Robert W. Grant papers and photographs
name: label: Creator
content: Grant, Robert W.
place: label: Place
content: Oceania
label: Place
content: East Asia
creator: label: Creator
content: Grant, Robert W.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Robert W. Grant papers and photographs
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: These photographs and related materials reflect the efforts of Robert W. Grant during his tour of duty with the United States Army Air Force from 1943 to 1945. As Photographic Interpreter with the 9th Photographic Intelligence Detachment, Grant was stationed at the 7th Army Air Force Headquarters in the Central Pacific. 

Although he was not an anthropologist, Grant took an interest in the natives who populated the islands to which he was posted and spent his free time photographing them. As Grant himself states in the introduction to his comments, "...what I obtained during my tour in the Central Pacific was not the product of a scientific expedition but of an adventure, resulting not from design, but caprice."

Chronology of Grant's Tour of Duty in the Central Pacific

November 1943 -- Arrived 7th AAF Headquarters, Funafuti, Ellice Islands.

January 1944 -- Set up operations on Tarawa, Gilbert Islands.

March 1944 -- Set up operations on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.

October 1944 -- Set up operations on Guam, Marianas Islands.

July 1945 -- Arrived Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 13 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1943-1945
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.1975-30
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The bulk of the collection is arranged by major island group. For example, photographs of the Hall Islands will be found under the Caroline Islands - the major island group of which the Hall Islands are a part. Similarly, photographs of Guam are found in the series covering the Marianas Islands - the major island group of which Guam is a part.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Karen Griffith, April 1976

Encoded by Zac Greenfield February 2018
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists of several notebooks containing photographs and descriptive comments which also explain some of the cultural aspects of life on the particular islands to which the photographs relate; aerial photographs used for military intelligence which Grant acquired "from an unknown source" while acting as Declassification Officer on Okinawa in 1945; clippings from American newspapers and magazines regarding events which were taking place during the time period covered by the collection; maps of many of the islands of the Central Pacific and some Japanese islands; color slides of some of the prints included in the notebooks; and negatives of some of the prints included in the notebooks. There are also negatives included for 6 of the aerial photographs of Guam. 

While the photographs in the notebooks depict native life, dress, handicrafts, etc., the aerial photographs, in most cases, are strictly of the military intelligence variety showng targets, reconnaissance, coastline, enemy installations, harbors, and airfields. In some instances, however, towns, villages, plantations, and vegetation show up clearly in the aerial views. Also among the aerial photographs will be found target status reports indicating kind and number of targets and extent of damage. Scattered throughout the collection are intelligence documents for some of the islands containing such information as map coordinates, climatological data, geographical description, etc. Where these items exist, notation has been made in the series description. Be aware that some photographs contain images of dead soldiers.


Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Grant donated several artifacts to the Smithsonian Institution which appear in the photographs in the notebooks. Reference is made to them in his accompanying commentary. 

Addtional documents relating to Micronesia and the Central Pacific may be found in the A.F. Whiting Collection at the National Anthropological Archives.