapping, foot-stamping and voice, Guitar -- Eastern Europe: Bulgaria. Pipes and accordion ; Hungary. Cimbalom ; Russia. Balalaika, Balalika Ensemble. Record 2 Side A. Near East and Europe: Serbia (Jugoslavia). Tamboritz ; Greece. Shepherd pipe and kanun ; Turkey. Zornah, bagpipe and davul ; Armenia. Tar, zoorni, doly and hand-clapping ; Jordan. Drums and pipes ; Syria. Pipes, stringed instrument and drums ; Lebanon. Pipes, stringed instrument, drum and voice, Bagpipes and drums, Arabic drums and pipes ; Israel. Chalil and miriam drum ; Arabia. Ud ; Aden. Ud, pipes and voices ; Yemen. Pipes and drums -- Africa (West): Senegal. Halam, Tabala, iron percussion and voices ; Liberia. Bow harp, or musical bow -- Africa (West and East): Cameroon. Pit violin and drum ; Ethopia. Kinnor --Africa (Central): Talking drum and voices, Log drum, Sansa, Xylophones ; Congo. Harp, Bow Harp ; Zambia: Drums. Record 2 Side B. Asia (Central): Iran. Ud, dunbak, and pipe ; Afghanistan. Robab and tabla ; Azerbaijan-USSR. Tar, nai, rebab and hand-clapping -- Asia (Southern): Pakisan. Dholak, bansri and voices ; Kashmir. Tabla and tanpura ; India. Snake charmer music: shannai, tabula and cymbais, Introduction to instruments: tampura, tabla, sitar, Classical music and voice. Sitar, Shanai, Bansir, tanpura, tabla --Asia (Southeastern): Burma. Harp and cymbals, Guitar and cymbals, Drum circle ; Thailand. Gongs --Asia (Pacific Islands): Sabah. Gongs ; Indonesia. Garmelan --Asia (China): Erh-hu, seh, and t'i, Butterfly harp --Asia (Japan) Koto, Samisen and voice, Gongs and temple bells --Asia (Korea): Koto and drum, Flute, drum, stringed instrument and voice --Pacific Islands: Tahiti. Cocoanut drums and voice ; Philippines. Guitar and voice.
Local Numbers:
FW-ASCH-LP-1442
Follett.24
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
Follett 1964
General:
Jacket notes and leaflet include descriptions and illustrations of the instruments. Production notes: "The instruments heard on these records were recorded in their native countries." [compiled and edited by Moses Asch from the collection of Folkways Records].
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. No duplication allowed listening and viewing for research purposes only.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, purchased through the American Women's History Initiative Acquisitions Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative
The Paul Riesman papers include material on the Fula peoples of West Africa from Riesman's research in Burkina Faso during the 1960s and 1970s. Riesman's research among the Fula peoples is primarily focused on social life and child-rearing practices. The collection consists of fieldnotes, journals, correspondence, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The Paul Riesman papers reflect Riesman's anthropological fieldwork among the Fula peoples of West Africa. Riesman began his fieldwork in Burkina Faso in 1966 while earning his PhD from the University of Paris. Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s Riesman resided among the Fula peoples, primarily researching social life and child-rearing practices. Riesman's research is documented in this collection through extensive fieldnotes which encompass Fula culture and Riesman's own personal reflections on life, an aspect of research which Riesman employed in his introspective approach to anthropology. Additionally, there is both personal and professional correspondence between Riesman and others. This collection contains fieldnotes, journals, and correspondence. Also present are five photographs of Riesman taken during his fieldwork.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Biographical / Historical:
Paul Hastings Riesman (1938 – 1988) was an anthropologist who studied the Fula peoples of West Africa and was active from the mid to late 20th century. Following the footsteps of his father, American sociologist David Riesman, Paul Riesman graduated from Harvard University in 1960 with a B.A. in Social Relations. After completing his undergraduate degree, Riesman began his fieldwork in Burkina Faso among the Fula peoples while earning his PhD in Ethnology from the University of Paris. While researching Fula social life and child-rearing practices, Riesman also studied how the ethnographer's personal and cultural backgrounds are implicated in anthropological research. Riesman continued his fieldwork after earning his PhD in 1970 and would return to Burkina Faso frequently for research after becoming Associate Professor at Carleton College and later, Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Paul Riesman died of an aneurysm at the age of 50 in 1988. Following his death, colleagues helped to complete Riesman's unpublished manuscript on child-rearing practices based on his research among the Fula.
Related Materials:
The Carleton College Archives holds the Paul H. Riesman papers.
Provenance:
Received from Suzanne Riesman in 1998.
Restrictions:
Access to the Paul Riesman papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Citation:
Paul Riesman papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The collection consists of two (2) amulets collected by Labelle Prussin in Bafodea, Sierra Leone in 1979. One amulet is a copy that Prussin had made of a "hatumere" (Fulbe) or "sebe" (Mande). It was intended to be folded and enclosed or hidden in a leather pouch. The original amulet was later collected by Simon Ottenberg and is now in the collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art. The other amulet is a sheet of paper inscribed in Arabic. It was previously mounted over the lintel of the entrance to the Chief's house in Bafodea.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Local Numbers:
NAA MS 2008-18
Related Materials:
The original amulet collected by Simon Ottenberg is held by the National Museum of African Art.
The Department of Anthropology object collections holds artifacts collected by Labelle Prussin.
Genre/Form:
Works of art
Amulets
Citation:
MS 2008-18 Two amulets collected in Bafodea, Sierra Leone, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Collection consists of five episodes of National Geographic EXPLORER. Titles are: FIRE AND STEEL; WAY OF THE WADAABE; SAMBA; JU JU MUSIC; HAITIAN VOODOO.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or Anthropology Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Provenance:
Received from Linda Goldman in 1990.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Genre/Form:
Video recordings
Citation:
National Geographic Explorer videos, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Audiovisual materials created for an exhibition on African American Dance, held at the Arts and Industries Building December 14, 2000 - June 1, 2001. More than 300 paintings, photographs, sculpture, and archival objects -- some dating to the early 1600s -- are used to trace African American dance from its roots in west and central Africa through the 20th century. On view are masks, robes, drums and musical instruments from Africa, along with works by such artists as Richmond Barthe, Romare Bearden, John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Archibald Motley, Sam Gilliam, and Howardena Pindell. Dancers featured include the Nicholas Brothers, Josephine Baker, Carmen de Lavallade, and Alvin Ailey. Organized by the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, Wilberforce, Ohio. Sponsored by the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture. This collection of audiovisual records contains sound recordings of the exhibition script.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Some items are not accessible due to obsolete format and playback machinery restrictions. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
Edited footage shot in West Africa (1931), Haiti (1934) and Georgia (U.S. ca. 1930) for/by Melville Herskovits.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or Anthropology Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Provenance:
These films and related papers were transferred to the National Anthropological Film Center by the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University in 1977.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Melville Herskovits films, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Preservation supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts and the National Film Preservation Foundation. Cataloging supported by Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Contributed in memory of Professor Sarah Webster Fabio (1928-1979), poet, educator, Black Arts Movement icon, and one of the Literary Corner's analysts.
Abraham Rosman and Paula G. Rubel were professors of anthropology at Barnard College, Columbia University. The collection consists of materials documenting their research, writing, and teaching, and reflects their interests in ritualized exchange systems, kinship, social organization, and material culture.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of materials documenting Rosman and Rubel's research, writing, and teaching, and reflects their interests in ritualized exchange systems, kinship, social organization, and material culture. The bulk of the collection documents their fieldwork and research among the Kanuri of Nigeria, Kalmyk Mongols in New Jersey, Northwest Coast and Athabaskan societies, pastoral nomads of Iran and Afghanistan, peoples of New Guinea and New Ireland, as well as research on art, ethnographic objects, museums, and collecting. The collection includes field notes, historical and archival research and notes, bibliographies, correspondence, writings, maps, photographs, and sound recordings.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into three series: (1) Fieldwork and research, 1952-2004; (2) Conference papers, 1970-1995; and (3) Teaching, circa 1980-circa 1990.
Biographical Note:
Abraham Rosman was born in New York City in 1930. He earned his BA in anthropology from City College (1959) and PhD in anthropology from Yale (1962). His dissertation "Social Structure and Acculturation among the Kanuri of Northern Nigeria" was based on fieldwork conducted in 1956-1957. He was appointed Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University in 1962. He was a full professor at Barnard College from 1972 until his retirement in 1998.
Paula G. Rubel was born in The Bronx, New York in 1933. She earned her BA in psychology from Hunter College (1953) and her PhD in anthropology from Columbia University (1963). Her dissertation was based on fieldwork among an immigrant community of Russian Kalmyk Mongols in New Jersey. She was part of the faculty of Barnard College from 1965 until her retirement in 1989, becoming a full professor in 1974.
Rosman and Rubel were married 1971. They worked together throughout their careers, focusing their research on comparative studies and structural analysis of ritual exchange, kinship relations, power, social hierarchies, religion, and material culture. They studied kinship and exchange along the Pacific Northwest Coast, among pastoral groups in Iran and Afghanistan, and in New Guinea and New Ireland. They also studied ethnographic objects, tribal art, and the social world of museums, collectors, and dealers. Their partnership was collaborative, alternating first authorship with each publication. They were the authors of numerous monographs including
Feasting with Mine Enemy: Rank and Exchange among Northwest Coast Societies (1971), Your Own Pigs You May Not Eat: A Comparative Study of New Guinea Societies (1978), The Tapestry of Culture: An Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (1981), and Collecting Tribal Art: How Northwest Coast Masks and Eastern Island Lizard Men Became Art (2012).
Rubel died in 2018 and Rosman died in 2020. Their final book, Aliens on Our Shores: An Anthropological History of New Ireland Papua New Guinea 1616-1914, was published posthumously in 2021.
Sources Consulted
Sharp, Lesley A. "Paula G. Rubel (1922-2018)." American Anthropologist. 121.2 (2019): 540-542.
Sharp, Lesley A. and Maxine Weisgrau. "Abraham Rosman (1930-2020)." American Anthropologist. 123.1 (2020): 205-207.
Abraham Rosman
1930 -- Born in New York City
1951 -- Marries Bernice Lieberman
1952 -- BA in anthropology from City College
1962 -- PhD in anthropology from Yale University Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University
1966 -- Associate Professor of Anthropology, Barnard college, Columbia University
1971 -- Divorces Bernice Rosman Marries Paula G. Rubel
1972 -- Professor of Anthropology, Barnard College, Columbia University
1998 -- Retires
2020 -- Dies
Paula G. Rubel
1933 -- Born Paula Glicksman in The Bronx, New York
1953 -- BA in pyschology from Hunter College
1954 -- Marries Hewitt Rubel
1963 -- PhD in anthropology from Columbia University
1965 -- Lecturer, Barnard College, Columbia University
1966 -- Assistant Professor, Barnard College, Columbia University
1971 -- Divorces Hewitt Rubel Marries Abraham Rosman
1974 -- Professor, Barnard College, Columbia University
1998 -- Retires
2012-2014 -- President, Association of Senior Anthropologists
2018 -- Dies
Provenance:
Donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Abraham Rosman in 2019.
Restrictions:
The Abraham Rosman and Paula G. Rubel papers are open for research.
Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings.
Digital media in the collection is restricted for preservation reasons.
Access to the Abraham Rosman and Paula G. Rubel papers requires an appointment.
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Item Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Edited film shot in Oyo, Nigeria during field research. This visual record reflects Bascom's approach to the study of African aesthetics, one which integrated an analysis of the social role, status, and function of the artist with his/her individual style, ideas, and technique. Footage records traditional Yoruba craft techniques including pottery making, spinning cotton, dyeing thread and cloth, weaving of ikat cloth on a men's loom, and woodcarving. Also filmed is master Yoruba woodcarver, Duga of Meko, carving and painting a ritual effigy of Shango.
Legacy Keywords: Pottery manufacture of Nigeria ; Spinning of cotton thread Nigeria ; Textiles dyeing of Nigeria ; Weaving laying of warp Nigeria ; Carving woodcarvers Nigeria ; Effigies carving of Shango Nigeria
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or Anthropology Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Local Number:
HSFA 1989.19.1
Provenance:
Received from Berta Bascom in 1989.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
The Historic Maps of Africa collection includes 78 maps and dates from circa 1631 to 1973. Geographic content of individual maps varies from topographical information, boundaries of colonial territories, and ethnic groups, among other topics. While several depict the continent of Africa in its entirety, many focus on specific countries and geographic regions. There are a particularly large number of maps depicting the West African Coast.
Scope and Contents:
The Historic Maps of Africa collection consists of 78 maps, dating from circa 1631 to 1973, with the bulk created in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The maps vary in size, ranging from the smallest at 7 x 7 (7/8) inches to the largest at 40 x 30 (5/8) inches.
Geographic content of individual maps varies from topographical information, boundaries of colonial territories, and ethnic groups, among other topics. While several depict the continent of Africa in its entirety, many focus on specific countries and geographic regions. There are a particularly large number of maps depicting the West African Coast.
The majority of the maps in the collection feature color illustrations. Titles and descriptions of the maps are in several languages (Dutch, English, French, German, and others), representing the different colonial powers in control at the time. Particular maps of interest include an 1830 colored map in English titled "Africa from the Best Authorities," which illustrates the entire African continent, various ethnic groups, and the inroads made by European colonial powers; and a 1656 topographic map in French depicting the west-central coast of Africa, specifically the mountains and rivers of the region.
Digital copies of the maps are available.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in chronological order.
Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Citation:
Historic maps of Africa collection, EEPA 1991-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
