National Anthropological Archives

Bureau of American Ethnology photograph collection relating to the Handbook of South American Indians, circa 1940s

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.PhotoLot.90
Creators:
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology
Dates:
circa 1940s
Languages:
Undetermined
.
Physical Description:
950 Negatives
circa
acetate
47 Prints
silver gelatin (some copies)
Repository:

Scope and Contents note

Scope and Contents note
The collection is composed of photographs and copies of published illustrations which were collected for use in the Handbook of South American Indians (Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 143). These include images of Indigenous peoples of South America, their material culture, and their built and natural environments. There are also maps detailing the movements and location of various tribes. Also included are some original photographs that were probably made by Alfred Metraux, documenting Aymara, Chaco, Chane, Matako, Pilaga, and Toba people.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
In 1932, the National Research Council appointed a committee of anthropologists, including Robert H. Lowie, John M. Cooper, and Leslie Spier, to assess what work would be needed to prepare a comprehensive Handbook of Indigenous peoples of South America. The handbook's main objective would be to "provide a concise summary of existing data that will serve as a standard reference work for the scholar, a textbook for the student, and a guide to the general reader. At the same time, it is intended to take stock of the present state of knowledge, revealing its deficiencies and suggesting problems that will stimulate future research in both the field and library." In 1940, the Bureau of American Ethnology accepted the task of compiling the handbook under special appropriation through the Department of State and with the collaboration of over 100 scientists across the American continents. The result of this work was BAE Bulletin 143; six volumes were published in 1946-1950 and an index was published in 1959.

Administration

Author
Sarah Ganderup
Custodial History note
The photographs were probably collected by the Bureau of American Ethnology in preparation for the publication of the Handbook of South American Indians. Many of the negatives and some of the prints were originally held in the Office of Printing and Photographic Services of the Smithsonian Institution.

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 90, Bureau of American Ethnology photograph collection relating to the Handbook of South American Indians, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Location of Other Archival Materials

Location of Other Archival Materials
Copies of photographs published in BAE Bulletin 143, which were previously filed in Photo Lot 14, have been relocated and merged with Photo Lot 90. Materials associated with the relocation are available with the collection.
Location of Other Archival Materials
The National Anthropological Archives holds additional collections of illustrations for BAE bulletins in MS 3611, MS 3279, MS 3715-b, MS 3078, Photo Lot 80-39, MS 2894, MS 3251, Photo Lot R87-2Q, and Photo lot 133.
Location of Other Archival Materials
Additional materials relating to Aldred Metraux's work in South America are held in the Institute of Social Anthropology photographs (MS 4623) and the Handbook of South American Indians Records.

More Information

Local Call Number(s)

Local Call Number(s)
NAA Photo Lot 90

Bibliography

Bibliography
Photographs published in Handbook of South American Indians, BAE Bulletin 143, 1946.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Toba Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pilagá Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chané Indians Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aymara Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gran Chaco Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of South America Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Maps Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Illustrations Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Métraux, Alfred, 1902-1963 (probable photographer) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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