National Anthropological Archives

Guide to MS 2009-18 Miguel Covarrubius posters, 1940

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.MS2009-18
Creators:
Covarrubias, Miguel, 1904-1957
Dates:
1940
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
2 Posters
color lithographs, framed
38 x 25 inches
Repository:
Container:
1
2

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of two (2) poster reproductions of Pageant of the Pacific murals by Miguel Covarrubias. The collection includes "Art Forms of the Pacific Area," depicting examples of indigneous art and "Peoples of the Pacific," depicting indigenous peoples of the Pacific Rim. The posters were printed by H. S. Crocker Co., Inc , and Schwabacher-Frey Co. and published by Pacific House, Golden Gate International Exposition, San Francisco in 1940.
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 As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today.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.

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
Miguel Covarrubias (1904-1957) was a Mexican painter, caricaturist, illustrator, ethnologist and art historian. In the 1920s and 1930s, his artwork and caricatures were frequently featured on the covers of The New Yorker and Vanity Fair.
In 1938 Covarrubias was invited to paint a series of murals for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition (GGIE) in San Francisco. He provided "Pageant of the Pacific," six illustrated maps depicting different aspects of the Pacific Rim. Each panel presents a different theme: peoples, fauna and flora, art forms, economy, dwellings, and means of transportation. The murals were popular at the GGIE and were later exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Upon returning to San Francisco, five of the murals were installed at the World Trade Club in the Ferry Building where they hung until 2001.

Administration

Custodial History
The posters were donated to the National Anthropological Archives by Michael A. Etnier in 2009.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
MS 2009-18 Miguel Covarrubius posters, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Conditions Governing Use
Contact the repository for terms of use.

More Information

Local Numbers

Local Numbers
NAA MS 2009-18


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Works of art Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Posters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pacific Ocean Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Golden Gate International Exposition (1939-1940 : San Francisco, Calif.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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