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Donald Bush Cordry photographs of Indigenous peoples of Mexico

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Catalog Data

Creator:
Cordry, Donald Bush  Search this
Names:
Cordry, Donald Bush -- Exhibitions  Search this
Extent:
8 Color transparencies
93 Gelatin silver prints (mounted)
Culture:
Mixe  Search this
Amuzgo (Amusgo)  Search this
Zapotec  Search this
Mestizos  Search this
Purepecha (Tarasco)  Search this
Tepehuán (Tepehuan)  Search this
Totonac  Search this
Mazatec [Huautla]  Search this
Nahua  Search this
Chinantec  Search this
Wixarika (Huichol)  Search this
Seri  Search this
Ikood (Huave)  Search this
Chiapanec  Search this
Mixtec  Search this
Mayas  Search this
Yoreme (Mayo)  Search this
Cuicatec Indians  Search this
Zoque  Search this
Tzotzil Maya  Search this
Indians of Mexico  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Color transparencies
Gelatin silver prints
Place:
Mexico
Date:
1937-1972
Scope and Contents note:
Enlargements of photographs made by Donald Bush Cordry during his time in Mexico. These were mounted for a 1970s Bellas Artes-sponsored traveling exhibit based on Cordry's collection of Mexican Indian costumes. Included are images of Indigenous peoples of Mexico, fiestas and dances, pottery, boats, weaving, spinning, masks, vendors and markets, churches, and shrines. Depicted groups include the Huichol, Mestizo, Tarascan, Seri, Mayo, Tepehua, Totonac, Nahua, Mazatec, Cuicatec, Chinantec, Zapotec, Mixe, Amusgo, Huave, Mixtec, Chapanec, Zoque, Tzotzil, and Maya. Additionally, there are some self portraits of Donald Cordry and his wife Dorothy.
Biographical/Historical note:
Donald Bush Cordry (1907-1978) was an artist and photographer who studied the art of Indigenous peoples of Mexico. In 1931, Cordry made his first trip to Guerrero, Mexico, where he became interested in 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.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot 87-38, USNM ACC 361232
Location of Other Archival Materials:
Additional photographs made by Cordry can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in Photo Lot 82-14.
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.
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.
Photographs of the Donald Cordry Mexican mask exhibit can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in Photo Lot 80-3.
The Donald Cordry Mexican mask collection can be found in the Department of Anthropology in accession 355867.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Pottery -- Mexico  Search this
Dances -- Mexico  Search this
Weaving -- Mexico  Search this
Markets -- Mexico  Search this
Clothing and dress  Search this
Spinning -- Mexico  Search this
Masks -- Mexico  Search this
Citation:
Photo Lot 87-38, Donald Cordry photographs of Indigenous peoples of Mexico, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.PhotoLot.87-38
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3bbb563fb-4f02-46de-9c51-37e81c7dbd07
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-photolot-87-38