Ales Hrdlicka photograph collection relating to the Panama-California Exposition
odd: label: Local Call Number(s)
content: NAA Photo Lot 73-26B
name: label: Creator
content: Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943
label: Names
content: American Museum of Natural History
label: Names
content: Royal College of Surgeons in London
label: Names
content: United States National Museum
index: label: Addl. KW Subj
content: Navaho

Sioux

Apache
topic: label: Topic
content: Physical anthropology
creator: label: Creator
content: Hrdlička, Aleš, 1869-1943
culture: label: Culture
content: Pueblo
label: Culture
content: Omaha
label: Culture
content: Osage
label: Culture
content: Jicarilla Apache
label: Culture
content: Diné (Navajo)
label: Culture
content: Lakota (Teton/Western Sioux)
label: Culture
content: Hopi Pueblo
label: Culture
content: Indians of North America -- Great Plains
label: Culture
content: Mongols
label: Culture
content: Indians of North America -- Southwest, New
bioghist: label: Biographical/Historical note
content: Ales Hrdlicka (1869-1943) was born in Czechoslovakia and came to the United States at the age of thirteen. Originally trained in medicine, he developed an interest in physical anthropology while working with the New York State hospitals and researching with the Department of Anthropology in the Pathological Institute of the New York State hospitals. Hrdlicka joined the Hyde Expeditions to the American Southwest and made his own expeditions to study physical characteristics of Southwest tribes. In 1903, he was appointed head of the United States National Museum's newly formed Division of Physical Anthropology.  

In 1912, Hrdlicka planned and directed seven expeditions, gathering information that helped him prepare physical anthropology exhibits for the Panama-California Exposition at San Diego, California (1915). Hrdlicka hired sculptor Frank Micka to make busts of people from around the world to display in the exposition.  While in the field making casts, Micka also took front and profile photographs of subjects. Hrdlicka made his own trip to photograph the people in Urga, Mongolia, making 360 images of Mongolians and some Tibetans for use in the exposition.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 595 Negatives (photographic) (circa, glass and nitrate)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1912-1917
custodhist: label: Custodial History note
content: The negatives in this collection were turned over to the Smithsonian's central photographic laboratory in the early to mid 20th century. They were returned to the Department of Anthropology in 1973.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.PhotoLot.73-26B
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Negatives (photographic)
label: Type
content: Photographs
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies note
content: Digital surrogates are available online.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
otherfindaid: label: Other Finding Aids note
content: Preliminary finding aid available in repository.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: The bulk of the collection consists of photographs commissioned by Ales Hrdlicka for the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, collected 1912-1914.  They include front and profile portraits of Mongols in Urga, Mongolia, as well as Apache, Teton, Hopi, Navajo, Omaha, Osage, and Pueblo people.  There are some full-length portraits of Apaches and views of Southwest Native dwellings, activities, and a dance.  Additionally, there are some images of United States National Museum exhibits and items from the USNM, American Museum of Natural History, and the Royal College of Surgeons in London, some of which were made by Hrdlicka in 1917.
relatedmaterial: label: Location of Other Archival Materials
content: Additional photographs relating to the exposition, including prints of many of these negatives, are held in National Anthropological Archives Photo Lot 8, Photo Lot 9, and Photo Lot 88-25.
label: Location of Other Archival Materials
content: The National Anthropological Archives also holds the Ales Hrdlicka Papers ca. 1887-1943 and his photographs in Photo Lot 8, Photo Lot 24, Photo Lot 70, Photo Lot 78, Photo Lot 97, Photo Lot 73-26G, Photo Lot 83-41, and Photo Lot 92-46.