Find Lots

• Auction House:
  Bonhams Australia
• Sale Name:
  Important Australian Art
• Sale Date:
  04 Apr 2023 ~ 6pm (AEST)
• Lot #:
  41
• Lot Description:
  University of Adelaide Board for Anthropological Research Expedition Photographic Albums, Central Australia, 1931-1933
  Album I, 210 x 270mm, labelled: 'T.H. JOHNSTON / Cockatoo I / Creek Trip / Aug.1931', inscribed 'University Anthropological Expedition to Cockatoo Creek. Centr Austr 8/1931', containing 126 black and white prints measuring 65 x 110mm with annotations over 36 pages; Album II, 210 x 270mm, inscribed 'Musgrave Ranges trip 1933', containing 117 black and white prints measuring 65 x 110mm with pencil annotations over 36 pages
• Provenance:
  Charles Chewings (1859-1937), South Australia; thence by descent; Dr D. Hugh LeMessurier, Adelaide; thence by descent; Private collection, Adelaide
• Notes:
  From the mid 1920s, The Board for Anthropological Research, a committee of the Council of the University of Adelaide, sponsored more than 40 research expeditions. The University of Adelaide and the South Australian Museum developed a close working relationship, sending academics from both institutions to undertake research in genealogy, sociology and culture of the Aboriginal people of Central Australia. Norman Tindale, an academic at the South Australian Museum from 1928, with a specific interest in entomology as well as human society and culture, played a lead role in many of these expeditions. Dr Philip Jones, Senior Curator at the South Australian Museum, describes how 'Tindale's concern was not to preserve an account of culture for its own sake, but to document in sufficient detail to enable further analysis by others. 'Making a useful record' was a phrase he often used, applying it equally to his compilation of 150 parallel vocabularies as to his descriptions of manufacture and use of spears, spear-throwers, dishes, stone tools, resin, hair string, and other essential items of desert life. An artefact could be collected, together with examples of raw materials used in its manufacture, and the process could be filmed. All processes and observations and linguistic terms were recorded meticulously in note form, together with the genealogies and backgrounds of the makers or participants, from whom further mythological detail could be elicited through crayon drawings on brown paper which he distributed and later carefully annotated.'1 Thomas Harvey Johnston (1881-1951), a colleague of Tindale, was the first Professor of Zoology at University of Adelaide, 1922 - 1951 and acting Professor of Botany between 1928-34. Johnston participated in eight expeditions to Central Australia between 1929 and 1937 including the Cockatoo Creek and Musgrave Ranges research trips. His name appears on a label adhered to the Cockatoo Creek album which indicates that it is likely to have been in his possession at one time. The South Australian Museum, Adelaide holds an extensive archive of material relating to the Cockatoo Creek 1931 and Musgrave Ranges 1933 expeditions including photographs, film, sound recordings, journals, correspondence and objects. Francesca Cavazzini 1. Dr Philip Jones, 'Norman Tindale Obituary' in Records of the South Australian Museum, Volume 28.2, December 1995, pp.159-176 Notice: Please note that a Moveable Cultural Heritage Permit must be obtained to export this lot from Australia. Please contact the department for further information prior to bidding
• Estimate:
  A$20,000 - 30,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

  Can't see the realised price? Upgrade your subscription now!

• Category:
  Memorabilia

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.