Search Results

Culture/People:

Denésoliné (Chipewyan)  Search this

Presenter/funding source:

Viking Fund, Incorporated (The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc.), 1941-  Search this

Object Name:

Sash/Belt

Media/Materials:

Hide, bird quills, glass bead/beads

Techniques:

Quill woven/loomed quillwork, edge beaded

Object Type:

Clothing/Garments: Accessories

Place:

Northern Alberta; Alberta; Canada (inferred)

Catalog Number:

21/995

Barcode:

210995.000

See related items:

Denésoliné (Chipewyan)

Clothing/Garments: Accessories

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6aaa51991-1af4-43a1-bc55-08d97bdc3010

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_225007

Culture/People:

Denésoliné (Chipewyan)  Search this

Presenter/funding source:

Viking Fund, Incorporated (The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc.), 1941-  Search this

Object Name:

Knife

Media/Materials:

Animal Bone, metal knife

Techniques:

Incised, carved

Object Type:

Tools and Equipment (General)

Place:

Northern Alberta; Alberta; Canada (inferred)

Catalog Number:

21/996

Barcode:

210996.000

See related items:

Denésoliné (Chipewyan)

Tools and Equipment (General)

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6b44d4db5-ceb7-4c57-8676-391292dbb275

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_225008

Culture/People:

Kiowa  Search this

Previous owner:

Charles H. Hickman (C. H. Hickman), Non-Indian, 1867-1959  Search this

J. T. Fleming (James Thomas Fleming), Non-Indian, 1889-1968  Search this

Previous seller:

Charles H. Hickman (C. H. Hickman), Non-Indian, 1867-1959  Search this

Seller:

J. T. Fleming (James Thomas Fleming), Non-Indian, 1889-1968  Search this

Presenter/funding source:

Viking Fund, Incorporated (The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc.), 1941-  Search this

Object Name:

Woman's legging moccasins

Media/Materials:

Hide, glass bead/beads, hide thong/babiche

Techniques:

Edge beaded , lazy/lane stitch beadwork

Object Type:

Clothing/Garments: Footwear

Place:

Oklahoma; USA

Catalog Number:

21/397

Barcode:

210397.000

See related items:

Kiowa

Clothing/Garments: Footwear

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6d3002116-e302-43d5-a7e7-99644a11b348

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_224637

Culture/People:

probably Apsáalooke (Crow/Absaroke) (attributed)  Search this

Presenter/funding source:

Viking Fund, Incorporated (The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc.), 1941-  Search this

Object Name:

Guncase

Media/Materials:

Hide, glass bead/beads

Techniques:

Edge beaded , overlay beadwork

Object Type:

Firearms and accessories

Native Term:

baláxxiisshe

Place:

Montana or Alberta; USA, Canada (inferred)

Catalog Number:

21/970

Barcode:

210970.000

See related items:

Apsáalooke (Crow/Absaroke)

Firearms and accessories

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6af841372-c8ba-4158-a095-c245290da87f

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_225330

Creator:

Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation  Search this

Director:

Heye, George G. (George Gustav), 1874-1957  Search this

Dockstader, Frederick J.  Search this

Names:

Ford-Bartlett East Greenland Expedition 1930  Search this

Harriman Alaska Expedition (1899)  Search this

Hendricks-Hodge Expedition (1917-1923).  Search this

Huntington Free Library  Search this

Hyde Exploring Expedition (1902-1903)  Search this

Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation  Search this

Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research  Search this

Collector:

Barrett, S. A. (Samuel Alfred), 1879-1965  Search this

Churchill, Clara G.  Search this

Churchill, Frank C. (Frank Carroll), 1850-1912  Search this

Davis, Edward H., b. 1862  Search this

Emmons, George Thornton  Search this

Gridley, Marion E. (Marion Eleanor), 1906-1974  Search this

Harrington, M. R. (Mark Raymond), 1882-1971  Search this

Harvey, Byron  Search this

Harvey, Fred  Search this

Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956  Search this

Johnson, Frederick, 1904-1994  Search this

Keppler, Udo J., 1872-1956  Search this

Lothrop, S. K. (Samuel Kirkland), 1892-1965  Search this

Pepper, George H. (George Hubbard), 1873-1924  Search this

Skinner, Alanson, 1886-1925  Search this

Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950  Search this

Stiles, William F., 1912-1980  Search this

Verrill, A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt), 1871-1954  Search this

Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), 1885-1936  Search this

Wildschut, William  Search this

Former owner:

Burnett, Edwin K.  Search this

Force, Roland W.  Search this

Extent:

400 Linear feet

Culture:

Indians of North America  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Administrative records

Photographs

Annual reports

Field notes

Correspondence

Ledgers (account books)

Minutes

Date:

1890-1998

Summary:

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

Scope and Contents:

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

Arrangement:

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

History of the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation:

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

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

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

Related Materials:

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

Restrictions:

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

Rights:

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

Topic:

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Peru  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Tennessee  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- New York (State)  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Panama  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- New Jersey  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- New Mexico  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Missouri  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Nevada  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- California  Search this

Indians of South America  Search this

Indians of Central America  Search this

Pre-Columbian objects  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Texas  Search this

Museums -- Collection management  Search this

Archaeological expeditions  Search this

Ethnological expeditions  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology)  Search this

Museums -- Acquisitions  Search this

Museums -- Curatorship  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Cuba  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Ecuador  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Arkansas  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Canada  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Guatemala  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology) -- Haiti  Search this

Genre/Form:

Administrative records

Photographs

Annual reports

Field notes

Correspondence

Ledgers (account books)

Minutes

Citation:

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

Identifier:

NMAI.AC.001

See more items in:

Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation records

Archival Repository:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv412df8cf1-44c0-41fd-9101-eefb477e5aef

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmai-ac-001

Creator:

Burns, Allan F. (Allan Frank), 1945-  Search this

Bernard, H. Russell (Harvey Russell), 1940-  Search this

Wagley, Charles, 1913-1991  Search this

Extent:

27 Videocassettes (VHS) (54 hours, color sound)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Videocassettes (vhs)

Video recordings

Date:

1982-1990

Scope and Contents:

Collection consists of VHS videos from the Visual History of Anthropology Project. In 1984 Allan F. Burns, Russell Bernard and Charles Wagley, anthropologists in the Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, initiated a history of anthropology project consisting of 28 video oral histories of retired or soon to be retired anthropologists. The project was funded by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research and produced by the University of Florida.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or Anthropology Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.

Provenance:

Received from the Department of Anthropology, University of Florida in 1989.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Topic:

Anthropologists  Search this

Anthropology -- History  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Citation:

Video Dialogues in Anthropology, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

HSFA.1989.10

See more items in:

Video Dialogues in Anthropology

Archival Repository:

Human Studies Film Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pc933aacd1f-2957-4d1a-b7ca-e884f34eb7c1

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-hsfa-1989-10

Creator:

Stewart, T. D. (Thomas Dale), 1901-1997  Search this

Names:

American Association of Physical Anthropologists  Search this

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)  Search this

National Geographic Society (U.S.)  Search this

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

Angel, J. Lawrence (John Lawrence)  Search this

Collins, Henry B. (Henry Bascom), 1899-1987  Search this

Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943  Search this

McKern, T. W.  Search this

Extent:

65 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Place:

Alaska

Shanidar Cave (Iraq)

Virginia

Maryland

Delaware

Mexico

Peru

Guatemala

Chaco Canyon (N.M.) -- Archeology

Date:

1875-1991, bulk 1931-1991

bulk 1927-1991

Summary:

Thomas Dale Stewart was a physical and forensic anthropologist and worked at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History from 1931 until his death in 1997. He worked under Ales Hrdlicka until 1943, became the head curator in 1960, director of the museum in 1962, and retired in 1971. Stewart's research interests included physical and forensic anthropology and archaeology, mostly in North and South America. He also worked with the F.B.I. frequently to aid in homicide investigations, and worked extensively with the U.S. Army to identify skeletal remains from the Korean War in Operation Glory. The Thomas Dale Stewart Papers primarily deal with his life and career at the Smithsonian, particularly his research projects and publications between 1931 and 1991. Materials consist mainly of correspondence, photographic material, dossiers based on writings and research projects, and administrative files.

Scope and Contents:

The Thomas Dale Stewart Papers document his research and professional activities from 1931 to 1991 and primarily deal with his anthropological and archaeological research in North and South America. There is also significant material related to ancient human skeletal remains found in Egypt and the Middle East, Stewart's work identifying skeletal remains for the U.S. Army (Operation Glory), and the history of physical and forensic anthropology. Material documenting Stewart's work with Ales Hrdlicka and other colleagues are also represented in this collection. The collection consists of correspondence, writings and research files, project data, skeletal data punch cards, photographic and illustration materials, and administrative and financial papers.

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 9 series: Series 1. Biographical and Background, 1937-1983; Series 2. Correspondence, 1931-1990; Series 3. Writings and Research, 1875, 1902-1990; Series 4. Operation Glory, 1954-1957; Series 5. Professional Organizations, 1930-1990; Series 6. Trip Files, 1945-1985; Series 7. Teaching and Lectures, 1950-1970; Series 8. Exhibit Material, 1961-1969; Series 9. Photographs, 1928-1979.

Biographical note:

Thomas Dale Stewart was a curator of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian specializing in anthropometry, early man, and forensic anthropology. He worked in the Department of Anthropology for over seventy years. Born in Delta, Pennsylvania in 1901, Stewart moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue a degree at George Washington University. While attending school, he also began working at the Smithsonian in 1924 as a temporary substitute for John Baer, a family friend from Delta. After Baer died during conducting research in Panama, Stewart was invited to stay on as assistant to Ales Hrdlicka, curator of physical anthropology. Hrdlicka was impressed by Stewart's abilities and quickly took him on as a student. Promised that he would succeed Hrdlicka one day if he obtained an M.D., Stewart enrolled at The Johns Hopkins University and graduated in 1931. After graduating, Stewart was rehired by the Smithsonian as an assistant curator.

Stewart rose through the ranks of the Department of Anthropology quickly, being promoted to associate curator in 1939 and curator in 1943 after the death of his mentor Hrdlicka. Stewart was appointed head curator of the department in 1960 and director of the Natural History Museum in 1962. He continued to work at the Smithsonian well after he retired in 1971, conducting research and producing a stream of publications well into his 90s. He died in 1997 at the age of 96. Many of Stewart's early research interests matched those of his mentor: a focus on dental caries, separate neural arch and spondylolisthesis, ossuary excavation, cranial deformations, and other examinations of archaeological remains throughout North America. While Hrdlicka was alive, Stewart provided support for many of his research projects and publications. After Hrdlicka died, Stewart expanded his interests to include forensic topics and analysis of other archaeological remains.

Anthropometry was prominent in a great deal of his work. He was the first to describe Tepexpan Man from Mexico and Midland Man from Texas. He also studied the remains of Neanderthal specimens that Ralph S. Solecki, of the Bureau of American Ethnology, had uncovered at Shanidar Cave in Iraq. In forensic work, as Hrdlicka's heir, Stewart assumed work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement officials. Moreover, Stewart devised new methods and published books and articles concerning forensic analysis, including his Essentials of Forensic Anthropology. In closely related work during 1954-1955, the United States Army engaged Stewart to go to Japan to examine skeletal remains repatriated after the Korean War in a project called "Operation Glory."

In terms of his areal specialization, Stewart was essentially an Americanist. In North America, he worked in Alaska with Henry B. Collins in 1927, and in subsequent years he excavated several ossuaries and other sites in the Washington, D.C., vicinity. These included a site on Potomac Creek in Virginia, Piscataway sites in Maryland, and the Townsend site in Delaware. He also carried out laboratory studies and prepared reports on skeletal remains uncovered by Smithsonian colleagues. In the 1940s and 1950s, Stewart conducted field work at archaeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru.

He was awarded the Viking Medal in Physical Anthropology in 1953, the Joseph Henry Medal of the Smithsonian Institution in 1967, and an award from the physical anthropology section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in 1981.

Sources: Ubelaker, Douglas H. "Thomas Dale Stewart, A Biographer Memoir," National Academy of Sciences, 2006.

Pace, Eric. "T. Dale Stewart Dies at 96; Anthropologist at Smithsonian," The New York Times, 1997.

Chronology

1901 -- Born in Delta, Pennsylvania.

1922-1927 -- Moved to Washington, D.C. and attended George Washington University.

1924 -- Began working at the Smithsonian Institution.

1927 -- Sent by Ales Hrdlicka to Alaska to collect skeletal remains with Henry Collins.

1931 -- Graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with an M.D.

1931 -- Appointed assistant curator at the Smithsonian under Hrdlicka.

1939 -- Promoted to associate curator.

1939 -- Field work in Mexico.

1941 -- Field work in Peru.

1943 -- Taught at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

1943 -- Promoted to curator after Hrdlicka dies.

1943 -- Began working on forensic cases for the F.B.I.

1945 -- Field work in Mexico.

1949 -- Field work in Peru.

1947, 1949 -- Field work in Guatemala.

1954-1955 -- Traveled to Japan to assist in the identification of skeletal remains from the Korean War (Operation Glory).

1957-1967 -- Taught at the George Washington University School of Medicine.

1960-1962 -- Served as head curator of the Department of Anthropology.

1962-1965 -- Served as the director of the National Museum of Natural History.

1964 -- Assisted in the production of Smithsonian exhibits on physical anthropology.

1966 -- Retired from administrative duties and appointed senior scientist.

1971 -- Retired from the Smithsonian.

1997 -- Died in Bethesda, Maryland.

Related Materials:

The following manuscripts related to Stewart and his work can be found at the NAA:

NAA MS 1615- Excavations in Mancos Canyon, Colorado September 1943.

NAA MS 4669- The Townsend Site Near Lewes, Delaware 1962 by Henri Omwake.

NAA MS 4843- Report by T. Dale Stewart on Human Skeletal Material Excavated by W.M. Walker at Cedar Grove Cave, Arkansas and Natchitoches, Louisiana.

NAA MS 7025- A Tentative Closing Report on the Willin Site, Eldorado, Maryland September 1, 1952.

NAA MS 7121- "Memories from Half a Century at the Smithsonian January 11, 1978" recording.

NAA MS 7223- The Townsend Site January 1950.

NAA MS 7264- Documents Concerning Preserved Paleolithic Human Remains Found in the Vicinity of Cueva, Spain 1969-1972.

NAA MS 7357- Material Relating to Dermatoglyphics of Mayan Groups ca. 1947-1949.

NAA MS 7358- Personal Identification in Mass Disasters December 9-11 1968.

NAA MS 7359- T. Dale Stewart on the Identification of Human Remains April 6, 1970.

NAA MS 7474- Sketches of Burials at Ossuary 2, Juhle Site ca. 1971-1972.

Additional material T. Dale Stewart created while assisting Ales Hrdlicka is located at the National Anthropological Archives, The Papers of Ales Hrdlicka, ca. 1887-1943.

Many objects and artifact materials collected by T. Dale Stewart throughout his career are also held by the Smithsonian Department of Anthropology. These include skeletal remains and other materials from the Shanidar Cave in Iraq, forensic anthropological material including bone casts from Operation Glory, archaelogical materials from excavations in Maryland and Virginia including the Nanjemoy and Potomac Creek sites, and skeletal remains and other related materials from Stewart's 1927 expedition to Alaska with Henry Collins. Contact Anthropological Collections for more information.

Provenance:

Materials were transferred from T. Dale Stewart to the National Anthropological Archives in multiple accretions between 1975 and 2000 under accessions 1981-52, 1981-59, 1986-04, 1988-15, 1988-33, 1995-04, 1998-61, and 2000-46.The bulk of materials in this collection were transferred to the NAA from the Department of Anthropology in 1994 (1995-04).

Restrictions:

The Thomas Dale Stewart papers are open for research.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Topic:

Physical anthropology  Search this

Operation Glory  Search this

anthropometry  Search this

Physical anthropology -- Eskimo  Search this

Physical anthropology -- American Indian  Search this

Americans  Search this

Aging  Search this

Anthropology -- Exhibits  Search this

Fossil hominids  Search this

Early man -- Neanderthal  Search this

George Washington University  Search this

Forensic anthropology  Search this

Anthropology -- History  Search this

Archaeology  Search this

Physical anthropology -- Early man  Search this

Primates  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Citation:

Thomas Dale Stewart Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

The papers of Thomas Dale Stewart were processed with the assistance of the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund.

Identifier:

NAA.1988-33

See more items in:

Thomas Dale Stewart Papers

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw39eaa4784-50aa-40db-84d5-481a455cd42c

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-1988-33

Creator:

National Museum of the American Indian  Search this

Type:

Symposia

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2016-12-14T19:21:40.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Native Americans;American Indians  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianNMAI

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianNMAI

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_XOYfMoEP8Kc

Collection Creator:

Watson, Virginia  Search this

Watson, James B. (James Bennett), 1918-2009  Search this

Container:

Box 97

Type:

Archival materials

Text

Date:

1979-1983

Scope and Contents:

Includes correspondence.

Collection Restrictions:

Some research proposals not authored by Watson are restricted until 2083.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

James B. Watson papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Digitization and preparation of these materials for online access has been funded through generous support from the Arcadia Fund

See more items in:

James B. Watson papers

James B. Watson papers / Series 4: Professional Activities

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3596190ef-721f-4087-ba63-45029adf1147

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2003-15-ref624

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:

Medicine, Beatrice  Search this

Container:

Box 59

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1992

Collection Restrictions:

Materials relating to student grades, letters of recommendation, and evaluations have been restricted.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Beatrice Medicine papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

See more items in:

Beatrice Medicine papers

Beatrice Medicine papers / Series 21: Reports

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw34a113fef-6c67-4b93-8458-47dba971bfc3

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-1997-05-ref1336

Creator:

Silverman, Sydel  Search this

Names:

American Anthropological Association  Search this

City University of New York  Search this

Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research  Search this

Extent:

24.96 Linear feet (59 document boxes plus 1 oversize box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Place:

Italy

Monte Castello di Vibio (Italy)

Date:

1939-2010

bulk 1949-2010

Summary:

The Sydel Silverman papers, 1939-2010 (bulk 1949-2010) document her field research in Italy, her work as an educator and foundation executive, and her involvement in professional organizations. Sydel Silverman taught at Queens College in New York, was Executive Officer of the CUNY Ph.D. Program in Anthropology, and served as president of the Wenner-Gren Foundation. Her primary fields of research have been agrarian communities in Italy and the history and practice of anthropology. Materials in the collection include field notes, journals, correspondence, calendars, published and unpublished writings, conference papers and lectures, teaching files, student files, photographs and slides, and sound recordings.

Scope and Contents:

This collection contains the professional papers of anthropologist Sydel Silverman. Included are research materials consisting of field notes, journals, other scholars' publications, and newspaper clippings; correspondence; postcards; calendars; published and unpublished writings; conference papers and lectures; brochures; itineraries; conference meeting notes; teaching files, including syllabi and reading lists; student files such as class notes and papers from Silverman's years as an anthropology student; photographs and slides; and sound recordings.

The materials in this collection document Silverman's travels through Italy while conducting field research, her role as an educator and academic administrator, and her involvement in professional organizations such as the Wenner-Gren Foundation and the American Anthropological Association. Silverman participated heavily in conferences and seminars across the U.S. and internationally. A copious note taker, Silverman recorded her reflections on many of these experiences. Her notes can be found throughout the collection.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 10 series: (1) Field Research, 1939-2002 [bulk 1960-1987]; (2) Correspondence, 1959-2009; (3) Writings, 1963-2009; (4) Wenner-Gren Foundation Files, 1985-2009; (5) Professional Activities, 1961-2010; (6) Teaching Files, 1958-2005; (7) Biographical Files, 1961-2008; (8) Student Files, 1949-65; (9) Photographs, 1961-2002; (10) Sound Recordings, 1960-61

Biographical Note:

Sydel Silverman was an anthropologist known for her work as a researcher, writer, academic administrator, and foundation executive. Her career in anthropology began with her graduate studies at the University of Chicago (1952-1957) and Columbia University (1957-63). After graduation she started teaching at Queens College in New York (1962-75) and became Executive Officer of the CUNY Ph.D. Program in Anthropology (1975-86). After leaving CUNY, she moved on to the Wenner-Gren Foundation, serving as president of the Foundation from 1987 to 1999.

Silverman was born on May 20, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. Sydel, the youngest of seven siblings, was raised in the Jewish neighborhood of Lawndale on the west side of Chicago. Silverman credited her Uncle Hirschel for inspiring her to learn about foreign cultures and traditions, writing that her time spent with him reading about mysticism and oriental religions "may have been the beginnings of what became my interest in anthropology" (Silverman 2008).

Silverman graduated from high school in January 1951 and entered the University of Illinois at Navy Pier as a pre-med student. At the end of her second year at the University of Illinois, she entered the University of Chicago's program in Committee on Human Development, which combined study in biology, psychology, and sociology-anthropology. The program allowed students to enter with only two years of college with a special exam, which Silverman passed. She completed her Masters in 1957 and enrolled in the PhD program in Anthropology at Columbia University, during which she decided to focus her research on central Italy.

Silverman's first experience in Italy was in 1955 when she spent a year traveling through Europe with her first husband, Mel Silverman. They moved from city to city, beginning in Naples and then Rome, the city that Sydel writes was "the instant beginning of my love affair with Italy" (Silverman 2008). Upon their return from Europe the couple moved to New York. Sydel began working as a secretary but she soon decided to go back to school. She "picked anthropology, because it was the closest thing to being multi-disciplinary while still having a label, and Columbia was the obvious place to go in New York" (Silverman 2008). She was inspired to focus on the Mediterranean for her fieldwork because of Conrad Arensberg's cultural anthropological work in Europe.

In August of 1960 Sydel left for Italy to conduct a community study of the village Montecastello di Vibio. Silverman confessed in her memoirs that she was "never good at fieldwork," but she formed relationships with many of the locals who helped her collect data for her dissertation. Her research in Italy was one of the first social-anthropological studies of Central Italy and is known for its description of the traditional agrarian system of that area (the mezzadria) shortly before it was abolished by law. Silverman's dissertation research resulted in a book, Three Bells of Civilization, and numerous journal articles. She was awarded her Ph.D. in 1963.

Silverman's subsequent research in Italy included a study of a land reform area in the South (1967) and several field seasons (1980-85) devoted to a comparative study of competitive festivals in Central Italy. Most notable from this work are her publications on the Palio of Siena.

Silverman's other primary research interest has been in the history and practice of anthropology. She edited Totems and Teachers (1981, rev. 2004), a text about prominent anthropologists, and co-authored One Discipline Four Ways (2005). Her book The Beast on the Table (2002) analyzes twenty-five international symposia that she organized and led while at the Wenner-Gren Foundation and is a record of the living history of anthropology. She later became interested in parallels between the history of anthropology and that of the movies, which she presented as the 2006 Distinguished Lecture to the American Anthropological Association (published in The American Anthropologist Volume 109, Issue 3). In addition, she initiated an effort to save the primary documents of anthropology, co-authoring with Nancy Parezo the book Preserving the Anthropological Record (1992, rev. 1995) and co-organizing CoPAR (the Council for the Preservation of Anthropological Records).

Silverman's career as an administrator began in 1970 when she was elected as departmental chair at Queens College. In 1975 she was chosen as the Executive Officer of the CUNY Ph.D. Program in Anthropology, and under her leadership the program went from disarray and the threat of elimination to being cited as one of the ten top anthropology doctoral programs in the country. She also led a successful effort to retain full anthropology departments at all the senior CUNY colleges during the New York City budget crises of 1965-76. In 1987 she was appointed president of the Wenner-Gren Foundation, and acted as the spokesperson for the Foundation, overseeing fellowship and grant funding and advocating for the field of anthropology. She retired from Wenner-Gren in 1999.

Silverman died of cancer on March 25, 2019 at age 85.

Sources Consulted

Silverman, Sydel. 2008. "Memoirs." Sydel Silverman Papers: Box 42. National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Roberts, Sam. "Sydel Silverman, 85, Dies; Defended Anthropology in Academia." New York Times, April 5, 2019.

Chronology

1933 -- Born May 20 in Chicago, Illinois

1951 -- January: Entered University of Illinois at Navy Pier, pre-med, through August 1952

1952 -- Entered University of Chicago, Program in Human Development

1953 -- December 27: Married Mel Silverman

1957 -- September: Entered Columbia University, Department of Anthropology Received M.A. from University of Chicago

1960-1961 -- Conducted fieldwork in Montecastello di Vibio

1962 -- September: Began teaching classes at Queens College, CUNY

1963 -- PhD awarded

1966 -- Mel Silverman died

1968 -- Fall semester: Acting Chairman, Dept. of Anthro., Queens Tenure awarded, Queens College

1970-1973 -- Department Chairman, Anthropology, Queens

1972 -- March 18: Married Eric R. Wolf

1975 -- Executive Officer of Ph.D. Program in Anthropology, CUNY Graduate School (through June 1982)

1980-1982 -- Festival research and travels in Italy: Siena, Perugia, Gubbio, Rome, Florence, Geneva

1982-1983 -- September: Acting Dean of the Graduate School, CUNY

1987 -- President of Wenner-Gren Foundation

1999 -- Eric R. Wolf died Retired from Wenner-Gren presidency

2019 -- Silverman died of cancer on March 25 at age 85

Selected Bibliography

1968 -- Silverman, Sydel F. "Agricultural Organization, Social Structure, and Values in Italy: Amoral Familism Reconsidered." American Anthropologist 70 (February 1968): 1-20.

1970 -- Silverman, Sydel F. "'Exploitation' in Rural Central Italy: Structure and Ideology in Stratification Study." Comparative Studies in Society and History 12 (July 1970): 327-339.

1975 -- Silverman, Sydel. Three Bells of Civilization: the Life of an Italian Hill Town. New York: Columbia University Press, 1975.

1976 -- Silverman, Sydel. "Anthropology and the Crisis at CUNY." Anthropology News 17, no.10 (December 1976): 7-10.

1981 -- Silverman, Sydel, ed. Totems and Teachers: Key Figures in the History of Anthropology. New York: Columbia University Press, 1981.

1984 -- Silverman, Sydel. "Anthropological Perspectives on Suicide." In Suicide: The Will to Live vs. The Will to Die, edited by Norman Linzer, 225-233. New York: Human Sciences Press, 1984.

1986 -- Silverman, Sydel. "Anthropology and History: Understanding the Boundaries." Historical Methods 19 (Summer 1986): 123-126.

1992 -- Silverman, Sydel and Nancy J. Parezo, eds. Preserving the Anthropological Record. New York: Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, 1992.

2002 -- Silverman, Sydel. The Beast on the Table: Conferencing with Anthropologists. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2002.

Provenance:

These papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Sydel Silverman in April 2011.

Restrictions:

Files containing Silverman's students' grades and papers have been restricted, as have grant and fellowships applications sent to Silverman to review and her comments on them. For preservation reasons, the computer disks from The Beast on the Table are also restricted.

Access to the Sydel Silverman papers requires an appointment.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Topic:

Women anthropologists  Search this

Anthropology  Search this

Festivals  Search this

Ethnology  Search this

Village Communities  Search this

Agriculture  Search this

Citation:

Sydel Silverman papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Sponsor:

The papers of Sydel Silverman were processed with the assistance of a Wenner-Gren Foundation Historical Archives Program grant awarded to Sydel Silverman.

Identifier:

NAA.2011-11

See more items in:

Sydel Silverman papers

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3a241621d-7fae-4cee-83a2-1b234ba1930e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-2011-11

Culture/People:

Aymara  Search this

Collector:

Beate R. Salz, Non-Indian, 1913-2006  Search this

Expedition sponsor:

Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Incorporated (Viking Fund, Inc.), 1941-  Search this

Object Name:

Bag

Media/Materials:

Wool yarn

Techniques:

Woven

Dimensions:

102 x 56.5 cm

Object Type:

Bags/Pouches (and parts)

Native Term:

missa costal

Place:

Southern Highlands; Peru

Date created:

circa 1940

Catalog Number:

21/7346

Barcode:

217346.000

See related items:

Aymara

Bags/Pouches (and parts)

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws63146ab0d-6f63-43b1-bbc3-4b2a938d6ae3

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_232141

Culture/People:

Quechua  Search this

Collector:

Beate R. Salz, Non-Indian, 1913-2006  Search this

Expedition sponsor:

Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Incorporated (Viking Fund, Inc.), 1941-  Search this

Object Name:

Spindle whorl and spindle

Media/Materials:

Wood

Techniques:

Carved

Dimensions:

30 x 6 x 6.00 cm

Object Type:

Weaving tools/equipment

Native Term:

pushka

Place:

Southern Highlands; Peru

Date created:

circa 1940

Catalog Number:

21/7373

Barcode:

217373.000

See related items:

Quechua

Weaving tools/equipment

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6e4e98d7e-d33a-43a7-ac16-278d89637830

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_232169

Culture/People:

Quechua  Search this

Collector:

Beate R. Salz, Non-Indian, 1913-2006  Search this

Expedition sponsor:

Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Incorporated (Viking Fund, Inc.), 1941-  Search this

Object Name:

Offering cloth

Media/Materials:

Wool yarn, dye/dyes

Techniques:

Dyed, woven

Dimensions:

60 x 55 cm

Object Type:

Ceremonial/Ritual items

Native Term:

unkhuña

Place:

Cusco (Cuzco); Cusco (Cuzco) Province; Cusco (Cuzco) Region; Peru

Date created:

1950

Catalog Number:

21/8524

Barcode:

218524.000

See related items:

Quechua

Ceremonial/Ritual items

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6171b0bf1-2eff-4eda-bb0c-ca7af35b5039

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_233200

Collection Creator:

Sturtevant, William C.  Search this

Container:

Box 82

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

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 1: Correspondence

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3da28b2b5-1eb3-4bbf-89e8-d12772a62cd2

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2008-24-ref3498

Culture/People:

Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux)  Search this

Presenter/funding source:

Viking Fund, Incorporated (The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc.), 1941-  Search this

Object Name:

Woman's dress

Media/Materials:

Wool cloth, glass bead/beads, dentalium shell/shells, ribbon, sequins, thread

Techniques:

Sewn, overlay beadwork

Dimensions:

128 x 135 cm

Object Type:

Clothing/Garments

Place:

South Dakota; USA (inferred)

Date created:

circa 1880

Catalog Number:

21/969

Barcode:

210969.000

See related items:

Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux)

Clothing/Garments

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws621ba28ac-2979-46c5-ad53-e9245736b3d6

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_225329

Collection Creator:

Wormington, Hannah Marie  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

The Hannah Marie Wormington papers are open for research.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Hannah Marie Wormington Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Hannah Marie Wormington Papers

Hannah Marie Wormington Papers / Series 5: Professional Organizations

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3b5bd5840-1222-48b9-9d53-41a26664b0eb

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-1995-19-ref770

Collection Creator:

Wormington, Hannah Marie  Search this

Container:

Box 30

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

The Hannah Marie Wormington papers are open for research.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Hannah Marie Wormington Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Hannah Marie Wormington Papers

Hannah Marie Wormington Papers / Series 5: Professional Organizations / Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Inc.

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3ab59f6e8-dcb8-4e49-92f7-7ba2ae535cf0

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-1995-19-ref771

Collection Creator:

Wormington, Hannah Marie  Search this

Container:

Box 30

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Restrictions:

The Hannah Marie Wormington papers are open for research.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Hannah Marie Wormington Papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Hannah Marie Wormington Papers

Hannah Marie Wormington Papers / Series 5: Professional Organizations / Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Inc.

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3a47b9dc8-f9ed-4b7a-b276-4d3f6b10a806

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-1995-19-ref772