Human Studies Film Archives

Guide to the Robert Haupt travel films of India, 1933-1937

Summary

Collection ID:
HSFA.1980.03
Creators:
Haupt, Robert E.
Dates:
1933-1937
Languages:
No linguistic content; Not applicable
.
Physical Description:
Film reels
25 minutes
black-and-white silent, 965 feet
16mm
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Footage taken while Haupt travelled in India and Pakistan while stationed at the Woodstock school in Landour/Mussoorie, Uttar Pradesh, one of the so-called "hill stations" of British India. Locations of interest include Mussoorie, Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Bombay, the Portugese colony of Goa (India), and the Khyber Pass. Documentation of ethnographic interest includes: scenes of everyday Indian village life; a major mela (Hindu festival) at Allahabad (a Muslim city sacred to Hindu pilgrims), showing sadhus (holy men) undergoing various ordeals and wealthy maharajas parading on ornamented elephants; a brass carver in Jaipur; another festival in Nagpur which incorporates "initiation rituals" for young sadhus, such as men walking on coals and being suspended and swung on a tripod with metal hooks in their backs; street scenes and bazaars in Bombay; and various shots of fishing boats and women at heavy manual labor in Goa. Miscellaneous sequences include Haupt and friends on hunting expeditions, sites along the Khyber Pass, and scenes at the airport in Delhi recording the London to Melbourne air race of 1936.
Collection contains supplementary materials, namely, annotations (recorded narratives).
Legacy keywords: Villages India ; Transportation carts wagons India ; Agriculture winnowing India ; Festival melas India ; Irrigation methods of water wheel India ; Priests festivals penitence India ; Dancing drums India ; Drums dancing Alaska ; Music ; Ascetics holy men India ; Mutilation as religious penance "rope dance" India ; Fortifications hill stations Kyber Pass ; Schools missions India ; Competitions track schools India ; Amputation as religious penance holy men India ; Boats harbors India ; Processions Maharajas sadhus elephants mela India ; Initiation rites sadhus Hindu India ; Ordeals initiation rites sadhus India ; Language and culture
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 As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today.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.

Administration

Custodial History
Previously titled "Robert Haupt's Travel Footage of India 1933-1937."
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Received from Robert Haupt in 1980.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
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.
Conditions Governing Use
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Preferred Citation
Robert Haupt travel films of India, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
South Asia Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Uttar Pradesh (India) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Travelogues (Motion pictures) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hinduism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
silent films Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Human Studies Film Archives
Museum Support Center
4210 Silver Hill Road
Suitland 20746
hsfa@si.edu