Search results for: +Indians of North America + Canada, page 1 | Collections Search Center, Smithsonian Institution

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Cedar Bark Blanket

Collector:: Dr. Franz Boas Search this

Donor Name:: Dr. Franz Boas Search this

Culture:: Kwakiutl (Kwakwaka'wakw) Search this

Object Type:: Blanket

Place:: British Columbia, Canada, North America

Accession Date:: 7 Jan 1896

Topic:: Ethnology Search this

Accession Number:: 030192

USNM Number:: E175487-0

See more items in:: Anthropology

Data Source:: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.

GUID:: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3d7b1d218-e755-4b07-8e14-eca9e749aad4

EDAN-URL:: edanmdm:nmnhanthropology_8350857

Online Media:

Harpoon head with side blades

Culture/People:: probably Thule Tradition: Old Bering Sea Stage (archaeological culture) (attributed) Search this

Possible owner:: George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945 Search this

Object Name:: Harpoon head with side blades

Media/Materials:: Walrus Ivory, chert

Techniques:: Carved, incised, flaked/chipped

Object Type:: Hunting/Fishing/Warfare

Place:: Banks Island; Inuvialuit Settlement Region; Northwest Territories; Canada

Archipelago:: Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Island Name:: Banks Island

Island Grouping:: South Canadian Arctic Islands

Date created:: probably AD 100–500

Catalog Number:: 6/3871

Barcode:: 063871.000

See related items:: Thule Tradition: Old Bering Sea Stage (archaeological culture); Hunting/Fishing/Warfare

Data Source:: National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6f80ee531-22ff-47f6-adc2-52800419e919

EDAN-URL:: edanmdm:NMAI_68994

Online Media:

Adze handle with design of wolf and walrus heads

Culture/People:: probably Thule Tradition: Old Bering Sea Stage (archaeological culture) (attributed) Search this

Collector:: George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945 Search this

Previous owner:: George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945 Search this

Seller:: George Thornton Emmons (George T. Emmons/G.T. Emmons), Non-Indian, 1852-1945 Search this

Object Name:: Adze handle with design of wolf and walrus heads

Media/Materials:: Fossil ivory

Techniques:: Carved, incised, drilled

Dimensions:: 33 x 2.5 x 6 cm

Object Type:: Woodworking tools

Place:: Banks Island; Inuvialuit Settlement Region; Northwest Territories; Canada

Archipelago:: Canadian Arctic Archipelago

Island Name:: Banks Island

Island Grouping:: South Canadian Arctic Islands

Date created:: probably AD 100–500

Catalog Number:: 2/4318

Barcode:: 024318.000

See related items:: Thule Tradition: Old Bering Sea Stage (archaeological culture); Woodworking tools

On View:: NMAI, New York, NY: Infinity of Nations, Arctic & Subarctic

Data Source:: National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6c899d36a-22ec-4d76-b824-73c48b36b398

EDAN-URL:: edanmdm:NMAI_25811

Online Media:

Joseph-Fidèle Bernard photographs from Alaska

Creator:: Bernard, Joseph-Fidèle, 1878-1972 Search this

Extent:: 11 Glass plate negatives; 11 Copy negatives

Culture:: Inupiaq (Alaskan Inupiat Eskimo) Search this; Yuit (Siberian Yup'ik) Search this

Type:: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Glass plate negatives; Copy negatives

Place:: Alaska; Siberia (Russia)

Date:: 1921

Summary:: The Joseph-Fidèle Bernard photographs from Alaska consists of negatives taken by Bernard in 1921 among the Inupiaq (Alaska Inupiat Eskimo) and Siberian Yu'pik communities. Bernard was an artic trader, trapper and captain of the schooner "Teddy Bear."

Scope and Contents:: This collection consists of 11 black and white glass negatives, taken by Joseph-Fidèle Bernard in 1921, along with 11 copy negatives (acetate) made by the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation in the 1960's. The images include scenes of daily life in Nome, Alaska among the Inupiaq (Alaskan Inupiat Eskimo) community. The majority of the image are portraits of men, women and children. None of those photographed have been identified. In additon to the photographs in Nome, there is one view of a Siberian Yu'pik vilage in East Cape, Siberia, and one view of a kayak storage location in Cape of Prince of Wales, Alaska.

Arrangement:: The negatives are arranged in original catalog number order; N08110-N08120.

Biographical / Historical:: Born in 1878 in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, Canada, Joseph-Fidèle Bernard was an arctic trader, trapper and captain/owner of the schooner "Teddy Bear"(based in Nome, Alaska). He assisted Canadian ethnologist/explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1879-1962) and anthropologist Diamond Jenness (1886-1969) on their travels in Alaska and upper Canada. Bernard was in Coronation Gulf in 1910 and remained there for extended periods between 1910-1914, trading for furs and ethnographic objects. Nearby Bernard Harbour is named for him. In 1921, Bernard and the Teddy Bear became locked in the ice on their way from Nome to Wrangell Island to rescue members of Stefansson's party. Bernard later settled in Cordova, Alaska, where he was harbor master. He died in 1972 in Sitka.

Related Materials:: Additional collections with Joseph F. Bernard materials iclude the Joseph F. Bernard papers, 1900-1970, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Elmer E. Rasmuson Library and the Joseph-Fidele Bernard photograph collection, 1901-1923, at the Alaska State Library.

Provenance:: This collection was likley a purchase from Joseph-Fidèle Bernard around 1923 by the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.

Restrictions:: Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

Rights:: Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.

Topic:: Photographs Search this; Indians of North America -- Alaska Search this; Teddy Bear (Schooner) Search this

Citation:: Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Joseph-Fidèle Bernard photographs from Alaska, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:: NMAI.AC.132

See more items in:: Joseph-Fidèle Bernard photographs from Alaska

Archival Repository:: National Museum of the American Indian

EDAN-URL:: ead_collection:sova-nmai-ac-132

Online Media:

Daniel Sutherland Davidson prints and negatives

Creator:: Davidson, Daniel Sutherland, 1900- Search this

Extent:: 36 Photographic prints (albumen, 2.5 x 4 inches.); 101 Acetate negatives (black and white, 5 x 7 inches.)

Culture:: Chickahominy Search this; Algonquin (Algonkin) Search this; Pamunkey Search this

Type:: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Photographic prints; Acetate negatives; Black-and-white negatives; Albumen prints; Photographs

Date:: 1925

Summary:: This collection consists of 101 black-and-white acetate negatives and 36 albumen prints taken by Daniel Sutherland Davidson in 1925. The images portray Pamunkey and Chickahominy Indians of Virginia and the Algonquin (Kitcisakik, Grand Lake Victoria) and Tetes de Boule (Attikamek) Indians of Quebec, Canada.

Arrangement note:: Negatives: organized in individual sleeves; arranged by image number.

Prints: organized in folders; arranged by image number.

Biographical/Historical note:: Daniel Sutherland Davidson (1900-1952) was born in Cohoes, New York. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1923 and continued his studies there, eventually receiving his Ph.D. in anthropology in 1928. Davidson went on to teach at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Buffalo and finally the University of Washington. He did a considerable amount of field work among the Algonquin Indians in Quebec, as well as various tribes in Virginia, but his abiding interest was in aboriginal Australian culture.

Restrictions:: Access is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment.

Rights:: Copyright: National Museum of the American Indian.

Topic:: Indians of North America -- Virginia Search this; Indians of North America -- Québec (Province) Search this

Genre/Form:: Black-and-white negatives; Albumen prints; Photographs

Citation:: Daniel Sutherland Davidson prints and negatives, National Museum of the American Indian Archives, Smithsonian Institution (image, negative or catalog number).

Identifier:: NMAI.AC.044

Archival Repository:: National Museum of the American Indian

EDAN-URL:: ead_collection:sova-nmai-ac-044

Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation records

Creator:: Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation Search this

Collector:: Johnson, Frederick, 1904-1994 Search this; Churchill, Frank C. (Frank Carroll), 1850-1912 Search this; Davis, Edward H., b. 1862 Search this; Churchill, Clara G. Search this; Harrington, M. R. (Mark Raymond), 1882-1971 Search this; Harvey, Byron Search this; Emmons, George Thornton Search this; Gridley, Marion E. (Marion Eleanor), 1906-1974 Search this; Wildschut, William Search this; Stiles, William F., 1912-1980 Search this; Verrill, A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt), 1871-1954 Search this; Skinner, Alanson, 1886-1925 Search this; Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), 1885-1936 Search this; Harvey, Fred Search this; Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956 Search this; Lothrop, S. K. (Samuel Kirkland), 1892-1965 Search this; Barrett, S. A. (Samuel Alfred), 1879-1965 Search this; Pepper, George H. (George Hubbard), 1873-1924 Search this; Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950 Search this; Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956 Search this; Barrett, S. A. (Samuel Alfred), 1879-1965 Search this; Churchill, Clara G. Search this; Churchill, Frank C. (Frank Carroll), 1850-1912 Search this; Davis, Edward H., b. 1862 Search this; Emmons, George Thornton Search this; Gridley, Marion E. (Marion Eleanor), 1906-1974 Search this; Harrington, M. R. (Mark Raymond), 1882-1971 Search this; Harvey, Byron Search this; Harvey, Fred Search this; Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956 Search this; Johnson, Frederick, 1904-1994 Search this; Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956 Search this; Lothrop, S. K. (Samuel Kirkland), 1892-1965 Search this; Pepper, George H. (George Hubbard), 1873-1924 Search this; Skinner, Alanson, 1886-1925 Search this; Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950 Search this; Stiles, William F., 1912-1980 Search this; Verrill, A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt), 1871-1954 Search this; Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), 1885-1936 Search this; Wildschut, William Search this

Director:: Dockstader, Frederick J. Search this; Heye, George G. (George Gustav), 1874-1957 Search this; Dockstader, Frederick J. Search this

Source:: Force, Roland W. Search this; Burnett, Edwin K. Search this

Names:: Ford-Bartlett East Greenland Expedition 1930 Search this; Harriman Alaska Expedition (1899) Search this; Hendricks-Hodge Expedition (1917-1923). Search this; Huntington Free Library Search this; Hyde Exploring Expedition (1902-1903) Search this; Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation Search this; Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Search this

Former owner:: Burnett, Edwin K. Search this; Force, Roland W. Search this

Extent:: 400 Linear feet

Culture:: Indians of North America Search this

Type:: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Administrative records; Photographs; Annual reports; Field notes; Correspondence; Ledgers (account books); Minutes

Date:: 1890-1998

Summary:: These records document the governance and programmatic activities of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation (MAI) from its inception in 1904 until its sublimation by the Smithsonian Institution in 1990. The types of materials present in this collection include personal and institutional correspondence, individual subject files, minutes and annual reports, financial ledgers, legal records, expedition field notes, research notes, catalog and object lists, publications, clippings, flyers, maps, photographs, negatives and audio-visual materials. These materials span a varied range of subjects relating to the activities of the museum which are more fully described on the series level.

Scope and Contents:: These records document the governance and programmatic activities of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation (MAI) from its inception in 1904 until its sublimation by the Smithsonian Institution in 1990. The types of materials present in this collection include personal and institutional correspondence, individual subject files, minutes and annual reports, financial ledgers, legal records, expedition field notes, research notes, catalog and object lists, publications, clippings, flyers, maps, photographs, negatives and audio-visual materials. These materials span a varied range of subjects relating to the activities of the museum which are more fully described on the series level.

Arrangement:: The MAI, Heye Foundation records have been arranged into 21 series and 50 subseries: Series 1: Directors, 1908-1990 (1.1: George Gustav Heye, 1863-1962, 1.2: Edwin K. Burnett, 1943-1960, 1.3: Frederick Dockstader, 1950-1976, 1.4: Alexander F. Draper, 1972-1977, 1.5:Roland W. Force, 1963-1990, 1.6: George Eager, Assistant Director, 1977-1990) Series 2: Board of Trustees, 1916-1990 (2.1: Board of Trustee Minutes, 1916-1990, 2.2: Individual Board Correspondence, 1943-1990, 2.3: Subject Files, 1917-1990) Series 3: Administrative, 1916-1989 (3.1: Subject Files, 1904-1991, 3.2: Personnel, 1956-1991, 3.3: Legal, 1900-1989, 3.4: Task Force, 1976-1986, 3.5: George Abrams, 1980-1991) Series 4: Financial, 1916-1990 (4.1: Ledgers, 1900-1962, 4.2: Correspondence, 1905-1985, 4.3: Subject Files, 1916-1990) Series 5: Expeditions, 1896-1973Series 6: Collectors, 1872-1981Series 7: Registration, 1856-1993Series 8: Collections Management, 1937-1988Series 9: Curatorial, 1963-1990 (9.1: Curatorial Council, 1973-1990, 9.2: Gary Galante, 1979-1991, 9.3: Mary Jane Lenz, 1974-1994, 9.4: James G. E. Smith, 1963-1990, 9.5: U. Vincent Wilcox, 1968-1984, 9.6: Anna C. Roosevelt, 1973-1988) Series 10: Exhibits, 1923-1991 (10.1: MAI Exhibits, 1923-1990, 10.2: Non-MAI Exhibits, 1937-1991) Series 11: Public Programs, 1935-1990Series 12: Publications, 1904-1994 (12.1: Annual Reports, 1917-1989, 12.2: Publications by MAI, 1904-1990, 12.3: Publications by Other Sources, 1881-1990, 12.4: Administration, 1920-1988, 12.5: Archival Set of Official Publications, 1907-1976) Series 13: Public Affairs, 1938-1991Series 14: Development, 1927-1991 (14.1: Administration, 1979-1990, 14.2: Donors, 1978-1990, 14.3: Fundraising, 1973-1990, 14.4: Grants, 1970-1990, 14.5: Subject Files, 1976-1990) Series 15: Other Departments, 1914-1990 (15.1: Archives, 1914-1990, 15.2: Conservation, 1972-1989, 15.3: Education, 1921-1990, 15.4: Indian Information Center, 1977-1989, 15.5: Museum Shop, 1947-1989, 15.6: Photography, 1918-1990, 15.7: Physical Anthropology, 1919-1956) Series 16: Huntington Free Library, 1926-1991Series 17: Museum Relocation, 1969-1992 (17.1: Subject Files, 1979-1990, 17.2: American Museum of Natural History, 1980-1987, 17.3: Dallas, Texas, 1984-1987, 17.4: Smithsonian Institution, 1979-1990, 17.5: U.S. Custom House, 1977-1990, 17.6: Other Locations, 1974-1987) Series 18: MediaSeries 19: PhotographsSeries 20: Miscellaneous, 1837-1990Series 21: Oversize, 1873-1972 (21.1: Maps, 1873-1975, 21.2: Miscellaneous, 1884-1982)

History of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation:: The Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation was established by wealthy collector George Gustav Heye in 1908. Heye began collecting American Indian artifacts as early as 1897 and his collection rapidly increased over the next several years. Based in New York, Heye bought collections and documentary photographs, sponsored expeditions, and traveled and collected items himself. In addition, once MAI was established he sponsored numerous expeditions across the Western Hemisphere, including North American, Canada, South America and Central America.

From 1908 to 1917 Heye housed his artifacts on temporary loan at the University of Pennsylvania's University Museum, Pennsylvania, in lofts on East 33rd Street in New York City, and at other depositories. In 1917, the collections moved from his apartment to their permanent museum location at Audubon Terrace, at 155th Street and Broadway in New York City. The museum, containing ethnographic and archaeological collections from North, Central and South America, opened to the public in 1922. Less than ten years later, Heye completed a storage facility in the Pelham Bay area of the Bronx, known as the Research Branch. Heye served as Chairman of the Board and Museum Director until his death in 1957. After growing concern about the financial and other management of the collections came to a head, the museum became part of the Smithsonian Institution in 1989 and in 1994 opened exhibit space in the U.S. Customs House at Bowling Green near New York City's Battery Park. The Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, Maryland later opened in 1999 and the main Washington, DC museum opened in 2004.

Please visit the following links for more information about the history of the museum; History of the Collection, Collections Overview, and Significance of the Collection. Moreover, for information about how the museum currently cares for and exhibits the collection, please see the Conservation department and recent entries regarding Exhibitions and Conservation on the NMAI Blog. In addition, see portions of the NMAI Archive Center's collections highlighted in the SIRIS Blog.

Related Materials:: In 2004, the Huntington Fee Library, once part of the MAI/Heye Foundation, was transferred to the Cornell University Library Rare Book and Manuscript Collection. While this collection mainly contained books, it also contained a significant amount of archival materials. The Huntington Free Library's Native American Collection contains outstanding materials documenting the history, culture, languages, and arts of the native tribes of both North and South America, as well as contemporary politics and human rights issues are also important components of the collection. Further information about the collection and links to finding aids can be found here: rmc.library.cornell.edu/collections/HFL_old.html.

Restrictions:: Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

Rights:: Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadcast materials from the collection must be requested from the National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.

Topic:: Excavations (Archaeology) -- Peru Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Tennessee Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- New York (State) Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Panama Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- New Jersey Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- New Mexico Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Missouri Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Nevada Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- California Search this; Indians of South America Search this; Indians of Central America Search this; Pre-Columbian objects Search this; Museum exhibits Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Texas Search this; Museums -- Collection management Search this; Archaeological expeditions Search this; Ethnological expeditions Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) Search this; Museums -- Acquisitions Search this; Museums -- Curatorship Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Cuba Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Ecuador Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Arkansas Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Canada Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Guatemala Search this; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Haiti Search this

Genre/Form:: Administrative records; Photographs; Annual reports; Field notes; Correspondence; Ledgers (account books); Minutes

Citation:: Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation Records, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:: NMAI.AC.001

See more items in:: Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation records

Archival Repository:: National Museum of the American Indian

EDAN-URL:: ead_collection:sova-nmai-ac-001

Online Media:

Rollyn Osterweis Kirchbaum photograph collection of Sitting Bull and Iroquois Indians

Collector:: Kirchbaum, Rollyn Osterweis Search this

Names:: Beseler Lantern Slide Co. Search this; Sitting Bull, 1831-1890 Search this

Photographer:: William Notman & Son Search this; Henderson, Alexander Search this

Extent:: 4 Copy prints

Culture:: Iroquois Search this; Indians of North America -- Northeast Search this; Indians of North America -- Great Plains Search this; Hunkpapa Lakota (Hunkpapa Sioux) Search this

Type:: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Copy prints; Photographs

Date:: undated

Scope and Contents note:: Copies of lantern slides collected by Rollyn Osterweis Kirchbaum, at least two of which were made by the Beseler Lantern Slide Company. They include two portraits of Sitting Bull as well as views of canoe and basket making by Iroquois Indians in the Lower St. Lawrence River region. The photographs depicting Iroquois Indians were probably made by Alexander Henderson, circa 1865-1875. The British Columbia images were originally made by Alexander Henderson, and the Sitting Bull images were originally made by William Notman & Son.

Biographical/Historical note:: Alexander Henderson (1831-1913) and William Notman (1826-1891) were Scottish photographers and colleagues in Montreal, Canada. Notman was mostly a portrait photographer in his studio, William Notman & Son. In the mid-1860s, Henderson also opened a studio in Montreal, but appears to have specialized in outdoor photography. In 1860, the two men made a photographic expedition to Niagara Falls and helped found the Art Association of Montreal.

Local Call Number(s):: NAA Photo Lot R78-40

Reproduction Note:: Copy prints made by Rollyn Osterweis Kirchbaum.

Location of Other Archival Materials:: The Notman Photographic Archives at McCord Museum and the Archives of Ontario hold original prints and negatives of Alexander Henderson William Notman & Son, including originals of images in this collection.; The National Anthropological Archives holds Sitting Bull's pictographic autobiography (NAA MS 1929).; Additional photographs of Sitting Bull can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in MS 4544, MS 4559, Photo Lot 59, Photo Lot 87-2, and Photo Lot 90-1.

Restrictions:: The collection is open for research.

Access to the collection requires an appointment.

Rights:: This copy collection has been obtained for reference purposes only. Contact the repository for terms of use and access.

Topic:: Basket making Search this; Canoes and canoeing Search this

Genre/Form:: Photographs

Citation:: Photo lot R78-40, Rollyn Osterweis Kirchbaum photograph collection of Sitting Bull and Iroquois Indians, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:: NAA.PhotoLot.R78-40

Archival Repository:: National Anthropological Archives

EDAN-URL:: ead_collection:sova-naa-photolot-r78-40

W. Langdon Kihn papers

Creator:: Kihn, W. Langdon Search this

Names:: National Geographic Society (U.S.) Search this; Artzybasheff, Boris, 1899-1965 Search this; Barbeau, Marius, 1883-1969 Search this; Dale, Chester, b. 1883 Search this; Dale, Maud, 1875-1953 Search this; Dixon, Maynard, 1875-1946 Search this; Downs, Olin Search this; Fisher, Franklin L. Search this; Kihn, Alfred Search this; Kihn, Helen Butler Search this; Laubin, Gladys Search this; Laubin, Reginald Search this; Lecomte du Noüy, Marie Search this; Lecomte du Noüy, Pierre, 1883-1947 Search this; Oakley, Thorton, 1881-1953 Search this; Skinner, Constance Lindsay, 1882-1939 Search this; Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975 Search this; Wellcome, Henry S., Sir (Henry Solomon), 1853-1936 Search this; Wiggins, Guy C. (Guy Carleton), 1883-1962 Search this

Extent:: 8.5 Linear feet

Type:: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Sketchbooks; Diaries; Sketches; Photographs; Poetry; Writings

Date:: 1904-1990; bulk 1904-1957

Summary:: The papers of painter and illustrator W. Langdon Kihn measure approximately 8.5 linear feet and date from 1904-1990, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1904-1957. Papers document Kihn's career and travels associated with his interests in documenting the native American tribal nations of the United States and Canada in portraiture and writings. Found here are biographical materials, voluminous correspondence, memoirs and writings, one travel diary, printed material, financial records, three sketchbooks, sketches, and photographs.

Scope and Content Note:: The papers of painter and illustrator W. Langdon Kihn measure approximately 8.5 linear feet and date from 1904-1990, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1904-1957. Papers document Kihn's career and travels associated with his interests in documenting the native American tribal nations of the United States and Canada in portraiture and writings. Found here are biographical material, voluminous correspondence, memoirs and writings, one travel diary, printed material, financial records, three sketchbooks, sketches, and photographs.

Biographical materials include address books, membership cards, exhibition and price lists, legal and travel documents, as well as biographical notes. Additional biographical sketches are found in the Writings and Notes series.

Correspondence is the largest series in the collection, almost half of the papers. In addition to letters to W. Langdon Kihn, this series include both originals and drafts of his outgoing letters; letters to his wife Helen from friends; third party business correspondence between his father, Alfred Kihn, and various parties undertaken on his son's behalf; and third party correspondence addressed to his friend and colleague, the Canadian ethnographer, Marius Barbeau. In addition to Barbeau, significant correspondents include Constance Lindsay Skinner, Chester and Maud Dale, Sir Henry Wellcome, Pierre and Marie "May" Lecompte du Noüy, and Reginald and Gladys Laubin. Although there is little correspondence with other artists, those represented with cards and letters in this collection include Boris Artzybasheff, Maynard Dixon, Olin Dows, Thornton Oakley, and Kihn's summer art school partner, Gus Wiggins. Correspondence with Franklin L. Fisher, Chief of National Geographic Magazine's Illustrated Division and Matthew W. Striling, Chief of the Bureau of American Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution dominate the period spanning from 1935 - 1952, the years of Kihn's close association with the National Geographic Society.

Writings and notes includes manuscripts and typescripts of articles, poems, lectures, memoirs, and other writings by Kihn and others. There is one travel diary dated circa 1924-1925, and numerous writings about Kihn's travels and documentation of native American Indians.

Printed materials include exhibition catalogs, travel brochures, and magazine and newspaper clippings. Also found here are copies of Kihn's illustrations for books by other authors, including Beaver, Kings and Cabins, by Constance Lindsay Skinner, as well as proofs from the National Geographic series on American Indians arranged by geographic location. Financial records consist of invoices and receipts related to Kihn's artwork, traveling, and exhibitions.

Three sketchbooks and loose sketches include illustrated field notes and other drawings that document Kihn's travels and of native Americans. Photographs are of Kihn, and of Kihn at work. There are also photographs of Kihn's artwork.

Arrangement:: The collection is arranged into 7 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1916-1957 (Box 1; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1904-1959 (Boxes 1-5; 4.0 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1920-1990 (Box 5-6; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1920-1957 (Boxes 6-8, OV 10; 2.2 linear feet)

Series 5: Financial Records, 1920-1955 (Box 8; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 6: Sketchbooks and Sketches, circa 1922-1955 (Boxes 8-9, OV 10; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 7: Photographs, circa 1920-1955 (Box 9; 5 folders)

Biographical Note:: Born in Brooklyn, New York, W. (Wilfred) Langdon Kihn (1898-1959) is best known for his portraits of American Indians and illustrations of their history, culture and rapidly disappearing way of life. In 1919, Kihn joined his art teacher Winold Reiss on a trip to the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana where he completed his first series of portraits. This marked the beginning of his lifelong career of documenting the tribal nations of the United States and Canada. Through commissions from Canadian and American Railroad companies, Kihn spent much of the 1920s traversing both the United States and Northwest Canada where he had the opportunity to record the members and lives of various tribes. During this period, his paintings also traveled the country in a one man exhibition of his American Indian portraits, which was arranged by the Brooklyn Museum, and traveled to about 40 institutions in the United States. However his largest and best known commission was a project to research and paint North American Indians for serial publication in National Geographic. Kihn received the commission in 1935 and his association with the organization spanned two decades, culminating in the 1955 exhibition of his work at the National Geographic Museum, Washington, D.C, and the publication Indians of the Americas, with copius illustrations derived from Kihn's paintings and drawings.

In addition to his travels and work in North America, Kihn enjoyed a brief stint between 1929-1932 painting in France and Spain. Upon his return he focused upon obtaining commercial work and enjoyed success as an illustrator, whose work was featured in Beaver, Kings and Cabins (1933) and Flat Tail (1935), among other books. Kihn also wrote articles about his travels; amateur painters, whom he specialized in teaching; and American Indian legends and tribal cultures. Between 1948-1951 he was a partner in the Guy Wiggins-W. Langdon Kihn Art School in Essex, Connecticut. He married Helen Butler in 1920 and in between their travels the couple eventually settled in East Haddam, Connecticut. W. Langdon Kihn died in 1957.

Provenance:: Helen Kihn, W. Langdon Kihn's widow, donated the bulk of the collection in 1959. In 1994 Phyllis Kihn, the artist's daughter, donated pages 1-8 of Kihn's original manuscript of his memoirs and a transcript of the complete memoirs.

Restrictions:: Use of original papers requires an appointment.

Rights:: The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.