Don Hill collection, 20th century, bulk 1973-1980

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Summary

Creators:
Hill, Donald R., 1939-
Abstract:
This collection consists of materials amassed during the later half of the 20th century and the early 21st century by Professor of Anthropology and Ethnomusicology Don Hill, including postcards depicting cultural scenes from Africa, the Americas, and Europe, lantern slides, and paintings by Carribbean artist Canute Caliste. The collection also includes original research notes from field work conducted by Hill in the Carribbean during 1970s.
Extent:
24.73 linear feet (14 document boxes, 1 half-size document box, 12 flat boxes, 8 shoe boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Don Hill collection, PA Mss 118. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

The Don Hill collection consists of a mix of materials and primary sources previously owned by Professor Don Hill, an expert in anthropology and ethnomusicology pertaining to the cultures of Africa and the Americas. Amassed during the later half of the 20th century and the early 21st century, this collection of ethnographic postcards, field notes, art, and early modern media is unique in its content and scope.

The ethnographic postcards collected through Hill's years of travel and research, range from the early 20th century to the modern era. They are printed on a variety of card stock (linen, carboard, and chrome), and contain a myriad of cultural images that are geographically specific to regions visited. In addition to these postcards, the collection contains Hill's field notes, civic records, and journal entries. These include observations and scenes from the areas visited while traveling and producing ethnomusicological field recordings. They have been typed on notebook card stock, and are organized by date and location. Also included are a collection of 31 magic lantern slides from a variety of publishers dating back to the early 20th century.

Furthermore, the collection incorporates 58 paintings (oil on board) by Canute Caliste (1914-2005) a 20th century naive painter from Grenada. The subjects of these paintings depict everyday life and political struggles on the island of Carriacou. Hill purchased many of these paintings in the 1970s while working on a doctoral thesis about the artist.

Biographical / historical:

Ethnomusicologist and sound recording producer, Donald Hill served as Curator of Education at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City from 1973. Hill received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from Indiana University in 1973, and was professor at the State University of New York from 1978. Teaching courses in anthropology, Caribbean folklore, ethnomusicology, and Africana Studies, Hill contributed to the annotation, recording, research, and production of 42 albums, some of which were chosen to be included in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. An expert in his field, Hill contributed to film documentaries, public radio broadcasts, and other media in his field. His collection of 5,000 78 rpm records represents a comprehensive study of music from Africa, the Caribbean, the United States, and South Africa. During his travels and research, Hill amassed a large collection of approximately 2,700 ethnographic postcards depicting scenes of everyday lives from the different cultures he visited. In addition to a career in education and music, Hill authored four books pertaining to the subjects of ethnomusicology and anthropology, including Caribbean Folklore: A Handbook (Greenwood Press, October 2007), "Music in the African Diaspora in the Americas" in Encyclopedia of Diasporas: Immigrant and Refugee Cultures Around the World, (2005), and "West Indian Rhythm: Trinidad Calypsos on World and Local Events – Featuring the Censored Recordings 1938-1940." Hill was the co-complier of a 10 CD set of 270 calypsos recorded in Trinidad between 1938 and 1940, for Bear Family Records in Germany (2006), which won the ARSC Award for discography in 2007.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Don Hill, 2016, 2017.
Arrangement:

The collection has been organized into the following series: 1. Postcards, 2. Field Notes, 3. Lantern Slides, 4. Paintings. 5. 2017 Addition.

Physical location:
Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Don Hill collection, PA Mss 118. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:
UC Santa Barbara Library
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
Contact:
(805) 893-3062
special@library.ucsb.edu
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