Finding Aid to the Leslie Spier Papers, 1924-1961

Processed by The Bancroft Library staff

The Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000

Phone: (510) 642-6481

Fax: (510) 642-7589

Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu

URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/

Finding Aid to the Leslie Spier Papers, 1924-1961

Collection number: BANC MSS 79/7 c

The Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000

Phone: (510) 642-6481

Fax: (510) 642-7589

Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu

URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/

Finding Aid Author(s):: Processed by The Bancroft Library staff
Finding Aid Encoded By:: GenX

Collection Summary

Collection Title: Leslie Spier Papers

Date (inclusive): 1924-1961

Collection Number: BANC MSS 79/7 c

Creator: Spier, Leslie, 1893-1961

Extent: Number of containers: 2 boxes, 1 carton, 2 card file boxes Linear ft.: 2.5

Repository: The Bancroft Library.

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000

Phone: (510) 642-6481

Fax: (510) 642-7589

Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu

URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/

Abstract: Material relating primarily to American Indians, including correspondence on his research on Indian cradles; comparative notes on ethnography; field notebooks, mainly on the Plains and Klamath Indians; and material relating to Salish Indian weaving.

Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English

Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Information for Researchers

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html .

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Leslie Spier papers, BANC MSS 79/7 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog

Spier, Leslie, 1893-1961--Archives

Anthropology

Cradles

Ethnology

Indian textile fabrics--North America

Indians of North America

Indians of North America--Music

Weaving

Administrative Information

Processed by Bancroft staff.

Scope and Content

Leslie Spier, anthropologist, was born on December 13, 1893, in New York City where he grew up, graduating with an engineering degree from the College of the City of New York in 1915. After meeting Franz Boas, however, he went on to obtain a doctorate in anthropology from Columbia University in 1920. While still a graduate student he was named Assistant Anthropologist at the American Museum of Natural History, a position he retained until 1920, when he came to Berkeley as lecturer and acting curator in the Museum of Anthropology at the University of California.

Spier's first field trip, during his stay with the American Museum, took him to the Southwest, an area he was to explore in much greater depth during ensuing years. He also assisted in intensive field studies of the Plains Indian tribes, analyzing and summarizing the data of all the field workers.

Upon leaving California where he stayed only one year, Spier went on to the Universities of Washington, Oklahoma, and Chicago and then to Yale, resigning from Yale in 1939 to accept a professorship at the University of New Mexico. After his retirement in 1955 he returned to Berkeley in 1960 as a research associate. He died of a heart attack on December 3, 1961.

Spier wrote numerous carefully organized monographs, meticulously documented by extensive field trips. He also served as editor for many important anthropological publications.

His papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Spier's son, Professor Robert F. G. Spier on July 19, 1978. They contain a small amount of correspondence, relating primarily to Spier's research on Indian cradles; comparative notes on ethnography; field notebooks mainly on the Plains and Klamath Indians; notes, text and illustrations for his work on Indian cradles, and materials relating to weaving of the Salish Indians.

Cylinder recordings of Modoc and Klamath songs and phonograph discs transcribed from the cylinders have been transferred to the Department of Anthropology.

Material relating to Spier's work on the Southwest was donated by his son to the University of Arizona at Flagstaff, and his extensive collection of books to the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Partial List of Correspondents

American Museum of Natural History
- 4 letters, 1961, by Harry L. Shapiro and Stanley A. Freed, re Indian cradles in the museum's collection.
Amoss, Harold Lindsay, 1918-
- Letter, Sept. 6, 1947.
  
  See also his notes and a paper on Utes in Box 2.
Brew, John Otis, 1906-

See: Harvard University. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Colorado. State Historical Society
- Letter, July 18, 1961, by Orian L. Lewis re cradles in the Society's collection.
Davis, Mary Aleen
- 3 letters, 1924-1945.
  
  See also paper and notes by her relating to Indian weaving in Box 2.
De Laguna, Frederica
- Letter, [Nov. 1961]
Ellis, Florence May (Hawley)
- Letter, Aug. 9, 1959 re cradles.
Freed, Stanley Arthur

See: American Museum of Natural History
Harvard University. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
- 3 letters, 1961 re cradles in the museum collection. One letter by John O. Brew.
Idaho. State College, Pocatello. Museum
- Letter, July 14, 1961 re cradles in the museum's collection.
Indiana. University
- 2 letters, 1956 re Spier's collection of Klamath and Modoc music.
Kelley, Vincent Cooper, 1904-

See: New Mexico. University.
La Barre, Weston, 1911-
- Letter, July 7, 1936
Lasker, Gabriel Ward, 1912-
- Letter, Oct. 17, 1961
Nettl, Bruno, 1930-
- 6 letters, 1956 re his work with Spier on Klamath music.
  
  See also his paper on that subject in carton
New Mexico. University
- Letter, Sept. 4, 1956, by Vincent C. Kelley.
Shapiro, Harry Lionel, 1902-

See: American Museum of Natural History
Speck, Frank Gouldsmith, 1881-
- 3 postcards, 1939 re cage traps.
Stern, Theodore
- Letter, Feb. 20, 1952 re Klamath Indians. Three articles by him on Klamath Indians also included.
Thompson, Dorothy (Burr), 1900-
- Letter, Dec. 7, 1961 re antique Greek cradles.
Utah. University. Dept. of Anthropology
- 2 letters, 1961, by Gordon L. Grosscup, re cradles in the collection.
Vermeule, Cornelius Clarkson, 1925-
- Postcard, [Nov. 15, 1961]

Container Listing

Correspondence.

box 1

Letters written by Spier. 1924-1961

Content/Description

Mainly carbon copies, relating to his work on the Klamath Indians and their music and to his research on cradles. (One folder)

box 1

Letters written to Spier.

Content/Description

Contain descriptions of Indian cradles in various museums. Arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent. A list of correspondents is appended at the end of the report.

box 1

Obituaries for Spier.

Subject files - mainly field notebooks and notes, all relating to American Indians.

carton 1

Comparative notes A-Z.

Content/Description

These are arranged by subject, containing comparative data for various tribes. (6 folders)

carton 1

Cradles.

Content/Description

Notes, text and illustrations. (6 folders)

carton 1

Kalispel. 1923

Content/Description

Field notebook, 1923. Also includes notes for Wishram, 1924.

Klamath.

carton 1

Field notebooks. 7 v. 1925-1926

carton 1

Field notebooks. 2 v. 1935

Content/Description

Some Modoc material in the first 1935 notebook

carton 1

Notes - miscellaneous.

carton 1

Shamans.

carton 1

Songs (Include paper by Bruno Nettl).

carton 1

Tales: abstracts, copies of tales collected by Alfred Samuel Gatschet, texts for tales collected in (5 folders). 1925-1926, 1935

carton 1

Nisqualli: Field notebooks. 1922

carton 1

Paiutes: 2 printed works by Omer C. Stewart, annotated by Spier.

Plains Indians.

carton 1

Field notebooks on Parfleche decorative designs. 3 v. 1923

carton 1

Maps of the area inhabited by the Plains Indians. Mainly photocopies. Some annotated by Spier to show linguistic families, population distribution, etc.

box 2

Bibliographical material.

box 2

Examination questions.

box 2

Notes.

box 2

Shoshoni.

Content/Description

Printed work by Julian H. Steward, annotated by Spier

box 2

Utes.

Content/Description

Paper and notes by Harold L. Amoss

box 2

Weaving: Notes.

Weaving - Salish (2 folders).

box 2

Paper by M. A. Davis with annotations by Spier; notes by Miss Davis.

box 2

Miscellany.

cardfile 3-4

Comparative notes on tales.

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