National Museum of the American Indian

Victor Wolfgang von Hagen collection of photographs and negatives

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAI.AC.001.019
Creators:
Von Hagen, Victor Wolfgang, 1908-1985
Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation
Dates:
1936-1938
Languages:
No linguistic content; Not applicable
.
Physical Description:
285 Photographic prints
albumen
122 Negatives (photographic)
acetate
Repository:
Includes images of the indigenous people of Ecuador, primarily the Tsatchela (Tsachila, Colorado) of Pichincha province and the Shuar-Achuar of Oriente province. Also includes 51 images of the indigenous people of Honduras, primarily the Xicaque and Maya.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The von Hagen collection primarily contains photographs and negatives made by von Hagen during his 1935 and 1936 travels in Ecuador on behalf of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. The 1935 materials depict adult and child members of the Shuar-Achuar culture group engaged in weaving, drumming, and cooking. In addition there are representations of indigenous dwellings and of individuals dressed for ceremonies and using blow guns. The 1936 materials overwhelmingly depict Tsáchila (Colorado) peoples preparing food, weaving, potting, playing instruments, and participating in ceremonies, but also include depictions of the Runa (Otavaleño/Otavalo) people spinning cotton and sitting for potraits. The collection also contains photographic materials dated to 1937 that depict Mayan artifacts and Jicaque men of Honduras building rafts, fishing, and standing for their poritraits. Von Hagen's Tsáchila and Jicaque photographs illustrated his contributions to the Museum's series Indian Notes and Monographs, The Tsáchila Indians of western Ecuador (no. 51) and The Jicaque (Torrupan) Indians of Honduras (no. 53).

Arrangement note

Arrangement note
Negatives: organized in individual sleeves; arranged by negative number
Prints: organized in folders; arranged by print number

Arrangement

Arrangement
Negatives Arranged by negative number (N36360, N36648, N36654-N36656, N36661, N36733-N36740, N36749-N36752, N36755, N36758-N36769, N36772-N36779, N36781-N36797, N36803-N36853, N37366, N37386, N41444) Prints Arranged by photograph number (P11502-P11510, P12316-P12473, P12522-P12525, P12596-P12657, P12855-P12859, P12941-P12949, P13329-P13362, P15428, P15491, P15585, P16246)

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Victor Wolfgang von Hagen was an American explorer, archaeological historian, anthropologist, naturalist, zoologist, and travel writer. In the 1930s, he led several Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation collecting expeditions to Central and South America and continued to travel throughout the region into the 1970s.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Dr. von Hagen
Custodial History
Historically, the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation managed all photographic and related manuscript collections separately. This collection description represents current management practices of organizing and contextualizing related archival materials.
Processing Information note
NMAIA Review

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access note
Access is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment.
Preferred Citation note
Victor Wolfgang von Hagen collection of photographs and negatives, 1935-1937, National Museum of the American Indian Archives, Smithsonian Institution (negative, slide or print number).
Conditions Governing Use note
Copyright: National Museum of the American Indian

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Colorado Indians (Ecuador) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographic prints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of South America Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Negatives Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ecuador Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Honduras Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Albumen prints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of Central America Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Maya (archaeological culture) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tsáchila (Colorado) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jicaque Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Museum of the American Indian
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