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National Anthropological Archives
Photographs of exhibit of Donald Bush Cordry Mexican mask collection, 1979
Summary
- Collection ID:
- NAA.PhotoLot.80-3
- Dates:
-
1979
- Languages:
-
Undetermined.
- Physical Description:
-
25 Color slides7 Printssilver gelatin
- Repository:
Scope and Contents note
Scope and Contents note
Photographs depicting some of the masks in the Donald Cordry collection of Mexican masks, as well as an exhibit of the collection entitled "Dance Masks of Mexico," taken on February 22, 1979. Depicted individuals in the include several members of the Department of Anthropology, including Robert Laughlin, William Sturtevant, Porter Kier, and James Mello. The photographs were probably made by a Smithsonian photographer.
Biographical/Historical note
Biographical/Historical note
Donald Bush Cordry (1907-1978) was an artist and photographer who studied the art of Mexican Indians. In 1931, Cordry made his first trip to Guerrero, Mexico, where he became fascinated by contemporary mask making. In 1934, Cordry moved to New York to work as a marionette designer for puppeteer Tony Sarg. While there, he contacted George G. Heye to learn more about Indigenous Mexican art. This led to a series of collecting expeditions from 1935 to 1938, during which Cordry collected Mexican masks and other artifacts for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.
Administration
Author
Sarah Ganderup
Custodial History note
Prints donated by Department of Anthropology in 1979. Color slides donated by Barbara Stuckenrath in 1982.
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 80-3, Photographs of exhibit of the Donald Bush Cordry Mexican Mask collection, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Location of Other Archival Materials
Location of Other Archival Materials
The masks which formed the basis of the exhibit pictured can be found in the Department of Anthropology in accession 355867.
Location of Other Archival Materials
Cordry's photographs can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in Photo Lot 82-14 and Photo Lot 87-38.
Location of Other Archival Materials
Donald Cordry and his wife, Dorothy Mann Cordry, also donated clothing and musical instruments from Mexico to the Department of Anthropology in accessions 361232 and 355866.
Location of Other Archival Materials
The National Museum of the American Indian Archives holds the Donald Bush Cordry collection of photographs and negatives, 1933-1940, as well as artifacts collected by Cordry.
Location of Other Archival Materials
The University of Texas at Austin holds the Donald Cordry Collection Relating to Mexican Masks, 1931-1978.
More Information
Local Call Number(s)
Local Call Number(s)
NAA Photo Lot 80-3
, NAA ACC 82-50
Keywords
| Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Exhibitions | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Masks -- Mexico | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Kier, Porter M. | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Cordry, Donald Bush -- Exhibitions | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Laughlin, Robert M. | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Mello, James F., 1936- | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Sturtevant, William C. | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
National Anthropological Archives
Museum Support Center
4210 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, Maryland 20746
naa@si.edu
