National Anthropological Archives

Guide to MS 7464 Louis Guesde drawings of Carib stone tools

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.MS7464
Creators:
Guesde, Louis, 1844-1924
Dates:
undated
Languages:
Captions are in
French
. Reprint and notes are in
English
.
Physical Description:
2 Volumes
1 album containing 20 watercolor drawings and 1 reprint
68 Drawings (visual works)
watercolor on paper
approximately 11 x 15 inches
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The collection consists of drawings of stone tools collected by Louis Guesde in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe and related materials. The collection includes a set of 68 watercolors on paper, an album of 20 watercolors, and a copy of an article by Otis T. Mason.
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 As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today.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
Louis Athanase Mathieu Guesde was born in Hamacao, Puerto Rico in 1844. He spent his youth in Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe, and studied in Paris from 1856 to 1867. He returned to Guadelupe to work in the Ministry of Finance and later as secretary of the Chamber of Agriculture. He was an amateur archaeologist and illustrator, who assembled a large collection of Carib stone tools and produced lifelike illustrations of his collection. Guesde died in 1924.

Administration

Custodial History
The set of 68 drawings was received in the Department of Anthropology, United States National Museum (USNM) in 1880. The album was also sent to USNM in 1880, but was lost at customs in Philadelphia. It was not received until 1895 (Accession 29775). The drawings appear to have been matted or framed at one time, and they may have been hung in the archaeology hall in the Smithsonian Institution Building (see Anthropological exhibit in U. S. National Museum, circa 1902, Bureau of American Ethnology Negatives, negative 4811). They were transferred from the object collections of the Department of Anthropology to the National Anthropological Archives (date unknown).
Processing Information
In 2022, the Louis Guesde drawings previously described under MS 7464 and MS 7484 were reprocessed. MS 7464 (the album and reprint) and MS 7484 (the set of 68 drawings) were consolidated under MS 7464. The record for MS 7484 was deleted.

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
MS 7464 Louis Guesde drawings of Carib stone tools, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Related Materials
The Musee du Quai Branly holds a collection of illustrations by Guesde.
The Department of Anthropology holds objects collected by Guesde under Accession Numbers 15848, 17654, and 35724.

More Information

Local Numbers

Local Numbers
NAA MS 7464 NAA MS 7484 USNM Accession 29775

Variant Titles

Variant Titles
Antiquités Caraïbes. Collection L. Guesde.
Carib stone tools
Carib stone implements


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Island Carib (archaeological) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Caribbean Area Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Guadeloupe Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Works of art Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Watercolors Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Archaeology Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stone implements Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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