National Anthropological Archives

Guide to the Edwin Moody drawings of Samoa and Hawaii, 1873

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.MS130592
Creators:
Moody, Edwin
Dates:
1873
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
63 Drawings (visual works)
watercolor, pencil, and colored pencil
5 Photographs
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The collection consists of 63 drawings and 5 photographs of drawings created by Edwin Moody for Steinberger's expedition to Samoa in 1873. The drawings document the voyages to and from Samoa, including stops in the Hawaiian islands. Many of the drawings were made from shipboard and depict the coastlines of the various islands and harbors. There are also drawings of Samoan and Hawaiian people and villages.
The drawings and photographs appear to have been prepared for publication as numbers appear in pencil on each mount. It is unknown if the drawings were ever published.
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 As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today.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

Arrangement
The drawings are arranged in number order. The significance of the numbers is unknown; the numbers do not represent a chronological arrangement. Many numbers in the sequence are missing and some numbers are repeated.

Historical Note

Historical Note
Edwin Moody accompanied Albert Barnes Steinberger to Samoa via Hawaii in 1873. Steinberger was sent as a special commissioner on behalf of the U.S. State Department to appraise the political situation in Samoa for President Grant. In his Report upon Samoa or, the Navigator's Islands, Made to the Secretary of State (1874), Steinberger described Moody as a "practical artist who also acted as secretary."

Administration

Custodial History
The collection was found in USNM object collections; no catalog or accession numbers appear on the drawings. They were probably received from the U.S. State Department, Washington, D. C., through George L. Rives, Asst. Secretary, February 2, 1889 (USNM accession number 31,636).
Processing Information
In 2002, the drawings were removed from their original backing boards. Twenty-seven (27) drawings were rehoused in conservation mats.
The collection was reprocessed in 2022. The archivist replaced the titles previously assigned to the drawings and photographs with the titles provided by the artist. Untitled drawings were assigned titles in square brackets []. The drawings were arranged in number order.

Digital Content

More …

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Edwin Moody drawings of Samoa and Hawaii (MS 130592), National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

More Information

Local Numbers

Local Numbers
NAA MS 130,592 USNM Accession 31,636

Variant Title

Variant Title
Scenes and natives of Samoa and Hawaii, signed "Moody"


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hawaiians Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Samoans Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oceania Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Works of art Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hawaii Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Samoan Islands Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Anthropological Archives
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