Guide to the Papers of W. E. Armstrong
MS 6507
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- W. E. Armstrong
- Title
- Papers of W. E. Armstrong
- Date Range
- 1921 - 1928
- Collection Number
- MS 6507
- Extent
- 3.54 metres (4 MS Boxes + 1 Non-Standard MS Box + 7 Archive Boxes + 1 Folio-packet + 1 map folio)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Introduction
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of anthropological source material on New Guinea, fieldnotes, lecture notes, drafts of government reports, and a unique group of pictorial material relating to this field and lecture notes. Most of these research documents relate to the publication "Rossel Island: an ethnological study", 1928. The pictorial material consists of photographs, lantern glass slides, photo albums, rubbings of artifacts (weaponry, carvings, etc.) done on the islands Suan Daui - Tavala, Taufe, Rebana, Enana and Cats Cradle. Armstrong drafted government reports for the Papuan government on issues relating to anthropology; language, social organization, local currency system, education, employment and taxation.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn533709) for the access conditions.
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of W. E. Armstrong, National Library of Australia, MS 6507, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Armstrong's lectures on social organization
Rossel field notes: Rossel IX. Pig feast, Cannibalism. Payment Ritual. (a) original (File 27) - Box 3
Rossel field notes: Rossel XIII. Sorcery. Other magic (a) original. Omens, Evil things (File 31) - Box 3
Reports for Papuan Government: Report on Anthropology of South-Eastern Division... (File 34) - Box 4
Report on Suau-Tawala. I. Introductory. II. Language. III. Magic. IV. Feasts. V. Social Organisation (File 34) - Box 4
Series 2. W.E. Armstrong's lectures on 'Magico-Religion"
Series 3. William Halse R. Rivers' lectures
According to Dr James Urry, Victoria University of Wellington, the following lectures were delivered by W.H.R. Rivers at Cambridge during 1921-1922. These lectures were later published in Social organization London, Kegan Paul 1924, a book written by Rivers and edited by W.J. Perry. These lectures were found scattered in the Armstrong papers until identified by Dr Urry.
Series 4. Photographs Slides and visual materials
Album, containing, slotted-in, photographs, code-numbered QF 1201-OF.1393 (with gaps). 149 original quarter plate photographs, classified in sections, i.e. Rabaul, Boboli, Ferguson, Goodenough, etc (File) - Box 5
Album. Inscribed on endpaper 'W.E. Armstrong, Papua', 1921 (File) - Box 5
Containing upwards of 400 original quarter plate photographs, mounted on album leaves, largely of Rossel Island; portrait studies of natives showing tattooing etc. also landscapes, fishing etc. A number of the photographs having been used for the published version of the book 'Rossel Island: An Ethnological Study'.
Negatives: Ten Kodak Negative albums, each housing 100 negatives; the negatives code-numbered OF801- QF 1800. 1000 negatives, arranged in chronological order i.e. "Sudest .... Rossel.... Misima...Boboli..... Port Moresby..... Penang...."; albums bear date 1921 or 1922 (File) - Box 5
Two boxes containing 122 original photographic lantern slides, on glass, of Rossel Island natives, landscapes, etc (File) - Box 7a, Box 7b (Non-Standard MS Box)
Albums (13) of prints, proof prints from negatives (including Singapore, Penang, Rossel Island, Townsville, Sydney), (added 1985) (File) - Box 9, Box 10
2 Photographs - Pacific Islands (File Unnumbered) - Folio-Box (Shared), Piece 2 Photographs (unnumbered)
Rubbing of Decoration of Pole underneath old house at Gadogadoa, Papua New Guinea (File Unnumbered) - Map-Folio unnumbered (1 map-folio containing two "rubbings")
Folder 1 Negatives - New Guinea- Port Moresby, Cape Nelson (File) - Box 83 (Nitrate)
Nitrate negatives removed from Series 4 Boxes 5,8,10-11 for preservation purposes.
Folder 2 Negatives - New Guinea- Port Moresby, Cape Nelson (File) - Box 83 (Nitrate)
Nitrate negatives removed from Series 4 Boxes 5,8,10-11 for preservation purposes.
Folder 3 Negatives - New Guinea- Port Moresby, Cape Nelson (File) - Box 83 (Nitrate)
Nitrate negatives removed from Series 4 Boxes 5,8,10-11 for preservation purposes.Includes negatives labelled QF 1-100 London to Port Moresby; QF 101-200 Port Moresby - [?]
Folder 4 Negatives - New Guinea- Port Moresby, Cape Nelson (File) - Box 84 (Nitrate)
Nitrate negatives removed from Series 4 Boxes 5,8,10-11 for preservation purposes.Includes negatives labelled QF 201-300 Dulis to Enara; QF 301-400 Enara to Kulecki; QF 401-500 Enara to Buna; QF 501-600 Cape Nelson to Argelle Bay
Folder 5 Negatives - London, Colorado Springs, Santa Fe, Grand Canyon, Honolulu (File) - Box 84 (Nitrate)
Nitrate negatives removed from Series 4 Boxes 5,8,10-11 for preservation purposes.Includes negatives labelled QF 601-700; QF 701-800; VF 1-100 London to Colorado Springs;VF 101-200 Colorado Springs to [?]; VF 201-300 Santa Fe to Grand Canyon; VF 301-400 Grand Canyon to Santa Barbara; VF 401-500 Santa Barbara to Honolulu;
Folder 6 Negatives - Sydney, Blue Mountains, Melbourne, New Guinea (File) - Box 84 (Nitrate)
Nitrate negatives removed from Series 4 Boxes 5,8,10-11 for preservation purposes.Includes negatives labelled VF 501-600 Honolulu to Sydney; VF 701-800 Melbourne to Blue Mountains; VF 801- 900 Blue Mountains to New Guinea; VF 1201-1300 New Guinea; VF 1101-1200 New Guinea; QF 901-1000; QF 1001-1100; Miscellaneous