The Art of Collecting: Charles Pearcy Mountford

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Author(s)
May, Sally K
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2008
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Charles Pearcy Mountford (1890–1976) is often underestimated as a professional and museum collector. His (almost accidental) involve-ment in the disciplines of anthropology and archaeology, and his contribution to the formation of museum/art gallery collections of Indigenous Australian objects, was extensive and controversial. In particular, his focus on the collection of works of art by Aboriginal art-ists has meant that today most Australian capital city art galleries and museums hold and exhibit examples of the so-called ‘Mountford barks’. Yet, given his lack of formal anthropological training, his research and collecting ...
View more >Charles Pearcy Mountford (1890–1976) is often underestimated as a professional and museum collector. His (almost accidental) involve-ment in the disciplines of anthropology and archaeology, and his contribution to the formation of museum/art gallery collections of Indigenous Australian objects, was extensive and controversial. In particular, his focus on the collection of works of art by Aboriginal art-ists has meant that today most Australian capital city art galleries and museums hold and exhibit examples of the so-called ‘Mountford barks’. Yet, given his lack of formal anthropological training, his research and collecting was always destined to attract controversy. Mountford was ostracised by the anthropological fraternity for being an untrained amateur anthropologist—really just a collector. He did, however, have his supporters in the Commonwealth Government of Australia, the National Geographic Society and numerous overseas institutions. The mutually beneficial relationships he formed with these institutions led to a long career as photographer, anthropolo-gist, expedition leader and collector. In this chapter I discuss Charles Mountford’s career and focus on the 1948 American–Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land (AASEAL) as a case study of his collecting strategies.
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View more >Charles Pearcy Mountford (1890–1976) is often underestimated as a professional and museum collector. His (almost accidental) involve-ment in the disciplines of anthropology and archaeology, and his contribution to the formation of museum/art gallery collections of Indigenous Australian objects, was extensive and controversial. In particular, his focus on the collection of works of art by Aboriginal art-ists has meant that today most Australian capital city art galleries and museums hold and exhibit examples of the so-called ‘Mountford barks’. Yet, given his lack of formal anthropological training, his research and collecting was always destined to attract controversy. Mountford was ostracised by the anthropological fraternity for being an untrained amateur anthropologist—really just a collector. He did, however, have his supporters in the Commonwealth Government of Australia, the National Geographic Society and numerous overseas institutions. The mutually beneficial relationships he formed with these institutions led to a long career as photographer, anthropolo-gist, expedition leader and collector. In this chapter I discuss Charles Mountford’s career and focus on the 1948 American–Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land (AASEAL) as a case study of his collecting strategies.
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Book Title
The Makers and Making Of Indigenous Australian Museum Collections
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Copyright Statement
© 2008 Melbourne University Press. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the publisher’s website for further information.
Subject
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander archaeology
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander curatorial, archives and museum studies
History