Smithsonian Libraries

Robert P. Alexander collection of materials relating to Easter Island, 1794-1984

Summary

Collection ID:
SIL-RA.XXXX-0008
Creators:
Alexander, Robert Percival
Love, Charles M.
Dates:
1794-1984
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
31 Boxes
(circa 2000 items)
Repository:
Materials collected by Robert P. Alexander, acquired by him chiefly between 1975 and 1985. The collection includes photocopied, reprinted, or excerpted articles from periodicals and chapters from books, abstracts, copies of typed manuscripts, and some non-book format materials (e.g. sound recordings, slides, etc.). The source of each item is generally typed or handwritten on the piece, although the source is not recorded in every case. Some soft-bound longer monographic works are also included in the collection. The collection includes materials issued from the late 18th century (i.e., in modern editions or photocopies) through the first half of the 1980s, with the bulk of the collection dating from the late 19th century onwards.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Robert Percival Alexander (1904-1985), was born in Japan to missionary parents. His career was spent primarily at the Defense Intelligence Agency. An accomplished author who wrote on Japanese linguistics, he was also an expert on the postal history of Japan. After visiting Easter Island in 1975, Alexander began to amass a comprehensive collection of books, articles, photographs, and other materials about the island. Dr. Charles M. Love of Western Wyoming College, a friend of Alexander, assisted in the final organization and transfer of the collection to the Smithsonian following Alexander's death in 1985.

More Information

Formatted Contents note

Formatted Contents note
(Box labels): [1]. Abeliuk to Anon. -- [2]. Anon. to Atkins -- [3]. Ault to Barthel -- [4]. Barthel to Booker -- [5]. Borgeaud to Butinov -- [6]. Butinov to Charroux -- [7]. Chaves Mendoza to Cruz-Coke -- [8]. Cruz-Coke to Edge-Partington -- [9]. Edge-Partington to Felbermayer -- [10]. Fell to Gary -- [11]. Geiseler to Gudgeon -- [12]. Guiart to Herrman -- [13]. Herron to Heyerdahl -- [14]. Heyerdahl to Jacoby -- [15]. Jacquemart to Knoche -- [16]. Knoche to Lanyon-Orgill -- [17]. Lanyon-Orgill to Lavachery -- [18]. Lavachery to Love -- [19]. Love to Mazellier -- [20]. Maziere to Michelot -- [21]. Michels to Mulloy -- [22]. Mulloy to O'Reilly -- [23]. Orlebar to Polakowsky -- [24]. Pollock-Nelson to Roussel -- [25]. Roussel to Seaver -- [26]. Sebes-Tibor to Snow -- [27]. Sowerby to Ter Mongat -- [28]. Terrien de Lacouperie to Vives Solar -- [29]. Vargas to Weber -- [30]. Weckler to Zubholm -- [31]. Miscellaneous materials, unlabeled.

General note

General note
The materials are arranged in folders, alphabetically by the author's surname or under "anonymous", and are sub-arranged by title. The folders are housed in metal-edged archival paperboard boxes with removable tops, each measuring approximately 32 x 24 x 16 cm.

Local Notes

Local Notes
From the Easter Island Library of Robert P. Alexander, donated by Robert and Zoe Alexander, 1986.
Additional items donated to the Smithsonian from Robert P. Alexander's Easter Island Library include individually cataloged books that are housed in the Anthropology Library.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Easter Island Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Natural history -- Easter Island Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chile Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rapanui language Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oceania Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Anthropology -- Easter Island Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archaeology -- Easter Island Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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