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Supplemental Material on the Plains

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
McKenzie, Parker, 1897-1999  Search this
Reading, Pierson Barton  Search this
Carter, John Galen, 1891-1941  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (box)
Culture:
Kiowa language  Search this
Sioux  Search this
Lenape (Delaware)  Search this
Anishinaabe (Chippewa/Ojibwa)  Search this
Massachusett  Search this
Cree  Search this
Inunaina (Arapaho)  Search this
Minitari (Hidatsa)  Search this
Wichita  Search this
Shawnee  Search this
Nez Percé Indians  Search this
Cayuse  Search this
Indians of North America -- Great Plains  Search this
Indians of North America -- Plateau  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Field notes
Vocabulary
Date:
circa 1907-circa 1957
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains material that supplement Harrington's Plains field notes.

The miscellaneous material on the tribes of the Plains consists of a mix of biographical, ethnographic, and linguistic data. The notes which are largely undated appear to have been written in the late 1930s and the 1940s. There are five pages of linguistic notes on Kiowa, and three are in the hand of Parker McKenzie. There are also carbon copies of two typed pages of a word list in an orthography which is not Harrington's. There are ten pages of notes labeled "Dakota," "Sioux," or "Siouan." Two of the sheets give Delaware, Chippewa, Natick, and Cree comparisons. There is one page each of miscellaneous vocabulary on Arapaho (from A. L. Kroeber), Hidatsa, and Wichita; a page of information on the tribe name "Blackfeet" from John G. Carter dated September 21, 1938; and a photograph caption on the Omaha.

There are also two sets of historical documents which were sent to Harrington under cover of a letter from Alice M. Reading dated December 17, 1931. The first (formerly cataloged B.A.E. manuscript 6043) is a typescript of a portion of the journal which Pierson B. Reading kept for the period May to November 1843 when he traveled from the Missouri River to Monterey, California. The second item (former ms. 6044) is an original copy of a letter from Tom Hill to P. B. Reading dated July 20, 1851. The writer, an Indian, mentions meeting Delawares; Shawnees, including his cousin, Benjamin Kiser; the "Nistcoop" tribe at The Dalles; Nez Perces, including Chief Red Wolf; and Cayuse.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Kiowa language  Search this
Dakota language  Search this
Delaware language  Search this
Ojibwa language  Search this
Wampanoag language  Search this
Cree language  Search this
Arapaho language  Search this
Hidatsa language  Search this
Wichita language  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Ethnology  Search this
Genre/Form:
Field notes
Vocabulary
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.5
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw365f53aac-8885-4c46-94a3-b92ed9b14da9
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15289
Online Media:

Supplemental Material on the Northeast/Southeast

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Michelson, Truman, 1879-1938  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (box)
Culture:
Penobscot -- language  Search this
Fox  Search this
Cree  Search this
Anishinaabe (Chippewa/Ojibwa)  Search this
Massachusett  Search this
Menominee (Menomini)  Search this
Conoy Indians  Search this
Nanticoke  Search this
Narragansett  Search this
Shawnee  Search this
Abenaki (Abnaki)  Search this
Iroquois  Search this
Lenape (Delaware)  Search this
Muskogee (Creek)  Search this
Seminole  Search this
Alabama Indians  Search this
Choctaw  Search this
Cherokee  Search this
Wyandot  Search this
Powhatan  Search this
Algonquin (Algonkin)  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Field notes
Vocabulary
Date:
circa 1907-circa 1957
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains material that supplement Harrington's Northeast/Southeast field notes.

The file on Algonquian includes three slips of Fox, Cree, Ojibwa, and Massachusett (labeled "Natick") vocabulary in the hand of Truman Michelson; typed copies of the above; notes on Cree and Ojibwa from secondary sources; information on the growing of wild rice by the Menominee; and miscellaneous notes on placenames and tribenames regarding the Cree, Ojibwa, Conoy, Nanticoke, and Narraganset.

The Shawnee/Peoria section consists of six pages of notes on Shawnee tribal divisions.

Among the miscellaneous material on the Abnaki languages is a page of Penobscot vocabulary obtained from Frank Siebert in April 1940. The remaining material was compiled during fieldwork on Western Abnaki at St. Francis in 1949. There are four pages on possible informants from Charles Nolet and a page of vocabulary from "Am"; bibliographic references; and lexical and grammatical notes excerpted from the works of Joseph Laurent and Masta.

For Massachusett there are three pages of miscellaneous notes with references to Trumbull's Natick Dictionary.

The bulk of the file on Iroquoian consists of a typed copy of an unidentified historical text from the 1880s. It discusses the relations of the Iroquois with the Spanish, French, and English settlers in the New World. Special mention is made of Gy-ant-va-chia (Cornplanter), chief of the Seneca. The spacing of the lines of text suggests that Harrington was planning to add a translation or annotations of some kind. There are also three pages of miscellaneous notes in his hand.

Most of the file on Delaware consists of information on placenames and tribenames obtained from Frank Siebert, Carl F. Voegelin, and a number of Oklahoma residents in 1940. Siebert gave both Delaware and Penobscot terms, and Unami words were given by Roy Longbone, Salley Fallleaf, and Jake Parks. Munsee forms were obtained from Josiah Montour and Jane Pattice of the Six-Nations Reserve in Ontario, Canada. Also included are a carbon copy of a typed list of possible informants and several pages of miscellaneous notes from the works of Brinton, Strachey, and Zeisberger.

The section on Creek/Seminole/Alabama/Koasati/Choctaw contains twenty-one pages of vocabulary (mostly on tribenames) which Harrington obtained in an interview with James Feagin Sylestine, a speaker of the Alabama language, on April 25, 1940. The informant's home was in Livingston, Texas, although he was at the Shawnee Sanatorium at the time Harrington worked with him. The remaining miscellaneous notes were excerpted from various published and manuscript sources. They include references to Creek, Cherokee, Seminole, Alabama, and Choctaw.

Miscellaneous material relating to the East consists of brief notes which Harrington copied from a number of secondary sources. There are mentions of the Huron, Wyandot, Powhatan, and Cherokee tribes, among others. Three of the pages consist of a partial typed list (alphabetically arranged K to M) of "Carolina and Virginia Algonquian" words. This list is based on that given in the commentary on the map of Raleigh's Virginia, pages 852 to 872 of The Roanoke Voyages, which was published by the Hakluyt Society in 1955.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Algonquian languages  Search this
Fox language  Search this
Cree language  Search this
Ojibwa language  Search this
Wampanoag language  Search this
Nanticoke language  Search this
Narragansett language  Search this
Abenaki language  Search this
Delaware language  Search this
Munsee language  Search this
Creek language  Search this
Cherokee language  Search this
Alabama language  Search this
Choctaw language  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Names, Geographical  Search this
Names, Ethnological  Search this
Creek (Muskogee)  Search this
Indians of North America -- Northeast  Search this
Indians of North America -- Southern states  Search this
Genre/Form:
Field notes
Vocabulary
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.6
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3cd9617a0-28a5-4c9d-a745-4da9c52b91fc
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15294
Online Media:

Supplemental Material on Mexico /Central America/South America

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Steward, Julian Haynes, 1902-1972  Search this
Names:
Underhill, Ruth, 1883-1984  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
1 Boxe
Culture:
Indians of Mexico  Search this
Indians of Central America  Search this
Indians of South America  Search this
Aztec (archaeological culture)  Search this
Cakchikel Indians  Search this
Mayas  Search this
Guna (Kuna)  Search this
Arawak  Search this
Carib Indians  Search this
Shuar  Search this
Quechua Indians  Search this
Tepecano  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Field notes
Vocabulary
Poems
Date:
circa 1907-circa 1957
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains material that supplement Harrington's Mexico, Central America, and South America field notes.

The Pima/Papago/Seri/Opata section contains a partial page torn from one of the notebooks recording the placename trip which Harrington made through southern California, Arizona, and Mexico in the spring of 1930. Also filed here are a letter of recommendation by Guadalupe Flores on March 11, 1934, and a brief note from a telephone conversation with Ruth Underhill on April 2, 1948.

The earliest item relating to Nahuatl is a draft of a review of the book The Song of Quetzalcoatl, a translation of the Aztec poem by John H. Cornyn. There is also a card with a brief untranslated text. The reverse side of the card shows a standard form devised by William Gates. Other materials include a brief list of addresses of informants and collaborators in Harrington's Nahuatl fieldwork, a note on the native name of Mexico City, reading notes from Cyrus Thomas's Indian Languages of Mexico and Central America (1911), a three-page typed statement with two pages on Aztec phrases and one page on Aztec numbers, and a miscellaneous group of grammatical and bibliographic references.

For Cakchiquel there is one page with a bibliographic reference and two lexical items.

Material on Yucatec consists of linguistic notes from Castulo Ucan, data on the Maya counting system and glyphs, and bibliographic references. There are also a review of Book II of the Florentine Codex labeled "finished Apr. 7, 1952" and page one of a third version of a review of S. G. Morley's book The Ancient Maya.

The Cuna file contains a permission slip and a one-page typed draft of "Foreign Elements in the Language of the Tule Indians." There is also a copy of the Service's Daily Science News Bulletin for December 17, 1924, which includes a two-page story titled "White Indian Language Has Many Norse Words." These brief announcements are related to the miscellaneous notes which were compiled by Harrington and Paul Vogenitz to demonstrate the affinity of Cuna with the Scandinavian languages.

Harrington's files on South American languages contain small blocks of data pertaining to Arawak, Carib, Jivaro, and Quechua. They begin with miscellaneous notes from secondary sources on the areas where Arawak and Carib were spoken. Material on Jivaro consists of about eighty pages of vocabulary which was obtained in 1944 from Seaman H. G. Eamigh. There are also two pages of excerpts from Ghinassi's Jibaro vocabulary. Material relating to Quechua includes bibliographic references with various spellings of the name; a few pages of grammatical and phonetic notes from other sources; two pages of notes from Mr. Indacochea dated January 16, 1945; and two permission slips and notes regarding a review of Farfan's Poesia folklorica quechua. The file ends with three small pages of notes which were exchanged between Julian Steward and Harrington regarding various South American languages.

Under general and miscellaneous materials is a two-page typed list of captions for twenty-six photographs under the heading "Quirigua, Guatamala," with references to Dr. Hewett and Dr. Lummus (possibly Charles F. Lummis?) and a miscellaneous note regarding the native palm of Panama. There are also notes from secondary sources on historical exploration of the coast of Yucatan and on the Tepecano language of Mexico.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Nahuatl language  Search this
Cakchikel language  Search this
Maya language  Search this
Cuna language  Search this
Arawak language  Search this
Carib language  Search this
Shuar language  Search this
Quechua language  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Names, Geographical  Search this
Maya numeration  Search this
Genre/Form:
Field notes
Vocabulary
Poems
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.7
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3255b113b-1414-4af6-8bd0-95b8e2ae67a5
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15311
Online Media:

Miscellaneous Linguistic and Ethnographic Notes

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Laird, Carobeth, 1895-1983  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
3 Boxes
Culture:
Indians of North America  Search this
Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America  Search this
Eskimos  Search this
Chukchee  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Vocabulary
Lecture notes
Date:
circa 1907-1957
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of John P. Harrington's Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains a mixture of miscellaneous material not easily sorted into one of the other subseries.

The bulk of the material is in a file of unsorted notes, most which were derived from secondary sources. Included are notes in unidentified languages or in multiple languages. A few pages are dated but most are not. Some of the data may have been used for drafting responses to B.A.E. inquiries or as preliminary notes for papers on various subjects.

The mouthmaps section consists of a file of roughly drawn charts and related notes on the phonetics of various languages. Data are included for English, French, German, Spanish, and several other world languages. Most of the information was drawn from secondary sources, although the data on the Navajo were excerpted from Harrington's own field notes.

Notes on grammatical terminology consist largely of a slipfile which was probably compiled by Harrington around 1918 in preparation for writing a grammar. A number of slips are in the hand of Carobeth T. Harrington. Many of the terms listed were extracted from the published works of Edward Sapir and Alfred L. Kroeber, particularly from the former's writings on Southern Paiute and the Na-dene languages. There are also comments from discussions which Harrington had with Frachtenberg, Michelson, Hewitt, Wright, and Searles. The slipfile is followed by a few miscellaneous pages of information obtained from Tuttle in the 1920s and later.

There is also a carbon copy of a packet of information on anthropometry which Harrington sent to David B. Rogers in December 1926 and a handwritten draft of the same. He evidently compiled the file during discussions with a physical anthropologist. It includes lists of the basic skeletal measurements with brief explanations and references to published works on the subject. There is also a sample chart used for documenting cataloged specimens at the Peabody Museum.

Harrington also collected what appears to be a series of lecture notes. Neither the author, the date, nor the forum for presentation are specified. One section makes comparisons between the cultures of the Chukchee and the Eskimo. Many small drawings are interspersed throughout the text. The second section consists of discussions on native cultures of the Pacific Coast of North America, from California north to the McKenzie and Yukon River areas. The remaining sets of lectures were found with the heading "American Anthropology." These treat various groups of North and Central America.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Phonetics  Search this
Grammar, Comparative and general  Search this
anthropometry  Search this
Genre/Form:
Vocabulary
Lecture notes
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.8
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw397a9068b-72a0-42b7-8c9a-631965825ffc
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15326
Online Media:

Linguistic Questionnaires

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Names:
Myers, George S. (George Sprague), 1905-1985  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
3 Boxes
Culture:
Chumash  Search this
Indians of North America -- California  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Vocabulary
Field notes
Questionnaires
Place:
California -- Languages
Date:
1910-1936
bulk 1916-1918
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains a set of questionnaires which John P. Harrington used during various periods of his linguistic fieldwork. It appears that the questionnaires were used principally to elicit words in various California languages--the names of a Salinan speaker and several Wintu and Yana informants are given on a number of heading sheets, although they were undoubtedly used during other fieldwork as well. References to Abby, a speaker of New Mexican Spanish, and to Leonora S. Curtin (abbreviated "LCC"[sic]), a collector of Moroccan botanical specimens, suggest that Harrington used the section of botanical terms in his study of Arabic influences on the Spanish spoken in the American Southwest.

The various components were not organized as a unit but were found scattered throughout his papers. (A portion of the notes were formerly cataloged as parts of B.A.E. mss. 2292 and 6017.) They have been brought together and arranged according to a number of his standard headings: cosmology, botany, anatomy, kinship, material culture. The largest group covers the various classifications of animal species. Within each semantic heading the pages have been arranged as much as possible in chronological order. There is also a set of miscellaneous lists which have not been subdivided semantically.

The questionnaires consist largely of word lists in a mixture of English, California Spanish, and Chumash (Barbareno or Ventureno). Harrington occasionally annotated these lists with equivalent forms in Mohave or Chemehuevi. Although the questionnaires were usually used for eliciting nouns, the section on anatomy also lists verb forms and the section on botany has questions on uses of plants.

Supplementing the word lists are notes from interviews with Smithsonian scientists. Those with George S. Meyers, head curator of the Division of Fishes at the U.S. National Museum, on fish species are particularly extensive. There are also newspaper clippings, bibliographic references, reading notes, and typed extracts from scientific publications. Harrington's files also include reprints and plates picturing various plants and animals which he removed from larger works.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Chumash language  Search this
Mohave language  Search this
Chemehuevi language  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Ethnobotany  Search this
Fishes  Search this
Zoology -- nomenclature  Search this
Genre/Form:
Vocabulary
Field notes
Questionnaires
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.9
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw32d188022-2b3b-4e76-8478-769ba6668e24
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15339
Online Media:

Bibliographic and Library-Related Materials

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
2 Boxes
Type:
Archival materials
Bibliographies
Date:
circa 1920s-circa 1950s
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series spans virtually all of John P. Harrington's career from the early 1920s to the 1950s. The bibliographic references relate to both his own projects as well as to topics which he was researching in response to letters of inquiry. Also listed are books he was planning to borrow from a library, to have photostatted, or to purchase. The library materials relate to books which he had already charged out or for which he had placed a request.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Linguistics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Bibliographies
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3b2110e48-745d-40ae-b5f8-196b0a89f3bd
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15374
Online Media:

Memoranda Prepared in Response to Letters of Inquiry

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (box)
Type:
Archival materials
Memorandums
Date:
circa 1940s-circa 1950s, undated
Scope and Contents:
This subseries is part of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series in the John P. Harrington papers. The memoranda are a result of Harrington's responsibility as ethnologist at the Bureau of American Ethnology to respond to various letters of inquiry from scholars and members of the general public. Harrington did not answer these reference letters directly but drafted memoranda which were used as the basis for replies by the current clerk or chief of the bureau, specifically Matthew W. Stirling and Frank H. H. Roberts. The inquiries deal with many American languages as well as some others throughout the world. The subjects usually involve questions on the etymology of words or geographic names or requests for translations into other languages of English greetings, names, numbers, or such common words as "man," "mother," and "father."
Arrangement:
The memoranda have been grouped roughly by the name of the individual to whom they were addressed.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages  Search this
Names, Geographical  Search this
Language and languages -- etymology  Search this
Genre/Form:
Memorandums
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.10
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw34032d740-4c27-4fd0-9b46-5474094d6bef
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15377
Online Media:

Records Relating to Non-American Languages

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
8 Boxes
Type:
Archival materials
Notes
Vocabulary
Date:
circa 1902-circa 1947
Scope and Contents:
This subseries is part of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series in the John P. Harrington papers. His research on non-American languages are gathered here in an alphabetically arranged file. His notes cover African languages, Ainu, Anglo-Saxon, Aramaic, Bulgarian, Burushaski, Chinese, Danish, English, French, Gaelic, Georgian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indic languages, Indo-European languages, Italian, Kurdish, Latin, Lithuanian, Persian, Polish, Russian, Semitic languages, Siamese, Slavic languages, Tagalog, Tamil, Tungus, Turkish, Ural-Altaic languages, Welsh, and Yiddish.The records contain a wide variety of materials, derived largely from secondary sources. There are bibliographic references, library request slips, and reading notes, as well as photostats and some printed matter. Also included are vocabulary lists, phonetic tables, texts, charts of linguistic relationships, notes from interviews, and copies of related correspondence. For the most part notes for any given language are scanty (from one to ten pages) and highly miscellaneous. His notes on Aramaic and Persian, however, are somewhat more organized and considerably more substantial, comprising several hundred pages each. Notes, largely on phonetics, that he obtained from his research at the New York Public Library and Columbia University account for a sizeable percentage of this subseries.
Biographical / Historical:
By far the major focus of John P. Harrington's linguistic studies was the numerous languages of North, Central, and South America. Over the course of his career, however, he amassed perhaps several thousand pages on other world languages.

Harrington studied classical and Indo-European languages at Stanford University from 1902 to 1905 and during his graduate work in Germany from 1905 to 1907. In the early years after his return to the United States he made a study on "The Frequency of French Sounds" and did comparisons between vowel sounds in French, Italian, Portuguese, and English.

Harrington's interest in many world languages was renewed in the early 1920s when he became friends with Paul Vogenitz, a translator in the Division of Foreign Mails at the Post Office Department. Vogenitz, a student mainly of European languages, urged Harrington to attend the language classes which he took from time to time. Although Harrington was not in a position to do this, the two men corresponded frequently in German, Spanish, Russian, and Nahuatl among other languages. Vogenitz also shared much of his knowledge with Harrington by preparing grammatical exercises, word lists, and phonetic summaries. Among the languages for which he provided this type of information are Ainu, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Persian, Russian, Turkish, and Yiddish.

From February through April 1923, Harrington corresponded with T. T. Waterman regarding the latter's plan to prepare a map of the linguistic families of the world. Probably because of their proposed collaboration, Harrington made a trip to New York City in March. On this occasion he made use of secondary sources at the New York Public Library and Columbia University.

As a result of Harrington's interest in Arabic influences on the Spanish spoken in the American southwest, he began his study of Persian in 1928 in "an attempt toward transliterating into an international phonetic script the Calcutta version of the quatrains attributed to Omar Khayyam."

During the 1930s Harrington collaborated with Moses Steinberg and George M. Lamsa in the translation and reinterpretation of various religious texts in Aramaic, such as the Talmud and the Gospels.

Harrington also collected data on a wide variety of languages from approximately 1940 to 1947 while he was at work on a treatise titled "Linguistics." At this time he added material to his files on Latin, Greek, and the Celtic, eastern European, and Indic languages.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Language and languages  Search this
African languages  Search this
Ainu language  Search this
Aramaic language  Search this
Bulgarian language  Search this
Burushaski language  Search this
Chinese language  Search this
Danish language  Search this
English language -- Old English, ca. 450-1100  Search this
English language  Search this
Evenki language  Search this
French language  Search this
Georgian language  Search this
German language  Search this
Scottish Gaelic language  Search this
Greek language  Search this
Hebrew language  Search this
Hungarian language  Search this
Icelandic language  Search this
Indo-European languages  Search this
Italian language  Search this
Kurdish language  Search this
Latin language  Search this
Lithuanian language  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Persian language  Search this
Polish language  Search this
Russian language  Search this
Semitic languages  Search this
Thai language  Search this
Slavic languages  Search this
Tagalog language  Search this
Tamil language  Search this
Turkish language  Search this
Ural-Altaic languages  Search this
Welsh language  Search this
Yiddish language  Search this
Grammar, Comparative and general  Search this
Phonetics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Notes
Vocabulary
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.11
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw326362a1b-d91d-463f-9366-9ae49d827364
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15380
Online Media:

Records Relating to Arabic Origins of Spanish Words

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Paloheimo, Leonora Curtin, 1903-1999  Search this
Curtin, L. S. M. (Leonora Scott Muse)  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
10 Boxes
Type:
Archival materials
Dictionaries
Vocabulary
Place:
Morocco
Date:
1927-1947
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains contains Harrington's research on the Arabic origins of Spanish words.

The major part of this series consists of an extensive dictionary of New Mexican and California Spanish terms with suggested Arabic etymologies. The data for this file were collected through a combination of correspondence and interviews and were compiled between 1927 and 1930. At the end of the dictionary is a separate file in a similar format covering tribal names, geographic names, and family names. His two major linguistic informants were Edward Cata and Lucrecia Garcia. The dictionary also includes large blocks of information from botanist Paul C. Standley of the National Herbarium as well as contributions from Truman Michelson, Paul Vogenitz, Mr. Blackburn, Major E. A. Goldman, Mr. P. G. Redington, and a few others.

Records relating to Moroccan Arabic pertain to the field trip which Mrs. Leonora S. Curtin and Miss Leonora F. Curtin made to Morocco in the spring and summer of 1931. These materials include notes which Harrington made in March 1931 prior to the Curtins's trip, miscellaneous notes and sketches collected by the Curtins during their travels (including names and addresses of potential informants in the United States), and two pages of notes on phonetics which L. F. Curtin wrote in September after their return. The bulk of the files consists of an alphabetically arranged "looseleaf" file of some 300 Spanish words of Arabic origin. Prior to the Curtins's trip, Harrington typed each entry onto a blank sheet of paper. He usually provided the classical Egyptian, Syrian, or Arabic forms and added specific questions regarding the use of the word in Morocco. Some of these entries are immediately followed by handwritten suggestions of objects to collect or photographs to take; these were possibly added by James Hovey who acted as Harrington's field assistant from March to July 1931. The Curtins added their notes to the pages. A few sketches are interfiled. At some unspecified time after the Curtins's return, Harrington evidently met with them to examine their field data and to listen to wax cylinder recordings which they had made. He appended his notes of discussions with Leonora F. Curtin to many of the loose leaf sheets and also prepared twenty-seven separate pages of general observations from his conversations with both women.

Other materials in the subseries include data that Harrington collected from a number of speakers of Syrian Arabic in 1943; notes and drafts for his papers, including a manuscript on Moroccan ethnobotany; and extracts from a number of secondary sources on Spanish which were compiled between 1940 and 1947 for use as questionnaires with Harrington's Arabic informants. Harrington's files also contain several miscellaneous items relating to the study of Arabic. There is a flier for a lecture series given by Edgar L. Hewett at the San Diego Museum in 1927 and a poster for a lecture given at Oxford University in 1931. Also included are two issues of the Federation Herald from 1943. The April 1 issue features a front page article by Lucy Embury, "Arabs' Gift to Uncle Sam: Relics of Moors in California." The May 8 issue contains a request by Harrington for West Syrian informants.
Biographical / Historical:
During several phases of his career John P. Harrington investigated the Arabic origin of words in the Spanish dialects of the American Southwest and California. Over a period of twenty years (from 1927 to 1947) he collaborated with numerous individuals throughout the United States and in Europe and Africa and even had access to data collected by associates on a fieldtrip to Morocco. This study resulted in the creation of a Spanish-Arabic dictionary and related notes, files on Moroccan ethnobotany, and drafts of five papers, none of which reached publication.

In each of the drafts of his early writings on Arabic, Harrington cited factors which contributed to his interest in this field of study. In his first paper, drafted in 1927, he claimed that it was his friend Edgar L. Hewett's "enthusiasm for and frequent visits to Morocco that first drew [his] attention to the study of Moorish words in New Mexican Spanish." In a related article, Harrington stated that he had begun compiling an ethnological dictionary of New Mexican Spanish "in connection with and imitation of a similar work . . . on the California dialect of Spanish" which he had assembled a number of years before. In a third manuscript, dated 1928, he credited Barbara Freire-Marreco with sparking his interest in the study as early as 1909 during their joint work on Tewa.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Arabic language  Search this
Spanish language  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Language and languages -- etymology  Search this
Ethnobotany  Search this
Names, Ethnological  Search this
Names, Geographical  Search this
manuscripts  Search this
Genre/Form:
Dictionaries
Vocabulary
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.12
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw32f953e8f-a35a-4544-834d-24e25b40c253
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15471
Online Media:

Records Relating to Personal Names

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (box)
Type:
Archival materials
Field notes
Date:
1907-1909
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains several small files which Harrington compiled while employed as a teacher at Santa Ana High School during the period 1907 to 1909.

One set of notes deals with the origin of children's nicknames. It includes a sheet of instructions which Harrington circulated among other teachers requesting participation in his survey. This is followed by the slips of paper returned to him by students in the 5th through 8th grade, providing their sex, any nicknames, and brief explanations of their derivation. One slip is dated December 14, 1908. There is also an alphabetical slip file which Harrington made of some of the names. An Acoma term is on the reverse side of one of the slips.

A second set of notes labeled "Patronymics" is a file of American surnames arranged into ten categories according to etymology (occupations, towns and estates, nature, and so forth). The similarity of the paper suggests that this file was prepared at about the same time as that on nicknames. There are also an alphabetical list of names--probably a class list--and a note on placenames used as surnames.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Names, Personal  Search this
Nicknames  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Field notes
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.13
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3eee0670d-cbda-4896-b3fa-0b44b3183c5b
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15496
Online Media:

Records Relating to State Names, Province Names, and Other Geographical Names

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Haas, Mary R. (Mary Rosamond), 1910-1996  Search this
Siebert, Frank T. (Frank Thomas), 1912-1998  Search this
Voegelin, C. F. (Charles Frederick), 1906-1986  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
20 Boxes
Type:
Archival materials
Field notes
Manuscripts
Place:
California
Massachusetts
Missouri
Québec (Province)
Taiwan
Truk Lagoon (Micronesia)
Central America
South America
West Indies
United States
Canada
Date:
1938-1959
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series primarily contains files on the origin of state names which Harrington compiled during a study spanning the years 1938 to 1959. It also encompasses some material on areas outside the United States, as well as a portion of the detailed records on California placenames which Harrington accumulated throughout his career and organized in a more systematic fashion in 1947 and again during his retirement years.

The first major section of material on geographic names includes linguistic, historical, and ethnological notes related to each individual state and to certain possessions or protectorates of the United States. A less extensive Canadian section forms part of this group. The origin of a small number of placenames is included for some of the states and Canada.

A file of writings includes drafts and related materials for seven proposed papers based on these data. They vary in length from a paragraph or two on specific states to typescripts presenting more comprehensive treatments of names in the United States and Canada.

Additional sections contain more extensive notes and drafts relating to the names "California," "Massachusetts," "Missouri," and "Quebec." Detailed surveys of placenames in southern California are also filed here.

There is another group of records relating to Central and South America and to West Indian island names. Two very brief but unpublished articles were prepared on the names "Formosa" and "Truk."

The last section is a file of short articles on placenames and geographical terminology. It also includes reviews of several books and articles which Harrington read in conjunction with this study.
Biographical / Historical:
John P. Harrington's attention was drawn to the subject of state names when, in his capacity as ethnologist at the Bureau of American Ethnology, he was called upon to respond to many inquiries regarding the origin of names given to various states. By the summer of 1938, Harrington had plans to undertake a comprehensive study of all the state names. In July he began the intermittent collection of relevant data during interviews with colleagues at the B.A.E. and with several American Indians who were employed in Washington, D.C. In a letter of January 22, 1939, to his nephew Arthur, Harrington stated that his superiors wanted him "to prepare a book on the meaning of state names." He reported, further, that he had already worked out the etymologies of several names. That Spring, he was authorized by bureau chief Matthew W. Stirling to travel to California, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Mexico, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wisconsin for the purpose of completing a publication on state names. Harrington obtained relevant linguistic data from C. F. Voegelin in Washington, D.C., just before leaving for the field, and from Leonard Bloomfield en route. From June through October of 1939, he collected information from native speakers of Papago, Delaware, Shawnee, Caddo, Lakota, Chippewa, and Navaho.

Later in 1939, Harrington compiled primary data regarding Canadian provinces during fieldwork with Cree, Sarsi, and Chippewan speakers in Alberta and British Columbia. In April of 1940 he requested permission to make another trip to Oklahoma. On this occasion he met with linguists Mary R. Haas, Carl Voegelin, and Frank T. Siebert, Jr., and a number of informants. A trip to study the Aleut language in Unalaska in 1941 encompassed work on the name "Alaska." Then, in 1949, 1950, and 1951, Harrington made trips to Maine, Oklahoma, and the Yucatan, obtaining data on the names "Massachusetts" and "Missouri" and the state names of Mexico.

Information which Harrington ultimately drew together into discrete files on California placenames was gleaned from numerous native speakers during fieldwork throughout the 1930s and 1940s and from the mid-to-Iate 1950s. Most of the data he gathered was on the Chumash and Uto-Aztecan languages.

Beginning in 1938, Harrington also initiated an extensive correspondence regarding the etymology and historical background of state names of both Indian and non-Indian origin. In the 1940s and early 1950s he broadened the scope of this exchange of letters to include his search for information on Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. protectorates.

During his emeritus years the focus of Harrington's correspondence was on California placenames, particularly those in the Los Angeles area. His files indicate that he wrote over two hundred letters to such sources of information as Chambers of Commerce, postmasters, and old-time California residents, searching out the location of numerous places and the origin of their names.

From 1939 through his retirement years, Harrington envisioned the publication of a number of short articles and longer papers on various aspects of his study of geographic names. However, only three appeared in print: "The Origin of Our State Names" appeared in the Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences in 1944; "Peculiarly Difficult Names in North and South America" was published in the July 1945 issue of Acta Americana; and "Our State Names" was included in the Smithsonian Report for 1954, Publication 4205, in 1955.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Names, Geographical  Search this
Toponymy  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Field notes
Manuscripts
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.14
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw34bc03b4a-2130-4bf0-8345-e91b28bf1d69
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15501

Records Relating to the Siberian Origin of the American Indian

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Jochelson, Waldemar, 1855-1937  Search this
Correspondent:
Jenness, Diamond, 1886-1969  Search this
Names:
Boas, Franz, 1858-1942  Search this
Collins, Henry Bascom, 1899-1987  Search this
Michelson, Truman, 1879-1938  Search this
Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
2 Boxes
Culture:
Indians of North America  Search this
Arctic peoples  Search this
Chukchee  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Notes
Manuscripts
Maps
Vocabulary
Place:
Bering Strait
Siberia (Russia)
Date:
1909-1957
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains material reflecting John P. Harrington's long-time interest in theories of the Siberian origin of American Indians. Materials consist of notes and drafts for his paper "Siberian Origin of the American Indian.

His early notes include handwritten and typed versions of the outline "Antiquity of Man . . . " from 1915 (dated by handwriting as well as by type of pencil and paper); copies of short early vocabularies recorded by La Perouse (Tchoka) and Father Jette (Ten'a), probably prepared by Harrington around 1922 to 1923; a mimeographed statement by the Science News Service, dated 1923; newspaper clippings on Harrington's theories from 1924; and two pages of notes which Harrington recorded during a discussion with colleague Truman Michelson in November 1926. There is also an undated typed proposal titled "Investigation of the Origin of the Native American Race." This three page document does not appear to have been written by Harrington, but the source is not indicated.

Materials accumulated during the period 1937 to 1938 are the most numerous. They include notes from interviews; copies of correspondence; records regarding the computation of tribal areas; notes on maps and photographs; and reading notes, extracts, and bibliographic references to secondary sources. The transcripts of interviews, dated February 1937 through November 1938, include information from Riley Moore, Carl Bishop, John G. Carter, and B.A.E. colleagues Truman Michelson and Matthew W. Stirling. The lengthiest set of notes is from a discussion with Smithsonian archeologist Henry B. Collins, who described fieldwork he had conducted from May to November 1936. The brief file of correspondence contains letters from Diamond Jenness and H. E. Rollins and a note from John G. Carter. The file on illustrative materials includes maps and charts showing the computation of land areas occupied by the Chukchee, Aleut, Eskimo, and Athapascan tribes. Supplementing these are notes from meetings with staff members of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in March and April 1937. There are also notes on maps, motion picture films, and photographs, as well as illustrations by Clark M. Garber and Joelle Danner. The notes from secondary sources include the title page and table of contents for a manuscript by Ivan A. Lopatin titled "The Cult of the Dead Among the Natives of the Amur Valley." There are also a few pages on file for another paper by Lopatin, "Material on the Language of the Natives of the Amur Region." There is also a sizable set of notes relating to the translation of various terms--mostly tribal names--into Russian. These include cut-and-pasted portions of letters which Waldemar Jochelson sent Harrington.

The material compiled after 1937 is highly miscellaneous. Items from the 1940s include a sixteen-page untitled rough draft on the migration of Siberian man; a three-page typed carbon copy of the article "Stepping Stones Between Eurasia and America" which was used in a release by the Office of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, on August 4, 1940; a partial draft of an article on boats; a sectional map of the Bering Strait which was mailed to Harrington by C. M. Garber on January 18, 1947; and notes from interviews with Mr. [Tappan?] Adney on March 28, 1941, with William Heslop and King Mooers later in that year, and with Henry B. Collins on December 8, 1947. There is also an Eskimo vocabulary which Harrington copied from William Thalbitzer and three pages of miscellaneous notes dating from the late 1950s.

A separate file of notes on Chukchee spans the entire period of Harrington's work on Siberia. There are a number of pages on Chukchee, Yukagir, and Eskimo mythology which he extracted from his notes for lectures at the University of Washington in 1910; brief notes from discussions with Truman Michelson, Waldemar Jochelson, and Franz Boas around 1926 to 1928; and copies made on February 23, 1937, of "Chukchee polysynthesis words" which had been compiled in an unspecified article by colleague Robert W. Young. The source of data for the latter was Waldemar Bogoras's paper "Chukchee" in the Handbook of American Indian Languages edited by Franz Boas. Later material includes a copy of a letter from Ivan Lopatin (November 23, 1947) with an enclosure titled "Discovery of the Chukchee and Derivation of the Name"; a copy by Harrington of the enclosure; and the rough beginning of a paper by Harrington titled "Short Sketch of the Grammar of the Chukchee Language," also evidently written in 1947.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Indians -- origin  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Genre/Form:
Notes
Manuscripts
Maps
Vocabulary
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.15
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3024e243c-0e4b-4932-b361-b91e745f9ade
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15644
Online Media:

Records Relating to Lectures

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
2 Boxes
Culture:
Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America  Search this
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Lecture notes
Date:
1910-1915
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains materials relating to Harrington's lecturing experiences, including preparatory notes, several sets of lecture notes, and a small file of student papers. Preparatory notes for some of Harrington's classes are contained in a small notebook labeled "Notebook B." It includes numerous bibliographic references and reading notes from such anthropologists as Waldemar Bogoras, Waldemar Jochelson, and Franz Boas. Harrington used marginal notations to flag any sources of data on the Ainu. For his course on the Indians of the Southwest there are only seven pages of notes. These include an outline of the course and a list of illustrations which Harrington wished to have made by Kenneth M. Chapman, an artist at the School of American Archaeology. The course notes for the Indians of the Northwest consist of a mixture of outlines, verbatim texts of lectures, bibliography, and reading notes. There are relatively small files on the Chukchee, Siberian Indians, Eskimo, and Aleut, and an especially large section on the Ainu. The notes for the evening lecture series on "The Siberian Origin of the American Indian" include the text of Harrington's talks with commentary on forty-nine slides. The subject headings are: (1) Whence?, (2) Ainu, (3) Eastern Siberian Indians, (4) Eskimos, (5) Indians of the Northwest-especially Haida and Kwakiutl, and (6) Washington and Oregon of yesterday. There are also rough notes on the origin of the American Indian and data on comparative mythology. The file of notes for Harrington's class on linguistics appears to have been compiled and used over an extensive period. The largely unorganized notes cover the physical aspects of speech, animal communication, gesture and sign language, the language of children, writing, and phonetics. They also touch on field methods. There is a large file of bibliographic references and a set of eight charts for illustrative purposes. The student papers were submitted to Harrington by students in his class on linguistics. Filed with Harrington's lecture notes is a set of notes for a proposed exhibit which he evidently prepared while working at the Panama-California Exposition. These include an outline, slips with ideas, and a twenty-three page proposal titled "The Linguistic Laboratory" which gives detailed physical descriptions of the various parts of the exhibit. Among the concepts which he planned to cover in the exhibit were the origin, geography, and classification of languages, the development of writing, and the use of modern inventions such as the typewriter and kymograph.
Biographical / Historical:
Early in his career John P. Harrington was asked to lecture in a number of academic settings. From February to March 1910, Harrington taught a class on the Indians of the Southwest at the University of Colorado at Boulder and then appeared on the lecture circuit in Denver and Colorado Springs. He returned to Boulder to repeat the course from October to November and again in September and October of the following year.

From June to August 1910 he taught two classes in the summer school session at the University of Washington in Seattle. The titles of the classes given in his vitae are "The Science of Language" and "The Indians of the Northwest." During this period he also presented a series of evening lectures under the auspices of the Seattle Society of the American Institute of Archaeology. The six illustrated talks dealt with "The Siberian Origin of the American Indian."

Harrington also taught classes in linguistics while working for the School of American Archaeology and the Panama-California Exposition from 1912 to 1915.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Education  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Function:
Exhibitions
Genre/Form:
Lecture notes
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.16
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3247f07b5-803d-4e62-b85e-ab002292ec92
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15657
Online Media:

Records Relating to Phonetics

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Names:
Bloomfield, Leonard, 1887-1949  Search this
Hewitt, J. N. B. (John Napoleon Brinton), 1859-1937  Search this
Kroeber, A. L. (Alfred Louis), 1876-1960  Search this
Lowie, Robert Harry, 1883-1957  Search this
Michelson, Truman, 1879-1938  Search this
Sapir, Edward, 1884-1939  Search this
Swadesh, Morris, 1909-1967  Search this
Swanton, John Reed, 1873-1958  Search this
Underhill, Ruth, 1883-1984  Search this
Voegelin, C. F. (Charles Frederick), 1906-1986  Search this
Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), b. 1885  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (box)
Type:
Archival materials
Notes
Manuscripts
Date:
1910-1957
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains materials resulting from Harrington's efforts to develop a phonetic alphabet for writing all languages.

There are four main groupings of notes relating to phonetics. A large set of uncategorized notes has been arranged in chronological order from 1910 through the 1950s. Most of the material dates from the period 1910 to 1915 and from 1921 to 1928; there are smaller amounts of data for the following three decades. The notes present alternate phonetic systems--sometimes referred to as "sonoscript"--in chart form with accompanying explanations of the rationale behind each proposed alphabet. There are also sample words and sentences written out phonetically. The notes from 1910 include a draft of a letter from Harrington to his mother and those from 1912 contain three large poster-sized charts. A second set of notes is arranged alphabetically by topic and includes subsections on alphabetic order, length, letters practical in handwriting, and pitch accent. A relatively large file labeled "phon[etic] letter forms" consists of various handwritten and typed letters as well as cut-and-pasted examples of letters from printed sources. There is also a clipping dated 1922 regarding an advocate of Esperanto with Harrington's own proposals for word forms in that language. In addition, the files contain a copy of an I.P.A. questionnaire and Harrington's comments on it. A third section of material consists of the notes which Harrington made during or immediately following interviews with about twenty linguists and anthropologists, among them Leonard Bloomfield, Alfred L. Kroeber, Robert H. Lowie, Edward Sapir, Morris Swadesh (misspelled "Schwadesh"), Ruth Underhill, Carl F. Voegelin, T. T. Waterman, and B.A.E. colleagues Hewitt, Michelson, and Swanton. Not all of the notes are dated; those which are clearly labeled cover discussions from the 1920s to the 1940s. The last grouping, compiled around 1923 to 1926, contains brief notes on various alphabets. The alphabetically arranged files cover the proposed systems of Arden, Forchhammer, Jespersen, Murray, Olbrechts, Pierce, Powell, and Rouse.

This subseries also contains drafts for four papers by Harrington on phonetics as well as a brief one-page draft description of a "Seminar in General Phonetics" which Harrington was planning to offer at the University of Southern California in 1935 or 1936.
Biographical / Historical:
One aspect of the study of linguistics of special interest to John P. Harrington was the development of a practical phonetic alphabet for writing all languages. It was an effort to which he devoted a great amount of time from 1910 to 1915, from 1922 to 1928, and again intermittently in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.

In 1912 Harrington drafted comments on a proposal for an international conference to devise a universal phonetic system, and on a sample questionnaire which was mailed to many linguists by the International Phonetic Association (I.P.A.). It is unclear whether or not he actually submitted them to the I.P.A.

Also in that year he was chosen to serve on a committee ofthe American Anthropological Association to "prepare a scheme of phonetic representation which [would] have the official sanction" of the organization. Fellow committee members were Franz Boas (chair), Edward Sapir, Alfred L. Kroeber, and Earl Pliny Goddard.

Although later notes indicate that he consulted a number of language specialists, it appears that most of Harrington's efforts at devising a workable alphabet were undertaken alone or with only the cooperation of his friend Paul Vogenitz.

In the mid-1930s he was invited to teach a seminar on "General Phonetics" at the University of Southern California. While correspondence with Dr. Frank C. Touton, vice president of the university, suggests that Harrington contemplated offering the course at various times between the spring of 1935 and the summer of 1936, this plan was abandoned because of more pressing interests. He did touch on phonetics during his course on language at the University of Washington during the summer of 1910

At various points in his career Harrington wrote preliminary descriptions of the phonetic system he favored at that time. None of the early drafts appeared in print and as late as the 1940s, while writing the treatise "Linguistics," Harrington was undecided whether to publish his system or "die keeping it hidden."
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Phonetics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Notes
Manuscripts
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.17
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw37683fd02-43cb-403a-bd16-24268d884c66
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15672
Online Media:

Miscellaneous Writings on Various Linguistic Topics

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Names:
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology  Search this
Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400  Search this
Churchill, Winston, Sir, 1874-1965  Search this
Columbus, Christopher  Search this
Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
10 Boxes
Culture:
Indians of North America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Notes
Manuscripts
Writings
Date:
1911-1959, bulk 1945-1949
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series represents John P. Harrington's miscellaneous writings on a variety of linguistic topics. The subseries is divided into three subsections. The first and largest contains a mixture of preliminary notes, rough drafts, and final drafts for approximately 120 proposed announcements, articles, and papers. The second section contains contributions to the works of others in the form of rough drafts, introductions, and translations, while the third consists of reviews of a number of books and papers, mostly written by friends and colleagues. Within each section papers have been arranged alphabetically.

The papers are based largely on research in secondary sources and cover a broad spectrum of anthropological topics. Some, such as those on binomial nomenclature, captioning, and various inventions, reflect Harrington's interest in scientific method and the technical aspects of the linguistic field. Others deal with the history of linguistic study and, in particular, the contributions of the Bureau of American Ethnology.

One common theme throughout many of the articles is the genetic relationship of the American Indian languages. These papers illustrate Harrington's belief that "language sheds more light on the early history of the American Indian than archeology." Another focus in many of the writings is the importance and uniqueness of the American Indian, especially from the point of view of sign language.

Articles on non-American languages and on the etymologies of certain words reveal his constant sense of curiosity and the numerous sidelines he pursued, as do a set of papers on such historical figures as Chaucer, Columbus, Churchill, and Ghandi. Still other papers ("Counting," for example) were written as part of the "war effort."

Harrington authored all but two of the papers-"New Russian Alphabet Praised by Ethnologist" and "[Translation of the Lord's Prayer]." These items are filed here because they are either based largely on notes from Harrington or contain many quotes from him. A number of the papers were coauthored by associates.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Language and languages  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Indians of North America -- Languages  Search this
Genre/Form:
Notes
Manuscripts
Writings
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.18
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw32f923530-94f0-4a6b-baa5-bd4de0984116
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15679
Online Media:

Major Writings on Linguistics

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Siebert, Frank T. (Frank Thomas), 1912-1998  Search this
Michelson, Truman, 1879-1938  Search this
Names:
Pike, Kenneth L. (Kenneth Lee), 1912-2000  Search this
Voegelin, C. F. (Charles Frederick), 1906-1986  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
14 Boxes
Culture:
Indians of North America  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Notes
Writings
Manuscripts
Date:
circa 1907-circa 1957
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Notes and writings on special linguistic studies series contains materials that represent John P. Harrington's work preparing a major work on linguistics. The results of his efforts were four separate manuscripts that not published.

The first manuscript is untitled. Related materials consist of handwritten notes and fragmentary rough drafts. There are extracts from a number of published sources which include linguistic data for Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Chinese, Turkish, Korean, and English as well as a number of American Indian languages. Also included here is material relating to grammatical terminology. There are extracts from a variety of dictionaries, copies of incoming and outgoing letters, and records of interviews.

Files for a manuscript titled "Linguistics" consist of extensive notes, a rough draft, a final draft, illustrations, and a draft of a review of the manuscript. The notes contain a mixture of reading notes, records of interviews, summaries of letters, and newspaper clippings. There are also references to a number of brief discussions which Harrington had at the two linguistic conferences he attended in 1940. At the meeting of the Linguistic Institute in Ann Arbor, Michigan, he learned about the work of Della Brunsteter on Cherokee and made records of a conversation with C. F. Voegelin and his Ojibwa informant, Gregor McGregor. At the Summer Institute of Linguistics at Sulphur Springs, Arkansas, he obtained details on Tule phonetics from a San BIas informant and spoke with Eunice Pike (the sister of Kenneth Pike) and Florence Hansen who were preparing a primer of the Mazatec language. There is also Navajo linguistic information from speaker Howard Gorman, some obtained directly from him and the remainder enclosed in correspondence from Robert W. Young. In addition there is a discrete file of notes which Harrington compiled from and about Kenneth L. Pike. Interspersed with his rough draft are notes reflecting his attempt to devise a personal phonetic system. The draft of a review of his manuscripts was written by Harrington, evidently to serve as a model for a review which would appear under the signature of a colleague.

The third manuscript in this subseries is a revised version of the previous manuscript. The files contain material that Harrington accumulated after submitting the original manuscript to Smithsonian Secretary Charles Abbott in 1941. These include notes recorded from Joseph White and a note from Truman Michelson, several bibliographies, illustrations, and scattered notes reflecting Harrington's attempt to develop a personal system of phonetics. Data from many languages are represented, although there is slightly more emphasis on the North American Indian languages than in the previous manuscript; extracts from Harrington's own field notes are included.

The fourth manuscript is titled "Language" and is represented by a mostly handwritten draft. The draft is basically a sequence of random ideas grouped loosely in outline fashion under the major headings "Phonetics," "Morphology," and "Writing."

The final file in this series contains copies of correspondence which were interfiled with Harrington's notes and writings on linguistics. The letters, which span the dates 1936 to 1951, have been arranged chronologically; three undated items have been placed at the end. Both incoming and outgoing letters are included. The most noteworthy item is a letter from Frank T. Siebert, Jr., dated July 23, 1944. It contains numerous suggestions for improving a chapter which Harrington wrote on phonology.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Indians of North America -- Languages  Search this
Language and languages  Search this
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Grammar, Comparative and general  Search this
Phonetics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Notes
Writings
Manuscripts
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 8.19
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 8: Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw317d78732-1439-4eb8-b5f5-386e49ff32b2
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15964
Online Media:

Letters Received

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Roberts, Helen H. (Helen Heffron), 1888-1985  Search this
Correspondent:
Boas, Franz, 1858-1942  Search this
Collins, Henry Bascom, 1899-1987  Search this
Densmore, Frances, 1867-1957  Search this
Fewkes, Jesse Walter, 1850-1930  Search this
Harrington, Arthur  Search this
Hewett, Edgar L. (Edgar Lee), 1865-1946  Search this
Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956  Search this
Kroeber, A. L. (Alfred Louis), 1876-1960  Search this
Marr, John Paul  Search this
Martin, Fredericka I.  Search this
Mason, John Alden, 1885-1967  Search this
Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942  Search this
Michelson, Truman, 1879-1938  Search this
Roberts, Frank H. H. (Frank Harold Hanna), 1897-1966  Search this
Sapir, Edward, 1884-1939  Search this
Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950  Search this
Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975  Search this
Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973  Search this
Van Valkenburgh, Richard F.  Search this
Voegelin, C. F. (Charles Frederick), 1906-1986  Search this
Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), b. 1885  Search this
Young, Robert W., 1912-2007  Search this
Names:
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology  Search this
United States. Office of Censorship  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
26 Boxes
Type:
Archival materials
Correspondence
Date:
1904-1960
bulk 1935-1954
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Correspondence series contains letters received by John P. Harrington. His incoming letters include handwritten and typed letters, postcards, and telegrams.

The primary focus of Harrington's correspondence is his work--both that which he undertook on an official basis for the B.A.E. and that which he pursued because of strong personal interests. References to his research and fieldwork take the form of passing references in letters to acquaintances, detailed accounts in letters to close friends, requests for authorization of proposed fieldwork, and reports of work accomplished in letters to supervisors, and lists of instructions to field and clerical assistants.

Much of the correspondence involves queries and the exchange of information and questions. Harrington wrote to scientists for identification of plant, animal or mineral specimens collected during fieldwork, and to postmasters, Indian agents, and social works in search of informants. There is also correspondence regarding acquisition of books, photostats, microfilm, and various supplies and equipment. There are also letters to editors of various journals enclosing articles for publication as well as letters of introduction, obtained by Harrington to facilitate his own work or prepared by him for use by his assistants. A number of letters involve answers which Harrington prepared to questions which were addressed directly to him by members of the public or were referred to him in the capacity of Senior Ethnologist at the B.A.E.

Several hundred items of correspondence relate to Harrington's duties when detailed to the Office of Censorship from 1943 to 1945. Most of these reflect his efforts to obtain translations of letters in foreign languages which he could not identify or for which dictionaries were not available.

Finally there are letters exchanged with landladies; real estate agents; bank personnel; and city, county and federal officials regarding payment or collection of rent, selling of property, confirmation of bank balances, and payment of taxes, as well as letters written to friends and family dealing with purely personal matters.

Some of the letters are incomplete. A number of lengthy responses to Harrington's queries were cut apart by him and pasted on separate sheets for filing in various subject categories in his field notes. Such letters were reconstructed as much as possible by N.A.A. staff. Attempts were also made to determine the identity of each correspondent. The full name of an individual is supplied if known even though only the first name, initials, or a nickname were used on a letter. In those cases in which signatures are illegible, a suggested form is given in brackets; if the form is doubtful, it is marked with a question mark. There is a small file of four items at the end for which the identity of the correspondent has not been determined. In those cases where onlly a partial date was given by Harrington or his correspondents, brackets have been used to supply a fuller suggested date.

More than 140 incoming letters were never opened by Harrington. These items were removed from their envelopes after any relevant data appearing on an envelope were transferred to the letter. These are annotated with the date when they were opened at the N.A.A.
Arrangement:
The documents are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the correspondent and thereunder chronologically; any undated items have been placed at the end of the group of letters for each person. In those instances when only a company name is given, the item in question is filed under that name. Some letters written by third parties to various acquaintances of Harrington were then forwarded to him without a cover letter. These records have been filed under the name of the original recipient as though they were enclosures. Letters, photographs, notes, drawings, maps, and other miscellaneous items which were sent under cover of a letter are labeled as enclosures and immediately follow the letter with which they were sent.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 9.1
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 9: Correspondence
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3aa1e7caa-edea-4fac-a7d7-6d0d7e7936fe
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref15991

Letters Sent

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Roberts, Helen H. (Helen Heffron), 1888-1985  Search this
Correspondent:
Boas, Franz, 1858-1942  Search this
Collins, Henry Bascom, 1899-1987  Search this
Densmore, Frances, 1867-1957  Search this
Fewkes, Jesse Walter, 1850-1930  Search this
Harrington, Arthur  Search this
Hewett, Edgar L. (Edgar Lee), 1865-1946  Search this
Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956  Search this
Kroeber, A. L. (Alfred Louis), 1876-1960  Search this
Marr, John Paul  Search this
Martin, Fredericka I.  Search this
Mason, John Alden, 1885-1967  Search this
Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942  Search this
Michelson, Truman, 1879-1938  Search this
Roberts, Frank H. H. (Frank Harold Hanna), 1897-1966  Search this
Sapir, Edward, 1884-1939  Search this
Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950  Search this
Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975  Search this
Van Valkenburgh, Richard F.  Search this
Voegelin, C. F. (Charles Frederick), 1906-1986  Search this
Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), b. 1885  Search this
Young, Robert W., 1912-2007  Search this
Names:
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology  Search this
United States. Office of Censorship  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
11 Boxes
Type:
Archival materials
Correspondence
Date:
1904-1960
bulk 1935-1954
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Correspondence series contains copies of letters that John P. Harrington sent. For the most part the file consists of carbon copies of typed letters or handwritten drafts. There are also a number of signed originals. It is not always clear whether these documents were not sent or whether they were returned to Harrington. In those cases in which an original letter was returned with a reply written on it, the original letter is filed as though it were the reply and can be located under the name of the correspondent who returned it; a photocopy has been made for filing in correct chronological order within the file of letters sent.

The primary focus of Harrington's correspondence is his work--both that which he undertook on an official basis for the B.A.E. and that which he pursued because of strong personal interests. References to his research and fieldwork take the form of passing references in letters to acquaintances, detailed accounts in letters to close friends, requests for authorization of proposed fieldwork, and reports of work accomplished in letters to supervisors, and lists of instructions to field and clerical assistants.

Much of the correspondence involves queries and the exchange of information and questions. Harrington wrote to scientists for identification of plant, animal or mineral specimens collected during fieldwork, and to postmasters, Indian agents, and social works in search of informants. There is also correspondence regarding acquisition of books, photostats, microfilm, and various supplies and equipment. There are also letters to editors of various journals enclosing articles for publication as well as letters of introduction, obtained by Harrington to facilitate his own work or prepared by him for use by his assistants. A number of letters involve answers which Harrington prepared to questions which were addressed directly to him by members of the public or were referred to him in the capacity of Senior Ethnologist at the B.A.E.

Several hundred items of correspondence relate to Harrington's duties when detailed to the Office of Censorship from 1943 to 1945. Most of these reflect his efforts to obtain translations of letters in foreign languages which he could not identify or for which dictionaries were not available.

Finally there are letters exchanged with landladies; real estate agents; bank personnel; and city, county and federal officials regarding payment or collection of rent, selling of property, confirmation of bank balances, and payment of taxes, as well as letters written to friends and family dealing with purely personal matters.

There are small subsections for undated letters and unmatched portions of letters (second and third pages without salutation) at the end of the file of outgoing letters.
Arrangement:
The section of outgoing letters is arranged chronologically. Under each date, letters are further arranged in alphabetical order by the name of the addressee. When multiple letters were sent to the same correspondent on the same date, these are labeled "(1st)," "(2nd)," etc. In some cases Harrington addressed a letter to a company; when the identity of the respondent at the company is known, this individual's name has been added to the letter in brackets and is the basis for filing. When Harrington addressed a letter to one individual and another replied, the letter is filed under the name of the addressee, but the name of the respondent has been added in a cross-reference note on the letter or on a target.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 9.2
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 9: Correspondence
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3f693dc10-bacc-4a10-95bc-a457bc6c9541
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref16046
Online Media:

Third person letters (arranged alphabetically, "unidentified " at end)

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Boas, Franz, 1858-1942  Search this
Bushnell, David I., Jr. (David Ives), 1875-1941  Search this
Fewkes, Jesse Walter, 1850-1930  Search this
Gill, De Lancey, 1859-1940  Search this
Laird, Carobeth, 1895-1983  Search this
Sapir, Edward, 1884-1939  Search this
Siebert, Frank T. (Frank Thomas), 1912-1998  Search this
Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950  Search this
Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975  Search this
Names:
Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Container:
Box 1165
Type:
Archival materials
Correspondence
Date:
bulk 1935-1954
Scope and Contents note:
Microfilm Reel: 16
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Correspondence series is a small file of letters sent or received by persons other than Harrington. Some of these items may have been hand delivered to him; others were possibly enclosures which became separated from their covering letters.

Certain letters were sent to and from individuals who were staying with him such as Indian informants (Lucerecia Garcia, Isabelle Meadows, Perry Keahtigh) or young assistants (Jack and Glenn Marr). In some cases Harrington actually wrote the letters and signed the informant's name.
Arrangement:
The letters have been arranged in alphabetical order according to the name of the writer. There are several items at the end of the set in which the sender is not clearly identified.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 9: Correspondence
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw3f838a6b6-41aa-41d1-9302-86e86b1d15e7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref16073
Online Media:

General and miscellaneous materials (Mexico/Central America/South America)

Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Collection Creator:
Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961  Search this
Extent:
1 Boxe
Culture:
Indians of Mexico  Search this
Indians of Central America  Search this
Indians of South America  Search this
Aztec (archaeological culture)  Search this
Rarámuri (Tarahumara)  Search this
Purepecha (Tarasco)  Search this
Cora  Search this
Chontal (Chontol)  Search this
Tojolabal Indians  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Vocabulary
Date:
circa 1907-circa 1957
Scope and Contents:
This subseries of the Mexico/Central America/South America series consists of highly miscellaneous, unsorted notes which were found scattered throughout Harrington's papers. Most of the material deals with Mexico and Central America, although there are data relating to South America and possibly to his study of placenames and province names. The notes were recorded during various periods of time as evidenced by the different types of paper used; most are undated. There are references to Aztec, Tarahumara, Tarascan, Cochimi, Cora, Chontal, and Tojulabal. Castulo Ucan, an informant with whom Harrington worked in New York, is mentioned. Perhaps of greatest interest is a four-page list of Zapotec words, consisting of numbers and miscellaneous vocabulary, which was elicited from a Mr. Harvey in February 1923.
Local Numbers:
Accession #1976-95
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Topic:
Language and languages -- Documentation  Search this
Linguistics  Search this
Zapotec language  Search this
Indians of Mexico -- Languages  Search this
Indians of Central America -- Languages  Search this
Indians of South America -- Languages  Search this
Names, Geographical  Search this
Tarahumara (Rarámuri)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Vocabulary
Collection Citation:
John Peabody Harrington papers, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The preferred citation for the Harrington Papers will reference the actual location within the collection, i.e. Box 172, Alaska/Northwest Coast, Papers of John Peabody Harrington, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

However, as the NAA understands the need to cite phrases or vocabulary on specific pages, a citation referencing the microfilmed papers is acceptable. Please note that the page numbering of the PDF version of the Harrington microfilm does not directly correlate to the analog microfilm frame numbers. If it is necessary to cite the microfilmed papers, please refer to the specific page number of the PDF version, as in: Papers of John Peabody Harrington, Microfilm: MF 7, R34 page 42.
Identifier:
NAA.1976-95, Subseries 7.8
See more items in:
John Peabody Harrington papers
John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 7: Mexico/Central America/South America
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw320caef5e-b108-4791-a1d5-187686b92422
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-naa-1976-95-ref17245
Online Media:

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