Human Studies Film Archives, National Museum of Natural History

The Human Studies Film Archives is an internationally recognized center devoted to collecting, preserving, documenting and disseminating a broad range of historical and contemporary ethnographic and anthropological moving image materials. The HSFA also collects related documentation including sound recordings, photographs, manuscripts and other associated texts, field notes, camera and sound logs and production logs. Whenever possible, synchronous audio commentaries (annotations) are obtained from the creator, other persons associated with the material, or from an individual with knowledge of the contents. Materials are available for duplication on a case-by-case basis depending on restrictions and other archival issues. 

Highlights: Among the highlights are seminal works of many well known ethnographic filmmakers, including John Marshall's Ju/'hoan Bushman films, Timothy Asch and Napoleon Chagnon's Yanomami film project, David and Judith MacDougall's Turkana Trilogy, portions of the American University Field Staff Faces of Change Series, and Jorge Preloran's ethnobiography films. Films and footage also include unique historical materials such as Joseph Dixon's footage of the Crow Indians (Montana, 1908s); Matthew Stirling's footage used for By Aeroplane to Pygmyland (West Irian, 1927); Melville J. Herskovits' footage shot in Dahomey, the Gold Coast, and Haiti (1931 and 1934); Aloha Baker's footage of the Bororos (Mato Grosso, Brazil, 1930-1931); and Robert Zingg's footage on the Huichol and Tarahumara (northern Mexico, 1933). Of particular interest is an extensive collection of amateur and professional travel and expedition films which reveal much about both the filmmaker and the subject. The collection also contains a wide range of educational films, documentaries, television broadcasts, and outtakes.