Search Results

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Electronic records

Web sites

Place:

Panama

Date:

2019

Descriptive Entry:

This accession consists of the Facebook account of the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project as it existed on January 28, 2019. The Project's mission is to rescue and establish assurance colonies of amphibian species that are in extreme danger of extinction throughout Panama. The National Zoological Park and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute are both project partners and play a role in the administration of the Project. Facebook is a third-party social networking site used for interaction with the general public. Due to technical issues, the capture of this account may be incomplete and some features may not function as expected. Some content is significantly older than the date it was captured. Materials are in electronic format.

Topic:

Amphibians  Search this

Museums -- Public relations  Search this

Web sites  Search this

Online social networks  Search this

Social media  Search this

Amphibian declines  Search this

Wildlife conservation  Search this

Genre/Form:

Electronic records

Web sites

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 20-197, Website Records

Identifier:

Accession 20-197

See more items in:

Website Records

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-fa20-197

Extent:

1 cu. ft. (1 record storage box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Compact discs

Digital images

Electronic records

Black-and-white transparencies

Color transparencies

Black-and-white photographs

Color photographs

Place:

Panama

Date:

circa 1986-2005

Descriptive Entry:

This accession consists of images of Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) facilities, research, staff, and events. In addition, some images document Panama in general as well as the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya which STRI helped to found. Materials consist of slides, prints, and digital images. Some materials are in electronic format.

Topic:

Research institutes  Search this

Biological stations  Search this

Genre/Form:

Compact discs

Digital images

Electronic records

Black-and-white transparencies

Color transparencies

Black-and-white photographs

Color photographs

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 14-270, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Photographs

Identifier:

Accession 14-270

See more items in:

Photographs

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-fa14-270

Creator:

Edholm, Camilla S.  Search this

Extent:

18 Copy negatives

10 Postcards

6 Photographic prints

Culture:

Chucunaque Guna (Kuna)  Search this

Guna [Guna Yala]  Search this

Emberá (Choikoi)  Search this

Guna (Kuna)  Search this

Indians of Central America -- Panama  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Copy negatives

Postcards

Photographic prints

Place:

Panama

San Blas Islands (Panama)

Date:

1934-1938

Summary:

Negatives, postcards, and photographic prints made and acquired by Camilla S. Edholm in the San Blas Islands and Darién Province in Panama circa 1934-1938. These include images of Guna [Guna Yala], Chucunaque Guna (Kuna), and Emberá (Choikoi) community members.

Scope and Contents:

This collection includes 18 copy negatives, 10 postcards and 6 photographic prints made around 1934 and in 1938 in San Blas Islands and Darién Province in Panama. The negatives, made in 1938, include images of Guna (Kuna) community members in the Guna Yala Indigenous Territory (San Blas) and Guna de Madugandí Indigenous Territory. These include portraits of women, men and children posed in front of dwellings, in canoes, and completing communal tasks such as sugar cane extraction. One of the portraits includes an image of Chief Nele Kantulu from Ustupu who was the Kuna Yala leader of the Kuna Revolution (N25431). The postcards, acquired by Edholm in either 1934 or 1938, include captions in white lettering on the front and depict Kuna community members along the Río Chucunaque which runs between Emberá-Wounaan Indigenous Territory, Darién Province and the Guna de Waragandí Indigenous Territory. These include both scenic views and portraits. The last six photographic prints, also made in 1938, include images labeled as "Mona Island" though it is likely that they were shot on Monos Island in Kuna Yala (San Blas). These include an interior view of a primary school as well as portraits and scenic views.

Only five of the photographs were shot by Edholm (likely from P18401-P18406), the remainder of photographs from 1938 were shot by a Mr. Hatau who accompanied Edholm on her trip. The set of postcards were bought as a set on a trip to Panama in 1934. Edholm's original negatives were loaned to the MAI in 1950 and were made into prints and copy negatives by the Museum at the time.

Copy Negatives made from Edholm's prints (most likely shot by Mr. Hatau): N25430-N25447, Postcards: P18243-P18252, Photographic prints by Edholm: P18401-P18406.

Arrangement:

Arranged by media type and catalog number.

Biographical / Historical:

Camilla Shaler Edholm was born in Nebraska to Albert and Katherine Edholm in 1901. She later became a New York City public school teacher and in the 1930s made several trips to Latin America including multiple trips to Panama. In 1938, Edholm taught English at Balboa High School in the Canal Zone in Panama. During her 1938 trip to Panama, Edholm went on various expeditions to the San Blas Islands visiting with the Guna (Kuna) communities. She died in Minnesota in 1976.

Related Materials:

The MAI also purchased a small collection of Guna (Kuna) material from Edholm in 1950. These objects have catalog numbers 21/7215 – 21/7220 and can be found in NMAI's ethnographic collections.

Provenance:

Gift of Camilla S. Edholm in 1950.

Restrictions:

Access to NMAI Archives Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

Rights:

Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.

Genre/Form:

Copy negatives

Postcards

Photographic prints

Citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Camila S. Edholm photographs from Panama, image #, NMAI.AC.157. National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAI.AC.157

Archival Repository:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv4c581cfb6-d47c-4e90-b6ba-e208e6eb1cc2

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmai-ac-157

Photographer:

Arbin, Arne  Search this

Extent:

44 Photographs

0.07 Linear feet

Culture:

Emberá (Choikoi)  Search this

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Place:

Panama

Date:

circa 1933

Summary:

This collection contains 44 photographs depicting Emberá (Choikoi) peoples in Panama circa 1933.

Scope and Contents:

This collection contains 36 photographs and 8 copy negatives shot by Arne Arbin circa 1933. The photographs depict the Emberá (Choikoi) peoples living along the tributaries of Sambú River in eastern Panama. In historical literature the Emberá people were known as Chokó Indians. The photographs include portraits of individuals and families, as well as scenes of daily life such as grinding corn and traveling via canoes, among other scenes. The photographs include handwritten captions on the versos.

Arrangement:

Arranged by catalog number.

Biographical / Historical:

Relatively little is known about Arne Arbin. He was born in Sweden and conducted expeditions throughout the western hemisphere.

Related Materials:

The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology holds object collected by Arne Arbin during his research expeditions in Panama. They also hold a report written by Arbin describing the expedition.

Provenance:

Donated to the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation in 1933 by Arne Arbin.

Restrictions:

Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

Rights:

Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited users to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not changed, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian.

Topic:

Indians of Central America -- Panama  Search this

Citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Arne Arbin photographs from Panama, Item Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAI.AC.192

Archival Repository:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv48e105ff1-f4ea-4627-ae8b-3825689e8caf

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmai-ac-192

Creator::

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute  Search this

Extent:

1 audiotape (Reference copy).

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Place:

Panama

Panama -- Social life and customs

Barro Colorado Island (Panama)

Panama -- Description and travel

Date:

1990

Introduction:

The Smithsonian Institution Archives began its Oral History Program in 1973. The purpose of the program is to supplement the written documentation of the Archives' record and manuscript collections with an Oral History Collection, focusing on the history of the Institution, research by its scholars, and contributions of its staff. Program staff conduct interviews with current and retired Smithsonian staff and others who have made significant contributions to the Institution. There are also interviews conducted by researchers or students on topics related to the history of the Smithsonian or the holdings of the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

STRI staff who lived on Barro Colorado Island and raised their families in this unique environment were interviewed as a group to capture what life was like living and and working in this remote tropical location.

Descriptive Entry:

This interview by Pamela M. Henson, historian, Smithsonian Institution Archives, was recorded at the Rands' home in Gamboa, Panama, and documented reminiscences of former colleagues, students, visitors, and staff at STRI from the late 1950s to 1990, including experiences with ants (Paraponera), snakes, food, beer, long-term residence on Barro Colorado Island, increasing institutional management of STRI in recent years, laundry, pets, and children.

This collection is comprised of one interview session, totaling approximately 1.0 hour of recording and 40 pages of transcript.

Historical Note:

Many Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) staff live on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), an island located in Gatun Lake, part of the Panama Canal watershed. In 1923, the island was set aside as a nature reserve and site for research in tropical biology. The BCI Research Station was run by a consortium of universities and government agencies in its early years. Called the Canal Zone Biological Area (CZBA), it was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1946 and was renamed the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in 1966.

This group interview documents life on the island from the perspective of five residents, Brian C. Bock, A. Stanley Rand, Patricia Rand, Nicholas D. Smythe, and Tanis Smythe. A. Stanley Rand received his Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University in 1961. After working with Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology and the Secretary of Agriculture in Brazil, he began working at STRI in 1964 as a herpetologist. From 1974 to 1979, Rand served as Assistant Director, and he was appointed Senior Biologist in 1979. His interest in the behavior and ecology of reptiles and amphibians led to pioneering studies of frog communications. Patricia Rand came to live on the island with her husband in 1964 and raised their family there. She conducted research and prepared exhibits on the history of BCI.

Nicholas D. Smythe received his Ph.D. in biology from the University of Maryland in 1970. He began working at STRI the same year to develop baseline studies of the rainforest for the Environmental Sciences Program. His research interests centered on frugivorous mammals, and during the 1980s Smythe began a domestication program for the paca, a species of cavy, which is an excellent source of protein and can be raised on forest by-products. Smythe's goal was a large scale paca industry which would prevent further destruction of the rainforest. Tanis Smythe took up residence on BCI with her husband in 1970 and also worked in the STRI library. Brian Bock, a herpetologist at the University of Tennessee, was a visiting scientist in STRI's Biology Program and worked at STRI with the iguana biology and management project.

Rights:

Restricted. Contact SIHistory@si.edu to request permission.

Topic:

Tropical biology  Search this

Conservation of natural resources  Search this

Herpetologists  Search this

Women -- History  Search this

Oral history  Search this

Interviews  Search this

Paca  Search this

Genre/Form:

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 9580, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Oral History Interviews

Identifier:

Record Unit 9580

See more items in:

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Oral History Interviews

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-faru9580

Creator::

Bocanegra, Fausto, 1926- , interviewee  Search this

Extent:

0.5 cu. ft. (1 document box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Place:

Panama

Buenavista (Boyacá, Colombia)

Date:

1988

Introduction:

The Oral History Project is part of the Smithsonian Institution Archives. The purpose of the project is to conduct and collect interviews with current and retired members of the Smithsonian staff who have made significant contributions, administrative and scholarly, to the Institution. The project's goal is to supplement the published record and manuscript collections in the Archives, focusing on the history of the Institution and contributions to the increase and diffusion of knowledge made by its scholars.

The Bocanegra interviews were added to the Oral History Collection because of their rich documentation of Barro Colorado Island and the people who lived and worked there. Additional information about the Canal Zone Biological Area can be found in the Records relating to the Canal Zone Biological Area, Office of the Secretary, 1912-1965, and the Canal Zone Biological Area, Records, 1918-1964, which are also housed in Smithsonian Archives. The Oral History Collection also contains several other sets of interviews on the history of the research station.

Descriptive Entry:

The Fausto Bocanegra Interviews were conducted in August of 1988 by Giselle Mora. The original transcript is in Spanish. An English translation was also prepared by Maureen Fern with comments by George Angehr, Jorge Ventocilla, and Georgina De Alba. The interviews discuss Bocanegra's youth, over thirty years work on BCI, and reminiscences of fellow workers and scientists such as Martin Humphrey Moynihan, Oscar Dean Kidd, Carl B. Koford, James Zetek, Adela Gomez, and Francisco Vitola, c. 1952-1988. There are 75 pages of Spanish transcript and 89 pages of English translation.

The interviewer, Giselle Mora provided the following introduction to the interviews: History is made by men and historical events have diverse protagonists. Historic events and circumstances are lived out in different ways by the different groups mentioned, and it's common that the history that is printed and recorded represents only one part of the historical process under consideration. It is also common that the voices of the most humble and their vision of history are those that are ignored or actively silenced. This manuscript attempts to contribute in part to the recognition of the role the workers of "el monte" or "the bush"--to use the words of Bocanegra--have had in the establishment, growth and consolidation of the biological station on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, which today is one of the most important centers of investigation in natural sciences in the tropics.

These transcripts record the words of Fausto Bocanegra one week before his retirement and present, in general, his version of life on the island and changes that occurred on it between 1952 and 1988. All of the interviews were carried out on the balcony of a bedroom at the station, where Bocanegra and I shared many cups of coffee. Fausto Bocanegra--"Boca" like we all call him--dedicated thirty-eight years of work to Barro Colorado Island and carried out every task imaginable: game-keeper, guide, research assistant, electrician, sailor, carpenter, and retired as a trash collector. For those of us who lived on the island, Boca was an institution unto himself. But Boca was, first and foremost, a trustworthy man, a diligent worker, and a generous friend.

The final manuscript is the result of six hours of taped interviews and the reader should always take into account that what he is reading is a transcription of the spoken word. I decided to leave intact colloquial language, incorporating sounds and casual expressions; nevertheless, the text has been edited to eliminate contractions and phonetic errors that make reading difficult. The interviews were very slightly structured, and I am conscious of the fact that they do not clearly record the richness of Boca's knowledge; nevertheless, the reader will find in these pages accounts of island life at the end of the fifties, information about life in the Canal Zone during that era, and perhaps most importantly will be able to know a little about Bocanegra and how he evaluated his thirty-eight years of service on Barro Colorado Island.

The realization of these interviews has been a privilege and a pleasure for me. I want to thank Mr. Fausto Bocanegra for having shared with me these and many other pleasant conversations. My thanks also to Dr. Joseph Wright who has supported and been a driving force behind this project since its beginning. Giselle Mora, Barro Colorado Island, October 24, 1988.

Historical Note:

Fausto Bocanegra (1926- ), mechanical assistant, carpenter, guide, patrol, general laborer, and animal caretaker, worked on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) from the early 1950s to 1988. Born on November 6, 1926 in Buenaventura, Colombia, Bocanegra arrived on BCI on October 7, 1952 at the age of twenty-six. He first came to the island as a temporary construction worker, building the new laboratory building. Due to his excellent work he was requested back by the foreman, Francisco "Chi Chi" Vitola.

Over the years, Bocanegra's versatility served him well. He became the principal caretaker for director Martin Humphrey Moynihan's large collection of monkeys and other animals. He also served as a very knowledgeable guide to the island, not only for visitors but for scientists who wished to study the flora and fauna of the area. As a member of an unarmed anti-poacher patrol, Bocanegra captured poachers in a number of instances. In addition, he operated the launches carrying messages and transporting materials and visitors between Frijoles Station and the Island, cleared trails for general use, and attended to general maintenance of the Island. Bocanegra retired in 1988 after thirty-seven years on Barro Colorado Island.

The Canal Zone Biological Area (CZBA) was established in 1923 on Barro Colorado Island (BCI) in the Panama Canal as a reserve for scientific study of the tropics. Originally designed as a consortium of universities and government agencies by Thomas Barbour, William Morton Wheeler, James Zetek, and others, CZBA was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1946 and in 1966 was renamed the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI).

Rights:

Restricted. Contact SIHistory@si.edu to request permission.

Topic:

Tropical biology  Search this

Zoology  Search this

African Americans -- History  Search this

Hispanic Americans -- History  Search this

Monkeys  Search this

Genre/Form:

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 9561, Fausto Bocanegra Oral History Interviews

Identifier:

Record Unit 9561

See more items in:

Fausto Bocanegra Oral History Interviews

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-faru9561

Creator::

Enders, Robert K. (Robert Kendall), 1899-1988, interviewee  Search this

Extent:

2 audiotapes (Reference tapes).

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Place:

Panama

Date:

1976

Introduction:

The Oral History Project is part of the Smithsonian Institution Archives. The purpose of the project is to conduct and collect interviews with current and retired members of the Smithsonian staff who have made significant contributions, administrative and scholarly, to the Institution. The project's goal is to supplement the published record and manuscript collections in the Archives, focusing on the history of the Institution and contributions to the increase and diffusion of knowledge made by its scholars.

The Robert Kendall Enders interviews were recorded and donated to Smithsonian Institution Archives because of his experiences in Panama during the early development of the research station. Additional information about the Canal Zone Biological Area can be found in the Records Relating to the Canal Zone Biological Area, Office of the Secretary, 1912-1965, and the Canal Zone Biological Area Records, 1918-1964, also housed in the Smithsonian Archives. The Oral History Collection also contains several other sets of interviews on the history of the research station.

Descriptive Entry:

The Robert Kendall Enders Interview was conducted by Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute research biologist, Neal Griffith Smith, on April 13, 1976. He discusses his introduction to Barro Colorado Island; his subsequent research trips there; recollections of fellow scientists and staff on the island; comparisons between the island then and now; and suggestions on how to improve the island for research purposes. The interviews consist of 2.0 hours of audiotape cassettes and 56 pages of transcript.

Historical Note:

Robert Kendall Enders (1899-1988) was born on September 22, 1899, in Essex, Iowa. After receiving his A.B. and Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Michigan in 1925 and 1927 respectively, he became an Assistant Professor of Biology at Union College. In 1928, he became an Assistant Professor at Missouri Valley College, and in 1932 was promoted to full Professor. In 1966, he also became Emeritus Professor of Zoology at Swarthmore College. He retired from Missouri Valley College in 1970.

Enders was encouraged by Harvard biologist Thomas Barbour to visit Barro Colorado Island (BCI). He applied for a National Research Council Fellowship for funding and in 1930 arrived on the island. In 1935 and 1937, he returned, and in 1941, he visited BCI again as a Research Fellow of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. While conducting his research in mammalogy on BCI, he observed the development of the research station. As a Professor, he continued his visits to Panama, bringing students to the Canal Zone Biological Area on working field trips.

The Canal Zone Biological Area (CZBA) was established in 1923 on Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal as a reserve for scientific study of the Tropics. Originally designed as a consortium of universities and government agencies by Thomas Barbour, William Morton Wheeler, James Zetek, and others, CZBA was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1946 and in 1966 was renamed the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI).

Rights:

Restricted. Contact SIHistory@si.edu to request permission.

Topic:

Mammalogy  Search this

Tropical biology  Search this

Oral history  Search this

Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 9562, Robert K. Enders Oral History Interviews

Identifier:

Record Unit 9562

See more items in:

Robert K. Enders Oral History Interviews

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-faru9562

Creator:

Stewart, Richard H. (Richard Hewett), 1901-2004  Search this

Names:

Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975  Search this

Extent:

24 Copy prints

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Copy prints

Photographs

Place:

Panama -- Antiquities

Date:

1949

Scope and Contents note:

Photographs depicting archeological work at the Barriles site, sculptures and ceramics from the site, and a nearby location described as "Pablo Brackney's place, Palosanto."

Biographical/Historical note:

Richard Hewett Stewart (1901-2004) began working for the National Geographic Society as a photo lab technician in 1924. Ten years later, he joined Matthew Stirling's archeological team to photograph and, to a lesser extent, film the team's eight expeditions to Veracruz and Tabasco (1939-1946). As a result, Stewart's photographs illustrated all of National Geographic articles about the Olmec excavations carried out by the Smithsonian. Stewart again joined Stirling for the 1948-1949 archaeological expedition to Panama, sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Geographic Society.

Local Call Number(s):

NAA Photo Lot R98-30

Location of Other Archival Materials:

Artifacts collected by the expedition held in the Department of Anthropology collections in accession 364365.

Footage of the expedition, made by Stewart, held in the Human Studies Film Archives in HSFA 87.8.1.

Additional photographs and footage by Stewart held in National Anthropological Archives Photo Lot 24 and in Human Studies Film Archives HSFA 91.16.4.

Provenance:

Donated by the National Geographic Society through Susan Crawford to the Department of Anthropology in 1985 with accession 364365. Transferred to the National Anthropological Archives, 1998.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Access to the collection requires an appointment.

Rights:

This copy collection has been obtained for reference purposes only. Copyright held by the National Geographic Society. Contact the repository for terms of use and access.

Topic:

Excavations (Archaeology)  Search this

Sculpture  Search this

Ceramics  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Citation:

Photo Lot R98-30, Copies of Richard H. Stewart photographs of the Smithsonian-National Geographic Society Expedition to Panama, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NAA.PhotoLot.R98-30

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3fb99fc67-aa70-425e-a9c0-c731ae73bb48

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-photolot-r98-30

Creator:

Smith, Hale G.  Search this

Extent:

103 Prints (silver gelatin)

128 Negatives (acetate)

133 Negatives (acetate, 35 mm)

34 Copy negatives

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Prints

Negatives

Copy negatives

Place:

Illinois -- Antiquities

Michigan -- Antiquities

Indiana -- Antiquities

Panama -- Antiquities

Haiti -- Antiquities

Cuba -- Antiquities

Date:

circa 1937-1953

Scope and Contents note:

Photographs made by Hale G. Smith documenting archeological excavations in the United States, Cuba, Haiti, the Canal Zone, and Panama. Included are images of archeological excavations, filming equipment, Smith's friends and fellow archeologists, maps, skeletal remains and burials, carved pictoglyphs, pottery, projectile points, tools, shells, field camps, aerial views of Haiti, basket making in Panama, and copies of photographs published in "The First Floridians," sent to Smith by Robert Brown.

Biographical/Historical note:

Hale G. Smith founded the Department of Anthropology at Florida State University and was one of the first Spanish colonial historical archaeologists in the Southeast.

Local Call Number(s):

NAA Photo Lot 87-30

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Access to the collection requires an appointment.

Rights:

Contact the repository for terms of use.

Topic:

Burial  Search this

Archaeologists  Search this

Excavations (Archaeology)  Search this

Citation:

Photo Lot 87-30, Hale G. Smith photographs of archeological excavations, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

NAA.PhotoLot.87-30

Archival Repository:

National Anthropological Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw31788419e-a8a6-4db9-9eb2-f2fd6ebfe400

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-naa-photolot-87-30

Extent:

2 audiotapes (Reference copies).

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Place:

Panama

Date:

1997

Introduction:

The Smithsonian Institution Archives began its Oral History Program in 1973. The purpose of the program is to supplement the written documentation of the Archives' record and manuscript collections with an Oral History Collection, focusing on the history of the Institution, research by its scholars, and contributions of its staff. Program staff conduct interviews with current and retired Smithsonian staff and others who have made significant contributions to the Institution. There are also reminiscences and interviews recorded by researchers or students on topics related to the history of the Smithsonian or the holdings of the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

The History of Tropical Biology Oral History Interviews were compiled by Smithsonian fellow Catherine A. Christen as part of her research on the history of tropical biology at the Smithsonian.

Descriptive Entry:

These interviews of Robert L. Dressler and William Louis Stern, conducted by Catherine A. Christen, cover their involvement with the Association for Tropical Biology and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute during the 1960s.

The collection consists of two interview sessions, totaling approximately 1.5 hours of recordings and 57 pages of transcript.

Historical Note:

As part of her research for her Smithsonian postdoctoral fellowship project, in 1997 Catherine A. Christen conducted oral history interviews with two orchid specialists who had conducted research in the neotropics. On July 1, 1997, she interviewed Robert L. Dressler (1927- ), curator and co-ordinator for the Orchidaceae Section of the Flora MesoAmericana at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Dressler received the B.A. from the University of Southern California in 1951 and the Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1957. He was on the staff of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute from 1963 to 1987, when he was named a research associate. On July 2, 1997, Christen interviewed William Louis Stern (1926- ), professor of botany, University of Florida. Stern received the B.S. from Rutgers University in 1950, the M.S. in 1951 and the Ph.D. in 1954 from the University of Illinois. He was curator and then chair of the Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, from 1960 to 1967. In 1967, he was appointed professor at the University of Maryland. From 1978 to 1979, he was program chairman for systematic biology at the National Science Foundation. In 1979, he was named chairman of the Department of Botany at the University of Florida. In 1985 he returned to teaching there as professor of botany. In Florida, he changed his research focus to studies on the vegetative anatomy and systematics of the orchid family.

Restrictions:

Restricted (Transcripts). Contact SIHistory@si.edu to request permission.

Topic:

Oral history  Search this

Botany  Search this

Tropical biology  Search this

Professional associations  Search this

Science -- History  Search this

Museum curators -- United States -- Interviews  Search this

Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 9606, History of Tropical Biology Oral History Interviews

Identifier:

Record Unit 9606

See more items in:

History of Tropical Biology Oral History Interviews

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-faru9606

Extent:

0.5 cu. ft. (1 document box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Field notes

Manuscripts

Maps

Place:

Panama

Date:

1971-1978

Descriptive Entry:

This accession consists of field notes of various National Museum of Natural History, Department of Invertebrate Zoology zoologists while collecting marine invertebrates in Panama. Materials include field data sheets, notes, and maps.

Topic:

Marine invertebrates  Search this

Research  Search this

Fieldwork  Search this

Scientific surveys  Search this

Zoology  Search this

Zoologists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Field notes

Manuscripts

Maps

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 16-290, National Museum of Natural History. Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Curatorial Records

Identifier:

Accession 16-290

See more items in:

Curatorial Records

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-fa16-290

Creator::

Smythe, Nicholas D., interviewee  Search this

Extent:

2 audiotapes (Reference copies).

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Place:

Panama

Date:

1990

Introduction:

The Smithsonian Institution Archives began its Oral History Program in 1973. The purpose of the program is to supplement the written documentation of the Archives' record and manuscript collections with an Oral History Collection, focusing on the history of the Institution, research by its scholars, and contributions of its staff. Program staff conduct interviews with current and retired Smithsonian staff and others who have made significant contributions to the Institution. There are also interviews conducted by researchers or student on topics related to the history of the Smithsonian or the holdings of the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

Nicholas David Edward Smythe was interviewed for the Oral History Collection because of his distinguished scientific career and long tenure at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute as both researcher and administrator. Additional interviews of Smythe can be found in Record Unit 9580 STRI Oral History Interviews and Record Unit 9553, Conservation of Endangered Species Videohistory Interviews. Additional information about Smythe can be found in the Records of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute which are also housed in the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

Descriptive Entry:

The Nicholas David Edward Smythe interview was conducted in June 1990 by Smithsonian Institution Archives historian, Pamela M. Henson. The interview discusses his background, education, and early interest in zoology; career at STRI; recollections of staff and life on Barro Colorado Island (BCI); discussions of his major research interests and accomplishments in conservation administration; thoughts on graduate education; and changes at STRI over the years. The interview consists of 2.0 hours of tape recording and 81 pages of transcript.

Historical Note:

Nicholas David Edward Smythe (1934- ), a Biologist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), joined the staff in 1970. He was born on December 15, 1934, in Kent, England. He received his bachelor's degrees in zoology and psychology from the University of British Columbia in 1963 and received the Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Maryland in 1970. In 1962, he married Tanis D. Smythe, who also worked at STRI, and they raised two children at STRI.

Smythe received the major impetus for his career from John Eisenberg, whom he studied under at the University of British Columbia and followed to the University of Maryland. In 1965 he received a Smithsonian Predoctoral Fellowship to study tropical mammals at STRI for two years. After Smythe finished his Ph.D. at Maryland, he taught a course in Costa Rica for the Organization for Tropical Studies in 1970.

In the fall of 1970 he was contracted to develop STRI's Environmental Sciences Program, which involved establishing baseline studies of climate and its effect on vegetation. While Smythe continued his studies of the frugivorous mammals the paca (Cuniculus paca) and agouti (Dasyprocta punctata), he spent much of the later 1970s and early 1980s as STRI's first Conservation Coordinator. His efforts in educational outreach and political lobbying contributed to the incorporation of STRI into the expanded Barro Colorado Nature Monument and the establishment of the adjacent Parque Nacional Soberania.

Between 1982 and 1987, Smythe received two grants from the W. Alton Jones Foundation to research the prospects for domesticating the paca and for garden hunting in tropical forests as alternatives to destruction of the rain forest to raise cattle. He received grants from Scholarly Studies for two more years to continue the successful paca program and later examined the relationship between the palm, Astrocaryum standleyanum, and the predators that disperse its seeds.

During his career, Smythe has written seventeen articles and book chapters on tropical ecology, particularly on the relationships between small mammals and plants. At STRI, Smythe also supervised graduate student and postdoctoral research, consulted on wildlife management with universities in Costa Rica and Venezuela, and served as liaison for STRI with INRENARE, the Panamanian national institute of natural resources.

Rights:

Restricted. Contact SIHistory@si.edu to request permission.

Topic:

Tropical biology  Search this

Ecology  Search this

Mammalogy  Search this

Conservation of natural resources  Search this

Education  Search this

Genre/Form:

Audiotapes

Transcripts

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 9585, Nicholas D. Smythe Oral History Interview

Identifier:

Record Unit 9585

See more items in:

Nicholas D. Smythe Oral History Interview

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-sia-faru9585

Creator:

National Museum of Natural History (U.S.) Department of Botany  Search this

Physical description:

0.25 cu. ft. (1 half document box)

Type:

Field notes

Collection descriptions

Place:

Haiti

Colombia

Ecuador

Panama

Hen Mountains

Date:

1972

1972-1979

1926, 1972-1979, and undated

Topic:

Botany  Search this

Plants  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 12-462

See more items in:

Specimen Records 1920-1969 [National Museum of Natural History (U.S.) Department of Botany]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_363036

Creator:

Smithsonian Institution Office of the Secretary  Search this

Subject:

Abbot, C. G (Charles Greeley) 1872-1973  Search this

Carmichael, Leonard 1898-1973  Search this

Walcott, Charles D (Charles Doolittle) 1850-1927  Search this

Wetmore, Alexander 1886-1978  Search this

Ripley, S. Dillon (Sidney Dillon) 1913-2001  Search this

Smithsonian Institution Administration  Search this

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute  Search this

Canal Zone Biological Area  Search this

Institute for Research in Tropical America  Search this

Physical description:

Oversize materials processed holdings

14.25 cu. ft. processed holdings

Type:

Black-and-white photographs

Manuscripts

Maps

Place:

Barro Colorado Island (Panama)

Panama

Date:

1912

1912-1965

Topic:

Museums--Administration  Search this

Research institutes  Search this

Tropical biology  Search this

Local number:

SIA RS00788

See more items in:

Canal Zone Biological Area Records 1912-1965 [Smithsonian Institution Office of the Secretary]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_220197

Creator:

Smithsonian Institution Office of Protection Services  Search this

Subject:

O'Toole, Jeanne  Search this

Columbia University  Search this

FBI National Academy  Search this

National Zoological Park (U.S.)  Search this

United States Park Police  Search this

Type:

Electronic mail

Collection descriptions

Electronic records

Place:

Washington (D.C.)

Virginia

Maryland

New York

Panama

Date:

2014

2014-2021

Topic:

Museums--Security measures  Search this

Museum buildings  Search this

Criminal investigation  Search this

Terrorism--Prevention  Search this

Security systems  Search this

Research facilities  Search this

Museum storage facilities  Search this

Risk management  Search this

Security guards  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 21-060

Restrictions & Rights:

Restricted for 15 years, until Jan-01-2037. Records may contain personally identifiable information (PII) that is permanently restricted; Transferring office; 06/07/2021 memorandum, Toda to File; Contact reference staff for details

See more items in:

Director's Records 1978-2000 [Smithsonian Institution Office of Protection Services]

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_404584

Creator:

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute  Search this

Subject:

Zetek, James 1886-1959  Search this

Rubinoff, Ira  Search this

Koford, Carl B  Search this

Moynihan, M  Search this

Bermingham, Eldredge  Search this

Larsen, Matthew  Search this

Sanjur, Oris  Search this

Tewksbury, Joshua J  Search this

United States Canal Zone Biological Area, Barro Colorado Island  Search this

Institute for Research in Tropical America  Search this

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Earl Silas Tupper Research and Conference Center  Search this

National Research Council (U.S.)  Search this

Type:

Mixed archival materials

Place:

Mpala Ranch (Kenya)

Panama

Date:

1923

1923-

Topic:

Tropical biology  Search this

Research  Search this

Local number:

SIA AH00017

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_217834

Creator:

Calderón, Cleofé E  Search this

Subject:

Calderón, Cleofé E  Search this

Physical description:

1 cu. ft. (1 record storage box)

Type:

Field notes

Collection descriptions

Scientific illustrations

Place:

Brazil

Panama

Colombia

Date:

1967

1967-1981

1967-1981 and undated

Topic:

Botany  Search this

Plants  Search this

Bamboo  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 12-005

See more items in:

Field Book Project 1855-2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_309826

Creator:

King, Robert Merrill  Search this

Subject:

King, Robert Merrill  Search this

Soderstrom, Thomas R  Search this

Physical description:

0.5 cu. ft. (1 document box)

Type:

Field notes

Collection descriptions

Place:

Guatemala

Mexico

Panama

Costa Rica

Date:

1950

1950-1962

Topic:

Botany  Search this

Plants  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 12-141

See more items in:

Field Book Project 1855-2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_310054

Creator:

Allen, Paul Hamilton 1911-1963  Search this

Subject:

Allen, Paul Hamilton 1911-1963  Search this

Physical description:

1 cu. ft. (1 record storage box)

Type:

Field notes

Collection descriptions

Black-and-white photographs

Place:

Panama

Costa Rica

El Salvador

Philippines

Indonesia

Malaysia

Date:

1936

1936-1969

1936-1961, 1969

Topic:

Botany  Search this

Plants  Search this

Local number:

SIA Acc. 11-101

See more items in:

Field Book Project 1855-2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_arc_306991