Guide to the Papers of William Halse Rivers Rivers (as filmed by the AJCP)
M2619 - M2625
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: 2018
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Rivers, William Halse Rivers
- Title
- Papers of William Halse Rivers Rivers (as filmed by the AJCP)
- Date Range
- 1898 - 1922
- Collection Number
- M2619 - M2625
- Extent
- 78 items
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Australian Joint Copying Project
- Sponsor
- The Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) online portal was created with the assistance of the Australian Public Service Modernisation Fund, 2017-2020. The National Library of Australia gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the other foundation AJCP partners, the State Library of New South Wales and The National Archives of the UK, and all other organisations which supported the work of the AJCP, the world's most extensive collaborative copying project, operating from 1948 to 1997.
Introduction
Scope and Contents
Papers include correspondence, notes, notebooks, typescripts, photographs and cuttings concerning social anthropology of the Torres Strait, New Hebrides, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, Fiji and Solomon Islands. Subjects include: notes on Ambrym; social organisation; marriage and childbirth; kinship, Mekeo system; totemism; medicine and funeral customs.
Correspondents include Frederick Bowie, R.H. Codrington, A.R. Radcliffe-Brown, Sidney Ray and Beveley Humes.
Conditions Governing Access
Available for Access.
Conditions Governing Use
Many of the records digitised as part of the AJCP are still in copyright. Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the owner of the original material.
Preferred Citation
Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the location of the original material and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.
Items from this collection should include references to the location of the original material and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.
Example: M Series: Journal of Capt. James Cook, 18 February 1770, British Library Add. MS 27885 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1234)
Archival History
Material selectively filmed as part of the Australian Joint Copying Project, 1991 (AJCP Reels: M2619-M2625). Original microfilm digitised as part of the AJCP Online Delivery Project, 2017-2020.
Existence and Location of Originals
For more information see Catalogues at the Cambridge University Library (http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/special-collections/catalogues).
Existence and Location of Copies
The original AJCP microfilm of the records filmed from this collection is available at the National Library of Australia [https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2589500] as well as other institutions holding AJCP microfilm.
Related Materials
The Rivers Papers are part of the Haddon Papers at Cambridge University Library. The Haddon Papers have been listed separately and should be consulted for further material relating to Rivers, and the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits (https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn17665).
Finding-aid Notes
This finding aid is a revised online version of the original finding aid prepared by the Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP), published by the National Library of Australia in 2018. The original AJCP finding aids were unpublished typescripts or photocopies available from libraries that held copies of the original microfilm.
Dates used in this finding aid refer to the date range of the records selected for filming rather than to the date range of the Series or Files.
Subjects
Ambrym; anthropologists; Fiji; genealogy and genealogies; Hawaii; New Guinea; New Hebrides; Radcliffe Brown, A; Samoa; social anthropology; Solomon Islands; Torres Strait; Vanuatu;
Bibliography
Originally cited in Australian Joint Copying Project Handbook. Part 8: Miscellaneous (M) Series. Third Edition, published 1998. Entry 386, p147.
Biographical / Historical
Doctor and anthropologist. Rivers took part in the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits in 1898 and went on expeditions to Melanesia in 1908 and 1914. Author of History of Melanesian Society (1914).
Item Descriptions
Series 12000. Original notes on Ambrym (286p.), 1914 - 1922
Box 123
Comprises: Correspondence with William Bowie (Santo), 1915-1917, and typescript and manuscript notes on Ambrym.
Subjects include: Social organisation, marriage and childbirth, property, land tenure, pigs, ancestral cult, taboo, mangge and other ceremonies, canoe making, weapons.
Bowie's letters comment on the manuscript and include anthropological information.
Series 12001. 11 notebooks from 1914 New Hebrides Expedition (c 1200p.), 1914
Box 123
Field notes from anthropological trip to New Hebrides, 1914. Includes kinship tables and vocabularies.
T. Barnard (Wareham, Dorset) to Mrs Rishbeth re Rivers' material on Ambrym and his theories of 6 class system. (6p.)1954-10-31
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reels M2619-M2920.
Series 12002. Notes on New Hebrides (171p.)
Box 123
Subjects include: Ambrym relationships, marriage, ceremonial, sexual communism, social organisation of East Malo, Sumbe of W. Malo.
(Some faint typescript)
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2920.
Series 12004. Drafts of various articles
Box 124
Melanesian section (165p.)
Comprises: Photographs of natives and annotated typescripts on Melanesia.
Subjects include: Social organisation, marriage, communism, Mekeo system, Elema tribes.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2920.
Series 12005. Drafts of various articles (268p.)
Box 124
Comprises: Amended typescripts and manuscripts on social anthropology of the Pacific.
Subjects include: New Hebrides, Torres kinship, kinship and marriage in Hawaiian Islands, Samoan system, Niue, Solomon Islands, language, canoes, communism.
(Some faint typescript, some sections incomplete)
Series 12006. Drafts of various articles (273p.)
Box 124
Comprises: Amended typescripts on social anthropology of the Pacific.
Subjects include: Fiji, kinship in Tonga, relationship in Banks' Islands, Pentecost Island, marriage, Australian system of kinship.
(Some faint typescript, some sections incomplete)
Series 12007. Drafts of various articles (274p.)
Box 124
Comprises: Amended typescripts and manuscripts on social anthropology of the Pacific.
Subjects include: Solomon Islands, cross cousin marriage in Fiji and Torres Straits, Tamate Societies, Sukwe of Banks' Islands, ceremonies, property, marriage, secret societies of Banks' Islands.
Series 12009. Notes from field notes (259p.)
Box 125
Comprises: Miscellaneous notes on social anthropology of Pacific, including vocabularies, genealogies, physical measurements from Torres Straits, Fiji, Solomon Islands, etc.
Includes sketch map of Viti Levu and notes on string figures.
Series 12013. Drafts of various articles (260p.)
Box 126
Comprises of amended typescripts on social anthropology, mainly from Pacific.
Subjects include: Marriage in Melanesia, place of evolution in society, Totemism, medicine and disease in Torres Straits Islands, island names in Melanesia.
(Some faint typescript, Some sections incomplete)
Series 12014. Pencil drawings
Box 126
Comprises of 5 pencil drawings by natives of Torres Straits of boats, houses, animals and 1 ink sketch from later journey.
Series 12016. Maps
Box 126
Includes large hand painted map of Torres Straits.
Although listed, this document was not filmed by the AJCP as it was too large to film.
Series 12017. Concept of the Soul (58p.)
Box 126
Comprises: Notes, correspondence and copies of correspondence re concept of the soul, including examples from Pacific and Santo.
Series 12018. Solomon Islands (140p.)
Box 126
Comprises: Notes, press cuttings, correspondence, 1908, on Solomon Islands.
Subjects include: Cat's cradle, genealogies, obituary of Reverend Henry Welchman, feast on obtaining slaves from Loura, tribal names, medicine, eclipse of moon.
Correspondents include: F. Green (Simbo, includes incomplete letter), A.M. Hocart (Suva), Henry Welchman (Bugotu), Ellen Wilson (Florida), A.J. Hopkins (Fui), Edward Bowral (Ysabel), Gerald C. Wheeler (London, enclosing paper on Totemism in Buim), Gafuavaro (San Christovel).
Series 12019. Fiji (67p.)
Box 126
Comprises: Notes on social anthropology, press cuttings and letters from A.M. Hocart (27 Sept. 1912, Nauduri, and 6 Jan. [1914-1918, France]) re anthropological field work, genealogies, etc. in Fiji and his war work in France.
Series 12021. Death
1 itemBox 126
Comprises: Notes from publications on death, includes examples from Pacific.
Filmed selectively.
Series 12022. Kinship, 9 November 1901
1 itemBox 126
Comprises of notes and correspondence.
Filmed selectively.
Series 12024. Oceanic kinship
Box 126
Comprises of notes from publications.
Although listed, this material was not filmed by the AJCP.
Series 12027. Correspondence with Radcliffe Brown (35p.), c.1912-1914
Box 126
A. Radcliffe Brown (Birmingham) to Rivers. 6 letters, [n.d.]
Rivers (Cambridge) to Brown, 1912-07-26
Subjects include: Dieri system of social organisation, and social organisation in Australia, Durkheim's theories, disagreements between Radcliffe Brown and Rivers over Australian organisation, totemism.
This correspondence has been printed, with notes on the background, by Adam Kuper in Canberra Anthropology II (1), April 1988, p. 49-81.
Series 12028. Material culture
Box 126
Comprises: Notes from publications and correspondence. (Some references to Pacific.)
Correspondents include: Sydney Hurtland (Gloucester, 2 Dec. 1912); Sidney Ray ([n.pl., n.d.] incomplete); C.G. Seligman (Icklingham, 11 July 1911); R.H. Codrington (Chichester, 11 Dec. 1912); A.M. Hocart ([n.pl.], 5 Feb. [n.yr.]).
Although listed, this material was not filmed by the AJCP.
Series 12030. Santa Cruz (67p.)
Box 127
Comprises: Notes, sketch maps, off prints, correspondence.
Reverend C.E. Fox, Vocabularies of Santa Cruz and Vanikolo, Melanesian Mission Press, 1908
J.W. Blencowe (Wheatley and Chester) to Rivers re his trip to Santa Cruz, anthropological information gained from natives, May, 28 May, 2 August [n.yr.]
W.J. Durrad (Banks' Islands) to Rivers re social division, 1911-03-10
Series 12033. Tikopia (30p.)
Box 127
Comprises: Notes and correspondence.
C.W. Browning (Melanesian Mission, Bedford) to Rivers re mission activity on Tikopia, 1911-05-27
Herbert Williams (Gisborne) to Rivers with notes on native words used in chapter on Tikopia in Melanesian Society; comments on Durrad's vocabulary, 1915-10-09
Series 12037. Polynesia
Box 127
Comprises of notes from publications, press cuttings, correspondence, etc.
Everard im Thurn (lona) to Rivers re obtaining information on Tonga, 1912-07-04
Elsdon Best (Wellington) to Rivers re Maori customs and mental powers, 1913-08-16, (and 2 undated notes)
Robert Williamson (Godalming) to Rivers re dual people and social organisation in the Pacific, 1917-10-02
Katherine Routledge (Bursledon) to Rivers re Easter Island, 1920-08-09
The Present Position of the Easter Island Problem, by Mrs K. Routledge. (16p.), [n.d.]
Assembly Hall Souvenir programme, Rotorua Maori Choir entertainers and orchestra. (4p.), [n.d.]
Filmed selectively.
Series 12039. Melanesia (c200p.)
Box 127
Comprises of notes from publications, press cuttings, correspondence (some incomplete), genealogies, vocabulary lists, photographs (of natives from Ambrym, New Ireland, Kaiserin Augusta River, New Hebrides).
Correspondence includes:
Andrew Lang (London) to Rivers (6 letters) re totemism, [n.d.]
J.W. Layard (Felixstowe) to Rivers (2 letters) comments on his manuscript, [n.d.]
W.J. Durrad (Banks' Island) to Rivers re problems obtaining information from natives, 'They show reserve about the Salagoro', 1909-09-12
Hugh Watson (Cambridge) to Rivers re Conus from which natives of Banks' and Torres Straits make coinage, 1910-03-16
R.H. Codrington (Chichester) to Rivers re burial customs on Banks' Islands, 1912-11-18
W.J. Durrad (Banks' Islands) to Rivers re funeral customs on Vanua Lava, 1913-03-24
A. Radcliffe Brown (Birmingham) to Rivers re his manuscript on Andaman Islands, totemism, 1913-10-18
William Ambrim (Tangoa Station) to Rivers thanking him for gift of watch, 1915-03-01
Fred G. Bowie (Tangoa, Santo) to Rivers thanking him for gift of books; work; hurricane, 1915-03-03
W.J. Durrad (Banks' Islands) to Rivers re his work on Torres Straits vocabulary. 1916-08-24
Fred G. Bowie (Dunedin) to Rivers re family health; staying with brother, medical tutor at Otago University; use of bow and arrows by Torres Straits natives, 1918-06-03
Series 12043. Totemism, 15 September 1908 - 19 January 1916
8 itemsBox 128
Comprises of notes from publications, press cuttings, correspondence.
Filmed selectively.
W.J. Durrad (Norfolk Island) to Rivers re his work on Torres vocabulary (damaged), 14 April 1909 (File)
C.E. Fox (Norfolk Island) to Rivers re language work; collected 40 children's games played in Banks' Islands, 3 July 1909 (File)
C.E. Fox (Norfolk Island) to Rivers comments on Tylor's work, language work, 15 September 1909 (File)
Series 12046. Solomon Islands, 1913 - 1914
Box 128
Comprises: Off prints, notes from publications, genealogies, vocabularies, correspondence from G.C. Webber (London)
Although listed, this material was not filmed by the AJCP.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2622.
Series 12048. Secret Societies, 5 February 1914 - 11 October 1921
5 itemsBox 128
Comprises of notes from publications, correspondence.
Filmed selectively.
Series 12049. Culture, 15 October 1913 - 29 November 1915
3 itemsBox 128
Comprises of notes from publications, press cuttings, correspondence.
Filmed selectively.
Series 12051. Sociological
Box 128
Comprises of notes from publications, press cuttings, correspondence, list of Pacific Islands.
)
Filmed selectively.
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2622.
Series 12052. New Guinea (17p.)
Box 128
Comprises: 9 October 1911. Egidi (Rome) to C.G. Seligman enclosing observations on The Melanesians.
Series 12054. Polynesia
Box 129
Comprises: Draft article on Mareis and photographs (of artifacts in Museum at Wanganui?).
Although listed, this material was not filmed by the AJCP.
Series 12055. New Guinea, 16 August 1908 - 15 October 1915
13 itemsBox 129
Comprises of notes from publications, correspondence.
Filmed selectively.
Rivers (Cambridge) to Father Egidi, re terms for relationship in Melanesia. (4p., carbon), [n.d.] (File)
Egidi (Yule Island) to Rivers(?) re terms for relationships (in French). (27p.), 16 August 1908 (File)
A. Wollaston (New Guinea) to Rivers, 4 May 1910 (File)
Re field work amongst natives - language difficulties 'not one of the natives understood a single word of Malay'. (3p.)
Series 12056. Languages (72p.)
Box 129
Comprises of 19 letters from Sidney Ray (Ilford), 1907-1914 re Polynesian languages. Includes word lists and papers on languages by Ray.
Series 12058. General Sociology
3 itemsBox 129
Comprises of prints and correspondence.
Filmed selectively.
Series 12063. Melanesia, December 1912
1 itemBox 129
Comprises of notes, off prints.
Filmed selectively.
Series 12070. Torres Straits field notes (c 700p.)
Box 129
Field notebooks on social anthropology of Pacific (includes Niue, Tonga, Raga, Trobiand, Santa Cruz), [n.d.]
Series 12071. Torres Islands field notes (c300p.)
Box 129
3 Field notebooks.
Notes on social anthropology of Torres Straits. (Refers to kinship, play, polygamy, colour).
Although listed, the material on gypsies was not copied by the AJCP.
Series 12072. Torres Islands field notes (c800p.)
Box 130
Notes on social anthropology of Torres Straits (Refers to fishing, kinship, marriage).
Series 12073. Torres Straits field notes (c800p.)
Box 130
Notes on social anthropology of Torres Straits.
Series 12074. Physical anthropology - Torres Straits (148p.)
Box 130
Comprises: Cards recording physical measurements of Torres Straits natives.
Series 12075. Physical anthropology - Torres Straits, 2 December 1898
1 itemBox 130
Comprises of cards recording measurements, notes, rubbings, correspondence, off prints.
Filmed selectively.
Series 12078. Bismark Archipelago
Box 131
Comprises of notes from publications.
Although listed, this material was not filmed by the AJCP.
Series 12080. Torres Straits (c 445p.)
Box 131
Comprises: Children's drawings collected by Rivers during Torres Straits expedition, 1898-1899; records of psychological tests, notes, off prints, correspondence.
(Some faint pencil)
Series 12081. Obituary, 16 March 1920 - 9 May 1922
1 itemsBox 131
Comprises of notes by Haddon for obituary of Rivers; off prints; correspondence.
Filmed selectively.
Rivers correspondence, 16 March 1920 - 9 May 1922 (File)
9 items
W. Armstrong (Sydney) to Rivers re strike by marine engineers prevents him leaving for New Guinea, 16 March 1920 (Item)
History of Melanesian Society: extracts and notes by ? (Notes on Rivers' concept of totemism). (5p.) (Item)
J. Reynolds (London) to Rivers, 8 May 1922 (Item)
Re Permanent Committee on Geographical names lists to be submitted to governments of Australia and New Zealand.
Haddon (Cambridge) to Rivers, 22 March 1922 (Item)
Re Humphreys' thesis and his possible employment on Melanesian collections at Museum.
Fred G. Bowie (Aberdeen) to Rivers re visit to Scotland, cold weather after New Hebrides, 9 May 1922 (Item)
A. Radcliffe Brown (Cape Town) to Rivers that preparing ethnographical catalogue of Australian tribes, 20 February 1922 (Item)
Series 12082. Genealogies and relationships - Torres Straits, 1898 - 1899
Box 131
91 cards of genealogies compiled by Rivers
Series 12083. Genealogy and relationship sheets (132p.)
Box 131
Genealogical charts from Torres Straits and New Guinea, c.1898-1899
Includes maps of New Guinea showing areas where natives are under government control, 1921.
Series 12084. Genealogical charts (121p.)
Box 131
Genealogical charts and relationship sheets from Vella Lavella, Eddystone Island and elsewhere (c.1898-1899?).
Series 12085. Map of cultures of New Guinea
Box 131
3 maps. (1 p.)
Shows distribution of initiation ceremonies, areas of totemism, mango tree cult, canoes, etc.
Series 12086. [Miscellaneous] (63p.)
Box 131
Includes:
Notes on legends by Robert Bruce, including History of Mita or Midam - got at Magic Island and Douan Legend.
Sidney Ray (Ilford) to A.C. Haddon enclosing Geda's Oiyandai told to Ray by Jimmy Matauri, 1906-12-31
Rivers (Cambridge) to Brown re Brown's criticisms of his work. (Faint)1913-12-13
The Study of Social Institutions, by A. Radcliffe Brown. (32p.), [n.d.]
Archival History
Originally filmed on AJCP Reel M2625.