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Fortune, Reo Franklin, 1903-1979: Papers

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Date

1865-1981

By

Fortune, Reo Franklin, 1903-1979Fortune, Eileen Margaret, 1903-1978

Reference

MS-Group-0923

Description

This collection comprises the private and family papers of the New Zealand anthropologist Dr Reo Fortune. Includes manuscripts, photographs, maps and research notes, mainly on his main research areas in New Guinea, although there is also material on Burmese tribal groups, Yao society in China and on the Omaha Indians of North America. Fortune's second wife, Eileen Fortune (nee Pope), a copious letter writer, kept detailed diaries, and her papers form a large part of the collection. Fortune was previously married to Margaret Mead (8 Oct 1928, in Auckland) 1928-1935. Also includes books, many heavily annotated, offprints of articles and other printed material.

Much of the material in this collection has been recorded by Fortune in the indigenous languages and dialects of the peoples he was researching. Languages include New Guinean Papuan languages, Chinese, Burmese and the language of the Omaha Indians.

Other - Further correspondence between Reo Fortune and Daniel Carleton Gajdusek is held by the American Philosopical Society, Philadelphia, USA (Gajdusek Papers, B G13j)

Accompanying material - Biographical information held in backfile

Arrangement: The original box listings have been subdivided into 16 series.

Dr Reo Fortune was a New Zealand social anthropologist, received his Masters Degree in Mental and Moral Philosophy from Victoria University College, Wellington; received his Doctorate Degree from Columbia University, USA. Noted as one of the pioneers of social anthropology in Melanesia, Fortune made siginificant contributions in the field of research regarding the Islanders of Papua New Guinea, Omaha Indians of North America, Yao Society in China and the Chin peoples of Burma. Lectured in anthropology at Wolfson College, University of Cambridge, England from 1947 until retirement in 1970.

Quantity: 456 folder(s). 69 volume(s). 3 Hollinger boxes. 9 Linear Metres.

Physical Description: Holographs, mss, typescripts, printed matter, plans, photos

Finding Aids: Preliminary listing available for original accessions.

Provenance: After the death of Reo Fortune in Cambridge, England, Dr Ralph Bulmer collected some 22 boxes of papers from Fortune's house, which he listed roughly and transferred to Mrs B A Mclean, Reo Fortune's daughter and trustee of his estate. Later, another two boxes of papers which had been held at the American Museum of Natural History, New York, were transferred to Mrs Mclean, who donated both collections to the Alexander Turnbull Library. In 2014 a box of further papers were donated to the Library by Mrs McLean.

Transfers: Collection as whole taken into manuscripts, transfer made from here - To Cartographic Collection - Maps and plans of New Guinea and Melanesia 29/01/04 and 20/07/05 - To Drawings & Prints Collection - 9 sketches, 1 architectural plan, 1 rock chip with deposit (curio) 20/07/05 - To Photographic Archive - PA-Group-00254.

Processing information: Archivists notes - Major enhancement of the descriptive records, as well as inclusion of descriptions for Series and individual item records, undertaken by Manuscripts and Archives staff in 2005. Accessions 80-171 and 80-323 have been combined into the collection MS-Group-0923

Access restrictions

No access restrictions

Format

456 folder(s), 69 volume(s), 3 Hollinger boxes, 9 Linear Metres, Research notes, Personal correspondence, Diaries, Notebooks, Pamphlets, Serial publications, Publications (Documents), Photographs, Holographs, mss, typescripts, printed matter, plans, photos

There are 19 sub-groups.
There are 560 items in total.

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