Search Results

Interviewee:

Beer-Monti, Federica, b. 1876  Search this

Interviewer:

Coleman, Butler  Search this

Names:

Baizerman, Eugenie, 1899-1949  Search this

Baizerman, Saul, 1889-1957  Search this

Kokoschka, Oskar, 1886-  Search this

Margules, De Hirsh, 1899-1965  Search this

Stix, Hugh  Search this

Extent:

28 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1967 November 1

Scope and Contents:

An interview with Friederike (Federica) Beer-Monti conducted 1967 November 1, by Butler Coleman, for the Archives of American Art.

Beer-Monti discusses her early life in Vienna, including posing for artists Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt; modeling clothing for the Wiener Werkstätte; her romantic relationship with Hans Böhler; architect Josef Hoffmann; volunteering at Nebehay Gallery; and her experiences of World War I and World War II. She discusses fleeing Europe for the United States in the mid-1930s due to the rise of Nazism; meeting Hugh Stix; and the founding of New York's Artists' Gallery. She mentions artists Oskar Kokoschka, Sarah Berman, De Hirsh Margules, Louise Nevelson, Louis Schanker, Eugenie Baizerman and Saul Baizerman.

Biographical / Historical:

Friederike (Federica) Beer-Monti (1876-1980) was an art dealer and artists' muse, born in Vienna, Austria, immigrating to New York, New York, in the mid-1930s.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 58 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Occupation:

Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Women art dealers  Search this

Art, American  Search this

Art, European  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.beermo67

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96dc74b10-cd68-499c-943c-0bf42f5ee0b2

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-beermo67

Interviewee:

Cunningham, Patricia Stanley, 1907-1984  Search this

Interviewer:

McChesney, Mary Fuller  Search this

McChesney, Robert, 1913-2008  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project (Calif.)  Search this

Ariss, Bruce  Search this

Boundey, Burton, 1879-1962  Search this

Bufano, Beniamino, 1898-1970  Search this

Waldo, Amalie  Search this

Extent:

48 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1964 July 28

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Patricia Stanley Cunningham conducted 1964 July 28, by Mary Fuller McChesney and Robert McChesney, for the Archives of American Art.

Cunningham speaks of her training at the University of California, Berkeley; her work for the Federal Art Project as a muralist in public school buildings and on the easel painting project in the area around Monterey, Carmel, and Big Sur, California; how her work was supervised; artists she knew; starting the Carmel Art Institute with her husband, John Cunningham, and the effect of the Federal Art Project on her career. She recalls Bruce Ariss, Burton Boundey, Beniamino Bufano, and Amalie Waldo.

Biographical / Historical:

Patricia Stanley Cunningham (1907-1984) was a painter, sculptor, designer, and muralist from Carmel, California.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 48 min.

Provenance:

This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Restrictions:

This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Occupation:

Muralists -- California  Search this

Painters -- California  Search this

Designers -- California  Search this

Sculptors -- California  Search this

Art school directors  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Mural painting and decoration  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women designers  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Women muralists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.cunninp64

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9f6e24494-b3fd-4f7c-b5b0-2fb9e4a130fc

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-cunninp64

Creator:

Flack, Audrey  Search this

Names:

Arizona State University  Search this

Atlantic Center for the Arts (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.)  Search this

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art  Search this

Guild Hall of East Hampton  Search this

Louis K. Meisel Gallery  Search this

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Janson, Anthony F.  Search this

Extent:

34.6 Linear feet

0.897 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Motion pictures (visual works)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Date:

1950-2022

Summary:

The papers of painter Audrey Flack measure 34.6 linear feet and 0.897 GB and date from 1950-2022. The collection documents Flack's career as an artist through biographical material, correspondence, extensive project files, writings and notes by Flack and others, exhibition catalogs, news and magazine clippings, other printed and digital material, and scrapbooks. Also found are photographs by Audrey Flack as well as photographs of the artist and works of art.

There is an 18.8 unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2022 that includes project files; correspondence; photographs, slides and negatives of works of art, exhibition installations, events, Flack and others; teaching notes; biographical information including resumes, awards, calendars, address books and identification cards; writings, notes and diaries by Flack; scrapbooks; sketches; financial records; commission applications; contracts; audio visual material including mini-DVs, VHS , DVDs and Super 8 film of interviews and lectures by Flack; and printed material including newspaper clippings, articles and posters. Materials date from circa 1950-2022.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of painter Audrey Flack measure 34.6 linear feet and 0.897 GB and date from 1950-2022. The collection documents Flack's career as an artist through biographical material, correspondence, extensive project files, writings and notes by Flack and others, exhibition catalogs, news and magazine clippings, other printed and digital material, and scrapbooks. Also found are photographs by Audrey Flack as well as photographs of the artist and works of art.

Biographical material includes curricula vitae, diplomas, an award certificate, and bibliographies of monographs and articles by and about Audrey Flack. Flack's correspondence documents her professional activities and business dealings.

There is correspondence with galleries, museums, arts organizations; architects and foundries; and academic institutions. Included are letters from Arizona State University, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Cooper Union, Guild Hall, Louis K. Meisel Gallery, and the Museum of Modern Art. There are letters from art historians and critics, including Flack's correspondence with Anthony Janson. Letters from publishers and agents pertain to book projects, proposals for articles, and requests to reproduce artwork in monographs or catalogs.

Interviews with Flack from the 1970s through the 1990s are found, recorded on sound and video. Writings and notes include manuscript versions for a book, typescripts of speeches, and a notebook. Also found are audio and video recordings of lectures and talks by Flack discussing her paintings and sculptures. The collection includes extensive project files on Flack's commissioned public works and exhibitions. The files also include correspondence concerning book projects, permission requests, and Flack's participation in art educational programs, and some projects are documented with recorded sound and moving images, two if which are in digital format.

Printed material consists of catalogs of Flack's shows, invitations and announcements to openings, press releases, reproductions of artwork, exhibition posters, clippings, periodicals, and books reflecting Flack's professional activities from the 1950s-2008. Photographs are of portraits by Flack, Flack by herself and with colleagues and students, as well as of the artist's studio. Also found are photographs of artwork.

There is an 18.8 unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2022 that includes project files; correspondence; photographs, slides and negatives of works of art, exhibition installations, events, Flack and others; teaching notes; biographical information including resumes, awards, calendars, address books and identification cards; writings, notes and diaries by Flack; scrapbooks; sketches; financial records; commission applications; contracts; audio visual material including mini-DVs, VHS , DVDs and Super 8 film of interviews and lectures by Flack; and printed material including newspaper clippings, articles and posters. Materials date from circa 1950-2022.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 9 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1951-2006 (Box 1; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1950-2009 (Boxes 1-3; 2.4 linear feet)

Series 3: Interviews, circa 1970-1998 (Boxes 3-4; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings and Notes, circa 1970-2007 (Boxes 4-6; 2.15 linear feet)

Series 5: Project Files, 1966-circa 2007 (Boxes 6-11, FC 18-21; 5.6 linear feet, ER01-ER02, 0.897 GB)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1950-2008 (Boxes 11-16, OV 17; 4.1 linear feet)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1977-2008 (Box 15; 2 folders)

Series 8: Photographs, 1966-2009 (Boxes 15-16; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 9: Unprocessed Addition, circa 1950-2022 (Boxes 22-41, OV 42-43; 18.8 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical:

Audrey Flack (1931-) is a painter and sculptor in New York City and in Long Island, New York. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Cooper Union in 1951 and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Yale University in 1952. In the 1950s, she was part of the New York School that included the Abstract Expressionist painters Franz Kline and Jackson Pollock. By the 1960s, Flack had turned to painting in a realistic manner. She pioneered the technique of incorporating photographic images from contemporary sources such as magazines and newspapers; the art form became known as Photorealism. Her subjects have included families, celebrities, and public figures. An early work, The Kennedy Motorcade captured President John Kennedy moments before he was assassinated. Flack's paintings have also centered on the varied experiences of women as depicted in her Vanitas series done in the 1970s. Flack was the first Photorealist painter to have a work acquired by the Museum of Modern Art. By the 1980s, Flack was creating sculptures, goddess figures and other mythological deities of various cultures. The sculptures, many of monumental proportions were executed as commissioned works for public spaces. Flack's commissions have included Civitas: Four Visions, South Carolina, Galatea Fountain, South Pasadena, Florida, Islandia, New York City Technical College, and The Art Muse, Tampa, Florida. Further, Audrey Flack has also worked in other media such as photography and printmaking.

Audrey Flack has taught and lectured at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad, including Cooper Union, Pratt Institute of New York, and the Studio Art School International, Florence, Italy. She has been a Visiting Professor at a number of universities, including the University of North Dakota, University of Tennessee, and the University of Pennsylvania. Her paintings, watercolors, and sculptures have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in major museums and galleries. Flack's artwork has also been shown in a number of traveling exhibitions including "Saints and Other Angels: The Religious Paintings of Audrey Flack" sponsored by Cooper Union and "Breaking the Rules: Audrey Flack, A Retrospective, 1950-1990" organized by the J.B. Speed Museum. Flack has been represented by the Louis K. Meisel Gallery, the Vered Gallery, and the Gary Snyder Gallery. Among the many awards and honors she has received are the Honorary Ziegfeld Award, National Art Education Association, an Honorary Doctorate, Lyme Academy of Art, and the U.S. Government National Design for Transportation Award. Audrey Flack has also written two books and numerous articles. Audrey Flack lives and works in New York and in East Hampton, New York.

Related Materials:

Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Audrey Flack conducted by Robert C. Morgan, February 16, 2009.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Audrey Flack in 2009 and 2022.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

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.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Art -- Economic aspects  Search this

Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Motion pictures (visual works)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Citation:

Audrey Flack papers, 1950-2022. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.flacaudr

See more items in:

Audrey Flack papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c12179ce-d722-47e1-b806-32a27e29d8f3

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-flacaudr

Creator:

Holt, Nancy, 1938-2014  Search this

Names:

James Cohan Gallery  Search this

John Weber Gallery  Search this

Smithson, Robert  Search this

Extent:

circa 42 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Diaries

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Drawings

Date:

circa 1900-2014

Summary:

The Nancy Holt Estate records measure circa 42 linear feet and date from circa 1900-2014, with the bulk of the material dating from 1960-2000. The records include financial records, notebooks, project files including unrealized proposals, correspondence, calendars, and 9 linear feet of Holt's annotated library. Also included are the John Weber Gallery records concerning Robert Smithson that consist of the gallery's inventory and slide records of Robert Smithson's drawings and sculptures, including earthworks, and incorporate some slides from the James Cohan Gallery. James Cohan worked for John Weber before establishing his own gallery in 2001.

Scope and Contents:

The Nancy Holt Estate records measure circa 42 linear feet and date from circa 1900-2014, with the bulk of the material dating from 1960-2000. The records include financial records, notebooks, project files including unrealized proposals, correspondence, calendars, and 9 linear feet of Holt's annotated library. Also included are the John Weber Gallery records concerning Robert Smithson that consist of the gallery's inventory and slide records of Robert Smithson's drawings and sculptures, including earthworks. The records incorporate some slides from the James Cohan Gallery (1999-), an art gallery in Manhattan, New York, which represents the estate of Robert Smithson.

Arrangement:

The Nancy Holt Estate records are arranged as 4 series.

Series 1: Project Files, circa 1900-2014, bulk 1970-2000 (12.8 linear feet; Boxes 3-10, OVs 11-31, RDs 32-39)

Series 2: Calendars and Notebooks, circa 1970s-2013 (2 linear feet; Boxes 40-42, OVs 43-44)

Series 3: John Weber Gallery Records Concerning Robert Smithson, circa 1960-circa 2001 (2 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 4: Unprocessed Papers, circa 1960s-circa 2014 (25.2 linear feet; Boxes 45-69, OVs 70-71)

Biographical / Historical:

Nancy Holt (1938-2014) was an environmental and installation artist, sculptor, filmmaker, and photographer, based in New York, New York. She was best known for her large-scale public land art installations including her seminal work Sun Tunnels (1973-1976) located in the Great Basin Desert, Utah. Her work engaged with the natural environment and the celestial realm, tracing the rotation of the earth and the movement of the sun and stars. Holt was also fascinated by mechanical systems such as those used for heating, drainage, and ventilation, and her functional sculptural installations explored the relationship between architecture and the built environment.

Holt was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, grew up in New Jersey, and graduated from Tufts University in 1960 with a degree in biology. She moved to New York City later that year where she met the artist Robert Smithson, to whom she was married from 1963 until Smithson's death in 1973.

Holt's landmark work Sun Tunnels was executed in 1973-1976 in Utah's Great Basin Desert, where Holt and Smithson had purchased surrounding land specifically to ensure an unimpeded view of the horizon. Holt went on to produce many site-specific outdoor works including 30 Below (1980), Dark Star Park (1984), Solar Rotary (1995), and Up and Under (1998). Her exploration of what she termed Systems Works included Catch Basin (1982), Flow Ace Heating (1985), and Spinwinder (1991).

Holt's photography was essential in the development of her ideas. In Missouri Ranch Locators: Vision Encompassed (1972) she used photography in her development of "seeing devices," creating eye-level steel pipes to direct viewers to a specific site in the surrounding landscape, and developing a concept that was central to Sun Tunnels and other works. Her book Ransacked, Aunt Ethel: An Ending (1980) documented through text and photographs the abuse and theft her aunt was subjected to at the end of her life. In Time Outs (1985) Holt used photographs of football games taken from a television screen to create a book born out of her childhood love of TV sporting events.

Holt's work can be found in the collections of major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museum für Gegenswartkunst, Germany. Her permanent installations can be found at public institutions including Miami University Art Museum, Southern Connecticut State University, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, Western Washington University, and University of South Florida.

In 2012 Nancy Holt was made a Chevalier of the of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government. In 2013 she was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Sculpture Center in New York. Holt received five National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, two New York Creative Artist Fellowships, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of South Florida, Tampa.

Holt lived in Galisteo, New Mexico, from 1995-2013. She died in New York City in 2014.

Related Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds the Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt papers, an interview with Nancy Holt conducted 1992 July 6 by Scott Gutterman for the Archives of American Art, and an interview with Nancy Holt conducted 1993 August 3 by Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz for the Archives of American Art.

Provenance:

Bequest of Nancy Holt, 2014.

Restrictions:

Portions of the collection are open for research. Series 4: Unprocessed Papers is currently closed for processing. Financial files, and Nancy Holt's annotated library of books are currently closed to researchers.

Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

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.

Items created by Nancy Holt and Robert Smithson copyright held by Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Requests for permission to reproduce should be submitted to ARS.

Occupation:

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Environmental artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Installation artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Sculptors -- New Mexico -- Galisteo  Search this

Installation artists -- New Mexico -- Galisteo  Search this

Environmental artists -- New Mexico -- Galisteo  Search this

Photographers -- New Mexico -- Galisteo  Search this

Filmmakers -- New Mexico -- Galisteo  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Earthworks (Art)  Search this

Women photographers  Search this

Women filmmakers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Diaries

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Drawings

Citation:

Nancy Holt Estate records, circa 1900-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.holtnanc

See more items in:

Nancy Holt Estate records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95e0b7a8b-3fdb-4cd3-91fb-a6bec00cc668

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-holtnanc

Interviewee:

Blaine, Nell, 1922-1996  Search this

Interviewer:

Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this

Names:

American Abstract Artists  Search this

Jane Street Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Bell, Leland  Search this

Day, Worden, 1916-1986  Search this

Freilicher, Jack  Search this

Freilicher, Jane, 1924-2014  Search this

Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this

Kahn, Wolf, 1927-2020  Search this

Kresch, Albert  Search this

Rivers, Larry, 1925-2002  Search this

Ross, Alvin, 1920-1975  Search this

Solomon, Hyde, 1911-  Search this

Extent:

86 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1967 June 15

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Nell Blaine conducted 1967 June 15, by Dorothy Seckler, for the Archives of American Art.

Blaine speaks of her family background; her competitive spirit; commercial art; becoming a "disciple" of Hans Hofmann; Hofmann as a teacher; the influence of Arp, Helion, Leger and Mondrian; the American Abstract Artists group; the Jane Street Gallery; jazz musicians; painting in Paris, Italy, Mexico, Greece, England, and elsewhere; her paralysis caused by polio; design work with Alvin H. Ross; her interest in color and light; landscape and figurative paintings; and the contemporary art scene. She recalls Leland Bell, Worden Day, Jane and Jack Freilicher, Wolf Kahn, Albert Kresch, Larry Rivers, Hyde Solomon, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Nell Blaine (1922-1996) was a painter in New York, New York.

General:

Originally recorded 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Restrictions:

This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Occupation:

Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women printmakers  Search this

Poliomyelitis  Search this

Artists with disabilities  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.blaine67

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90dab60cd-70c6-4a88-a98b-da4794a49583

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-blaine67

Interviewee:

Allen, Rebecca, 1953-  Search this

Interviewer:

Jones, Leslie, 1966-  Search this

Extent:

2 Items (sound files (9 hrs., 50 min.), digital, wav)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Sound recordings

Date:

2023 July 30-August 26

Scope and Contents:

An interview with Rebecca Allen conducted 2023 July 30-August 26, by Leslie Jones for the Archives of American Art, at Allen's home in Los Angeles, Calif.­

Biographical / Historical:

Rebecca Allen (1953- ) is a digital artist whose work explores the limits of human and computer perception and motion. Allen is based in Los Angeles, Calif.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the recording is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Computer artists -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Identifier:

AAA.allen23

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c9d6dc05-9160-42f1-98c6-791687608aaa

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-allen23

Interviewee:

Beavers, Robert  Search this

Interviewer:

Proctor, Jacob  Search this

Extent:

17 Items (sound files (3 hrs., 52 min.), digital, wav)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Sound recordings

Date:

2023 August 8-9

Scope and Contents:

An interview with Robert Beavers conducted 2023 August 8-9, by Jacob Proctor for the Archives of American Art, at Beavers's home in Berlin, Germany.­

Biographical / Historical:

Robert Beavers (1949- ) is an experimental filmmaker whose work captures the atmosphere of intimate and domestic spaces. Beavers collaborated with his partner Gregory Markopoulos in New York before relocating to Berlin, Germany.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the recording is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Filmmakers -- Germany -- Berlin  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Identifier:

AAA.beaver23

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw988627313-97a6-4c34-b83a-715eb2b149dd

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-beaver23

Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Names:

National Museum of Natural History (U.S.)  Search this

Six Nations  Search this

Extent:

220 Linear feet (The total extent of the collection is 191.41 linear feet (consisting of 473 document boxes and 2 record boxes) plus 254 sound recordings, 94 computer disks, 42 card file boxes, 85 oversize folders, 9 rolled items, 18 binder boxes, and 3 oversize boxes. Of the total extent, 4.79 linear feet (14 boxes) are restricted.)

Culture:

Indians of North America -- Southeast  Search this

Indians of North America  Search this

Iroquois  Search this

Seminole  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Realia

Research

Notes

Office files

Theses

Slides (photographs)

Sound recordings

Exhibition catalogs

Field notes

Clippings

Correspondence

Photographs

Microfilms

Newsletters

Manuscripts

Memorandums

Articles

Card files

Books

Artifacts

Negatives

Date:

1952-2007

Summary:

This collection contains the professional papers of William Curtis Sturtevant and documents his activities as Curator of North American Ethnology at the National Museum of Natural History, his work as the editor-in-chief of the Handbook of North American Indians, his research among the Seminole and Iroquois people, and other professional activities. The collection is comprised of books, sound recordings, research and field notes, realia, artifacts, clippings, microfilm, negatives, slides, photographs, manuscripts, correspondence, memorandums, card files, exhibition catalogs, articles, and bibliographies.

Scope and Contents:

This collection contains the professional papers of William Curtis Sturtevant and documents his activities as Curator of North American Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, his work as the editor-in-chief of the Handbook of North American Indians, his research among the Seminole and Iroquois people, and his involvement in various professional activities. The collection is comprised of research and field notes, sound recordings, realia, clippings, negatives, slides, prints, published and unpublished writings, correspondence, memorandums, conference papers and meeting notes, card files, exhibition catalogs, articles, bibliographies, student files such as class notes and papers from Sturtevant's years as an anthropology student, teaching materials including lecture notes and exams, daily planners, passports, military records, artwork including prints and lithographs, maps, and computer files.

The materials in this collection document Sturtevant's career as a preeminent North American ethnologist, museum curator, university professor, his role as General Editor of the Handbook of North American Indians, and his contributions to the field of Anthropology. From his early work with the Seminole Indians of Florida to his forays into Burma, and his decades-long study of how Native Americans have been depicted in artistic and popular culture, Sturtevant's diverse intellectual interests are represented in his research files. A copious note taker, Sturtevant captured his observations and opinions of everything from meetings with colleagues to museum exhibits. Sturtevant's commitment to the anthropological profession can be found in the notes and programs of the many conferences, symposiums, and lecture series he attended and at which he presented. He also held numerous leadership positions in various professional associations and sat on the board of directors/trustees for several cultural organizations including Survival International and the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation. Sturtevant was respected for his vast knowledge of indigenous peoples and he received a voluminous amount of correspondence from colleagues who often included copies of their papers and grant proposals. He kept many of these works, which, it appears he used as reference material. Sturtevant's own work is reflected in his writings; he published over 200 scholarly papers, articles, and books.

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 organized in 14 series: 1. Correspondence, 1951-2008; 2. Research Files, 1851, 1860s, 1880s, 1890, 1939-2006; 3. Writings, 1952-2006; 4. Professional Activities, 1952-2006; 5. Smithsonian, 1954-2008; 6. Handbook of North American Indians, 1971-2007; 7. Biographical Files, 1933-2007; 8. Student Files, 1944-1985; 9. Subject Files, 1902-2002; 10. Photographs, 1927-2004; 11. Artwork, 1699-1998; 12. Maps, 1949-1975; 13. Sound Recordings, 1950-2000; 14. Computer Files, 1987-2006.

Biographical/Historical note:

William C. Sturtevant (1926-2007), preeminent North American ethnologist, museum curator, and university professor, was best known for his contributions to Seminole ethnology, as curator of North American Ethnology in the Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, and for his work as the general editor of the Handbook of North American Indians.

Sturtevant's passion for studying Native peoples began at a young age. In third grade "after a class on American Indians, he asked his father what kind of people study Indians, and his father replied, 'Anthropologists.' Sturtevant decided then that he would make anthropology his career" (Merrill 11). After graduating with honors from the University of California at Berkeley in 1949, Sturtevant went on to Yale University to complete his graduate work in anthropology. When it came time to decide on what area of North America he should focus his research, one of his faculty members at Yale, Irving Rouse, "suggested he consider the Seminoles of south Florida. By the end of his first fieldwork season, Sturtevant was convinced that the dearth of ethnographic information about these Seminoles and their status as one of the least acculturated of all North American Indian societies justified ethnographic research among them and offered the possibility of making an important contribution to North American ethnology" (Merrill 13). Sturtevant spent the summers of 1950 and 1951 conducting preliminary fieldwork among the Mikasuki-speaking Seminole and in 1952 he took up temporary residence at Big Cypress Reservation to undertake research for his dissertation, "The Mikasuki Seminole: Medical Beliefs and Practices." This work focused on Seminole medicine, but also included Sturtevant's analysis of Seminole worldview, religion, history, inter-ethnic relations, material culture, economy, kinship, language, and social organization.

In 1954, while he was finishing his dissertation, Sturtevant made the transition from student of anthropology to professional anthropologist. He was hired as an instructor in Yale's Anthropology Department and began his career in museum work as an assistant curator of anthropology at the Yale Peabody Museum. After receiving his PhD from Yale in 1955, Sturtevant moved on to the Smithsonian Institution, where he accepted a position as a research anthropologist at the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE). This position afforded Sturtevant the chance to continue to explore his many research interests in ways that a full time professorship or museum curatorship could not. Over the next ten years he studied the Catawba in South Carolina; the Seneca and Cayuga nations of the Iroquois League in New York, Oklahoma, and Ontario; continued his work with the Seminole; visited European museums to examine early ethnographic examples and possible European prototypes of eastern North American Indian material culture; and spent a year in Burma. In 1963, Sturtevant and his wife, Theda Maw, the daughter of a prominent Burmese family, took their three young children to Burma so that they could visit with Maw's family. Sturtevant took this as an opportunity to branch out from his Native American research and spent the year visiting neighborhoods in Rangoon and villages in the surrounding countryside, examining archival materials, studying the Burmese language, learning about Burmese clothing and other aspects of the culture, and taking photographs. He also collected 386 items of clothing and other objects for the Smithsonian.

When Sturtevant returned from Burma, he found the BAE had been dissolved. In 1965, he was transferred from the now-defunct BAE to the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), where he became curator of North American Ethnology, a position he held for the next forty-two years. During his tenure at NMNH Sturtevant oversaw all the North American ethnology collections, planned exhibitions, served on committees, and sponsored interns and fellows. One of Sturtevant's primary duties at NMNH was serving as the General Editor of the Handbook of North American Indians, "a major multi-volume reference work summarizing anthropological, linguistic, and historical knowledge about native peoples north of Mexico" (Jackson). Each volume was designed to represent a geographic or topical area of Americanist study. As General Editor, Sturtevant selected volume editors, chapter authors, oversaw office staff, and proofread manuscripts over the course of production.

Besides focusing on the Handbook, much of Sturtevant's time was taken up by responsibilities he held outside the Institution. Sturtevant was extremely involved in professional anthropological associations and held many leadership positions. Fresh out of graduate school, he began a three-year term on the Board of Governors of the Anthropological Society of Washington in 1957. He later became a member of the executive committee of the Florida Anthropological Society, served as book-review editor and associate editor of the American Anthropologist from 1962-1968, was a member of the American Anthropological Association's Committee on Anthropological Research in Museums and was both vice president and president of the committee once it became the Council for Museum Anthropology, was on the American Anthropological Association's Committee on Archives, served three terms on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation from 1976-1982 and was appointed to a fourth term between 1984 and 1986, and sat on the Board of Directors of Survival International from 1982-1988. He was President of the American Society for Ethnohistory, the American Ethnological Society, the American Anthropological Association, and the Anthropological Society of Washington. Sturtevant also taught classes at Johns Hopkins University as an adjunct professor in the Department of Anthropology, served as a consultant on exhibits at other museums, and reviewed manuscripts for scholarly publications.

Sturtevant remained active in the profession throughout his later years. After divorcing Theda Maw in 1986, he married Sally McLendon, a fellow anthropologist, in 1990 and they undertook several research projects together. Sturtevant was recognized for his dedication and contributions to the field of anthropology in 1996 when he was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters by Brown University, and in 2002 when his colleagues published a festschrift in his honor, Anthropology, History, and American Indians: Essays in Honor of William Curtis Sturtevant.

Sturtevant died on March 2, 2007 at the Collingswood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rockville, MD after suffering from emphysema.

Sources Consulted

Estrada, Louie. 2007. William C. Sturtevant; Expert on Indians. Washington Post, March 17. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/16/AR2007031602273.html, accessed August 31, 2012.

Jackson, Jason Baird. 2007. William C. Sturtevant (1926-2007). http://museumanthropology.blogspot.com/2007/03/william-c-sturtevant-1926-2007.html, accessed August 31, 2012.

Merrill, William L. 2002. William Curtis Sturtevant, Anthropologist. In Anthropology, History, and American Indians: Essays in Honor of William Curtis Sturtevant. William L. Merrill and Ives Goddard, eds. Pp. 11-36. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.

1926 -- Born July 26 in Morristown, NJ

1944 -- Entered the University of California at Berkeley as a second-semester freshman

1944 -- Attended summer school at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in Mexico City where he took courses on Mexican archaeology and South American ethnology

1945 -- Drafted into the United States Navy

1946 -- Received an honorable discharge from the Navy with the rank of pharmacist's mate third class and returned to UC Berkeley

1947 -- Attended the University of New Mexico's summer field school in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

1949 -- January: Received his Bachelor's degree with honors in anthropology from UC Berkeley

1949 -- Began graduate studies at Yale University

1950-1951 -- Spent the summers of 1950 and 1951 in Florida conducting fieldwork among the Mikasuki-speaking Seminole

1951 -- Conducted his first research study of the Iroquois, a classification of Seneca musical instruments, their construction and use, with Harold Conklin

1952 -- May: Moved to Big Cypress Reservation in Florida to conduct research for his dissertation. He focused on Seminole medicine, but also collected physical anthropological data such as blood-type frequencies, handedness, and color blindness

1952 -- July 26: Married Theda Maw

1954 -- Hired by Yale University as an instructor in the Department of Anthropology and as an assistant curator of anthropology in the Yale Peabody Museum

1955 -- Received PhD in anthropology from Yale University

1956 -- Joined the staff of the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) as a research anthropologist

1957 -- Began a three-year term on the Board of Governors of the Anthropological Society of Washington

1957 -- Traveled to Rock Hill, South Carolina to collect linguistic data from Sam Blue, the last member of the Catawba tribe to have maintained some proficiency in the Catawba language. While there, he made a small collection of Catawba pottery for the United States National Museum

1957-1958 -- Spent seven weeks continuing his research among the New York Seneca

1959 -- Returned to Florida to study Seminole ethnobotany. He also collected ethnographic materials, especially objects made for the tourist market, which he deposited in the United States National Museum

1959-1960 -- Member of the executive committee of the Florida Anthropological Society

1960 -- July and August: Visited 17 European museums to examine early ethnographic examples and possible European prototypes of eastern North American Indian material culture

1961-1962 -- Spent the summers of these years conducting ethnographic fieldwork among the Seneca-Cayuga in Oklahoma

1962 -- October: Visited the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada to conduct fieldwork among the Seneca and Cayuga there

1962-1968 -- Book-review editor and associate editor of the American Anthropologist

1963 -- October: Spent the year in Burma; visited neighborhoods in Rangoon and villages in the surrounding countryside, examined photographs in several archives, studied the Burmese language, and read extensively about the country's history and culture. Assembled notes on Burmese clothing and other aspects of the culture, took hundreds of photographs, and made a collection of 386 items of clothing and other objects for the Smithsonian

1964 -- Visited Inle Lake in the Southern Shan States southeast of Mandalay, where he examined local approaches to artificial island agriculture

1964-1981 -- Became a member of the American Anthropological Association's Committee on Anthropological Research in Museums, which became the Council for Museum Anthropology in 1974. Sturtevant was the Council's first vice president, serving two terms between 1974 and 1978, and was its president from 1978 to 1981

1965 -- Became curator of North American Ethnology in the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History after the dissolution of the BAE

1965-1966 -- President of the American Society for Ethnohistory

1966 -- Named the editor of the Handbook of North American Indians

1967-1968 -- Fulbright scholar and lecturer at Oxford University's Institute of Social Anthropology

1969 -- Began serving on the American Anthropological Association's Committee on Archives

1974-1989 -- Adjunct Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University

1976-1982 -- Served three terms on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of the American Indian-Heye Foundation and was appointed to a fourth term between 1984 and 1986

1977 -- President of the American Ethnological Society

1980-1981 -- President of the American Anthropological Association

1981 -- Spent part of the spring semester at the University of California Berkeley as a Regents Lecturer

1982-1988 -- Board of Directors of Survival International

1986 -- Divorced Theda Maw

1986-1987 -- Smithsonian Fellow at Oxford University's Worcester College

1990 -- Married Sally McLendon

1992 -- President of the Anthropological Society of Washington

1996 -- Awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters at Brown University

2007 -- Died March 2 in Rockville, MD

Related Materials:

Other materials relating to William C. Sturtevant at the National Anthropological Archives are included in the following collections:

Manuscript 4504

Manuscript 4595

Manuscript 4806

Manuscript 4821

Manuscript 4972

Manuscript 7045

Photo Lot 59

Photo Lot 79-51

Photo Lot 80-3

Photo Lot 81R

Photo Lot 86-68 (6)

Photo Lot 86-68 (7)

American Society for Ethnohistory records

Committee on Anthropological Research in Museum Records

Handbook of North American Indians records

Records of the Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History

Gordon Davis Gibson Papers, Sound Recordings

SPC Se Powhatan Confederacy Mattapony BAE No # 01790700

DOE Oceania:Amer Poly:Hi:Hawaiian Helmet:Sturtevant 04913800

DOE Oceania:Amer Poly:Hi:Hawaiian Helmet:Sturtevant 04913900

DOE Oceania:Amer Poly:Hi:Hawaiian Helmet:Sturtevant 04914000

Negative MNH 1530

Negative MNH 1530 B

Sturtevant is listed as a correspondent in the following NAA collections:

Administrative file, 1949-1965, Records of the Bureau of American Ethnology

John Lawrence Angel Papers

James Henri Howard Papers

Donald Jayne Lehmer Papers

John Victor Murra Papers

Records of the Society for American Archaeology

Albert Clanton Spaulding Papers

Waldo Rudolph Wedel and Mildred Mott Wedel Papers

Copies of sound recordings made by William C. Sturtevant can be found at The California Language Archive at UC Berkeley in two collections, The William Sturtevant collection of Creek/Seminole sound recordings, which includes 31 minutes of Northern Muskogean linguistic field recordings from 1951, and The William Sturtevant collection of Mikasuki sound recordings, which includes 33 minutes of Mikasuki linguistic field recordings from 1951. Two sound tape reels of Seminole music Sturtevant recorded in Florida in 1951 can be found at Wesleyan University's World Music Archives. Folk songs on these recordings include "Scalping Sickness," "Bear Sickness with blowing," "Bear sickness without blowing," "Lullaby," "Feather Dance," "Snake Dance," and "Crazy Dance." Performers include Josie Billie, Lee Cypress, Harvey Jumper, Boy Jim, Charlie (Johnny?) Cypress, Little Tiger Tail, Billy Ossiola, and Charlie Billy Boy.

Separated Materials:

One video tape, "Seminole History and Tradition", was transferred to the Human Studies Film Archives. Series 2.2, Tukabahchee Plate: Glass negative of spectrogram from FBI (Box 135), removed for storage with other glass plate negatives.

Provenance:

These papers were transferred to the National Anthropological Archives by the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum of Natural History.

Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Topic:

Ethnology  Search this

Botany  Search this

Anthropology  Search this

Archaeology  Search this

Indians of North America -- Northeast  Search this

History  Search this

Linguistics  Search this

Genre/Form:

Realia

Research

Notes

Office files

Theses

Slides (photographs)

Sound recordings

Exhibition catalogs

Field notes

Clippings

Correspondence

Photographs

Microfilms

Newsletters

Manuscripts

Memorandums

Articles

Card files

Books

Artifacts

Negatives

Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

Identifier:

NAA.2008-24

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3b2223e72-e872-41c5-ae7b-abd0b27eaf6a

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-2008-24

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 516

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1971

Scope and Contents note:

Ekholm, Gordon; Oral History; abt 6 hours, winter-spring 1971

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw38d5e4b58-2de2-4d8e-b12c-3714e4c1b845

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15330

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 518

Type:

Archival materials

Scope and Contents note:

A: 7 Jan 99: Jimmie Toole Osceola-his house, 90 min; B: same-part of this side

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3cd662159-83fb-4daf-a890-c1251454b650

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15397

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 518

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Scope and Contents note:

A: Jan 15 '99 Interview of Jim Shore, Seminole tribal legal office, Hollywood Res., Fla; B: Jim Shore cont'd

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw32ee2e9cf-37a5-4c9b-b031-755a7c4cc07e

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15399

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 518

Type:

Archival materials

Scope and Contents note:

A: Billy Cypress, Micc. Chairman Jan 26 '99

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3b4a525d9-e11f-4743-a8e3-0a0242cb438d

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15401

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 518

Type:

Archival materials

Scope and Contents note:

A: Jeanette Cypress 26 Jan 99; B: Jeanette Cypress

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3b40fc99a-5a20-4334-b433-d220f2e344a3

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15403

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 518

Type:

Archival materials

Scope and Contents note:

A: Susie Jim & Jeanette Cypress (her Gd Da), Big Cypress 30 Jan 99, mostly re hurricanes-in Mik. With Engl summaries; B: same cont'd-about 1/4 tape

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw332b40067-1dd3-42b5-8c72-15401ccfb790

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15405

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 518

Type:

Archival materials

Scope and Contents note:

[unmarked]

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw351faa86a-5b6f-4dc1-904b-9aff53acd6fa

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15415

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 521

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1953

Scope and Contents note:

Catawba from A. L. Pickens; Dec 10/53, Track 2, Mrs. Valenstein on "Moumonides [?]", 40 minutes [?]. [SR 194 was originally stored in a box with SR 193]

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw35fe654b2-b28b-4651-b4a8-65322f009b89

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15559

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 514

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Scope and Contents:

Cherokee Text-Okl. Cayuga Vocab; 0-2:05 Rev. David Owl-Cherokee reading, from John 3:1-16, 28-VIII-61; 2:05-end Laura [unreadable]oar-Cay. Vocab., 28-VIII-61

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw306316f56-464a-4ce7-99f7-e34b0afc7ab2

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15905

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 514

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1958

Scope and Contents:

Miss. Choctaw Songs 4-29-58; 1-"Jump Dance" 4-29-58, 0-0:20; Walking Dance 4-29-58, 0:20-1:50; Drunk Dance 4-29-58, 1:55-2:22; Chicken Dance 4-29-58, 2:22-2:40; Turtle Dance 4-29-58, 2:50-3:08; Quail Dance 4-29-58, 3:08-3:18; Snake Dance 4-29-58, 3:20-3:35; Duck Dance 4-29-58, 3:40-4:00; Coon Dance 4-29-58, 4:01-4:20; Hymns: 1. Joy for the Gospel 4:20-4:47; Meditation on Death, 4:50-5:15; Simp [?], can you have the Saviour? 5:15-5:32; Jesus my all to Heaven's gate [?] 5:35-6:10; Sabbath 6:14-6:25; Fortitude, 6:30-6:55; Christian's Hope, 6:57-end, and (restart) track 2 0-0:55 Christian prayer, 0:55-1:40; Recorded at Bogue Chitto, Miss., Apr. 29, 1958; Lead Singer: Mose Thompson; Others: John H. Thompson, Eulah Thompson, Bonnie Thompson, Sally Hendry

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3e9d9d757-da1f-495d-8a24-9b584c7ed122

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15907

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 514

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1961

Scope and Contents:

Choctaw, Miss. 1961; Choc. Fair 1, 30 Aug 61; Choc. Dances; Pan Ind. Dances (over PA)

Collection Restrictions:

Files containing Sturtevant's students' grades have been restricted, as have his students' and colleagues' grant and fellowships applications. Restricted files were separated and placed at the end of their respective series in boxes 87, 264, 322, 389-394, 435-436, 448, 468, and 483. For preservation reasons, his computer files are also restricted. Seminole sound recordings are restricted. Access to the William C. Sturtevant Papers requires an apointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

William C. Sturtevant papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of William C. Sturtevant were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Dr. Ives Goddard. Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund.

See more items in:

William C. Sturtevant papers

William C. Sturtevant papers / Series 13: Sound Recordings

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw34f44bfb2-22ce-4d40-95e1-d6271f38f182

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref15909

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 -- Schweitzer 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

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Rock Foundation.

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