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National Anthropological Archives
Guide to the Genia de Galberg collection of Rwandan and Congolese paintings
Summary
- Collection ID:
- NAA.MS414286
- Creators:
-
de Galberg, Genia, 1899-1967
- Dates:
-
undated
- Languages:
-
No linguistic content; Not applicable.
- Physical Description:
-
14 Paintings (visual works)
- Repository:
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of fourteen (14) paintings collected by Genia de Galberg while living in Gisenyi, Rwanda. Eleven of the paintings are gouache watercolors on colored paper by Congolese artists. Three of the paintings are by European artists living in Rwanda.
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 As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today.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
Genia de Galberg, also known as Eugenia or Eugenie, (1899-1968) was a hotel operator and translator. Born to German and Georgian parents in Ukraine, she was educated in Italy and France. In the 1930s, she traveled to Butembo, in Eastern Congo to help in the operation of a hotel. She went on to own and operate two hotels on Lake Kivu in Rwanda, as well as chrysanthemum and coffee plantations. She was an avid collector of African art and decorative objects, many of which she used to decorate her hotels. In 1960, she relocated to the United States, working as a Swahili interpreter for the United Nations in New York and later as a translator for the Rwandan Embassy in Washington, D.C. De Galberg died in Washington in 1968.
Administration
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The paintings were donated to the Smithsonian as part of a larger collection of African artifacts by Genia de Galberg in 1966 (USNM Accession 280142). The paintings were transferred from the object collections of the Department of Anthropology to the National Anthropological Archives in 1969.
Processing Information
The paintings in this collection were originally cataloged by the NAA in four separate lots: MS 414286, MS 414288, MS 414290, and "Four Figures Dancing with Spears" (No MS Number). In 2023, the collection was reprocessed and all paintings collected by de Galberg were incorporated into a single collection under MS 414286.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Use
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Preferred Citation
Genia de Galberg collection of Rwandan and Congolese paintings (MS 414286), National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Related Materials
Related Materials
The Department of Anthropology object collections holds artifacts donated by Galberg in Accession 280142.
More Information
Local Numbers
Local Numbers
NAA MS 414286
USNM Accession 280142
Keywords
| Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Works of art | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Paintings | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Tutsi (African people) | Cultural Context | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Rwanda | Geographic | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Congo (Democatic Republic) | Geographic | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Africa, Central | Geographic | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
National Anthropological Archives
Museum Support Center
4210 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, Maryland 20746
Business Number: Phone: 301.238.1300
Fax Number: Fax: 301.238.2883
naa@si.edu
