National Anthropological Archives

Hamilton Wright Jr. photographs, circa 1923-1925, 1950-1970

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.PhotoLot.76-35
Creators:
Wright, Hamilton M., Jr.
Dates:
circa 1923-1925, 1950-1970
Languages:
Undetermined
.
Physical Description:
4,700 Color slides
circa
250 Lantern slides
circa
500 Color transparencies
circa
7 Color prints
theatrical motion picture one-sheets
9 Prints
silver gelatin
Repository:

Scope and Contents note

Scope and Contents note
Photographs made by Hamilton Wright Jr. in Egypt, South Africa, India, Lebanon, Taiwan, the Philippines, Korea, Hong Kong, Holland, Italy, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, Haiti, the Virgin Islands, Canada, Alaska, Colorado, and New Hampshire. They include images of modern and ancient structures and monuments, artifacts, industries, cities, markets, caves, festivals, beaches, scenery, and sporting events. Most appear to have been made for the Hamilton Wright Organization, an international agency that made films and photographs to support public relations campaigns of foreign governments. Also included are some lantern slides depicting historical sites in Egypt, directed by Hamilton Wright, Sr., and one-sheets for motion picture films produced by the Hamilton Wright Organization. Additional material includes slide narration for a lecture and short news stories relating to the images in the collection.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
In 1908, Hamilton Wright Sr. founded the Hamilton Wright Organization, a public relations firm that specialized in making travelog and newsreel film and distributing it to motion picture houses around the world, often on behalf of domestic and foreign governments. Wright's son, Hamilton Wright Jr., managed the company after his father and expanded it's work. In 1963, a Senate committee criticized the Hamilton Wright Organization for hosting press junkets and distributing its photographs, newsreels, and stories in American news media without reporting its sources. The Hamilton Wright Organization was closed by Hamilton Wright Jr.'s son in the late 1960s.

Administration

Author
Sarah Ganderup
Custodial History note
Hamilton Wright began donating parts of the collection in 1975. Final donation was made by Wright's widow, Frances Purdy Wright, and son, Hamilton Wright Jr. in 1987.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access note
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Conditions Governing Use note
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Preferred Citation note
Photo lot 76-35, Hamilton Wright Jr. photographs, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Location of Other Archival Materials

Location of Other Archival Materials
Films by the Hamilton Wright Organization can be found in the Human Studies Film Archive in HSFA 94.19.
Location of Other Archival Materials
The Film and Television Archive at the University of California at Los Angeles holds the motion picture film and related material of the Hamilton Wright Organization.

More Information

Local Call Number(s)

Local Call Number(s)
NAA Photo Lot 76-35

Other Finding Aids note

Other Finding Aids note
Partial inventory available in repository


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Beaches Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Festivals Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pyramids -- Egypt Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tourism Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Colorado -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
New Hampshire -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Industries Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Markets Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Virgin Islands -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Holland -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Philippines -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Korea -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
South Africa -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ecuador -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lebanon -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
India -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hong Kong -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chile -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Italy -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Zulu (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
RarĂ¡muri (Tarahumara) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Posters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hindus Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Egypt -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lantern slides Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Taiwan -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Venezuela -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Peru -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Canada -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Alaska -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Haiti -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mexico -- description and travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nubians (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bolivia -- Description and Travel Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hamilton Wright Organization Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Anthropological Archives
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