Alfred T. Agate drawings from the United States Exploring Expedition
odd: label: Variant Title
content: Natives of Oceania, and ornamental architecture, signed "A. T. Agate, del., A. T. A., del.
label: Local Numbers
content: NAA MS 382524

USNM Accession 16909
name: label: Artist
content: Agate, Alfred T., 1812-1846
label: Names
content: United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842)
place: label: Place
content: Oceania
label: Place
content: South America
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Gift of Mr. M. C. Hopkins to United States National Museum, May 7, 1942.  The collection was transferred from the object collections of the Department of Anthropology to the National Anthropological Archives in July 1969.
creator: label: Artist
content: Agate, Alfred T., 1812-1846
setName: label: See more items in
content: Alfred T. Agate drawings from the United States Exploring Expedition
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Alfred Thomas Agate was an artist, painter, and miniaturist, known for his landscapes, portraits and scientific illustrations.  Agate was born February 14, 1812 in Sparta, N.Y.  In 1838, he joined the Scientific Corps of the United States Exploring Expedition as a portraitist and botanical artist. He spent four years traveling around the world, mapping the coast of Oregon, documenting hundreds of islands in the Pacific, and collecting more than sixty thousand plant and bird specimens. In 1842, Agate settled in Washington, D.C., and prepared his drawings for the expedition's multi-volume report.  He died January 5, 1846.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 5 Drawings (visual works)
label: Extent
content: 2 Engravings
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1838-1842
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.MS382524
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Drawings (visual works)
label: Type
content: Engravings
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Portraits
label: Type
content: Works of art
bibliography: label: Bibliography
content: Two watercolor drawings and both engravings were reproduced in Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition (1845). The artist's name appears in list of crew members as "Alfred S. Agate."
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Portraits
label: Genre/Form
content: Engravings
label: Genre/Form
content: Works of art
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists of five (5) watercolor drawings and two (2) engravings made by Alfred T. Agate for the United States Exploring Expedition.  It includes portraits of King Kamehameha III of Hawaii, Kotowatowa (a Maori chief), and unnamed individuals from Brazil, Peru, Fiji, as well as illustrations of Maori ornamental carvings.

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: The National Anthropological Archives holds additional Agate drawings from the United States Exploring Expedition in The Division of Ethnology photograph collection (Photo Lot 97).

The Naval History and Heritage Command Archives holds the Alfred Agate collection.