MS 2369 Clarence Bicknell and Edward E. Berry rubbings, squeezes and photographs of petroglyphs near Vallée des Merveilles, France
odd: label: Local Numbers
content: NAA MS 2369
label: Variant Title
content: Laghi delle Meraviglie, Italy, photographs, rubbings and squeezes of petroglyphs

Laghi delle Meraviglie, Italy, photographs, rubbings and squeezes
name: label: Creator
content: Bicknell, Clarence, 1842-1918
label: Creator
content: Berry, Edward E. (Edward Elhanan), 1861-1931
place: label: Place
content: Europe
label: Place
content: France
label: Place
content: Italy
topic: label: Topic
content: Archaeology
label: Topic
content: Petroglyphs
creator: label: Creator
content: Bicknell, Clarence, 1842-1918
label: Creator
content: Berry, Edward E. (Edward Elhanan), 1861-1931
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Clarence Bicknell (1842-1918) was a British vicar, amateur archaeologist, botanist, artist, Esperantist, author, and philanthropist. Bicknell was born in London, and, after studying at Cambridge University, became an Anglican priest. In 1879, he cut ties with the church and relocated to Bordighera, Italy.  Bicknell first visited the Vallée des Merveilles (at that time part of Italy and known to him as Valle or Laghi delle Meraviglie) in 1881 in search of rare plants. Annexed by France in 1947, the "Valley of Marvels" is the site of 40,000 petroglyphs, dating from the Neolithic era, the Bronze and Iron Ages, and the Roman and medieval periods.  Starting in 1885, Bicknell  documented the petroglyphs in notes, drawings, rubbings, squeezes, and photographs, eventually creating 12,000 images of the carvings.  In 1886 he founded the Bicknell Museum in Bordighera to house his botanical and archaeological collections, as well as his extensive library.
label: Biographical Note
content: Edward Elhanan Berry (1861-1931) was the nephew of Clarence Bicknell.  In 1891, he moved to Bordighera near his uncle.  In Italy, he founded a bank, become an agent for the travel agency Thomas Cook, and created a service agency for British residents.  In 1897, he became vice-British Consul in Bordighera.  Berry collaborated and helped Bicknell in all his projects, including the creation of Bicknell Museum and his botanical and archaeological research.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 40 Sheets (rubbings and squeezes)
label: Extent
content: 17 Photographic prints
label: Extent
content: 1 Negatives (photographic)
label: Extent
content: 4 Letters
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1901-1902
container: label: Container
content: Box 2369
label: Container
content: Folder 2369
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The collection was sent to the Smithsonian Institution by Bicknell and Berry in December 1901.  It was transmitted to the Bureau of American Ethnology from the U. S. National Museum on January 29, 1902.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.MS2369
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Sheets
label: Type
content: Photographic prints
label: Type
content: Negatives (photographic)
label: Type
content: Letters
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Rubbings
label: Type
content: Squeezes
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Rubbings
label: Genre/Form
content: squeezes
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists of material related to the petroglyphs near Vallée des Merveilles, including 40 rubbings and squeezes, 17 photographic prints, 1 negative, and 4 letters related to the creation and transmittal of the collection.  The rubbings and squeezes were made in the summer of 1901.

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.