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Size | 5.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 3,700 items) |
Abstract | George Edwin Stuart is a white archaeologist, collector, cartographer, writer, editor, administrator, and scholar of the ancient Maya. He received a BS in geology from the University of South Carolina (1956), an MA in anthropology from George Washington University (1970), and a PhD in anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1975). Stuart participated in archeological excavations in South Carolina and Georgia, 1952-1958. After 1958, he concentrated on the Maya and other Mesoamerican civilizations, conducting field work in the Yucatan and Quintana Roo, Mexico. From 1960 to 1998, Stuart worked at the National Geographic Society, serving as Vice President for Research and Exploration, Chair of the Society's Committee for Research and Exploration, and Senior Assistant Editor for National Geographic Magazine. In addition to authoring numerous books, articles, and research reports, Stuart lectured at George Washington University, Catholic University, and Duke University. In 1998, Stuart and his wife Melinda founded the Boundary End Archaeology Research Center (formerly the Center for Maya Research) in Barnardsville, N.C. As of 2006, the Center housed a library, antiquities, and other materials related to the ancient Maya and the archaeology of the southeastern United States. Materials collected by George Stuart include papers related to several early Maya scholars and archaeologists, such as M. Latour Allard, Guillermo Dupaix, Edward King (Lord Kingsborough), Augustus Le Plongeon, William H. Prescott, Ephraim George Squier, John Lloyd Stephens, and Jean Frederic Waldeck; papers related to archaeologists of the southeastern United States, such as John P. Rogan and Cyrus Thomas; papers concerning the history of South Carolina, specifically Camden, S.C.; Civil War and Confederate papers, including engravings, newspapers, and miscellaneous documents; and other items, such as an 1869 diary of polar explorer Adolphus Greely written while traveling in the United States, letterhead of Adolf Hitler, a 1939 issue of Family Circle featuring the first published notice of Gone With the Wind, and the first issue of People Magazine. Also included are selected eighteenth and nineteenth-century newspapers from Hartford, Conn., Philadelphia, Pa., and Oneida, N.Y., and 1864-1866 newspapers from Campeche, Carmen, Merida, and Yucatan, Mexico. There is also a collection of copies of Augustus Le Plongeon and Alice Dixon Le Plongeon photographs compiled by archaeologist Lawrence G. Desmond. The photographs depict Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and other pre-Columbian archeological sites in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Belize, 1873-1885. Also included are the papers of Jerome O. Kilmartin, a surveyor who mapped Chichen Itza and other Maya sites in the 1920s. The Kilmartin materials, 1922-2002, contain correspondence, diaries, photographs, and other items related to mapping projects at Chichen Itza, Mexico, and Lake Peten and Tikal, Guatemala, sponsored by the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Included is material relating to a 1929 flight over the Yucatan area by Charles Lindbergh and Mayanist Alfred Vincent Kidder. There are also papers of brothers William Law, printer and commission merchant, and Andrew Law, musician and composer, both of Cheshire, Conn. These materials, 1782-1820, consist mostly of letters written to the brothers. Letters to Andrew Law deal largely with the success of his singing schools and the sale of his tune-books. Other letters, especially from Drayton M. Curtis, offer criticism of Law's innovative staff-less notation style and his modification of popular hymns. Letters to William Law, representing Minturn and Champlin of New York in Copenhagen, Denmark, and at other ports in Europe during the War of 1812, generally discuss the impact of the war on international trade and the prospects for peace between Great Britain and the United States. |
Creator | Stuart, George E. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: Noah Huffman, November 2006
Encoded by: Noah Huffman, November 2006; Gergana Abernathy, June 2016
Revisions by: Gergana Abernathy, June 2016; Nancy Kaiser, February 2019
Since August 2017, we have added ethnic and racial identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine identity, we rely on self-identification; other information supplied to the repository by collection creators or sources; public records, press accounts, and secondary sources; and contextual information in the collection materials. Omissions of ethnic and racial identities in finding aids created or updated after August 2017 are an indication of insufficient information to make an educated guess or an individual's preference for identity information to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
George Edwin Stuart is a white archaeologist, cartographer, writer, editor, administrator, and scholar of the ancient Maya. He received a BS in geology from the University of South Carolina (1956), an MA in anthropology from George Washington University (1970), and a PhD in anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1975). Between 1952 and 1958, Stuart participated in archeological excavations in South Carolina and Georgia. After 1958, he began to concentrate on Mesoamerican and Maya archaeology and conducted field work in the Yucatan and Quintana Roo, Mexico. From 1960 to 1998, Stuart worked at the National Geographic Society serving as Vice President for Research and Exploration, Chair of the Society's Committee for Research and Exploration, and Senior Assistant Editor for National Geographic Magazine . In addition to authoring numerous books, articles, and research reports, Stuart lectured at George Washington University, Catholic University, and Duke University. He authored a general book on Maya culture, Lost Kingdoms of the Maya (1993). After retiring from the National Geographic Society in 1998, Stuart and his wife Melinda founded the Boundary End Archaeology Research Center (formerly the Center for Maya Research) in Barnardsville, N.C. As of 2006, the Center housed a library, antiquities, and other materials related to Stuart's research on the ancient Maya and the archaeology of the southeastern United States. Stuart's son, David Stuart, is an expert on the written language of the ancient Maya and a Professor of Mesoamerican Art and Writing at the University of Texas at Austin.
Back to TopMaterials collected by George Stuart, a white archaeologist, cartographer, writer, editor, administrator, and scholar of the ancient Maya, include papers related to several early Maya scholars and archaeologists, such as M. Latour Allard, Guillermo Dupaix, Edward King (Lord Kingsborough), Augustus Le Plongeon, William H. Prescott, Ephraim George Squier, John Lloyd Stephens, and Jean Frederic Waldeck; papers related to archaeologists of the southeastern United States, such as John P. Rogan and Cyrus Thomas; papers concerning the history of South Carolina, specifically Camden, S.C.; Civil War and Confederate papers, including engravings, newspapers, and miscellaneous documents; and other items, such as an 1869 diary of polar explorer Adolphus Greely, letterhead of Adolf Hitler, a 1939 issue of Family Circle featuring the first published notice of Gone With the Wind, and the first issue of People Magazine. Also included are selected eighteenth and nineteenth-century newspapers from Hartford, Conn., Philadelphia, Pa., and Oneida, N.Y., and newspapers from Campeche, Carmen, Merida, and Yucatan, Mexico from 1864 to 1866. There is also a large collection of copies of Augustus Le Plongeon and Alice Dixon Le Plongeon photographs compiled by archaeologist Lawrence G. Desmond. Augustus Le Plongeon (1826-1908) and Alice Dixon Le Plongeon photographed Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and other pre-Columbian archeological sites of the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Belize between 1873 and 1885. The Le Plongeon materials include photographic prints, negatives, slides, catalogs, and correspondence between Lawrence Desmond and George Stuart, to whom Desmond donated the photographic collection in 2001. In addition, Stuart acquired the papers of Jerome O. Kilmartin, a surveyor who mapped Chichen Itza and other Maya sites in the 1920s, and the papers of printer and commission merchant William Law and his brother, composer Andrew Law, both of Cheshire, Conn. Materials in the Kilmartin Collection, 1922-2002, include correspondence, diaries, and photographs related to mapping projects at Chichen Itza, Mexico, and Lake Peten, Guatemala, and Tikal, Guatemala, sponsored by the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Included is material relating to a 1929 flight over the Yucatan area by Charles Lindbergh and Mayanist Alfred Vincent Kidder. Materials in the William and Andrew Law Papers, 1782-1820, consist mostly of letters written to the brothers. Letters to Andrew Law deal largely with the success of his singing schools and the sale of his tune-books. Other letters, especially from Drayton M. Curtis, offer criticism of Law's innovative staff-less notation style and his modification of popular hymns. Letters to merchant William Law representing Minturn and Champlin of New York in Copenhagen, Denmark, and at other ports in Europe during the War of 1812, generally discuss the impact of the war on international trade and the prospects for peace between Great Britain and the United States. Correspondents of William Law include associates of Minturn and Champlin, commission merchants of New York; agents of other merchants in Europe; cargo ship captains; and financiers.
Back to TopArrangement: chronological.
Items collected by George Stuart relating to prominent archaeologists and the history of archaeology in Mexico and the southeastern United States.
Folder 1 |
Guillermo Dupaix: Document, 1805Between 1805 and 1809, Guillermo Dupaix explored and researched indigenous artifacts in Mexico under the sponsorship of King Carlos IV. A 27 February 1805 document (in Spanish) issued in Guadalajara, Mexico, authorizes Dupaix to conduct his archeological research and appears to be signed by several Mexican officials. |
Folder 2 |
Yucatan: Printed document, 1815Document in Spanish headed "El Rey" that appears to be a proclamation of the King of Spain issued to the Spanish colonial governor of the Yucatan. |
Folder 3 |
Jean Frederic Waldeck sketches, circa 1820-1830Three annotated pencil sketches of Mayan antiquities from the Lord Kingsborough collection accompanied by a 23 September 1848 letter from historian William H. Prescott to anthropologist Ephraim George Squier regarding a loan from the Kingsborough collection. |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/1 |
Edward King (Lord Kingsborough) manuscripts, circa 1820-1830Edward King, Lord Kingsborough, author of Antiquities of Mexico (1829) , was a scholar of early Mesoamerican civilizations and culture. Several bound manuscripts, probably authored by Kingsborough, describe Mesoamerican antiquities and customs. There are also notes on biblical texts as they relate to Mesoamericans, as Kingsborough believed that ancient Mexicans descended from one of the "Lost Tribes of Israel." Also included is a list of items in the Latour-Allard collection of Mexican antiquities. |
Folder 4 |
Ephraim George Squier: Letters of Recommendation, 1849A book containing several letters of recommendation for anthropologist Ephraim George Squier to conduct research in Central America. Recommenders include members of the New York Historical Society, William H. Prescott, Edward Everett, Washington Irving, George Folsom, Washington Hunt, Frances Leiber, Alonso Potter, O. H. Marshall, John Lloyd Stephens, Hugh White, G. P. Marsh, H. B. Anthony, William Bebb, Joseph Trumbull, and Jared Sparks. |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/2 |
Biography of John Lloyd Stephens, circa 1855A short handwritten biography of Stephens in Spanish by Crescencio Carrillo y Ancona. |
Folder 5 |
Cyrus ThomasHandwritten report, "How to Dig and Indian Mound," (1883). |
Folder 6 |
John P. Rogan"Notes on Mounds in Georgia" (1880s). Records the location, details, and measurements of Indian mounds primarily in Bartow County, Ga. |
Folder 7 |
Research Reports on Ancient Maya WritingReports 28 and 29 by Michael D. Coe and George Stuart, November 1989. |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/3 |
Weaverville Tribune (Weaverville, N.C.), 8 February 2006Contains an article on the Boundary End Archaeology and Research Center in Barnardsville, N.C., founded by George Stuart. |
Acquisitions Information: Accession 103552
Representational drawing of La Mojarra Stela, a carved monument in southeastern Veracruz State, Mexico; also included are transparencies of elements created from archaeological rubbings of the original.
Oversize Paper Folder OPF-05268/1 |
La Mojarra Stela |
Oversize Paper Folder OPF-05268/2 |
La Mojarra Stela: Transparencies |
Correspondence, newspapers, maps, and other materials collected by George Stuart pertaining to Camden, S.C., and other South Carolina locales. See also folders 19-21 for volumes listing rare books, many of which are about South Carolina.
Folder 8 |
Camden, S.C.Typescript of General Lafayette's reception ceremony in Camden in March 1825; land indenture between Thomas Farr and Joseph Kershaw of Camden, 1776; receipts and other papers related to Camden, 1860s-1875. |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/4 |
Camden, S.C.: NewspapersThe Camden Confederate, 21 August 1863 and 4 September 1863. #05268, Series 2. South Carolina Papers, 1776-1875., Opaper OP-5268/4Camden Journal and Confederate, 10 March 1865 #05268, Series 2. South Carolina Papers, 1776-1875., Opaper OP-5268/4 |
Framed Item FI-5268/1 |
Map of Kershaw District and Camden, S.C., 1825. |
Folder 9 |
Additional South Carolina materialsCorrespondence, official papers, land indentures, checks, and other papers collected by George Stuart from Columbia, Charleston, and other locations in South Carolina. Of interest is a 13 December 1862 letter from Professor John LeConte to F. W. Pickens regarding a lead mine in Spartanburg, S.C. |
Correspondence, official papers, receipts, and engravings collected by George Stuart related to the Civil War and the Confederate States of America.
Folder 10 |
Correspondence, receipts, and other papers, 1861-1864Items include a list of officers under the command of Brigadier General Barnard E. Bee killed during the battles of Manassas, Cold Harbor, Atlanta, and Secessionville, S.C.; various special orders issued by the Confederate States of America; lists of supplies and market prices; and various receipts. |
Folder 11 |
EngravingsEngravings of Jefferson Davis, Joseph E. Johnston, Robert E. Lee., Louis McLane, Benedict Arnold, and Charles Lee. Engravings of Davis, Johnston, and Lee are by E. A. Pollard. |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/5 |
Civil War era newspapers, 1863-1865The Tri-Weekly Mercury (Charleston, S.C.), 21 April 1863 #05268, Series 3. Civil War Papers, 1861-1864., Opaper OP-5268/5New York Tribune, 4 April 1865 #05268, Series 3. Civil War Papers, 1861-1864., Opaper OP-5268/5 |
Manuscripts, printed matter, and other materials collected by George Stuart.
Folder 12 |
Correspondence, autographs, receipts, and fragments, 1792-1949A 1792 letter from Benjamin Hodges to Captain Nichols; a 1796 letter from Newport, R.I.; a signature of Huey Long; a 1949 letter from Bernard M. Baruch to George Stuart; and other papers and fragments. |
Folder 13 |
Deed, 1733Deed for land from Daniel Hall, blacksmith, of Barnstable County, Massachusetts Bay Colony, to David Hall of Worcester County. |
Folder 14 |
The Balance and Columbia Repository (1804) |
Folder 15 |
Printed matterThe Comic Almanac (1859) #05268, Series 4. Other Papers, 1733-1974., Folder 15The Farmers' and Planters' Almanac (1861) #05268, Series 4. Other Papers, 1733-1974., Folder 15 |
Folder 16 |
Adolphus Greely Diary, 1869Original diary of polar explorer Adolphus Greely. Contains daily entries from 1 January 1869 to 14 September 1869 describing Greely's travels to Fort Greble, Washington, D.C.; Chicago, Ill.; Omaha, Neb.; Fort D.A. Russell, Wyoming Territory; Fort Sedgwick, Colorado Territory; and Newburyport, Mass. Greely also recorded his New Year's resolutions, which included "to write to Mother at least once per week, to spend at least one hour per day in useful reading and study," and "to endeavor to cease swearing." |
Folder 17 |
MagazinesFamily Circle, 30 June 1939, featuring the first published notice of Gone With the Wind. #05268, Series 4. Other Papers, 1733-1974., Folder 17People, 4 March 1974 (first issue). #05268, Series 4. Other Papers, 1733-1974., Folder 17 |
Folder 18 |
Adolf Hitler: Letterhead |
Folder 19-21
Folder 19Folder 20Folder 21 |
George Stuart: Record books, circa 1950sTwo volumes listing titles, descriptions, and prices for a number of rare books, mostly related to South Carolina history. A third book contains several transcribed letters from eighteenth and nineteenth-century South Carolina. |
Folder 22 |
Pope Gregory IFour leaves from an early printed book (in Italian). |
Folder 23 |
FlagA handmade Confederate flag with eleven stars and three stripes. |
Folder 64 |
Friendship autograph book of Cora M. Alford, 1858-1881Addition of June 2016 (Acc. 102611). A bound volume with pre-printed illustrations largely containing notes of farewell to Cora M. Alford dating from 1858-1859. A number of signees list themselves as being in Bastrop, Tex., and at the Bastrop Military Institute and refer to school days spent together with Cora. |
Arrangement: chronological.
Oversize Paper OP-5268/6 |
The Connecticut Journal, 2 November 1791 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/7 |
General Advertiser (Philadelphia, Pa.), 8 August 1808 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/8 |
Poulson's American Daily Advertiser (Philadelphia, Pa.), 10 December 1818 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/9 |
Patriot and Democrat (Hartford, Conn.), 24 December 1840 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/10 |
The Circular (Oneida, N.Y., and Wallingford, Conn.), 17 December 1864 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/11 |
Philadelphia Evening Telegraph, 13 August 1869 |
Arrangement: chronological.
Newspapers from Campeche, Carmen, Merida, and Yucatan, Mexico.
Oversize Paper OP-5268/12-53
OP-5268/12OP-5268/13OP-5268/14OP-5268/15OP-5268/16OP-5268/17OP-5268/18OP-5268/19OP-5268/20OP-5268/21OP-5268/22OP-5268/23OP-5268/24OP-5268/25OP-5268/26OP-5268/27OP-5268/28OP-5268/29OP-5268/30OP-5268/31OP-5268/32OP-5268/33OP-5268/34OP-5268/35OP-5268/36OP-5268/37OP-5268/38OP-5268/39OP-5268/40OP-5268/41OP-5268/42OP-5268/43OP-5268/44OP-5268/45OP-5268/46OP-5268/47OP-5268/48OP-5268/49OP-5268/50OP-5268/51OP-5268/52OP-5268/53 |
Campeche, Mexico: La Restauracion: Periodico Oficial del Departamento de Campeche , 6 January 1865-13 March 1866 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/54-69
OP-5268/54OP-5268/55OP-5268/56OP-5268/57OP-5268/58OP-5268/59OP-5268/60OP-5268/61OP-5268/62OP-5268/63OP-5268/64OP-5268/65OP-5268/66OP-5268/67OP-5268/68OP-5268/69 |
Carmen, Mexico: La Bandera Nacional: Periodico Oficial del Gobierno del Territorio del Carmen , 13 August 1864-22 April 1865 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/70-79
OP-5268/70OP-5268/71OP-5268/72OP-5268/73OP-5268/74OP-5268/75OP-5268/76OP-5268/77OP-5268/78OP-5268/79 |
Merida, Mexico: Periodico Oficial del Departamento de Merida, 3 March 1865-24 March 1865 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/80-122
OP-5268/80OP-5268/81OP-5268/82OP-5268/83OP-5268/84OP-5268/85OP-5268/86OP-5268/87OP-5268/88OP-5268/89OP-5268/90OP-5268/91OP-5268/92OP-5268/93OP-5268/94OP-5268/95OP-5268/96OP-5268/97OP-5268/98OP-5268/99OP-5268/100OP-5268/101OP-5268/102OP-5268/103OP-5268/104OP-5268/105OP-5268/106OP-5268/107OP-5268/108OP-5268/109OP-5268/110OP-5268/111OP-5268/112OP-5268/113OP-5268/114OP-5268/115OP-5268/116OP-5268/117OP-5268/118OP-5268/119OP-5268/120OP-5268/121OP-5268/122 |
Yucatan, Mexico: Periodico Oficial del Departamento de Yucatan , 31 July 1865-20 December 1865 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/123 |
Photocopies of various Mexican newspapers |
A collection of duplicates of Alice Dixon Le Plongeon and Augustus Le Plongeon photographs compiled by archaeologist Lawrence G. Desmond with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The original photos are located in the American Museum of Natural History, the Getty Research Institute for the History of Art and Humanities, the Peabody Museum of Harvard University, and the Philosophical Research Society. Augustus Le Plongeon, 1826-1908, and Alice Dixon Le Plongeon, 1851-1910, were both professional photographers and scholars of Mayan civilization. Between 1873 and 1885, the Le Plongeons systematically photographed Chichen Itza and other pre-Columbian archeological sites of the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Belize despite the ongoing political turmoil in the region. Many of their photographs depict ruins and structures that have changed considerably in the century since the images were captured. In addition to ruins, the Le Plongeons also photographed the people, landscape, and colonial architecture in these areas. Materials in this collection include photographic prints, negatives, slides, catalogs, and correspondence between Desmond and George Stuart, to whom Desmond donated the collection in 2001.
Catalogs, correspondence, and other papers concerning the Le Plongeon photographic collection.
Acquisitions Information: Accession 100780
Correspondence, National Endowment for the Humanities grant drafts, and a catalog relating to Larry Desmond's gift of Le Plongeoniana photographs given to the Center for Maya Research.
Box 13 |
Papers, 1985-2004 |
Arrangement: by type.
Duplicates of photographic prints, negatives, and slides of photographs originally taken by Augustus Le Plongeon and Alice Dixon Le Plongeon during their research trips to the Yucatan region of Mexico from 1873 to 1885. The photographs primarily depict Maya and other pre-Columbian archaeological sites in Chichen Itza, Uxmal, and elsewhere in the Yucatan. There are also photographs of site workers and other people of the area. Original photographs are located in the American Museum of Natural History, the Getty Research Institute for the History of Art and Humanities, the Peabody Museum of Harvard University, and the Philosophical Research Society.
Image Folder P-5268/1-46
P-5268/1P-5268/2P-5268/3P-5268/4P-5268/5P-5268/6P-5268/7P-5268/8P-5268/9P-5268/10P-5268/11P-5268/12P-5268/13P-5268/14P-5268/15P-5268/16P-5268/17P-5268/18P-5268/19P-5268/20P-5268/21P-5268/22P-5268/23P-5268/24P-5268/25P-5268/26P-5268/27P-5268/28P-5268/29P-5268/30P-5268/31P-5268/32P-5268/33P-5268/34P-5268/35P-5268/36P-5268/37P-5268/38P-5268/39P-5268/40P-5268/41P-5268/42P-5268/43P-5268/44P-5268/45P-5268/46 |
Photographic prints, negatives, and slides, 1979-2001 |
Oversize Paper OP-5268/124 |
Color reproductions of a Maya codex |
Arrangement: chronological.
Jerome O. Kilmartin was a surveyor employed by the United States Geological Survey and the Carnegie Institution of Washington. During the 1920s, Kilmartin mapped archaeological sites of the Maya for the Carnegie Institution. These sites included Lake Peten, Guatemala (near Tikal), and Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico. In the 1950s and 1960s, he served as an advisor to the Tikal Project, a project to map and excavate Maya ruins at Tikal, Guatemala, organized by the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania. Materials in the collection include Kilmartin's correspondence with associates of the Carnegie Institution such as Sylvanus G. Morley, Oliver Ricketson Jr., and Witherow A. Love, as well as with other Mayanists such as Alfred V. Kidder and Michael D. Coe. Also included are a diary kept by Kilmartin while at Chichen Itza, 1923-1924; correspondence regarding the Tikal Project, 1950s-1960s; reports; topographical maps of Chichen Itza and Tikal; and photographs of ruins and artifacts at Chichen Itza, 1923-1929.
Materials include correspondence regarding Kilmartin's mapping work at Lake Peten, Guatemala, and Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico, for the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1922-1929; diaries, 1923-1924, 1927-1928; correspondence regarding survey work in Tikal, Guatemala, 1956-1969; and other correspondence, reports, and clippings.
Folder 35 |
Lake Peten Survey: Correspondence, 1922Notice saying that Kilmartin is to conduct a topographical survey to determine the shoreline of Lake Peten before the arrival of the Spanish. |
Folder 36 |
Lake Peten and Chichen Itza Surveys: Correspondence, 1923Correspondence mostly with Sylvanus G. Morley of the Carnegie Institution of Washington regarding Kilmartin's topographical survey work at Lake Peten, Guatemala, and Chichen Itza in Yucatan, Mexico. Letters discuss travel to the area, living conditions, equipment, and salaries. Other correspondents include Oliver Ricketson Jr. and Witherow A. Love. |
Folder 37 |
Chichen Itza Survey: Diary, 1922-1923Kilmartin describes his travels in Puerto Rico, Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico, as well as his survey work at Chichen Itza during the fall and winter of 1923. Entries from December 1923 discuss the ongoing socialist revolution in Yucatan led by Felipe Carillo Puerto and its effect on Kilmartin's survey work. On December 12, Kilmartin wrote "I hardly think that the revolution will reach here, but you never know." |
Folder 38 |
Chichen Itza Survey: Correspondence, 1924Correspondence with Sylvanus Morley and others at the Carnegie Institution of Washington regarding field work at Chichen Itza. |
Folder 39 |
Chichen Itza Survey: Correspondence, 1925 |
Folder 40 |
Chichen Itza Survey: Correspondence, 1926 |
Folder 41 |
Diary, 1927-1928Kilmartin discussed his travels and survey work in Hawaii and elsewhere in the United States for the United States Geological Survey. |
Folder 42 |
Chichen Itza Survey: Correspondence, 1928At the request of Sylvanus G. Morley, Kilmartin returned to Chichen Itza in winter 1928/1929 to oversee work at the site for the Carnegie Institution of Washington. |
Folder 43 |
Chichen Itza Survey: Correspondence, 1929Letters from Sylvanus G. Morley and Oliver Ricketson Jr. discuss field work at Chichen Itza. In a 15 October 1929 letter, Ricketson described a reconnaissance flight over the Yucatan area with Charles A. Lindbergh and A. V. Kidder. "It is one hell of a country as seen from the air," Ricketson wrote. |
Folder 44 |
Chichen Itza Survey: Photocopies of Correspondence, 1922-1929Photocopies of all of Kilmartin's correspondence pertaining to his survey work with the Carnegie Institution of Washington. |
Folder 45 |
Correspondence, 1931-1950Letters from Sylvanus G. Morley and others discussing the Carnegie Institution's ongoing field work in Mexico. |
Folder 46 |
Tikal Project: Correspondence, 1956-1958In 1956 the University Museum of the University of Pennsylvania organized the Tikal Project to map and excavate Maya ruins at Tikal, Guatemala. Kilmartin served as an unofficial advisor to the surveying component of the project. Correspondence with archaeologist Harry D. Pollock, Tikal Project field director Edwin Shook, and others concerns surveying activities at Tikal and the hiring of Robert Carr to complete a topographical map of the area. |
Folder 47 |
Tikal Project: Correspondence, 1959 |
Folder 48 |
Tikal Project: Correspondence, 1960 |
Folder 49 |
Tikal Project: Correspondence, 1961Letters from Edwin Shook and William R. Coe discussing mapping work at Tikal and Kilmartin's planned visit to the site. |
Folder 50 |
Tikal Project: Correspondence, 1962-1964Letters from Edwin Shook regarding the successful completion of the Tikal map. |
Folder 51 |
Tikal Project: Correspondence, 1965-1969 |
Folder 52 |
Correspondence, 1973-1977In a 21 April 1975, letter Kilmartin discussed the contents of his personal papers and reminisced about his experiences at Lake Peten and Chichen Itza. |
Folder 53 |
ReportsSeveral reports and inventories of USGS records pertaining to survey work in Guatemala and Mexico. |
Folder 54 |
Personal materialLove-letters, poems, greeting cards, and invitations received by Kilmartin from friends and admirers. Also included is a notebook kept by Kilmartin that contains quotations, poems, and selections from literature. |
Folder 55 |
ClippingsClippings concerning Kilmartin's career, Mayan archaeology, and other topics of interest to him. |
Materials include photographs and negatives of the Lake Peten area and the Chichen Itza site, 1922-1929. Some images are annotated and depict Maya ruins, artifacts, field work, and locals. Also included are aerial photographs of the Tikal area; topographical maps of Lake Peten, Chichen Itza, and Tikal; an original print of Robert E. Lee, 1864; and several photographs of Beatrice Igoe of Summersville, S.C., presumably an admirer of Kilmartin.
Image Folder P-5268/47 |
Chichen Itza: Photographs, 1923-1929Photographs of ruins and field work at the Chichen Itza site. Some photographs depict nearby towns. |
Image Folder P-5268/48 |
Chichen Itza: Negatives, 1923-1929 |
Image Folder P-5268/49 |
Tikal: Photographs, circa 1950sNine mounted photos of the Tikal archaeological site depicting ruins and field work. |
Image Folder P-5268/50 |
Tikal: Aerial photographs, 1954 |
Image Folder P-5268/51 |
Topographical maps, 1923-1959Topographical maps of Lake Peten, Guatemala, 1923, and Chichen Itza, 1924,1935, prepared by Kilmartin. Also included are 1959 maps of Tikal prepared by surveyors associated with the University of Pennsylvania's Tikal Project. |
Image Folder P-5268/52 |
Robert E. Lee: Photographic print, 1864Original 1864 print of General Robert E. Lee given to Kilmartin by Otis Fitchett in August, 1954. A note on the reverse gives the provenance of the photo. |
Image Folder P-5268/53 |
Personal photographs, 1919-1955Two photographs of Beatrice Igoe ("Trixy") of Summersville, S.C., presumably an admirer of Kilmartin, and photographs of other friends and acquaintances. |
Arrangement: chronological.
William Law and Andrew Law, 1749-1821, were brothers and natives of Cheshire, Conn. Andrew Law was an ordained minister in the Congregational and Presbyterian churches, but was best known as a composer and teacher of music. During his career, Andrew Law established numerous singing schools throughout New England and oversaw apprentice singing masters at schools across the middle South. In addition to teaching, Law published several collections of hymns and other tune-books including Select Harmony (1782) and The Rudiments of Music. In his publications, Law implemented a staffless shape-notation style, an innovation that he thought would revolutionize printed music. Despite his best efforts at self-promotion, Law's staffless notation drew the ire of most musicians and ultimately curtailed sales of many of his works. Even so, Law was one of the most prolific and publicized American composers of his era.
William Law, unlike his brother, spent most of his career as a representative of various American shipping interests in European and Oriental trade. As an agent of commission merchants Minturn and Champlin of New York, Law oversaw the activities of the merchant vessels Alexander Mansfield and the Lion from posts in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Sweden. During the War of 1812 and the ongoing conflicts in Europe that stifled international trade, Law struggled to preserve his company's shipping interests. In late 1814, Minturn and Champlin sold the Alexander Mansfield and the Lion, and discontinued their relationship with Law, fearing that the continued prospect of war would bankrupt their shipping interests abroad.
Materials in the collection consist mostly of letters to William and Andrew Law. Letters to Andrew Law deal largely with the success of his singing schools and the sale of his tune-books. Other letters, especially from Drayton M. Curtis, offer criticism of Law's notation style and his modification of popular hymns. Letters to William Law in Copenhagen, Denmark, and elsewhere in Europe during the War of 1812 generally discuss the impact of the war on shipping interests and the prospects for peace. Some letters discuss the prices of goods such as coffee, tea, and sugar, and others concern prevailing exchange rates among European countries. Correspondents include associates of Minturn and Champlin of New York, as well as agents of other commission merchants in London, ship captains, and financiers.
Folder 56 |
Correspondence, 29 September 1791-9 September 1792Letters from Thomas Atwill in Baltimore to Andrew Law discussing Atwill's troubled attempts to sell Law's tune-books. Law accused Atwill of mismanaging his interests and pocketing money from his book sales. |
Folder 57 |
Correspondence, 12 April 1799-9 December 1813Letters to William and Andrew Law. Of note is a 14 August 1804 letter from William Law near Chambersburg, Pa., to Jesse Atwater in which Law discussed the prevalence of disease in the area. "It was never half as sickly here before," Law wrote. "It has spread over a large part of the country." Other items include registration papers dated 11 March 1812 and 4 April 1812 for the cargo vessels Alexander Mansfield and the Lion at the Port of New York and the Port of Philadelphia, respectively. A 20 July 1813 letter from J. Cuthbert to William Law in Copenhagen notes "the departure of the Emperor from Paris," the removal of the Swedish army from Berlin, and the arrival of Lord Wellington at Bayonne. Cuthbert also discussed a naval battle between the Chesapeake and the Shannon "in which the captain of the Chesapeake was killed being run through with a pike in attempting to board." Although there was a temporary armistice, according to Cuthbert, "it is expected that hostilities will recommence immediately." |
Folder 58 |
Correspondence, 9 February 1814-15 July 1814Mostly letters to William Law in Copenhagen, Denmark, although there are some copies of letters sent by Law. Letters generally discuss the impact of hostilities on trade, the sale of the cargo vessels Alexander Mansfield and the Lion, and peace negotiations between Great Britain and the United States. In an 11 June 1814 letter, W. J. Willink of Amsterdam noted that accounts from New York indicated that the embargo may be removed. He also gave an account of trade goods in his care and prices on coffee, sugar, cotton, pepper, tobacco, and iron. In a 15 July 1814 letter, commission merchants Minturn and Champlin of New York advised Law that if hostilities continued the company's merchant vessels should be sold, but if peace were restored, they should be maintained. |
Folder 59 |
Correspondence, 13 September 1814-10 December 1814Mostly letters to William Law in Copenhagen, Denmark, concerning shipping interests and the prospect of peace between Great Britain and the United States. Letters address peace negotiations at Ghent and the sale of the vessels Alexander Mansfield and the Lion to W. John Minturn. In a 28 September 1814 letter to Law, Minturn and Champlin wrote that the continuance of the war "has reduced to a state of bankruptcy a great portion of our merchants and destroyed almost entirely all mercantile confidence." A 10 December 1814 letter from Drayton M. Curtis of Chillicothe, Ohio, to Andrew Law discussed the progress of singing school in the region and the acceptance of Law's tune-books. Curtis criticized Law at length for his alteration of "many old favorite tunes," but noted that "we hope to see an entire reformation in singing." |
Folder 60 |
Correspondence, 5 January 1815-1 November 1815Letters to William and Andrew Law concern William's merchant business and Andrew's music publications respectively. Correspondence with William Law discussed the prospects for peace between Great Britain and the United States at Ghent and the effect that peace will have on international trade. An 18 February 1815 letter from John O. Rainals in Copenhagen to William Law in London noted that "the return of blessings of peace between Great Britain and the United States we hope will give new life to trade." Letters from Drayton M. Curtis to Andrew Law offer criticism of Law's tune-books and notation style. In a 2 March 1815 letter, Curtis wrote that "concerning your plan of music, I am far from convinced that it will be eventually found a real improvement." Curtis also noted that Law's "radical notation" style was "not good for those who play on instruments." |
Folder 61 |
Correspondence, 20 March 1816-25 March 1820Mostly letters to Andrew Law regarding his printed music. Correspondents include Drayton M. Curtis of Chillicothe, Ohio, and D. H. Mason of Philadelphia. A 30 July 1819 letter from William Law to Andrew Law discussed their father's business affairs in New England and other disputes over land. |
Folder 62 |
Andrew Law: Receipts, bills, and printed matter, 1782-1820Receipts and invoices for sales of Law's tune-books. Also included is a printed document titled "Testimonials in favor of the new method of noting and printing music" that includes quotes from professors of music at Dartmouth College, Windsor, Vermont, and New York. There is also a printed "List of principal assessors in the U.S. and Post Offices by which they are to be addressed." |
Folder 63 |
William Law: Financial papers, 1782-1813Financial papers related to William Law's employment as a representative of Minturn and Champlin, commission merchants of New York. Items include an account of payments made to William Law for use of the cargo ship Alexander Mansfield from 1812 to 1813, and accounts of Adam Champlin for expenses incurred in Copenhagen, 1812-1813. |