National Anthropological Archives

MS 4807 Collections of the United States South Sea Surveying and Exploring Expedition 1838, 9, 40, 41 & 42. By T. R. Peale, U. S. Patent Office, 1846

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.MS4807
Creators:
Peale, Titian R. (Titian Ramsay), 1780-1798
United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842)
Dates:
undated
Languages:
Undetermined
.
Physical Description:
57 Pages
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Catalogue of 2516 ethnological specimens, numbered 1-2487.
Scope and Contents
Some original accession data concerning anthropological specimens collected on the Wilkes Expedition are also included in section C, in the Manuscript volume catalogued in the Smithsonian Institution Library as follows: MSS c Case U58 eori U. S. Exploring Expedition Original invoices and other official papers. Estimated 73 full pages FF. Section C, "Original Invoices of Miscellaneous Specimens" (1839-41) includes "Catalogue of Boxes Barrels &c Shipped on board the American Ship Lausanne [from ?] Oahu," no date, 4 pages and other untitled lists that include some anthropological entries. Also in Section C is a 1-page "List of articles...[belonging to the] Philological Dept." signed by H[oratio ] Hale; these are mostly printed articles, but there is one reference to a Quichua and Moxa grammar, presumably a Manuscript.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Note on title page states: The collections made by the Exploring Expedition under Capt. Wilkes were brought to Washington and unpacked at the U. S. Patent Office, where they were on exhibition for several years. About 1851 they were transferred to the Smithsonian Building. This catalogue was presented to the Nat. Museum in January 1877 by Mr Peale in person. Accompanying letter of A. H. Clark to [G. B.] Goode, March 24, 1887 transmits catalogue to Goode, stating that it was found "Among the National Institute papers several months ago." Title page refers to catalogue(s) of 134 mammal specimens and 150 ornithological species which are not included in this volume. Note with Smithsonian Institution Library card catalogue entry for a 46 page typescript of this volume states that the original Manuscript catalogs of birds and mammals are in the American Museum of Natural History, and xerox copies of both are in the MNH, Division of Mammals (Dr D. H. Johnson).

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies
Negative microfilm on file, 3/1971.
Custodial History
This Manuscript catalogue, formerly in the Division of Ethnology, MNH, was transferred to Smithsonian Office of Anthropology Archives by S. H. Riesenberg in 1968. Specimens described in it are the Department of Anthropology MNH, where they are indexed under "Wilkes;" there is no Accession Number. A typed copy of the Manuscript catalogue, to which the present MNH catalog numbers have been added is in the Processing Laboratory.

Digital Content


Using the Collection

Citation
Manuscript 4807, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

More Information

Local Numbers

Local Numbers
NAA MS 4807


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Expeditions -- United States South Sea and Exploring Expedition Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pacific Islanders Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Specimens -- catalog of Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Language and languages -- Documentation Topical 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