Photographs documenting archeological sites and diagrams of excavations. Depicted Paleolithic archeological sites include: Pithecanthropus site in Trinil, Java; Piltdown site in Suffolk (or Sussex), England; Heidelberg site in Heidelberg, Germany; Moustier site in Dordogne, France; La Chapelle aux Saints site in Coreze, France; La Quina sitein Charante, France; Galilee Skull site on the Sea of Galilee; Laugerie Haute in Dordogne, France; and La Madeleine in Dordogne, France. The prints were made by the Smithsonian laboratory for the Synoptic Series in the Old World Archeological exhibits, from photographs furnished by Ales Hrdlicka and J. Townsend Russell.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot 160, USNM ACC 124072
Location of Other Archival Materials:
This collection has been relocated from Photo Lot 79-38.
Originals for some of these drawings and photographs as well as additional drawings and photographs of Paleolithic sites can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in Photo Lot 157 and the Ales Hrdlicka papers.
Photo lot 160, Department of Anthropology photograph collection relating to Paleolithic sites, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
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:
330.25 Linear feet (519 boxes)
330.25 Linear feet (519 boxes)
Note:
Some materials are held off-site; this will be indicated at the series or sub-series level. Advanced notice must be given to view these portions of the collection.
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1840s-circa 2015
1840s-circa 2015
Summary:
The Department of Anthropology records contain administrative and research materials produced by the department and its members from the time of the Smithsonian Institution's foundation until today.
Scope and Contents:
The Department of Anthropology records contain correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, memoranda, invoices, meeting minutes, fiscal records, annual reports, grant applications, personnel records, receipts, and forms. The topics covered in the materials include collections, exhibits, staff, conservation, acquisitions, loans, storage and office space, administration, operations, research, budgets, security, office procedures, and funding. The materials were created by members of the Section of Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution, the Division of Anthropology of the United States National Museum, the Office of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History, and the Department of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History and range in date from before the founding of the Smithsonian Institution to today. The Department of Anthropology records also contain some materials related to the Bureau of American Ethnology, such as documents from the River Basin Surveys.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in 28 series: (1) Correspondence, 1902-1908, 1961-1992; (2) Alpha-Subject File, 1828-1963; (3) Alpha-Subject File, 1961-1975; (4) Smithsonian Office of Anthropology Subject Files, 1967-1968; (5) River Basin Survey Files, 1965-1969; (6) Research Statements, Proposals, and Awards, 1961-1977 (bulk 1966-1973); (7) Publication File, 1960-1975; (8) Memoranda and Lists Concerning Condemnations, 1910-1965; (9) Notebook on Special Exhibits, 1951-1952 (10) Section on Animal Industry; (11) Administrative Records, 1891-1974; (12) Administrative Records, 1965-1994 (bulk 1975-1988); (13) Fiscal Records, 1904-1986; (14) Annual Reports, 1920-1983; (15) Chairman's Office Files, 1987-1993; (16) Division of Archaeology, 1828-1965; (17) Division of Ethnology, 1840s, 1860-1972, 1997; (18) Division of Physical Anthropology; (19) Division of Cultural Anthropology, 1920-1968; (20) Records of the Anthropological Laboratory/Anthropology Conservation and Restoration Laboratory, 1939-1973; (21) Collections Management, 1965-1985; (22) Photographs of Specimens and Other Subjects (Processing Laboratory Photographs), 1880s-1950s; (23) Exhibit Labels, Specimen Labels, Catalog Cards, and Miscellaneous Documents, circa 1870-1950; (24) Antiquities Act Permits, 1904-1986; (25) Ancient Technology Program, circa 1966-1981; (26) Urgent Anthropology; (27) Records of the Handbook of North American Indians; (28) Personnel; (29) Repatriation Office, 1991-1994
Administrative History.:
The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846. Although there was no department of anthropology until the creation of the Section of Ethnology in 1879, anthropological materials were part of the Smithsonian's collection from its foundation. The Section of Ethnology was created to care for the rapidly growing collection. In 1881, the United States National Museum was established. Soon thereafter, in 1883, it was broken up into divisions, including the Division of Anthropology. In 1904, Physical Anthropology was added to the Division.
The Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) was created in 1879 as a research unit of the Smithsonian, separating research from collections care. However, during the 1950s, research became a higher priority for the Department of Anthropology and, in 1965, the BAE was merged with the Department of Anthropology to create the Office of Anthropology, and the BAE's archives became the National Anthropological Archives (NAA).
In 1967, the United States National Museum was broken up into three separate museums: the Musuem of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History), the National Museum of American Art, and the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The Office of Anthropology was included in NMNH and was renamed the Department of Anthropology in 1968.
New divisions were added to the Department, including the Human Studies Film Archives (HSFA) in 1981, the Research Institute on Immigration and Ethnic Studies (RIIES) in 1982, and the Repatriation Office in 1993. In 1983, the Smithsonian opened the Museum Support Center (MSC) in Suitland, Maryland, as offsite housing for collections with specialized storage facilities and conservation labs.
The Department of Anthropology is currently the largest department within NMNH. It has three curatorial divisions (Ethnology, Archaeology, and Biological Anthropology) and its staff includes curators, research assistants, program staff, collections specialists, archivists, repatriation tribal liaisons, and administrative specialists. It has a number of outreach and research arms, including the Repatriation Office, Recovering Voices, Human Origins, and the Arctic Studies Center.
The Museum is home to one of the world's largest anthropology collections, with over three million specimens in archaeology, ethnology, and human skeletal biology. The NAA is the Smithsonian's oldest archival repository, with materials that reflect over 150 years of anthropological collecting and fieldwork. The HSFA is the only North American archive devoted exclusively to the collection and preservation of anthropological film and video.
Sources Consulted
National Museum of Natural History. "Department of Anthropology: About" Accessed April 13, 2020. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/anthropology/about
National Museum of Natural History. "History of Anthropology at the Smithsonian." Accessed April 13, 2020. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/media/file/history-anthropology-si.pdf
National Museum of Natural History. "History of the Smithsonian Catalog." Accessed April 13, 2020 https://siris-sihistory.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=sicall
Chronology
1846 -- The Smithsonian Institution is founded
1879 -- George Catlin bequeaths his collection to the Smithsonian The Section of Ethnology is established to oversee ethnological and archaeological collections The Bureau of Ethnology is established by Congress as a research unit of the Smithsonian
1881 -- The U.S. National Museum (USNM) is established as a separate entity within the Smithsonian Institution
1883 -- The staff and collections of the USNM are reorganized into divisions, including a Division of Anthropology
1897 -- The United States National Museum is reorganized into three departments: Anthropology headed by W. H. Holmes; Biology with F. W. True as head; and Geology with G. P. Merrill in charge The Bureau of Ethnology is renamed the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) to emphasize the geographic limit of its interests
1903 -- The Division of Physical Anthropology established
1904 -- The Division of Physical Anthropology is incorporated into the Division of Anthropology
1910 -- The USNM moves into the new Natural History Building
1965 -- The Smithsonian Office of Anthropology is created on February 1 The BAE is eliminated and merged with the Office of Anthropology
1968 -- The Smithsonian Office of Anthropology (SOA) of the National Museum of Natural History is retitled the Department of Anthropology on October 29
1973 -- The Research Institute on Immigration and Ethnic Studies (RIIES) is established at the National Museum of Natural History's (NMNH) Center for the Study of Man (CSM) to study the waves of immigration to the United States and its overseas outposts that began in the 1960's
1975 -- The National Anthropological Film Center is established
1981 -- The National Anthropological Film Center is incorporated into the Department of Anthropology
1982 -- The RIIES, part of the CSM at the NMNH, is transferred to the Department of Anthropology
1991 -- NMNH establishes a Repatriation Office
1993 -- The Repatriation Office is incorporated into the Department of Anthropology
Head Curators and Department Chairs
1897-1902 -- William Henry Holmes
1902-1903 -- Otis T. Mason (acting)
1904-1908 -- Otis T. Mason
1908-1909 -- Walter Hough (acting)
1910-1920 -- William Henry Holmes
1920-1923 -- Walter Hough (acting)
1923-1935 -- Walter Hough
1935-1960 -- Frank M. Setzler
1960-1962 -- T. Dale Stewart
1963-1965 -- Waldo R. Wedel
1965-1967 -- Richard Woodbury
1967-1970 -- Saul H. Riesenberg
1970-1975 -- Clifford Evans
1975-1980 -- William W. Fitzhugh
1980-1985 -- Douglas H. Ubelaker
1985-1988 -- Adrienne L. Kaeppler
1988-1992 -- Donald J. Ortner
1992-1999 -- Dennis Stanford
1999-2002 -- Carolyn L. Rose
2002-2005 -- William W. Fitzhugh
2005-2010 -- J. Daniel Rogers
2010-2014 -- Mary Jo Arnoldi
2014-2018 -- Torbin Rick
2018- -- Igor Krupnik
Related Materials:
The NAA holds collections of former head curators and department chairs, including the papers of Otis Tufton Mason, Walter Hough, T. Dale Stewart, Waldo Rudolph and Mildred Mott Wedel, Saul H. Riesenberg, Clifford Evans, and Donald J. Ortner; the photographs of Frank Maryl Setzler; and the Richard B. Woodbury collection of drawings of human and animal figures.
Other related collections at the NAA include the papers of Gordon D. Gibson, Eugene I. Knez, and Betty J. Meggers and Clifford Evans; and the records of the Bureau of American Ethnology, the Center for the Study of Man, and the River Basin Surveys.
Provenance:
This collection was transferred to the National Anthropological Archives (NAA) by the National Museum of Natural History's Department of Anthropology in multiple accessions.
Restrictions:
Some materials are restricted.
Access to the Department of Anthropology records requires an appointment.
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
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
196 cyanotypes. "Sculpture" has been applied in a broad sense ranging from free-standing works to plaster models of pueblos. The objects depicted are probably in the Smithsonian collections.
Culture areas include North, South and Central America (Indians and Mound cultures), and Easter Island.
Mediums include stone (including argillite), plaster, ceramic, shell, and wood.
Items shown include free-standing sculpture (original?/copy?), models of habitation sites, tools (?), exhibits (containing sculpture), mummy head, ceramics (frequently sculpted), shells (undecorated), figurines, boxes, pipes (?), and bowls.
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 4
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
151 cyanotypes. Artifacts are mostly from the Department's ethnology collections.
Culture areas include North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East (Abyssinia).
Items shown include artifacts (ethnological & archeological), exhibits/dioramas & models, paintings by Catlin and others, ethnological artifacts, spinning wheel (walking), miscellaneous pages from published works, ceramics, medicine bundle? (7:177 & others?), tuscarora drawing (7:124), ethno. photo of family spinning & weaving in Alabama (7:125).
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 4
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
227 cyanotypes (many with four images on each sheet). Includes photographs of Japan taken by Romyn Hitchcock (for more information on Hitchcock, request the appendices from the archivist) These are numbered from 28,325 to 28,724 (with gaps).
Culture areas include Asia (esp. Japan), North America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, and South America.
Images shown include ethnological field shots (local industry & scenic), exhibits, dioramas and figures, artifacts (ethnological & archeological), calligraphy, and a letter to Gov. of Michigan requesting removal of Chippewa Indians from Hamtramck (8:223-225).
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 5
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
198 cyanotypes. Many of the photographs show people (curators, and others) posing with clothing from around the world. Many of the items of clothing are probably in the Department's collections. There are also photographs of exhibit figures wearing ethnographic costumes.
Culture areas: World-wide.
Images include people posing with clothing from around the world (including uniforms); exhibits: figures with clothing; Smillie photograph of headdress retouched onto Gardner photograph and used on U. S. 1899 $5 certificate (10:43-:50); illustrations (DeBry/John White & others, 10:193-:194 military uniforms by years); artifacts (especially, hats, military insignias, footware and other articles of clothing); body tattoos (10:183-:186).
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 5
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
125 cyanotypes. In addition to the many exhibit images, this album includes a large number of photographs obviously taken during a trip to the Far East. The plates are numbered in the 22,000s. There are images taken by an early "detective" camera of the 1890s. These prints consist of several small, circular images, themselves arranged in a circle. The photographer has not been identified. It is possible that they were taken by Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore (for more information on Scidmore, request the appendices from the archivist).
Culture areas include South America, Africa?, Oceania, and Asia.
Images inlcude exhibits (ethnology & non-ethnology including dinosaurs, mammals, mineral science) and field views (Orient).
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 6
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
67 cyanotypes.
Culture areas include Asia, North America, Oceania, Egypt?, and Africa.
Items shown include masks, rattles, statues/kachinas/dolls?, skulls, exhibit figures, armor & protective objects, heddles (weaving), Moros posing in battle scene (15:59), illustrations of armor exhibit in Turin (15:60), and illustrations by Shindler of Chukchis w/armor (15:62).
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 6
Box 7
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
430 cyanotypes, many with several images on one sheet. Numbers 1-200 are in box 22-6 and numbers 201-430 are in box 22-7. Ethno. Portraits from around the world, many in Department of Ethnology: Photographs. It is possible that some images exist here and not in other collections. There are many photographs relating to William Louis Abbott and relating to Madagascar by Mason Shufeldt. There are also anthropologists, such as Cushing, Boas, and Hough, posing as exhibit models.
Most neg. numbers are probably in the "MNH" series, but the existence of a negative and its correct number should be checked before placing orders.
Culture area: Worldwide
Images incldue San Ildefonso dances by Stevenson (16:1, :12, :16, :17), North American Indians, South American Indians, many from a German publication (esp. 16:2 - :11, :13, :14), Hawaiians (16:26,:27), Orientals (:28, :29), Madagascar, by Shufeldt (:31, :339-ca.:364 & others), painting of Pocahontas? (:44), Belle Mackenzie (:45), Gen. Santa Anna (:46), Cushing posing for exhibits (:50-ca.:57, :70-:75), W. Hoffman posing (:58-63), Walter Hough posing (:65-68, :86, :87), W. W. Rockhill posing in Tibetan costume (:55), Franz Boas posing (:76, :77, :95-:105), a group of people on expedition to collect botanical specimens (:88), William Louis Abbott photographs (:106-ca. :318), African (Angolan) man posing (:319-:323 & others), Australian aborigines (studio), and Bororo photos (:4419-:425).
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 7
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
229 cyanotypes.
Culture areas include North, South, and Central America; Greece; and Thailand.
Images include pottery & sherds; non-pottery containers; illustrations and exhibits of pottery; ceramic artifacts, including figurines, moulds, pestles, dolls, etc.; and miscellaneous artifacts such as: mask (17:216), beads (17:226), and shield (17:228).
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 39
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1895
Scope and Contents:
Includes drawing of boat with terms for parts; exhibit labels; Frederick Starr, Aztec Place Names, University of Chicago Press, 1895; and a vocabulary list, miscellaneous subjects.
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 48
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
Includes cursory notes by Hough and Mason for exhibits apparently both in the United States National Museum and at Expositions; a copy of a sketch by (?) F. W. Putnam; sketches, many by William H. Holmes; a letter, G. T. Emmons to Holmes, January 8, 1902, re blanket frame of unnamed tribe; notes by Holmes; and printed illustrations.
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 51
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
Includes a list of instruments in the United States National Museum collection and exhibits, catalog descriptions of specimens, and a list of violin and other instrument makers, with location of birth, date, source of information, and remarks.
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
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
Container:
Box 64
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1870
Scope and Contents:
Includes John J. K. Patrick to charles Rau, 11/7/1870, re warriors cap taken in May 1848, from "Huerro", with drawings; newsclippings; a note, James Mooney to William H. Holmes, re evaluation of article and letter; and a letter, A. J. Newcomb to Mrs. Charles D. Walcott, re manufacture and gift of Yabachai blanket to United States National Museum and description of Yabachai sandpaintings and related materials for exhibit of sandpaintings.
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.
Collection Citation:
Department of Anthropology Records, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
