Human Studies Film Archives

Henry Bascom Collins films of Yupik Eskimo Life, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska , circa 1930

Summary

Collection ID:
HSFA.1982.06
Creators:
Collins, Henry B. (Henry Bascom), 1899-1987
Ford, James Alfred, 1911-1968
Dates:
circa 1930
Languages:
Moving image materials are silent; supplementary materials are in English
Physical Description:
Film reels
black-and-white silent; 2000 feet
35mm
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Footage taken by Smithsonian anthropologist Henry Collins and his assistant James Ford in the summer of 1930, Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. Shots include Eskimos in boats; three men positioning themselves in boulders along seacliffs to catch birds with pole net; dancing and drumming; fishing with both lines and nets; dog teams; the preparation of a walrus skin strecthed out on large frame; men hauling boats overland with the use of dog teams; scenes of the hunting environment including shots of whales, walruses, and polar bear; butchering of a whale and walrus; reindeer being herded into a corral; ships navigating in icy waters and locked in ice; miscellaneous scenes in Washington D.C. in the 1930s with shots of a house burning. Collection includes synchronous sound annotation.
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 As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today.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

Sponsor
Cataloging supported by Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee
Custodial History
Previously titled "Yupik Eskimo Life, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska ca. 1930."
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Received from the National Anthropological Archives in 1982.
Processing Information
Titles are supplied by the archivist for untitled films.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Contact the repository for terms of use.
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.
Preferred Citation
Henry Bascom Collins films of Yupik Eskimo Life, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Related Materials
The National Anthropological Archives holds the papers of Henry Bascom Collins and James Alfred Ford.

More Information

Local Number

Local Number
HSFA 1982.6.1


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
North America Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Saint Lawrence Island (Alaska) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Yuit (Siberian Yup'ik) [Gambell, St. Lawrence Island] Cultural Context 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