Search Results

Creator:

Curtis, Edward S., 1868-1952  Search this

Extent:

16 Linear feet (23 document boxes, 5 oversize flat boxes)

1,950 Photographic prints (Gelatin Silver Chloride and Platinum)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographic prints

Date:

1899-1927

Summary:

The collection comprises series 2 of Photo Lot 59, the Library of Congress Copyright Office photographs of Native Americans and contains the photographs of Edward S. Curtis, primarily from his major publication, The North American Indian.

Scope and Contents:

The Library of Congress Copyright Office photos, Series 2 comprise almost 2000 prints submitted by Edward S. Curtis to the copyright office. Most of the photographs relate to his major 20-volume publication, The North American Indian. Included are photographs from all of the volumes with the exception of Volume 20, which focuses on Alaska and the North American arctic, which is not represented.

The photographs include portraits of individuals, village and landscape views, dances and ceremonies, day to day activities, and events.

Please see Photo Lot 59, the Library of Congress Copyright Office photographs of Native Americans for other photographs in Photo Lot 59.

Arrangement:

The Collection forms series 2 of Photo Lot 59, the Library of Congress Copyright Office Photographs. It is arranged in 19 subseries based on the volumes of Curtis's publication, The North American Indian (NAI). There is one subseries, "Other photographs" that contain photos not related to NAI.

Biographical note:

Edward Sherriff Curtis (1868-1952) was an American photographer famous for his photographs of the indigenous peoples of North America. His work was highly influential in shaping a sympathetic yet romantic view of cultures that he and many others believed to be "vanishing." Over the course of 30 years, Curtis visited more than 80 Native American communities and published his photographs and ethnographies in the twenty-volume North American Indian (NAI) (1907-1930).

Curtis was born in Whitewater, Wisconsin, to Ellen and Johnson Curtis in 1868. In about 1874, his family moved to a farm in Cordova, Minnesota. At a young age, Curtis built a camera, and it is possible that he may have worked in a Minneapolis photography studio for a time. In 1887, Curtis and his father moved West and settled on a plot near what is now Port Orchard, Washington, with the rest of the family joining them the following year. When Johnson Curtis died within a month of the family's arrival, 20-year-old Curtis became the head of the family.

In 1891, Curtis moved to Seattle and bought into a photo studio with Rasmus Rothi. Less than a year later, he and Thomas Guptill formed "Curtis and Guptill, Photographers and Photoengravers." The endeavor became a premier portrait studio for Seattle society and found success in photoengraving for many local publications. In 1892, Curtis married Clara Phillips (1874-1932) and in 1893 their son Harold was born (1893-1988), followed by Elizabeth (Beth) (1896-1973), Florence (1899-1987) and Katherine (Billy) (1909-?). Around 1895, Curtis made his first photographs of local Native people, including the daughter of Duwamish chief Seattle: Kickisomlo or "Princess Angeline." Curtis submitted a series of his Native American photographs to the National Photographic Convention, and received an award in the category of "genre studies" for Homeward (later published in volume 9 of the NAI). In 1896, the entire Curtis family moved to Seattle, which included Curtis's mother, his siblings Eva and Asahel, Clara's sisters Susie and Nellie Phillips, and their cousin William Phillips. Most of the household worked in Curtis's studio along with other employees. Curtis became sole proprietor of the studio in 1897, which remained a popular portrait studio but also sold his scenic landscapes and views of the Seattle Area. Curtis also sent his brother Asahel to Alaska and the Yukon to photograph the Klondike Gold Rush, and sold those views as well. Asahel went on to become a well-known photographer in his own right, primarily working in the American Northwest.

Curtis was an avid outdoorsman and joined the Mazamas Club after his first of many climbs of Mount Rainier. On a climb in 1898, Curtis evidently met a group of scientists, including C. Hart Merriam, George Bird Grinnell, and Gifford Pinchot, who had lost their way on the mountain, and led them to safety. This encounter led to an invitation from Merriam for Curtis to accompany a group of over 30 well-known scientists, naturalists, and artists as the official photographer on a maritime expedition to the Alaskan coast. Funded by railroad magnate Edward Harriman, the Harriman Alaska Expedition left Seattle in May of 1899, and returned at the end of July. Curtis made around 5000 photographs during the trip, including photographs of the indigenous peoples they met as well as views of mountains, glaciers, and other natural features. Many of the photographs appeared in the expedition's 14 published volumes of their findings.

In 1900, Curtis accompanied Grinnell to Montana for a Blackfoot Sundance. Here, Curtis made numerous photographs and became interested in the idea of a larger project to document the Native peoples of North America. Almost immediately upon returning from the Sundance, Curtis set off for the Southwest to photograph Puebloan communities. By 1904, Curtis had already held at least one exhibit of his "Indian pictures" and his project to "form a comprehensive and permanent record of all the important tribes of the United States and Alaska that still retain to a considerable degree their primitive customs and traditions" (General Introduction, the NAI) had taken shape and already received some press coverage. With his fieldwork now increasing his absences from home, Curtis hired Adolph Muhr, former assistant to Omaha photographer Frank Rinehart, to help manage the Seattle studio.

In 1904, Curtis was a winner in the Ladies Home Journal "Prettiest Children In America" portrait contest. His photograph of Marie Fischer was selected as one of 112 that would be published and Fischer was one of 12 children selected from the photographs who would have their portrait painted by Walter Russell. Russell and Curtis made an acquaintance while Russell was in Seattle to paint Fischer's portrait, and not long afterwards, Russell contacted Curtis to make photographic studies of Theodore Roosevelt's children for portraits he would paint. Curtis subsequently photographed the entire Roosevelt family, and developed a social connection with the President. Several important outcomes came of this new friendship, including Roosevelt eventually writing the foreword to the NAI, as well as making introductions to influential people.

Key among these introductions was one to wealthy financier John Pierpont Morgan, in 1906. After a brief meeting with Curtis during which he viewed several of Curtis's photographs of Native Americans, Morgan agreed to finance the fieldwork for the NAI project for five years, at $15,000.00 per year. It was up to Curtis to cover publishing and promotion costs, with the publication being sold as a subscription. In return, Morgan would receive 25 sets of the 20-volume publication. The ambitious publication plan outlined 20 volumes of ethnological text, each to be illustrated with 75 photogravure prints made from acid-etched copper plates. Each volume would be accompanied by a companion portfolio of 35 large photogravures. With high-quality papers and fine binding, a set would cost $3000.00. 500 sets were planned. Under Morgan, the North American Indian, Inc. formed as body to administer the monies. Also around this time, Frederick Webb Hodge, Director of the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of American Ethnology, agreed to edit the publications.

Curtis then began more systematic fieldwork, accompanied by a team of research assistants and Native interpreters. In 1906, Curtis hired William E. Myers, a former journalist, as a field assistant and stenographer. Over the years, Myers became the lead researcher on the project, making enormous contributions in collecting data and possibly doing the bulk of the writing for the first 18 volumes. Upon meeting a new community, Curtis and his team would work on gathering data dealing with all aspects of the community's life, including language, social and political organization, religion, food ways, measures and values, and many other topics. (See box 2 folder 1 in this collection for Curtis's list of topics.) Curtis and his assistants, especially Myers, brought books and papers to the field relating to the tribes they were currently concerned with, and often wrote from the field to anthropologists at the Bureau of American Ethnology and other institutions for information or publications. In addition to fieldnotes and photographs, the team also employed sound recording equipment, making thousands of recordings on wax cylinders. Curtis also often brought a motion picture camera, although few of his films have survived.

The first volume of the NAI was published towards the end of 1907. Already, Curtis was encountering difficulty in finding subscribers to the publication despite great praise in the press and among those who could afford the volumes. Curtis spent progressively more of his time outside the field season promoting the project through lectures and in 1911, presenting his "Picture Musicale"—a lecture illustrated with lantern slides and accompanied by an original musical score—in major cities. After the initial five funded years, only eight of the twenty volumes had been completed. However, Morgan agreed to continue support for the fieldwork and publication continued.

Starting in 1910, Curtis and his team worked among the Kwakwaka'wakw First Nation on Vancouver Island, and in 1913 began to develop a documentary film project featuring the community in Alert Bay. In 1914, Curtis produced the feature-length film, In the Land of the Headhunters. The film showcased an all-indigenous cast and included an original musical score. Screened in New York and Seattle, it received high praise. However after this initial success, it did not receive the attention Curtis had hoped for, and resulted in financial loss.

Meanwhile, Curtis's prolonged absences from home had taken a toll on his marriage and in 1919 Clara and Edward divorced. The Seattle studio was awarded to Clara, and Curtis moved to Los Angeles, opening a photography studio with his daughter Beth and her husband Manford "Mag" Magnuson. Daughters Florence and Katherine came to Los Angeles sometime later. Curtis continued with fieldwork and promotion of the project, and in 1922 volume 12 of the NAI was published. Also in 1922, Curtis was accompanied during the field season in California by his daughter Florence Curtis Graybill, the first time a family member had gone to the field with him since the Curtis children were very small.

Curtis continued to push the project and publications along, yet never without financial struggle and he picked up work in Hollywood as both a still and motion picture photographer. John Pierpont Morgan, Jr., continued to provide funding for the fieldwork in memory of his father, but with the various financial upsets of the 1910s and 1920s, Curtis had a difficult time getting subscribers on board. In 1926, Myers, feeling the strain, regretfully resigned after the completion of volume 18. Anthropologist Frank Speck recommended Stewart Eastwood, a recent graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, to replace Myers as ethnologist for the final two volumes.

In 1927, Curtis and his team, along with his daughter Beth Curtis Magnuson, headed north from Seattle to Alaska and Canada on a final field season. Harsh weather and a hip injury made the trip difficult for Curtis, but he was very satisfied with the season's work. The party returned to Seattle, and upon arrival Curtis was arrested for unpaid alimony. He returned exhausted to Los Angeles, and in 1930 the final two volumes of NAI were published without fanfare. Curtis spent the next two years recovering from physical and mental exhaustion. Beth and Mag continued to run the Curtis studio in LA, but for the most part, Curtis had set down his camera for good. With the NAI behind him and his health recovered, Curtis pursued various interests and employment, eventually, settling down on a farm outside Los Angeles. he later moved in with Beth and Mag. Curtis died at home in 1952.

Sources Cited Davis, Barbara. Edward S. Curtis: the life and times of a shadowcatcher. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1984. Gidley, Mick. The North American Indian, Incorporated. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.

Related Materials:

The National Anthropological Archives holds additional Curtis material in Photo Lot 59, the Library of Congress Copyright Offie photographs, MS 2000-18, Curtis's research into Battle of Little Bighorn 2010-28, the Edward Curtis papers and photographs, 2022-12, Christopher Cardozo collection of Edward S. Curtis photographs and ephemera, and 2022-04, Edward S. Curtis photogravure printing plates.

The Archives of Traditional Music at Indiana University holds Curtis's wax cylinder audio recordings from 1907-1913.

The Braun Research Library at the Autry Museum of the American West holds the Frederick Webb Hodge papers (1888-1931), which contain substantial correspondence from Curtis. The Braun also holds a small amount of Curtis papers and photographs, including some of Curtis's cyanotypes.

The Getty Research Institute holds the Edward S. Curtis papers (1900-1978), which include the original manuscript scores for the Curtis Picture Musicale and film In the Land of the Headhunters.

The Palace of the Governors at the New Mexico History Museum holds original Curtis negatives pertaining to the southwest.

The Pierpont Morgan Library holds the Edward S. Curtis papers (1906-1947), which contain the records of the North American Indian, Inc., as well as Curtis's correspondence to librarian, and later library director, Belle Da Costa Greene. The library also holds a large collection of Curtis's lantern slides, used in his Picture Musicale.

The Seattle Public Library holds correspondence of Curtis to Librarian Harriet Leitch (1948-1951), pertaining to his career.

The Seaver Center for Western History Research at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History holds collection GC 1143, which contains Curtis's field notes as well as manuscript drafts for the North American Indian.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian holds NMAI.AC.080, the Edward S. Curtis photogravure plates and proofs, as well as NMAI.AC.053, the Mary Harriman Rumsey collection of Harriman Alaska Expedition photographs.

The University of Washington Libraries Special Collections holds the Edward S. Curtis papers (1893-1983). Additionally, the Burke Museum holds papers and photographs of Edmund Schwinke, which relate to Curtis's work with the Kwakwaka'wakw community.

Provenance:

This set of Edward S. Curtis photographs form part of the Library of Congress Copyright Office photographs collection. The collection was formed from submissions made to the Library of Congress as part of the copyright registration process. Two copies of each item were required. Eventually the copyright submission photographs were sent to the Prints and Photographs division at the Library of Congress. In the late 1950s, arrangements were made to transfer the duplicate set of photographs relating to Native Americans to the Smithsonian Institution.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. On-site access to the collection requires an appointment.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Citation:

Photo Lot 59, Library of Congress Copyright Office photographs, Series 2: Edward S. Curtis, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NAA.PhotoLot.59.Series2

See more items in:

Library of Congress Copyright Office photographs of Native Americans, Series 2: Edward S. Curtis

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3331cd47e-5933-44e6-a961-6511262d3f21

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-photolot-59-series2

Series Creator:

Curtis, Edward S., 1868-1952  Search this

Extent:

1 Photographic print

Container:

Box 14

Type:

Archival materials

Photographs

Photographic prints

Date:

1912

Series Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. On-site access to the collection requires an appointment.

Series Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Series Citation:

Photo Lot 59, Library of Congress Copyright Office photographs, Series 2: Edward S. Curtis, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NAA.PhotoLot.59.Series2, Item 03059000

See more items in:

Library of Congress Copyright Office photographs of Native Americans, Series 2: Edward S. Curtis

Library of Congress Copyright Office photographs of Native Americans, Series 2: Edward S. Curtis / Volume 9 / Cowichan

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw339b0ce90-0167-4370-aba3-5d33d44cf7d8

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-photolot-59-series2-ref1293

Creator:

Knez, Eugene I. (Eugene Irving), 1916-2010  Search this

Names:

East China Seas Program  Search this

Korean National Museum of Anthropology  Search this

National Folk Museum of Korea  Search this

National Museum of Korea  Search this

Extent:

57.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Place:

Korea

Tibet

Bhutan

East Asia

Nepal

Date:

circa 1920–2000, With Information Dating Back to 1481

Summary:

The Knez papers include material concerning many aspects of his career up to the time he retired from the Smithsonian. Of particular strength is the documentation of Asian exhibits, both temporary and permanent ones installed during his time at the Institution. There is also considerable material concerning specimens and collections acquired earlier. Material concerning Knez's work as a field researcher, bibliographer, and editor are also among the papers. After his retirement, Knez became involved in a study of Buddhism among the Tibetans living in India. Copies of film made for this study have been deposited in the Human Studies Film Archives. It should be noted that the papers represent only a portion of the Knez papers, for he has retained some of them.

Scope and Contents:

Knez was not a prolific writer. Though his research encompassed East and Southeast Asia, his field expeditions for collections and his charge to establish the first permanent Asian halls while at the Smithsonian limited his scientific writings to documentation required for Smithsonian exhibitions and his ongoing interest in the material culture of Sam Jong Dong and The Three Ministries, located in the Kimhae region of southeast Korea. To overcome Asian language barriers, Knez had to utilize informants, Korean scholars, and translators in order to carry out his research. The materials that he collected or were forwarded to him about Asia, however, represent an impressive body of information that researchers of Southeast Asia would want to review for general studies. Of special importance would be the information about culture around the South China Sea, and especially studies about Korean and Japanese ethnology and anthropology, the pre-colonial and colonial period, the period right after World War II, the Korean War, and changes in Korean agricultural farming life, from the early 1900s through the 1980s. A knowledge of Chinese calligraphy, Korean Hangul, and pre-World War Two Japanese (Taisho and Showa Periods) are required to understand the complete record documenting Korean history.

These papers contain detailed correspondence and memoranda, documenting Knez's professional life as a curator of anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution. Visual images, photographs, slides, videotapes, film, and sound recording as well as research information and correspondence provide a complete record of the exhibitions that Knez established at the Smithsonian. Correspondence, memoranda, and photographs provide a less complete picture of Knez's activities before his appointment as curator. There is a very strong and complete record of his activities while stationed in Korea after World War II and during the Korean War. This material includes correspondence, photographs and film footage. Knez also brought out of Korea photographs that were taken by the Japanese during the colonial period. There is also film footage taken around 1946 on Cheju Island. In addition, there are postcards and photo cards that contain a rich visual image of Korea dating back before the 1920s.

The largest series within these papers contains Knez's material culture research on Korea. This series includes field notes, interviews, transcriptions, correspondence, photographs, publications and translations about Korean history dating back to 1481, Japanese publications and translations regarding anthropomorphic and agricultural studies of Koreans and Korean agricultural life, and Knez's draft publications. There is a large series of photographs and slides documenting Asian art collections as well as Asian cultures. The Knez Papers also includes a phonograph record collection which is not dated and contains Korean and Japanese opera and folk songs. In addition, there is a collection of Confucius teachings, school books, and genealogy written in Chinese calligraphy and Hangul.

The arrangement of these papers and the file folders within the series are not always well ordered. Multiple accessions were transferred to the National Anthropological Archives. Where subject information was the same, folders were filed into existing series developed in the 1970s and 1980s. In similar fashion, individual items that were not within folders were interfiled in existing folders that contained the same information.

The research series (series six), which primarily documents Knez's research activities and information he received or collected on Korea has some provenance. The material was reboxed several times, but there remains segments of information that are completely related. At other times, there is no logical relationship between one group of files and the next. Most of the folders were never dated. Therefore, it is difficult to understand the different periods in Knez's life when he worked on his Korean studies, without going through the entire series. Photographs are not always dated. Only a very small number were used in Knez's 1997 publication (where they are dated), The Modernization of Three Korean villages, 1951-1981 (Smithsonian Institution Press).

Most of the series within these papers contain different aspects of Knez's interest in Asia, and in particular, his focus on Korea. For example, correspondence regarding Knez's activities during his stay in Korea after World War II and during the Korean War will be found in series two, Subject File; photographs documenting the same time period will be found in series six, Research Projects, and series thirteen, Biographical and Autobiographical Material. And, series ten, Motion Picture Film and Sound Recordings, contain visual images of Knez's activities in Korea during 1946, 1950-1951.

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 arranged into fourteen (14) series:

SERIES 1.Accession Correspondence and Information and Examination and Reports of Collections, 1959-1977 and undated, with information dating back to 1893, boxes 1-4

SERIES 2.Subject File, 1937-1999 and undated, with information dating back to 1852, boxes 4-32

SERIES 3.Professional and Non-Professional Association Material, 1955-1980, with information dating back to 1896, boxes 33-36

SERIES 4.Exhibitions, 1960-1977 and undated, with information dating back to 1876, boxes 36-43

SERIES 5.Research Grants, 1963-1981 and undated, with information dating back to 1884, boxes 43-46

SERIES 6.Research Projects, 1909, 1929-2000 and undated, with information dating back to 1481, boxes 47-115

SERIES 7.Geographical and Publications Files, 1929-1977 and undated, boxes 116-139

SERIES 8.Korean and Chinese Writings, boxes 140-141

SERIES 9.Collection and Research Photographs, 1946-1977 and undated, boxes 142-161

SERIES 10.Motion Picture Film and Sound Recordings, 1946-1978 and undated, boxes 162-164

SERIES 11.Phonograph Recordings, 1959- and undated, with recordings possibly dating back to the 1940s, boxes 165-170

SERIES 12.Invitations and Greetings, box 171

SERIES 13.Biographical and Autobiographical Material, Family Photographs, and Notes, circa 1920s-1997 and undated, boxes 172-174

SERIES 14.Oversize, 1952-1971 and undated, box 175 and oversize map case drawers

Biographical / Historical:

Eugene I. Knez was born Eugene Irving Knezevich on May 12, 1916, in Clinton, Indiana, where he graduated from high school in 1935. His mother and father, Ida and Sam Knezevich, were divorced in 1932, and in 1936, his mother married Edward P. Pearson. The family moved to California where Knez enrolled in pre-medical studies at Los Angeles City College. Knez transferred to the University of New Mexico (UNM), but before completing his studies, returned to Indiana to be with his father, who was ill. There, Knez enrolled at Indiana University. Since Indiana University did not offer courses in anthropology, Knez took classes in sociology and psychology so that he could fulfill the requirements of UNM. Upon completion of his course work at Indiana University, UNM awarded Knez a B.A. in 1941.

While attending the University of New Mexico, Knez was primarily interested in the Native American Indian. During the summer of 1939 he was appointed Park Ranger-Historian in the National Park Service at Coolidge, Arizona. When he returned to Indiana to be with his father, Knez found a summer job as an assistant to a psychologist, who was testing inmates at the Indiana State Farm.

Knez was drafted as a private in the United States Army in 1941. He was promoted to sergeant in 1942 and during that same year was selected for Officer's Candidate School. Knez graduated OCS as a second lieutenant. Knez was trained and later moved into personnel classification and assignment sections in various divisions before and during World War II. In 1945, he was promoted to captain while in a combat support unit on Saipan.

At the end of the war Knez was assigned to Korea. This assignment began a pivotal sequence of events in his life. With his background in anthropology, Knez was placed in charge of the Army's Bureau of Culture, National Department of Education, United States Military Government in Korea headquartered in Seoul. His responsibilities included the restoration of cultural and religious activities, including museums. At the Bureau, Knez developed a sensitivity towards Korea and her people in the aftermath of Japanese colonialism. Knez undertook the restoration of Admiral Yi's large inscribed boulder and a Buddhist pagoda that had been partially dismantled by the Japanese. He established The National Museum of Anthropology (which became the National Folk Museum). In 1946 Knez sponsored an expedition to Cheju Island to collect ethnographic artifacts and record music for the Museum. During that year he also received permission to excavate two royal Silla Tombs at Kyonju with staff from the National Museum of Korea (NMK). This was the beginning of an endearing association with Korea and her people, which culminated in Knez receiving the award of The Order of Cultural Merit (gold medal) in 1995 from the Republic of Korea.

Knez was discharged from the United States Army in 1946. From 1947 to 1948, he attended Yale University as a research assistant in anthropology and worked at the Peabody Museum. He then joined the federal government and from 1949 to 1953 Knez served as a Cultural Affairs and Public Affairs officer at the American embassies in Korea and Japan. From 1949 to 1951, Knez was chief of Branch Operations, United States Information Agency, first headquartered in Seoul and then moving from Seoul to Pusan with the invasion by North Korea.

During his assignment in Korea, Knez undertook several major activities that had a profound effect on his life. With the approaching North Korean forces getting ready to invade Seoul for the second time, Kim, Chewon, director of the National Museum of Korea, approached Knez and made a personal request to help save the Museum's treasures. Though Knez was a war time member of the American Embassy he undertook the task without receiving official permission. He coordinated the movement of the Museum and Yi dynasty collections and some of the Museum staff by having them shipped by railroad boxcar from Seoul to Pusan.

During the fighting Knez began his ethnographic material culture research at Sam Jong Dong in the Kimhae region north of Pusan. When it appeared in 1951 that the United Nations was losing the war, Knez received permission to spend two months of his home leave to stay in Korea to continue his research. This study was to continue into the 1990s.

While in Pusan, Knez recommended that two dinners be held to help the morale of Korea's cultural leaders, those who were refugees from Seoul. One dinner was to be for the older generation and the second for younger Korean scholars and members of the cultural community. At the second dinner, Knez met his future bride, Choi, Jiae, a highly regarded Korean actress.

During 1951, Knez was transferred to Tokyo as Policy and Program officer for the United States Information Agency. In 1952 he was assigned as the USIA regional Public Affairs officer in Fukuoka.

In 1953, Knez left the USIA and joined the staff at Hunter College, located in the Bronx, New York, first as a lecturer and then as an instructor. While teaching at Hunter, Knez attended graduate school at Syracuse University. In 1959, he received a Doctor of Social Science Degree in anthropology from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Knez's thesis was Sam Jong Dong: A South Korean Village. During the school year 1968-1969, the Maxwell School went from awarding the D.S.Sc. degree to the Ph.D. In 1970, Knez successfully petitioned the School to have his degree changed.

In 1959, Knez was appointed Associate Curator of Anthropology at the Smithsonian Institution. He was given the responsibility for Asian ethnology and was assigned the task of establishing the first permanent Asian exhibitions in two halls at the United States National Museum (later, the National Museum of Natural History). At the time, the Asian collections available for the halls were poor or non-existent. Knez began his first of several field expeditions to augment the Museum's artifact and cultural collections. Almost all of the Asian exhibitions that he planned had to have collections taken directly from the field.

The first permanent exhibition was opened in 1961 and contained information on the South Asian World in Miniature, India and Pakistan. During the year two more exhibitions were completed, documenting India, Pakistan, and Thailand. In 1962, Knez completed fifteen more exhibitions; he completed eight in 1963 and 1964; one in 1965; and one in 1967. The themes for the exhibitions included China, Japan, Iran, Korea, Tibet, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Pakistan, India, East Africa, North Africa and the Middle East, Islam, and Buddhism.

From 1963 through 1973, Knez put together additional temporary exhibitions, which included themes on Korea, China, India, Japan, Bhutan, and acquisitions of Hindu and Buddhist sculpture. In 1967, Knez provided the objects and created the documentation for the United States Department of State exhibition honoring the visit of the King and Queen of Thailand. Knez developed an exhibition about Korea, which went on display between 1977 and 1979 and was coordinated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Knez retired from the Smithsonian in November 1978 and was appointed Anthropologist Emeritus in 1979. Knez moved to Hawaii and developed ties with the University of Hawaii as a visiting scholar at the Center for Korean Studies. Knez continued his research on the Kimhae region, and in 1993, published his revised, The Modernization of Three Korean Villages, 1951-81: an Illustrated study of a people and their material culture.

May 12, 1916 -- Born

1935 -- Graduated High School

1941 -- Drafted, Private, United States Army B.A., University of New Mexico

1942 -- Officer's Candidate School, 2nd Lieutenant, United States Army

1945 -- Promoted to Captain, United States Army

1945-1946 -- United States Army, In charge, Bureau of Culture, National Department of Education, Seoul, Korea

1946 -- Excavation, National Museum of Korea, Royal Silla Tomb, Kyongju Ethnographic and Geographic Survey, National Folk Museum of Anthropology, Korea, Cheju Island

August 1946 -- Honorable Discharge, United States Army

1947-1948 -- Yale University, Peabody Museum, Research Assistant in Anthropology

1947 -- Study of American Indian Shaker cult, Washington State Museum, Seattle

1949 -- Changed Name from Knezevich to Knez

1949-1951 -- Wartime Center Director, United States Information Service, Pusan, Korea

1951 -- Shipment of National Museum of Korea Collections and Staff from Seoul to Pusan

1951-1952 -- Ethnographic Study of Kimhae Area, Korea, towards a dissertation

1952-1976 -- United States Army Reserve (retired as Full Colonel)

1953-1959 -- Lecturer and Instructor, Hunter College, New York

1959 -- Fellow, American Anthropological Association D.S.S.C. (later, Ph.D.) Syracuse University Anthropologist, Smithsonian Institution

1961-1962 -- Overseas Collecting Trips to Asia

1961 -- First Asian Exhibition Installation

1962 -- Letter of Appreciation, Republic of Korea

1965 -- Smithsonian Special Act (Development of Asian Collections) Award

1966 -- Member of the United States Museums Advisory Delegation Planning Meeting for the Establishment of a Korean National Science Museum Center, Seoul

1970 -- Award, Korean Village Study, Smithsonian Institution, Secretary's Fund

1971 -- Exhibition, A Korean Village: Its Changing Culture, which was later adapted as a traveling exhibition in the United States and Canada

1974 -- Exhibition, Bhutan: The Land of Dragons

1975 -- Invited Participant, Pakistan-Sind Government International Seminar

1977 -- Exhibition, Arms and Armor of Japan

1978 -- Retired, Smithsonian Institution Fellow, The Explorers Club, New York

1979 -- Anthropologist Emeritus, Smithsonian Institution Award, Himalayan Project, Tibetan Buddhism and Its Role in Society and State, National Endowment for the Humanities, which led to a publication by Knez with Franz Michael

1981 -- Award, Fulbright Senior Scholar, Korea, Council for International Exchange of Scholars

1995 -- Presentation of The Order of Culture Merit (Gold Medal), Republic of Korea

Related Materials:

The National Anthropological Archives holds Franz H. Michael and Eugene I. Knez photographs and sound recordings relating to Tibetan Buddhism in northeastern India (NAA.PhotoLot.80-13).

Separated Materials:

The motion picture film was transferred to the Human Studies Film Archives in 2002 (HSFA.2002.09).

Provenance:

Most of the papers were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Dr. Knez in 1978. There have been additional accretions since then.

Restrictions:

The Eugene Irving Knez papers are open for research.

Access to the Eugene Irving Knez papers requires an appointment.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Topic:

Village life -- Korea  Search this

Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this

Citation:

Eugene Irving Knez papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NAA.1980-22

See more items in:

Eugene Irving Knez papers

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw35632d487-40c6-4e14-9b21-bab85debd8dd

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-1980-22

Collection Creator:

Knez, Eugene I. (Eugene Irving), 1916-2010  Search this

Container:

Item HSFA.2002.9.2

Type:

Archival materials

Moving Images

Date:

ca. 1967

Collection Restrictions:

The Eugene Irving Knez papers are open for research.

Access to the Eugene Irving Knez papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Eugene Irving Knez papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Eugene Irving Knez papers

Eugene Irving Knez papers / Series 10: MOTION PICTURE FILM AND SOUND RECORDINGS / Transferred to Human Studies Film Archives

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3cab19fd1-abd1-4c82-b7c7-561efd492c25

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-1980-22-ref1733

Collection Creator:

Knez, Eugene I. (Eugene Irving), 1916-2010  Search this

Container:

Item HSFA.2002.9.1

Type:

Archival materials

Moving Images

Date:

1946

Collection Restrictions:

The Eugene Irving Knez papers are open for research.

Access to the Eugene Irving Knez papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Eugene Irving Knez papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

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Eugene Irving Knez papers

Eugene Irving Knez papers / Series 10: MOTION PICTURE FILM AND SOUND RECORDINGS / Transferred to Human Studies Film Archives

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw30bb2b54b-eb95-4b90-9efd-6c2385d6e1ca

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-1980-22-ref1734

Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Extent:

7.25 Linear feet (11 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Place:

Africa, West

Nigeria

Benin (Nigeria)

Date:

1979 - 2012

Summary:

Barbara Winston Blackmun was a scholar of African art history who conducted pioneering research into the art and history of the Aken'ni Elao, or carved tusks from the royal altars of Benin, Nigeria, as well as other Arican art. The collection contains Blackmun's notes, photographs, research data, correspondence, and writings and talks.

Scope and Contents:

The Barbara W. Blackmun papers primarily document Blackmun's dissertation research into the carved altar tusks of Benin, Nigeria. Series 1: Research, includes tusk data files, charts, data and analysis on motifs and types, photographs, and correspondence. Also included is volume 1 of Blackmun's dissertation, "The iconography of carved altar tusks from Benin, Nigeria" and files related to the appendices (Volumes 2 and 3). Though the bulk of the material relates to the tusk research, there are files on other Nigerian art forms as well, such as bronzes, terracottas, and other carved ivory objects held in museums and collections wordwide.

Series 2: Writings and talks, are working files containing manuscripts and drafts, photographs and illustrations, correspondence, and notes for published articles as well as for lectures and talks given.

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 arranged in two series: 1. Research; and 2. Writings and talks.

Biographical Note:

Barbara Winston Blackmun was a scholar of African art who conducted pioneering research into the art and history of Aken'ni Elao, the carved tusks from the royal altars of Benin, Nigeria.

Born in 1928 in Merced, California, Blackmun grew up in US national parks where her father managed camps for the Civilian Conservation Corps. She graduated from UCLA in 1949 with a BFA and a teaching certificate, and taught art, music, and drama at a public school in Trona, California. There she met and married Rupert Blackmun, a professor of industrial arts. The couple had three children.

In 1964, Rupert was asked to help build a polytechnic college in Malawi. The family spent five years there, with Blackmun teaching at both the polytechnic college as well as at the University of Malawi. There, Blackmun developed her interest in African art, conducting research into Maravi mask traditions. Upon returning to the United States in 1969, Blackmun enrolled at Arizona State University, earning her MA in art history in 1971. Following this, the Blackmuns moved to San Diego, where Blackmun joined the faculty at San Diego Mesa College.

In 1978 Blackmun enrolled in a PhD program in African art history at UCLA, and spent the summers of 1978 and 1979 working with Frank Willett at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow. In 1981-1982, funded by a Fulbright award, Blackmun conducted field research in Benin City, Nigeria, interviewing members of the Igbesanmwan ivory carvers guild and others as she learned about the motifs carved into altar tusks.

Blackmun received her PhD in 1984, based on her study of the Benin altar tusks. Her work was significant for its examination of over 130 tusks held in museums and collections worldwide, and for her early use of computer analysis of the motifs depicted on the tusks. Blackmun continued research into tusks over the years, as well as other Nigerian art forms, including bronzes, terracottas, and other carved ivory objects.

From 1988 to 1990 Blackmun served as the director of the San Diego Museum of Man, overseeing the renovation of the museum's Africa gallery. In 2003, she founded the African Art Collection at San Diego Mesa College, curating numerous exhibits. She retired from San Diego Mesa College in 2010, but continued to remain active, lecturing, publishing, and consulting on African art history. Blackman died in 2018.

Sources consulted

"Obituary: Barbara Winston Blackmun," https://networks.h-net.org/node/12834/discussions/2439735/obituary-barbara-winston-blackmun (accessed April 2, 2024)

Ezra, Kate. "Barbara Winston Blackmun, 1928-1918." African Art Vol. 52, No. 1, Spring 2019, pp. 11-13

Chronology

1928 -- Born on June 29

1949 -- Receives AB in fine art and teaching certificate from UCLA

1964-1969 -- In Malawi with family, teaching at Malawi Polytechnic College and the University of Malawi

1971 -- Receives MA in art history from Arizona State University Joins faculty at San Diego Mesa College

1978 -- Starts PhD program in African art history at UCLA

Summers, 1978 and 1979 -- Works with Frank Willett at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow, UK

1981-1982 -- Field research in Benin City, Nigeria

1984 -- Receives PhD

1988-1990 -- Serves as director of the San Diego Museum of Man

2003 -- Founds the African art collection at San Diego Mesa College

2010 -- Retires from San Diego Mesa College

2018 -- Dies on July 6

Historical note:

Aken'ni Elao, or carved altar tusks of Benin, Nigeria, are carved elephant tusks featuring scenes representing rituals and other activities of the Oba (traditional ruler of the Edo people), and were made as a historical record of events in the Kindom of Benin. The tusks were placed on the ancestral altars or shrines of the Oba, fitted into a pedestal in the shape of a head, made of bronze or brass.

Related Materials:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art holds the Barbara Blackmun Collection of photographic slides.

All three volumes of Blackmun's dissertation are held in the Library at the National Museum of African Art.

Provenance:

Received from Monica Blackmun Visonà in 2016.

Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Topic:

Art -- History  Search this

Art, African  Search this

Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NAA.2016-30

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Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw35258afd6-25be-4664-916d-d6cc733a2f45

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-2016-30

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 1, Folder 11

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

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Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Dissertation research on Benin altar tusks / Tusk research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3c658583c-6d08-4053-910b-e0a5bb27da9d

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref10

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 8, Folder 11

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Dissertation research on Benin altar tusks / Tusk research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw353dedf21-5e71-48ad-bc62-1bd835545800

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref100

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 9-11

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Scope and Contents:

The tusk card files contain photographs and notes on tusks, organized by tusk number and motif type.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Dissertation research on Benin altar tusks / Tusk research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw36ca1cd5c-f979-4af7-86dd-9f4b6f6ae149

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref101

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Scope and Contents:

Subseries 2: Other research files, are similar to the tusk research files in that they contain photographs (prints, negatives, contact sheets), notes, and sometimes correspondence. These files are organized alphabetically by subject.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

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Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw39c90b0ec-308d-4fe3-a248-4ecefe1d2d0c

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref102

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 8

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Other research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw32e31fb54-5703-4b4b-8055-8dbe4b83ade3

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref103

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 9

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Other research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw37f1da4c7-e5f7-47c7-9454-3bd0b5200db4

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref104

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 10

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Other research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw34d01f396-0205-4443-a520-ac613ed7694f

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref105

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 11

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1995

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

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Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Other research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3e9c51be4-4250-4a3e-ab31-8db870cac754

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref106

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

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Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Other research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3835d7244-7da4-4638-a33f-9dd138d919c4

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref107

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 13

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1998

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

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Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Other research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3dad67727-16af-4d0a-ba56-76184607cc75

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref108

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 14

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1983

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Other research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw30802332c-4976-433d-bc3b-270ab4514fae

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref109

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 1, Folder 12

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Dissertation research on Benin altar tusks / Tusk research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3a2c755bb-d758-4e2a-9810-b759c6e63e4b

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref11

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 15

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

undated

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Other research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw337fdb3ae-3a3e-4c10-b8be-188a31c2ff56

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref110

Collection Creator:

Blackmun, Barbara Winston  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 16

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1995-2000

Collection Restrictions:

Access to the Barbara W. Blackmun papers requires an appointment.

Collection Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Collection Citation:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Barbara W. Blackmun papers

Barbara W. Blackmun papers / Series 1: Research / Other research files

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3619375ad-99d9-438f-bdad-1a5a353858e2

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-naa-2016-30-ref111