Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Search Results

Collections Search Center
2,740 documents - page 1 of 137

Braid Of Man's Hair

Collector:
Dr. Elmer W. Brandes  Search this
Donor Name:
U.S. Department Of Agriculture  Search this
Culture:
Papuan  Search this
Object Type:
Hair
Place:
New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
25 Jul 1929
Collection Date:
1928
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
106509
USNM Number:
E344808-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3701df795-2c40-41ef-ad64-b00c78381c14
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8402270
Online Media:

Braid Of Man's Hair

Collector:
Dr. Elmer W. Brandes  Search this
Donor Name:
U.S. Department Of Agriculture  Search this
Culture:
Papuan  Search this
Object Type:
Hair
Place:
Kaundoma, Lake Murray, New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
25 Jul 1929
Collection Date:
1928
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
106509
USNM Number:
E344809-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3e7b199e0-9bd5-4e11-9d17-c0ad0bd7e78f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8402271
Online Media:

Head Figure

Collector:
Joseph Hirshhorn  Search this
Donor Name:
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden  Search this
Height - Object:
95 cm
Width - Object:
15.5 cm
Object Type:
Sculpture
Place:
New Ireland, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
28 Aug 1992
Collection Date:
Not Given
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
370312
USNM Number:
E427381-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3771a858d-5800-4dbe-8355-e688d66a722b
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8460091

Manuscript and Pamphlet File

Creator:
Smithsonian Institution. National Museum of Natural History. Department of Anthropology. Division of Ethnology  Search this
Mason, Otis Tufton, 1838-1908  Search this
Hough, Walter, 1859-1935  Search this
Williams, Talcott  Search this
Hawley, Edwin H.  Search this
Wilson, Thomas  Search this
Collection Creator:
National Museum of Natural History (U.S.). Department of Anthropology  Search this
Smithsonian Institution. Department of Anthropology  Search this
Smithsonian Institution. United States National Museum. Department of Anthropology  Search this
Extent:
41 Linear feet
Culture:
Luiseno  Search this
Sac and Fox (Sauk & Fox)  Search this
Iroquois  Search this
Baubi  Search this
Niitsitapii (Blackfoot/Blackfeet)  Search this
Eskimos  Search this
Innuit  Search this
Jamomadi  Search this
Kiowa  Search this
Mission  Search this
Moro  Search this
Naltunnetunne  Search this
Pygmies  Search this
Tesuque  Search this
A:shiwi (Zuni)  Search this
Modoc  Search this
Wichita  Search this
Osage  Search this
Dyak  Search this
Fox  Search this
Haida  Search this
Makah  Search this
Maya  Search this
Carib  Search this
Shuar/Achuar  Search this
Pueblo  Search this
Mi'kmaq (Micmac)  Search this
Seminole  Search this
Nanticoke  Search this
Seri  Search this
Pomo  Search this
Chinook  Search this
Washo Indians  Search this
Nez Percé Indians  Search this
Shoshone  Search this
Kuna (Cuna)  Search this
Bannock  Search this
Omaha  Search this
Cochiti Pueblo  Search this
Yavapai  Search this
Chaticks Si Chaticks (Pawnee)  Search this
Lenape (Delaware)  Search this
Sauk  Search this
Mojave (Mohave)  Search this
Hupa  Search this
Caddo  Search this
Klamath  Search this
Onondaga  Search this
Maidu  Search this
Oto  Search this
Tolowa  Search this
Wintun  Search this
Samoan  Search this
Cossacks  Search this
Arabs  Search this
Diegueño Indians  Search this
Goajira  Search this
Hittites  Search this
Kabyles  Search this
Kirghese  Search this
Luiseño Indians  Search this
Maori (New Zealand people)  Search this
Wichí (Mataco)  Search this
Narragansett  Search this
Parsee  Search this
Quichua  Search this
Quinaielt  Search this
Tonga?  Search this
Tulalip  Search this
Dayak (Indonesian people)  Search this
Samoans  Search this
Indians of North America -- California  Search this
Wintu  Search this
Arctic peoples  Search this
Indians of North America -- Subarctic  Search this
Indians of North America -- Great Basin  Search this
Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America  Search this
Quinault  Search this
Indians of North America -- Great Plains  Search this
Indians of North America -- Plateau  Search this
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New  Search this
Inuit  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Letters
Notes
Drawings
Maps
Photographs
Printed materials
Processed materials
Paper specimens
Reports
Manuscripts
Catalogs
Motion pictures (visual works)
Bibliographies
Place:
British Columbia
District of Columbia
Europe
Hawaii
India
Iran
Ireland
Japan
Korea
Madagascar
Madeira Islands
Micronesia
Mongolia
Morocco
New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Nubia
Puerto Rico
Spain
Tahiti
Philippines
Thailand
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Date:
1840s
1860-1962
1972
1997
Scope and Contents:
For those who are searching for anthropologically substantive materials, special note should be made of the Manuscript and Pamphlet File. A potpourri of documents, the file includes correspondence, notes, drawings, maps, photographs, printed and processed materials, paper specimens, reports, writings, catalogs, motion picture film (now in the Smithsonian's Human Studies Film Archives), bibliographies, and other types of documents. Of concern is a wide variety of subjects such as anthropological specimens, museology and museums, Smithsonian history, archaeological and ethnological methods, exhibits, expeditions, history of anthropology, and so forth.

The file seems to have been maintained in the Division of Ethnology — in one document it was referred to as Herbert W. Krieger's morgue — and the subject matter is largely ethnological. Nevertheless, some documents relate to archeology and physical anthropology. The file also contains administrative materials, such as records relating to the Department of Anthropology's use of Work Projects Administration workers during the 1930s. In addition, the file is the main location of materials not generally accepted as being strictly anthropological in the modern sense. It includes, for example, material on period costumes, fish and fisheries, whaling, religions, armor, biblical studies, modern appliances, the seal industry, European music and musical instruments, lace, aeronautics, and other similar subjects. In addition, the file includes sets of papers of Edwin H. Hawley ,Walter Hough, Otis T. Mason, Talcott Williams and Thomas Wilson. Some documents, both primary and secondary research materials, concern the following cultural groups and geographic areas: Arabs, Bannock, Baubi, Blackfoot, British Columbia, Caddo, Carib, Chinook, Cochiti, Comanche, Cossacks, Cuna, Delaware, Diegueño, District of Columbia, Dyak, Eskimo, Europe, Fox, Goajira, Haida, Hawaii, Hittites, Hupa, India, Innuit, Iran, Ireland, Jamomadi, Japan, Jivaro, Kabyles, Kiowa, Kirghese, Klamath, Korea, Luiseño, Madagascar, Madiera, Maidu, Makah, Maori, Mataco, Maya, Micmac, Micronesia, Mission, Modoc, Mohave, Mongolia, Moro, Morocco, Naltunnetunne, Nanticoke, Narragansett, Navaho, New Guinea, Nez Perce, Nubia, Omaha, Onandaga, Osage, Oto, Papua, Parsee, Pawnee, Peru, Philippines, Pomo, Pueblo, Puerto Rico, Pygmies, Quichua, Quinaielt, Samoa, Sauk, Seminole, Seri, Shoshoni, Spain, Tahiti, Tesuque, Thailand, Texas, Tolowa, Tonga, Tulalip, Utah, Virginia, Washo, Wichita, Wintun, Yavapai, and Zuni.
The manuscript and pamphlet file is virtually a potpourri of documents, including correspondence, notes, drawings, maps, photographs, printed and processed materials, paper specimens, reports, writings, catalogs, motion picture film, bibliographies, and other types of documents. Of concern is a wide variety of subjects such as anthropological specimens, museology and museums, Smithsonian history, archeological and ethnological methods, exhibits, expeditions, history of anthropology, and so forth. The file seems to have been maintained in the Division of Ethnology--in one document it was referred to as being Herbert W. Krieger's morgue--and the subject matter is largely ethnological.

Some documents, however, concern archeology and physical anthropology. The file also contains some administrative materials--records relating to the Department of Anthropology's use of Work Projects Administration workers, for example. In addition, it is the main location of materials not generally accepted as being strictly anthropological in the modern sense. It includes, for example, material on the First Ladies' Gown exhibit now in the National Museum of American History, fish and fisheries, whaling, religions, armour, biblical studies, modern appliances, the seal industry, European music and musical instruments, lace, aeronautics, and other similar subjects.

The file includes the papers of many different persons. The file also includes sets of papers of Otis Tufton Mason, Walter Hough, Talcott Williams, Edwin H. Hawley, and Thomas Wilson. It includes documents, sometimes of a secondary nature, about the following cultural groups and geographic areas; Arabs, Bannock, Baubi, Blackfoot, British Columbia, Caddo, Chinook, Cochiti, Comanche, Cossacks, Cuna, Delaware, Diegueno, District of Columbia, Dyak, Eskimo, Europe, Fox, Goajira, Haida, Hawaii, Hittites, Hupa, India, Innuit, Iran, Ireland, Jamomadi, Japan, Jivaro, Kabyles, Kiowa, Kirghese, Klamath, Korea, Luiseno, Madagascar, Madeira, Maidu, Makah, Maori, Mataco, Maya, Micmac, Micronesia, Mission, Modoc, Mohave, Mongolia, Moro, Morocco, Naltunnetunne, Nanticoke, Narragansett, Navaho,

New Guinea, Nez Perce, Nubia, Omaha, Onandaga, Osage, Oto, Papua, Parsee, Pawnee, Peru, Philippines, Pomo, Pueblo, Puerto Rico, Pygmies, Quichua, Quinaielt, Samoa, Sauk, Seminole, Seri, Shoshoni, Spain, Tahiti, Tesuque, Thailand, Texas, Tolowa, Tonga, Tulalip, Utah, Virginia, Washo, Wichita, Wintun, Yavapai, and Zuni.
Collection Restrictions:
Some materials are restricted.

Access to the Department of Anthropology records requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Lace and lace making  Search this
Musical instruments  Search this
Seal industry  Search this
Electric apparatus and appliances  Search this
Fish and fisheries  Search this
First Ladies' Gowns  Search this
Whaling  Search this
Religions  Search this
Armor  Search this
Biblical studies  Search this
Tipai-Ipai  Search this
Shoshone  Search this
Lenape  Search this
Mi'kmaq  Search this
Otoe  Search this
Pueblo  Search this
Eskimo ?  Search this
Meskwaki; Sauk & Fox  Search this
Blackfeet  Search this
Indians of North America -- Northeast  Search this
Indians of North America -- Southern states  Search this
Genre/Form:
Letters
Notes
Drawings
Maps
Photographs
Printed materials
Processed materials
Paper specimens
Reports
Manuscripts
Catalogs
Motion pictures (visual works)
Bibliographies
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.XXXX.0311, Subseries 17.1
See more items in:
Department of Anthropology records
Department of Anthropology records / Series 17: Division of Ethnology
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3b2f3180c-4348-4175-ab6f-c61e477eafc5
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-xxxx-0311-ref53

Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers

Creator:
Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975  Search this
Stirling, Marion  Search this
Names:
National Geographic Society (U.S.)  Search this
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology  Search this
Extent:
37.94 Linear feet (84 boxes, 3 map folders)
Culture:
Olmec (archaeological culture)  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Field notes
Photographs
Correspondence
Place:
Papua New Guinea
Mexico
Ecuador
Costa Rica
Panama
Date:
1876-2004, undated
bulk 1921-1975
Summary:
The Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers, 1876-2004 (bulk 1921-1975), document the professional and personal lives of Matthew Stirling, Smithsonian archaeologist and Chief of the Bureau of American Ethnology (1928-1957), and his wife and constant collaborator, Marion Stirling Pugh. The bulk of the material is professional in nature and includes material from Matthew's early career in the 1920s, the careers of Matthew and Marion together from when they married in 1933 to Matthew's death in 1975, and Marion's life and work from 1975 until her death in 2001.

The majority of the documentation relates to the investigation of the Olmec culture in Mexico by the Stirlings, including the discoveries of eight colossal Olmec heads. In addition, the collection documents their work in Panama, Ecuador, and Costa Rica, looking for connections between Mesoamerica and South America. Materials include field notes, journals, correspondence, photographs, writings, clippings, ephemera, articles, and scrapbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers, 1876-2004 (bulk 1921-1975), document the professional and personal lives of Matthew Stirling, Smithsonian archaeologist, and Chief of the Bureau of American Ethnology (1928-1957), and his wife and constant collaborator, Marion Stirling Pugh. The bulk of the material is professional in nature and includes material from Matthew's early career in the 1920s, the careers of Matthew and Marion together from when they married in 1933 to Matthew's death in 1975, and Marion's life and work from 1975 until her death in 2001. The majority of the documentation relates to the investigation of the Olmec culture in Mexico by the Stirlings, including the discoveries of eight colossal Olmec heads. In addition, the collection documents their work in Panama, Ecuador, and Costa Rica, looking for connections between Mesoamerica and South America. Materials include field notes, journals, correspondence, photographs, writings, clippings, ephemera, articles, and scrapbooks.

Series 1. Field work, 1921-1998 (bulk 1921-1975) and undated, documents the archaeological expeditions undertaken by Matthew and Marion Stirling over a span of 40 years. This includes expeditions Matthew undertook prior to his marriage and collaboration with Marion to Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, and Florida, and extensive documentation of expeditions they embarked on together to Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, and Costa Rica.

Series 2. Other travels, 1946-1972 is comprised of materials documenting trips the Stirlings took that, for the most part, did not include field work. This includes trips for both business and personal travel, however it was common for the two to overlap.

Series 3. Administrative files, 1924-1980 and undated is partly comprised of materials the Stirlings compiled and organized into an alphabetical filing structure and also of materials that are administrative in nature and did not directly relate to other categories outlined in this finding aid.

Series 4 Writings and lectures, 1925-1990 and undated, consists of articles, papers, drafts, and notes primarily written by Matthew Stirling, with some materials co-written by Marion, and documentation relating to presentations the Stirlings gave regarding their field work and other professional matters. Also included is material relating to films that were made about the Stirling's work.

Series 5. Personal and family materials, 1880-1996 and undated, consists of documents, photographs, and ephemera that are personal in nature. This includes items relating to Matthew Stirling's young life and family history, photographs, correspondence, and clippings relating to his extended family, and photographs of and correspondence from Matt and Marion's children.

Series 6. Anthropological journals, 1876-1959, consists of collections of anthropological journals collected and categorized for reference and research purposes.

Series 7. Marion Stirling Pugh, 1924-2004 (bulk 1948-2002) and undated, consists of materials relating to endeavors Marion undertook without Matthew, primarily relating to her participation in the Society of Women Geographers from 1948-2000 and her life after Matthew died in 1975 until her death in 2001.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in 7 series: 1) Field work, 1921-1998 (bulk 1921-1975), undated; 2) Other travels, 1946-1972; 3) Administrative files, 1924-1980, undated; 4) Writings and lectures, 1925-1990, undated; 5) Personal and family materials, 1880-1996, undated; 6) Anthropological journals, 1876-1959; 7) Marion Stirling Pugh, 1924-2004 (bulk 1948-2002), undated.
Biographical note:
MATTHEW WILLIAMS STIRLING:

Matthew Williams Stirling, archaeologist and Director of the Bureau of American Ethnology (1928-1957), was born on August 28, 1896 in Salinas, California. After serving as an Ensign in the Navy from 1917-1919, he graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology in 1920 from the University of California, Berkeley studying under T.T. Waterman, Alfred L. Kroeber, and E.W. Gifford. From 1920-1921 he worked as a teaching fellow at the university, where he taught William Duncan Strong. Stirling's first tenure at the Smithsonian (then the U.S. National Museum (USNM)) was from 1921-1924, first as a museum aide, then as an Assistant Curator of Ethnology. While in the position he took night classes at George Washington University and received his M.A. in 1922. He received an honorary Sc.D. from Tampa University in 1943. In 1924, Stirling resigned his position at the museum and embarked on a journey to South American with his friend Perry Patton. From 1925-1927 he embarked on the Smithsonian sponsored American-Dutch Expedition to Papua New Guinea to explore the previously unknown interior region of Dutch New Guinea. Stirling was appointed Chief of the Bureau of American Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution in 1928 and married Marion Illig in 1933. They worked together for the next 40 years studying Olmec culture and the connection to greater Mesoamerica and South America. They had two children (Matthew W. Stirling Jr. in 1938 and Ariana Stirling in 1942). Stirling retired as Director of the B.A.E. on December 31, 1957. He died January 23, 1975 in Washington, D.C.

Sources consulted:

Collins, Henry B. "Matthew Williams Stirling, 1896-1975." American Anthropologist, New Series, 78, no. 4 (1976): 886-88.

Coe, Michael D. "Matthew Williams Stirling, 1896-1975." American Antiquity 41, no. 1 (1976): 67-73.

MARION STIRLING PUGH:

Marion Stirling Pugh (nee Illig) was born in Middletown, New York on May 12, 1911. She graduated from Rider College in 1930 and came to Washington D.C. in 1931 where she took a job as a secretary to the Chief of the Bureau of American Ethnology, Matthew Stirling. She attended night school at George Washington University from 1931-1933 where she studied anthropology, geology, and Russian. Marion and Matthew were married on December 11, 1933 and promptly embarked on a honeymoon expedition to Florida where Matthew was in charge of Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects. They worked together for the next 40 years studying Olmec culture and the connection to greater Mesoamerica and South America. They had two children (Matthew W. Stirling Jr. in 1938 and Ariana Stirling in 1942).

Marion was an active member of the Society of Women Geographers and was elected to the executive board in 1954. She served as president of the society from 1960-1963 and 1969-1972. She had a long-time association with the Textile Museum in Washington D.C. and in the 1970s established what would become the Latin American Research Fund to secure Latin American ethnographic textiles for the museum.

After Matthew's death in 1975, Marion married General John Ramsey Pugh in 1977. Pugh died in 1994. Marion continued to travel the world, including making a trip to Antarctica in her 80s, until her death on April 24, 2001 in Tucson, Arizona.

Sources consulted:

"Marion Stirling Pugh, 89." The Washington Post. May 11, 2001. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2001/05/11/marion-stirling-pugh-89/01329ba8-f32b-4d66-83fb-9f3c311aaefb/?utm_term=.ab20f25e060b (accessed May 16, 2019).

Conroy, Sarah Booth. "Archaeologist Marion Pugh, Digging Up Memories." The Washington Post. July 8, 1996. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1996/07/08/archaeologist-marion-pugh-digging-up-memories/09f465e7-5900-455e-bcd5-b81828a502d5/?utm_term=.703ff0e84313 (accessed May 16, 2019).

Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh Chronology

1896 August 28 -- Matthew Williams Stirling born in Salinas, California to Ariana and John Williams Stirling

1911 May 12 -- Marion Illig born in Middletown, New York

1914-1920 -- Matthew Stirling attended the University of California, Berkeley, receiving his B.A. in Anthropology in 1920. He studied under A.L. Kroeber, T.T. Waterman, and E.W. Gifford.

1917-1919 -- Matthew Stirling served as an ensign in the U.S. Navy during World War I

1920 -- Matthew Stirling's travels to Europe with his parents

1920-1921 -- Matthew Stirling worked as teaching fellow at the University of California, Berkeley and taught William Duncan Strong

1921-1924 -- Matthew Stirling worked at the United States National Museum (USNM), first as a Museum Aide and then as an Assistant Curator of Ethnology

1922 -- Matthew Stirling received Master of Arts degree from George Washington University, studying under Truman Michelson Matthew Stirling went on a trip to the cave country of France and Spain with friend Perry J. Patton

1923 Winter -- Matthew Stirling sent by J. Walter Fewkes to excavate at Weedon (or Weeden) Island, Florida

1924 Spring -- Matthew Stirling resigned from his Smithsonian USNM post

1924 Summer -- Matthew Stirling conducted excavations in Mobridge, South Dakota

1924 July -- Matthew Stirling went on a trip to South America with friend, Perry J. Patton

1924 Winter -- Matthew Stirling continued excavations in Weedon Island, FL

1924-1925 -- Matthew Stirling sold real estate on Weedon Island, Florida to fund the expedition to Papua New Guinea in the winters of 1924 and 1925

1925-1927 -- Matthew Stirling organized and led the American-Dutch Expedition (or Smithsonian Institution-Dutch Colonial Government expedition) to Papua New Guinea

1928 -- Matthew Stirling named Chief of the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) at the Smithsonian Institution

1929 March-April -- Matthew Stirling surveyed mounds in Tampa Bay and Calusa areas of Florida

1930s -- Matthew Stirling conducted various archaeological excavations in Georgia and Florida under the Works Progress Administration (WPA)

1930 -- Marion Illig received a Bachelor of Science degree from Rider College From February through April, Mathew Stirling conducted more work on Tampa Bay mounds in Florida In July, Matthew Stirling went to Marfa, Texas to examine pictographs in caves and also went to Deeth, Nevada

1931 September-1932 March -- Matthew Stirling a member of the Latin American Expedition to South and Central America. He studied the Tule/Kuna Indians in Panama and the Jivaro in Ecuador

1931-1933 -- Marion Illig moved to Washington D.C. to attend George Washington University and worked at the BAE as a secretary for Matthew Stirling

1933 December 11 -- Matthew and Marion Stirling married

1933 December-1934 May 5 -- Matthew Stirling supervised Federal Civil Works Administration (or Federal Emergency Relief Administration) projects in Florida, also called Florida Federal Relief (Bradenton, Perico Island, Canaveral Island, and Belle Glade) and BAE excavations in Macon, Georgia

1934 October -- Conducted archaeological work in King, Queen, and Halifax counties in Virginia and Granville City, North Carolina

1935 -- Matthew Stirling acted as the president of the Anthropological Society of Washington Expedition to Guatemala, Honduras, and Yucatan Peninsula to study the Maya and the Quché (or Quiche) Indians from January to February 15, 1935

1935-1936 -- Matthew Stirling acted as the vice president of the American Anthropological Association

1936 -- Matthew Stirling and WPA workers conducted archaeological surveys in southern Florida in July 1936 Matthew and Marion Stirling visited an excavation in Macon, Georgia in Fall 1936 Matthew Stirling supervised archaeological projects in Hillsborough and Dade Counties in Florida

1938 January-March -- Matthew and Marion Stirling take first field trip to Mexico, visiting Tres Zapotes

1938 December 24-1939 April 15 -- First Smithsonian Institution/National Geographic Society Expedition to Mexico with C.W. Weiant. Excavated Tres Zapotes and discovered lower portion of Stela C

1939 -- Matthew Stirling received his first Franklyn L. Burr Award from the National Geographic Society

1939 December 26-1940 April 20 -- Second Smithsonian Institution/National Geographic Society Expedition to Mexico with Dr. Philip Drucker. Excavated Cerro de las Mesas and La Venta

1940 December 29-1941 April 30 -- Third Smithsonian Institution/National Geographic Society Expedition to Mexico with Dr. Philip Drucker. Excavated Cerro de las Mesas and Izapa

1941 -- Matthew and Marion Stirling received the Franklyn L. Burr Award from the National Geographic Society (shared with Richard Hewitt Stewart)

1942 April -- Matthew Stirling visited Dr. Philip Drucker at La Venta

1942 April-June -- Fourth Smithsonian Institution/National Geographic Society Expedition to Mexico. Visited Tuxtla Gutierrez, Zoque, Tzotzil and Chamula Indians, and Palenque

1943 -- Fifth Smithsonian Institution/National Geographic Society Expedition to Mexico with Dr. Waldo R. Wedel. Excavated La Venta Matthew Stirling awarded honorary Doctor of Science from Tampa University

1944 January 28-May -- Sixth Smithsonian Institution/National Geographic Society Expedition to Mexico. Visited Michoacán, Jalisco, Uruapan, Tlaquepaque, and Tarascan Indians from Lake Pátzcuaro and conducted archaeological surveys in Southern Veracruz, Tabasco, and Campeche

1945 January 22-May 31 -- Seventh Smithsonian Institution/National Geographic Society Expedition to Mexico. Excavated La Venta, San Lorenzo, Piedra Parada, and Tapachula

1946 January 26-April -- Eighth Smithsonian Institution/National Geographic Society Expedition to Mexico with Dr. Philip Drucker. Excavated San Lorenzo

1947 -- Matthew Stirling becomes Director of the Bureau of American Ethnology (title changed from "Chief")

1947 December-1948 -- First Smithsonian Institution/ National Geographic Society Expeditions to Panama including Cocle, Balboa, Chitre, Parita (Sixto Pinilla Place), Monagrillo, and El Hatillo

1949 -- Second Smithsonian Institution/ National Geographic Society Expedition to Panama

1951 -- Third Smithsonian Institution/ National Geographic Society Expedition to Panama

1953 -- Fourth Smithsonian Institution/ National Geographic Society Expedition to Panama

1954 -- Marion Stirling elected to the executive board of the Society of Women Geographers

1955 -- "Pan Am" (or Inter-American Highway) Road Trip

1956-1957 -- Smithsonian Institution/ National Geographic Society Expedition to Ecuador. Excavated in the ManabÍ Province

1957 December 31 -- Matthew Stirling retired as Director of the Bureau of American Ethnology

1958 -- Matthew Stirling received his third Franklyn L. Burr Award from the National Geographic Society

1960-1963 -- Marion Stirling acted as president for the Society of Women Geographers for the first time

1960-1975 -- Matthew Stirling's membership in the National Geographic Society Committee on Research and Exploration

1961 -- Trip to Mexico Marion Stirling's trip to Peru Matthew Stirling collaborated with Dr. L.S.B. Leakey through the NGS Committee on Research and Exploration

1963 -- Trip to Nicaragua

1964 -- Expedition to Costa Rica Trip to Asia

1967 -- International Tuna Match, Bahamas

1968 -- Trip to New Guinea Attended the Cultural Olympics in Mexico City

1969 -- Trip to Turkey, Bali, Etc.

1969-1972 -- Marion Stirling acted as president for the Society of Women Geographers for the second time

1972 -- Trip to Peru, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands Farmer finds upper portion of Stela C, confirming Matthew Stirling's original date as 31 B.C.

1972-1973 -- Trip to Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

1974 -- Marion Stirling established the Mexican Research Fund (now the Latin American Research fund) for the Textile Museum

1975 January 23 -- Matthew Williams Stirling died in Washington D.C.

1977 -- Marion Stirling married Major General John Ramsey Pugh

1985 -- Marion Stirling Pugh received the Distinguished Service Medal from the Peruvian Embassy

1994 -- Death of Major General John Ramsey Pugh Marion Stirling Pugh's trip to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco

1995 -- Marion Stirling Pugh's trip to Antarctica and the Falkland Islands

1996 -- Marion Stirling Pugh's trip to China, and separately to Belize and Honduras

2001 April 24 -- Marion Stirling Pugh died in Tucson, Arizona
Separated Materials:
Film materials were transferred to the Human Studies Film Archive (HSFA).
Provenance:
The bulk of these papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives in 2016 by Matthew and Marion Stirling's grandchildren, Jessica Gronberg and Jeremy Withers.
Restrictions:
The Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers are open for research.

The scrapbooks listed in Series 1.7 are restricted due to preservation concerns. Please contact the reference archivist for more information.

Access to the Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Occupation:
Women archaeologists  Search this
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Excavations (Archaeology)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Field notes
Photographs
Correspondence
Citation:
Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.2016-24
See more items in:
Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw31131a350-b4ba-421a-bc30-0ecfb99820e9
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-2016-24

Wirz "Anthropological and Ethnological Results of the Central New Guinea Expedition 1921-1922"

Collection Creator:
Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975  Search this
Stirling, Marion  Search this
Container:
Box 57
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Collection Restrictions:
The Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers are open for research.

The scrapbooks listed in Series 1.7 are restricted due to preservation concerns. Please contact the reference archivist for more information.

Access to the Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers
Matthew Williams Stirling and Marion Stirling Pugh papers / Series 1: Field work / 1.1: Papua New Guinea / 1.1.3: Lecture tour, press, and miscellaneous items
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw392e0d4de-a9d7-441d-b389-ce5cea7deb2f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2016-24-ref1558

James B. Watson papers

Creator:
Watson, Virginia  Search this
Watson, James B. (James Bennett), 1918-2009  Search this
Extent:
52.5 Linear feet (123 boxes)
47 Sound recordings
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Correspondence
Books
Programs
Field notes
Maps
Punched cards
Journals (periodicals)
Grant proposals
Photographs
Articles
Lecture notes
Place:
Papua New Guinea
Brazil
Mato Grosso (Brazil : State)
Papua New Guinea -- Social life and customs
Date:
1904-1998
bulk 1933-1987
Summary:
This collection contains the professional papers of cultural anthropologist James B. Watson, and documents his fieldwork in Papua New Guinea, Brazil, and Del Norte, Co., as well as his teaching career at the University of Washington. Included are field notes, lecture notes, correspondence, maps, photographs, books, articles, journals, grant proposals, surveys, data punch cards, conference materials, and sound recordings.
Scope and Contents:
This collection is comprised of the professional papers of James B. Watson, the bulk of which relate to his research and academic work on the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. The series are Research, Writings, Correspondence, Professional Activities, University Files, Biographical Files, Maps, Photographs, and Sound Recordings.

The Research series contains Watson's research on Hopi food classification systems in Arizona, Cayua acculturation in Brazil, social stratification between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking residents of Del Norte, Co., numerous research projects in Papua New Guinea, and gift exchange theories.

The Arizona, Hopi Food Classification Systems subseries consists of his research among the Hopi in Arizona, primarily on their food classication systems. Included are field notes and reports.

The Mato Grosso, Brazil and Cayua Acculturation subseries consists of research materials conducted while Watson was working as an assistant professor in Sao Paulo. Included are field notes, bibliographies, a journal, and a language notebook primarily regarding his research on culture change among the Cayua.

The Del Norte, Colorado Surveys subseries contains material related to research conducted in the summers of 1949 and 1950 as part of a study on social stratification between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking residents of Del Norte. Included are datasets from several community surveys on education, occupations, business, and cultural attitudes, along with research notes and background materials.

The Papua New Guinea subseries consists of research materials on the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Included are field notes, language materials, bibliographies, grant documents and research proposals, genealogy data, long reports and patrol reports, data punch cards, and TAT (thematic apperception test) protocols. There is material from several research projects including the Committee on New Guinea Studies (CONGS), the Kainantu Blood Group Study, and the New Guinea Religions Project. Watson's wife, Virginia Drew Watson, also has research material in this series. Language documentation include lexicons and notes about Agarabi, Auyana, Awa, Tairora, Gadsup, and Tok Pisin.

The subsubseries Micro-evolution Studies Project (MES) consists of related Papua New Guinea research as part of this multi-year project. Material included is correspondence, financial documents, memorandums and planning documents, grant proposals, language files, and work papers.

The Gift Exchange Theories subseries consists of Watson's research on gift exchange theories, primarily as they relate to small autonomous peoples. The material consists of research notes, paper ideas, bibliographies, and grant applications.

The Other Research subseries consists of papers and research that are not easily catagorized. Included are subject files on perception, notes and critiques of Marshal Sahlins's Stone Age Economics, and a research project by Watson studying innovation in high school social studies curriculum.

The Writings series primarily consists of journal articles produced over the duration of his career. Included are research notes, drafts, and some correspondence. A print copy is included where possible. There is significant material related to his book Tairora Culture, including chapter drafts, outlines, and reader comments. The writings by others are primarily annotated copies of articles, rare and small print-run items, or manuscripts by others sent to Watson for comment.

The Correspondence series contains professional and personal correspondence with Watson's colleagues and contemporaries in the field, including J. David Cole, Terence Hays, Paula Brown-Glick, Richard Lieban, Howard P. McKaughan, Harold Nelson, Kerry Pataki-Schweizer, Kenneth E. Read, Sterling Robbins, and Roy Wagner. Topics include his academic career, student dissertations, research grants and fellowships, and research related to Papua New Guinea, and in particular the Micro-evolution Studies project.

The Professional Activities series primarily consists of conference notes, papers, presentations, and symposium documents. Included are materials for the American Anthropological Association, the Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania, the Pacific Sciences Conference, as well as symposiums held at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Some of the files are related to specific symposiums Watson attended or helped to organize, the bulk of which are related to Papua New Guinea. Also included are Watson's lecture notes, and materials related to the United Nations West Irian Development Plan

The University Files series contains material related to Watson's academic career. The bulk of the files are course materials from the classes he taught at the Univesity of Washington, which include lecture notes, syllabi, exams, and student papers. Other materials includes student dissertation files and some of Watson's course work from the University of Chicago.

The Biographical Files series includes numerous editions of his curriculum vitae and bibliographies.

The Maps series contains maps used in Watson's research, which includes Brazil; Del Norte, Co.; and Papua New Guinea. The bulk are maps of Papua New Guinea, and include published maps, annotated maps, hand-drawn maps, patrol reports, and linguistic maps.

The Photographs series contains photographs of Watson's fieldwork and professional career. The bulk of his fieldwork photographs are from Del Norte, Co. and Papua New Guinea. The Del Norte photographs include aerial images along with photographs of residents, houses, and cultural activities. The photographs from Papua New Guinea include images of a taro garden, a woman before and at her marriage ceremony, and images of tools found at an excavation site near the Wahgi Valley.

The sound recordings contain seven identified recordings made in the Papua New Guinea Eastern Highlands, Kainantu District during James and Virginia Watson's first trip, 1954-1955. Also included are 31 recordings of lectures and classes by James Watson and others, two recordings of popular music, and six reels recorded at the Pacific Science Congress in Tokyo in 1966. The remaining 23 uncataloged recordings are unidentified or partially identified.

Please see individual series descriptions in the finding aid for additional information.
Arrangement note:
This collection is arranged in 9 series:

Series1: Research, 1933-1993

Series 2: Writings, 1904-1995

Series 3: Correspondence, 1933-1994

Series 4: Professional Activities, 1944-1998

Series 5: University Files, 1939-1991

Series 6: Biographical Files, 1941-1991

Series 7: Maps, circa 1920s-1970

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1942-1977

Series 9: Sound Recordings, 1954-1984
Biographical/Historical note:
James B. Watson (1918-2009) was a cultural anthropologist and university professor. He is primarily known for his ethnographic studies of the Eastern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, with a concentration on acculturation. He taught at the University of Washington, was the prinicipal investigator for the Micro-evolution Studies project (MES), and the author of numerous journal articles and books.

Watson was born in Chicago, Ill., and raised in Bangor, Maine. He studied anthropology at the University of Chicago, earning his B.A. in 1941; his M.A. in 1945; and his Ph.D. in 1948. Fred Eggan acted as his advisor while he was pursuing his doctorate. He began his teaching career as an assistant professor at the Escala Livre de Sociologia e Politica, Sao Paulo (1944-1945); Beloit College (1945-1946); University of Oklahoma (1946-1947); and as an associate professor at Washington University in St. Louis (1947-1955). He then became a full professor of anthropology at the University of Washington (1955-1987), where he spent the majority of his career.

His ethnographic research began with his fieldwork among the Hopi in Arizona in 1942. He researched Hopi food classification systems, which would become the subject of his master's thesis. Watson would next study the effects of acculturation among the Cayua people in Mato Grosso, Brazil in 1943-1945. This research would become the basis of his dissertation, later to be published as Cayua Culture Change: A Study in Acculturation and Methodology. His wife, anthropologist Virginia Drew Watson, accompanied him and conducted her own research. While at Washington University, he directed fieldwork in the summers of 1949 and 1950 in Del Norte, Co., conducting several community surveys on education, occupations, business, and cultural attitudes. These surveys were part of a larger study on social stratification between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking residents of Del Norte.

Watson is most noted for his work in the Papua New Guinea Highlands, where he was one of the first generation of Highland ethnographers. Along with Virginia Drew Watson, he studied the Kainantu peoples of the Eastern Highlands including the Tairora, the Gadsup, the Auyana, and the Awa. He was involved in several research projects, including the Committee on New Guinea Studies (CONGS), The Kainantu Blood Group Study, and the New Guinea Religions Project.

He was also the principal investigator for the Micro-evolution Studies project (1959-1968) where he directed a team of researchers examining the interconnections of the Kainantu peoples from the perspectives of ethnography, linguistics, archaeology, and physical anthropology. Other MES researchers include Kenneth E. Read, Robert A. Littlewood, Howard McKaughan, Kerry J. Pataki-Schweizer, and Sterling Robbins. This research on Papua New Guinea is best described in his book Tairora Culture: Contingency and Pragmatism (1983).

He was professionally active, attending and organizing sessions at annual meetings for the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and the Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania (ASAO). He also organized symposiums at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Additionally, he served as a consultant to the United Nations on their West Irian Development Plan in 1967. Watson retired from teaching in 1987, but continued to publish and remain involved in AAA and ASAO. He died in 2009.

Sources Consulted: 1999 Westermark, George. ASAO Honorary Fellow: James B. Watson. Association for Social Anthropology in Oceania Newsletter 104: 21

Chronology

1918 -- Born on August 10 in Chicago, Illinois

1941 -- B.A. in anthropology, University of Chicago Lecturer, University of Chicago

1941-1942 -- Fieldwork: Hopi

1943 -- Married Virgina Drew Fieldwork: Mato Grosso, Brazil

1943-1945 -- Fieldwork: Brazil

1944-1945 -- Assistant Professor, Escala Livre de Sociologia e Politica, Sao Paulo, Brazil

1945 -- M.A. in anthropology, University of Chicago

1945-1946 -- Assistant Professor, Beloit College

1946-1947 -- Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma

1947-1955 -- Associate Professor, Washington University in St. Louis

1948 -- Ph.D. in anthropology, University of Chicago

1949-1950 -- Director, Washington University summer field project

1949-1950 -- Fieldwork: Del Norte, Colorado

1953-1955 -- Fieldwork: Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea

1955-1987 -- Professor of Anthropology, University of Washington

1959 -- Fieldwork: Papua New Guinea and Netherlands New Guinea

1959-1968 -- Principal Investigator, New Guinea Micro-evolution Studies Project

1963-1964 -- Fieldwork: Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea

1966-1967 -- Senior Specialist, Institute of Advanced Projects, East-West Center

1967 -- Consultant for United Nations Development Programme, West Irian

1967 -- Fieldwork: West Irian (Indonesia)

1987 -- Retired from teaching at University of Washington

2009 -- Died on November 12
Related Materials:
The National Anthropological Archives also holds the papers of Virginia D. Watson.

Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD holds the Micro-evolution Project Papers, MSS 436.
Provenance:
These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by James Watson's daughter, Anne Watson, in 2003.
Restrictions:
Some research proposals not authored by Watson are restricted until 2083.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Ethnology -- Brazil  Search this
Ethnology -- Papua New Guinea  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Correspondence
Books
Programs
Field notes
Maps
Punched cards
Journals (periodicals)
Grant Proposals
Photographs
Articles
Lecture notes
Citation:
James B. Watson papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NAA.2003-15
See more items in:
James B. Watson papers
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw38438ad62-76b4-45df-a007-4c924a4af960
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-2003-15

Ethnology bibliography notes

Collection Creator:
Watson, Virginia  Search this
Watson, James B. (James Bennett), 1918-2009  Search this
Container:
Box 12
Type:
Archival materials
Text
Date:
circa 1955
Collection Restrictions:
Some research proposals not authored by Watson are restricted until 2083.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Collection Citation:
James B. Watson papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
James B. Watson papers
James B. Watson papers / Series 1: Research / 1.4: Papua New Guinea
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3252f00da-f292-4714-a926-ac0c8f292f4d
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-2003-15-ref109

Edmund Snow Carpenter papers

Creator:
Carpenter, Edmund, 1922-2011  Search this
Names:
De Menil, Adelaide  Search this
Flaherty, Robert Joseph, 1884-1951  Search this
Heye, George G. (George Gustav), 1874-1957  Search this
McLuhan, Marshall, 1911-1980  Search this
Schuster, Carl, 1904-1969  Search this
Extent:
26.25 Linear feet
Culture:
Arctic peoples  Search this
Iglulingmiut Inuit (Iglulik/Iglulirmiut Eskimo)  Search this
Inuit  Search this
Inuit -- Canada  Search this
Inuit -- Greenland  Search this
Iroquois  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
Canada
Greenland
New Guinea (Territory)
Papua New Guinea
Date:
circa 1938-2011
Summary:
Edmund Snow Carpenter (1922-2011) was an archaeologist and visual anthropologist who worked extensively with the indigenous peoples of the Canadian Arctic as well as Papua New Guinea. With his colleague and close collaborator Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980), he laid the groundwork for modern media theory. Carpenter is also known for his work as an ethnographic filmmaker and as a collector of Paleo-Eskimo art. The Papers of Edmund Carpenter, circa 1938-2011, document the research interests and projects undertaken by Carpenter in the fields of cultural anthropology, ethnographic filmmaking, media theory, archaeology, and indigenous art.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Edmund Carpenter, 1940-2011, document the research interests and projects undertaken by Carpenter in the fields of cultural anthropology, ethnographic filmmaking, media theory, archaeology, and indigenous art. Specific research projects and interests documented are: his 1950s fieldwork among the Aivilik Inuit in the Canadian Arctic as well as his studies into Inuit concepts of space, time, and geography; his partnership and collaboration with media theorist Marshall McLuhan and his ethnographic studies of Papua New Guinean tribal communities; his early-career archaeological digs at Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) burial mounds in Sugar Run, Pennsylvania, as well as later archaeological interest in Arctic peoples, Siberia, and the Norwegian artifact dubbed the "Norse Penny"; his reflections on the disciplines of anthropology and media studies; his editing and completion of the work of art historian Carl Schuster at the Museum der Kulturen (Museum of Ethnology) in Basel, Switzerland; his editing of The Story of Comock the Eskimo, as told to Robert Flaherty; and his museum exhibitions compiled on the topics of surrealist and tribal art. The collection also documents Carpenter's correspondence with fellow scholars, ethnographers, filmmakers, and colleagues; his published writings; and elements of his personal life, such as obituaries and personal photographs.

Materials in this collection include artifact and burial records; correspondence; drawings and illustrations; essays; interviews and oral histories; inventories and catalogues; manuscripts and drafts, and fragments of drafts; maps; memoranda and meeting minutes; notes, notebooks, and data analysis; obituaries and memorials; photographic prints, slides, and negatives, including personal photographs and portraits; proposals and plans for museum exhibits; reports; resumes and bibliographies; reviews; and sound recordings on CD-Rs and audio cassettes. Additional materials include books and book chapters; journal copies and journal excerpts; magazine, newspaper, and article clippings and excerpts; museum and gallery catalogues, brochures, and guides; pamphlets; and reprints. A portion of the material collected here consist of consolidated research into specific topics, gathered from archival repositories, museums, correspondence, and published works. This material consists of research reprints and archival reference photocopies and photographic prints from various repositories.

Items worthy of special mention in this collection include: annotated draft chapters from Marshall McLuhan's seminal work on media theory, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (Series 2); a 1957 letter from e. e. cummings to Carpenter, written in verse (Series 3); an undated thank-you note addressed to "Sadie" from Helen Keller (Series 3); and a transcript of an interview of Carpenter by his former student, Harald Prins (Series 2).
Arrangement:
The collection is organized into the following 6 series:

Series 1. Fieldwork and drafts, 1940-2011 (bulk 1940-1959)

Series 2. Research and project files, 1940-2011

Series 3. Correspondence, circa 1938-2011

Series 4. Publications and lectures, circa 1942-circa 2006

Series 5. Personal, 1942-2011

Series 6. Writings by others, 1960-2009, undated
Biographical Note:
Edmund Snow Carpenter (1922-2011) was an archaeologist and visual anthropologist who worked extensively with the indigenous peoples of the Canadian Arctic and Papua New Guinea. With his colleague and close collaborator Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980), he laid the groundwork for modern media theory. Carpenter is also known for his work as an ethnographic filmmaker and as a collector of Paleo-Eskimo art.

Born in 1922 in Rochester, New York, Edmund (nicknamed "Ted") Carpenter served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II before receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1950 under Frank Speck for work on Iroquoian prehistoric archaeology. Carpenter began teaching at the University of Toronto in 1948 while simultaneously working as a programmer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). In the 1950s, he undertook fieldwork in the Canadian Arctic among the Aivilik (an Inuit Igloolik subgroup). This fieldwork resulted in several publications in the field of cultural anthropology, including Time/Space Concepts of the Aivilik (1955), Anerca (1959), and Eskimo (1959, republished as Eskimo Realities in 1973).

Also in the 1950s, Carpenter began a working relationship with media theorist Marshall McLuhan. Together, they received a Ford Foundation grant (1953-1955) for an interdisciplinary media research project into the impact of mass communications and mass media on culture change. Carpenter and McLuhan's partnership resulted in the Seminar on Culture and Communication (1953-1959) and the journal series Explorations. In 1957, Carpenter was the founding chair in the interdisciplinary program "Anthropology and Art" at San Fernando Valley State College (now California State University, Northridge). There, he collaborated with Bess Lomax Hawes and other colleagues in the production of several ethnographic films, including Georgia Sea Island Singers about Gullah (or Geechee) songs and dances. During this period, Carpenter worked with McLuhan on the latter's seminal book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964). The article published as "Fashion is Language" in Harper's Bazaar under McLuhan's name (1968) was actually written by Carpenter. It was later published in book form under Carpenter's name, with the title They Became What They Beheld (1970).

In 1969, Carpenter took a research professorship at the University of Papua and New Guinea sponsored by the government of Australia. Alongside photographer Adelaide De Menil (whom he would later marry), he applied many of the ideas about media literacy and culture change to indigenous communities of Papua New Guinea. These activities led to developments in the field of media ecology, as well as the publication of Carpenter's best-known work, Oh, What a Blow the Phantom Gave Me! (1976).

Carpenter taught intermittently at various universities throughout his career, including Fordham University, the University of California-Santa Cruz, Adelphi University, Harvard University's Center for Visual Anthropology, the New School for Social Research, and New York University. He spent eight years associated with the Museum of Ethnology in Basel, Switzerland (1973-1981), editing art historian Carl Schuster's research.

In addition to his teaching and research, Carpenter, with his wife Adelaide De Menil, collected tribal art, eventually amassing the largest private collection of Paleo-Eskimo art in the United States. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Carpenter curated various exhibitions on art and visual culture, including the Menil Collection's Witness to a Surrealist Vision and the Musée du Quai Branly's Upside Down (later reconstructed at the Menil Collection). In later years, Carpenter resumed his archaeological interest in Arctic peoples, researching and collaborating on the Zhokhov Island Mesolithic site in the Russian Arctic with Russian scientists from the Institute for the History of Material Culture and archaeologists from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History.

Carpenter died on July 1, 2011 at his home in New York.

Sources consulted:

"Edmund Snow Carpenter." https://edmundsnowcarpenter.com/about

Grimes, William. "Edmund Carpenter, Archaeologist and Anthropologist, Dies at 88." The New York Times. 2011 July 7. https://www.nytimes.com

Prins, Harald E. L. and John Bishop. "Edmund Carpenter: Explorations in Media and Anthropology." Visual Anthropology Review 17:2 (Fall-Winter 2001-2002): 110-140.

Chronology

1922 September 2 -- Born in Rochester, New York

circa 1940-1941 -- Archaeological field work, Sugar Run mounds, Pennsylvania

1942-1946 -- Served in the United States Marine Corps

1948-1957 -- Anthropology Department, University of Toronto

circa 1950 -- Began work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

1950 -- Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania (Anthropology)

1950s -- Fieldwork among the Aivilik Inuit

1953-1959 -- Ran the Seminar on Culture and Communication with Marshall McLuhan

1957-1967 -- "Anthropology and Art" program at San Fernando Valley State College (California State University, Northridge)

1967-1968 -- Schwitzer Chair, Fordham University (with Marshall McLuhan)

1968-1969 -- Carnegie Chair in Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz

1969-1970 -- Research Professor, University of Papua and New Guinea

1973-1981 -- Associated with the Museum of Ethnology in Basel, Switzerland for Carl Schuster papers project

circa 1989-2005 -- Collaboration regarding Zhokov Island archaeological site

2011 July 1 -- Died in East Hampton, New York
Separated Materials:
Film and video recordings are retained by the Human Studies Film Archives (HSFA) as the Edmund Carpenter-Adelaide de Menil Collection (HSFA 2004-04).
Provenance:
The Edmund Snow Carpenter papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives in 2017 by Adelaide de Menil on behalf of the Rock Foundation.
Restrictions:
The Edmund Snow Carpenter 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. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.

Digital media in the collection is restricted for preservation reasons.

Access to the Edmund Snow Carpenter papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Archaeology  Search this
Cartography  Search this
Ethnographic films  Search this
Indigenous art  Search this
Inuit art  Search this
Menil Collection (Houston, Tex.)  Search this
Museum exhibits  Search this
Paleo-Eskimos  Search this
Visual anthropology  Search this
Citation:
Edmund Snow Carpenter papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.2017-27
See more items in:
Edmund Snow Carpenter papers
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3d15a171a-af5d-4b66-914f-55bc819d7b76
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-2017-27
Online Media:

Wooden Mask

Donor Name:
Field Museum Of Natural History  Search this
Culture:
Papuan  Search this
Object Type:
Mask
Place:
Dallman Harbor, New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
14 Sep 1931
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
114547
USNM Number:
E362551-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3b90bb373-9a69-4f7e-a85c-6acea7a2f637
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8409411
Online Media:

Carving Of A Skull

Collector:
George C. McGhee  Search this
Donor Name:
George C. McGhee  Search this
Length - Object:
24 cm
Width - Object:
14 cm
Height - Object:
16 cm
Culture:
Iatmul  Search this
Object Type:
Carving
Place:
Tambanum, Sepik River (Middle), New Guinea / East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
28 Apr 1994
Collection Date:
1970's
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
390923
USNM Number:
E427068-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/332bc3699-221f-40d5-8442-8df198b65d8a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8459784

Akeke (Basket)

Collector:
Dr. Joshua A. Bell  Search this
Donor Name:
National Museum of Natural History  Search this
Total Length:
82 cm
Width:
12.5 cm
Length - Basket Only:
19 cm
Length - Handle:
49.5 cm
Culture:
I'ai (Purari)  Search this
Object Type:
Basket
Place:
Ne'ea swamp, Purari Delta, Gulf Province, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
17 May 2017
Collection Date:
18 Mar 2010
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
2058626
USNM Number:
E435156-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/321f65874-868c-448c-beca-7d62c5dbae8c
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_13851245
Online Media:

Bilum (Net Bag)

Collector:
Dr. Joshua A. Bell  Search this
Donor Name:
National Museum of Natural History  Search this
Length:
52 cm
Width:
45 cm
Length - Body:
27 cm
Length - Handle:
25 cm
Culture:
Mende  Search this
Object Type:
Bag
Place:
Port Moresby, Boroko Market, New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
17 May 2017
Collection Date:
27 Jan 2011
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
2058627
USNM Number:
E435185-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/37ac0b711-bd23-4722-b3df-7313b2fa03be
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_13851274
Online Media:

Acrylic Bilum (Net Bag)

Collector:
Dr Barbara Andersen  Search this
Length:
15 cm
Width:
8 cm
Length - Handle:
76 cm
Culture:
Gahuku  Search this
Object Type:
Bag
Place:
Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
7 Nov 2019
Collection Date:
28 May 2012
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
2077517
USNM Number:
E435226-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/36dfedd61-607f-4028-b6eb-fd11b26f6fee
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_13851318
Online Media:

Painting: PNG modern communication

Donor Name:
Dr. Joshua A. Bell  Search this
Width:
91 cm
Length:
113 cm
Object Type:
Painting
Place:
Goroka, Eastern Highlands, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
2090185
USNM Number:
E437463-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3b7847058-3d72-4ebb-875d-f5ff26cd2632
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_16792209
Online Media:

Spear

Donor Name:
Estate Of John O. La Gorce  Search this
Object Type:
Spear
Place:
Bougainville Island, North Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
16 Mar 1961
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
229198
USNM Number:
E398921-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/339272ddc-d30f-4194-8bb6-fba4ccd8ccc5
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8427153
Online Media:

Coconut Shell Jar Top

Donor Name:
Dr. S. D. Ripley  Search this
Object Type:
Jar
Place:
Maprik, Sepik River (lower), New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
16 Dec 1966
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
270244
USNM Number:
E406638-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/345d68f84-694b-4a98-8f6f-38ab413f4191
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8436489

Arrow

Collector:
Andrew Goldie  Search this
Donor Name:
Adolph P. Goodwin  Search this
Object Type:
Arrow
Place:
Papua New Guinea, Melanesia
Accession Date:
24 Jun 1884
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
014562
USNM Number:
E73523-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3a68e6963-effb-409b-8bdf-fadbc0c5bf9e
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8477305
Online Media:

Ear Pendant

Donor Name:
Royal Zoological Museum, Florence  Search this
Culture:
Papuan  Search this
Object Type:
Pendant
Place:
New Guinea / Irian Jaya (Western New Guinea/Papua) (not certain), Indonesia (not certain) / Papua New Guinea (not certain), Melanesia
Accession Date:
25 Jul 1892
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
025949
USNM Number:
E164774-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3e1d7a3c4-37b5-4038-a15b-fc31dd98511f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8345336
Online Media:

Spoon "Cosori"

Donor Name:
Royal Zoological Museum, Florence  Search this
Object Type:
Spoon
Place:
New Guinea / Irian Jaya (Western New Guinea/Papua) (not certain), Indonesia (not certain) / Papua New Guinea (not certain), Melanesia
Accession Date:
25 Jul 1892
Topic:
Ethnology  Search this
Accession Number:
025949
USNM Number:
E164781-0
See more items in:
Anthropology
Data Source:
NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/32e75c2ce-c45a-43a6-9aef-e8db53353a23
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8345341
Online Media:

Modify Your Search







or


Narrow By