Letters Sent
odd: label: Local Numbers
content: Accession #1976-95
name: label: Creator
content: Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961
label: Correspondent
content: Boas, Franz, 1858-1942
label: Correspondent
content: Collins, Henry Bascom, 1899-1987
label: Correspondent
content: Densmore, Frances, 1867-1957
label: Correspondent
content: Fewkes, Jesse Walter, 1850-1930
label: Correspondent
content: Harrington, Arthur
label: Correspondent
content: Hewett, Edgar L. (Edgar Lee), 1865-1946
label: Correspondent
content: Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956
label: Correspondent
content: Kroeber, A. L. (Alfred Louis), 1876-1960
label: Correspondent
content: Marr, John Paul
label: Correspondent
content: Martin, Fredericka I.
label: Correspondent
content: Mason, John Alden, 1885-1967
label: Correspondent
content: Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942
label: Correspondent
content: Michelson, Truman, 1879-1938
label: Correspondent
content: Roberts, Frank H. H. (Frank Harold Hanna), 1897-1966
label: Creator
content: Roberts, Helen H. (Helen Heffron), 1888-1985
label: Correspondent
content: Sapir, Edward, 1884-1939
label: Correspondent
content: Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950
label: Correspondent
content: Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975
label: Correspondent
content: Van Valkenburgh, Richard F.
label: Correspondent
content: Voegelin, C. F. (Charles Frederick), 1906-1986
label: Correspondent
content: Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), b. 1885
label: Correspondent
content: Young, Robert W., 1912-2007
label: Names
content: Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of American Ethnology
label: Names
content: United States. Office of Censorship
label: Collection Creator
content: Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961
topic: label: Topic
content: Language and languages -- Documentation
label: Topic
content: Linguistics
creator: label: Creator
content: Harrington, John Peabody, 1884-1961
label: Correspondent
content: Boas, Franz, 1858-1942
label: Correspondent
content: Collins, Henry Bascom, 1899-1987
label: Correspondent
content: Densmore, Frances, 1867-1957
label: Correspondent
content: Fewkes, Jesse Walter, 1850-1930
label: Correspondent
content: Harrington, Arthur
label: Correspondent
content: Hewett, Edgar L. (Edgar Lee), 1865-1946
label: Correspondent
content: Hodge, Frederick Webb, 1864-1956
label: Correspondent
content: Kroeber, A. L. (Alfred Louis), 1876-1960
label: Correspondent
content: Marr, John Paul
label: Correspondent
content: Martin, Fredericka I.
label: Correspondent
content: Mason, John Alden, 1885-1967
label: Correspondent
content: Merriam, C. Hart (Clinton Hart), 1855-1942
label: Correspondent
content: Michelson, Truman, 1879-1938
label: Correspondent
content: Roberts, Frank H. H. (Frank Harold Hanna), 1897-1966
label: Creator
content: Roberts, Helen H. (Helen Heffron), 1888-1985
label: Correspondent
content: Sapir, Edward, 1884-1939
label: Correspondent
content: Speck, Frank G. (Frank Gouldsmith), 1881-1950
label: Correspondent
content: Stirling, Matthew Williams, 1896-1975
label: Correspondent
content: Van Valkenburgh, Richard F.
label: Correspondent
content: Voegelin, C. F. (Charles Frederick), 1906-1986
label: Correspondent
content: Waterman, T. T. (Thomas Talbot), b. 1885
label: Correspondent
content: Young, Robert W., 1912-2007
setName: label: See more items in
content: John Peabody Harrington papers
label: See more items in
content: John Peabody Harrington papers / Series 9: Correspondence
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 11 Boxes
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1904-1960
label: Date
content: bulk 1935-1954
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.1976-95, Subseries 9.2
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Correspondence
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: 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.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Microfilm and digital surrogates of microfilm are available. See Volume 9, reels 12-16. Unfilmed materials include the reverse sides of letters on which unrelated notes were written, the address sides of postcards and air cards when all pertinent data are also present on the message side of the cards, and large or bulky enclosures.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: 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.