National Anthropological Archives

Alixa Naff photographs of Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean and audio tapes on Mediterranean folklore, circa 1957-1972

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.PhotoLot.2011-02
Creators:
Naff, Alixa, 1919-2013
Dates:
circa 1957-1972
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
28 Color prints
13 Sound tapes
open reel
1,500 Slides
circa 1500 black & white and color slides
300 Prints
circa
silver gelatin
1 Boxe
35 mm acetate negatives
Repository:

Scope and Contents note

Scope and Contents note
Photographs taken by Alixa Naff between 1957 and the early 1970s on trips to England, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East, and open reel audio tapes of interviews regarding Syrian-Lebanese folklore that Naff conducted in 1965 in the Lebanese Village of Rashaya al-Wadi. Comprising this collection are images of cities, structures, art, people, activities, and scenery, and two folders of Dr. Naff's notes relating to the recorded interviews. Photographic formats include 35mm slides, black and white prints, and 35mm negatives. Naff annotated many of the slide mounts or verso of prints with descriptions and identifications.

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
Alixa Naff began collecting Arab folklore in 1962 when she visited 16 communities in the U.S. and eastern Canada. After earning her MA and PhD, she taught at California State University, Chico, and at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Naff left academia in 1977 to research and collect material relating to the Arab immigrant experience (particularly Syrian and Lebanese immigrants from the turn of the 20th century). In 1984, with prompting from Richard Ahlborn, curator of the Smithsonian Institution Community Life Division (now the Department of Cultural Affairs), Naff donated her collection of Arab immigrant material. Naff eventually became the archivist of the "Faris and Yamna Naff Arab American Collection", named in honor of her parents, at National Museum of American History Archives Center.

Administration

Author
Sarah Ganderup
Existence and Location of Copies note
Cassette tape copies were made for most of the open reel audio tapes.
Custodial History note
Donated by Alixa Naff, 1986.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access note
Negatives are not available for viewing. Some restrictions on open reel audio tapes.
Conditions Governing Use note
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Preferred Citation note
Photo Lot 2011-02, Alixa Naff photographs of Europe, the Middle East and the Mediterranean and audio tapes on Mediterranean folklore, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Location of Other Archival Materials

Location of Other Archival Materials
One reel of 8mm film of Zahle, Lebanon was donated with this collection. It has been relocated to the Human Studies Film Archives.
Location of Other Archival Materials
Archives Center, National Museum of American History holds the Faris and Yamna Naff Arab American Collection and several other Naff accessions.
Location of Other Archival Materials
The National Anthropological Archives also holds a 1950 map of Cairo donated by Alixa Naff (MS 7449).

More Information

Local Call Number(s)

Local Call Number(s)
NAA Photo Lot 2011-02

Other Finding Aids note

Other Finding Aids note
Preliminary inventory available in repository.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Lebanon Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Turkey Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Egypt Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Greece Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Syria Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Spain Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
England Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Audiotapes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arabs Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Architecture Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Language and languages -- Documentation Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Folklore Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Anthropological Archives
Museum Support Center
4210 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, Maryland 20746
naa@si.edu