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Ann Chowning Papers
MSS 242
MSS 242
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Table of contents
Title: Ann Chowning Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 242
Contributing Institution:
Mandeville Special Collections Library
La Jolla, California 92093-0175
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
2.4 lin. ft.
6 archives boxes
Date (inclusive): 1957 - 1994
Abstract: Papers of Ann Chowning, American anthropologist, related to her fieldwork in Papua New Guinea among the Molima people of Milne
Bay Province on Fergusson Island in 1957-1958 and 1975-1976, the Sengseng people of West New Britain Province in 1962-1966
and 1980-1981, and the Kove people of West New Britain Province in 1966-1968 and 1975-1976. Included are typescripts of field
notes organized according to George Murdock's Human Relations Area Files arrangement, language notes largely comprising Sengseng
vocabulary lists, essays by Chowning, and 35mm color slides documenting daily life, customs, song performances, and dance
of people in West New Britain Province. The slides are complimentary to those found in Jane Goodale Papers (MSS 643) and cover
those times when Chowning conducted joint fieldwork with her friend and co-fieldworker Jane Goodale in 1963-1964.
Creator:
Chowning, Martha Ann
Scope and Content of the Collection
The Ann Chowning papers relate to some of Chowning's work in Papua New Guinea. The files included with this accession mainly
pertain to her fieldwork among the Molima (Milne Bay Province, Fergusson Island, 1957-1958 and 1975-1976), the Sengseng (West
New Britain, 1962-1966, and 1980-1981), and the Kove (West New Britain, 1966-1968 and 1975-1976) peoples. Materials contain
Murdock's human relations area files, language notes, essays, and slides. The writings by Chowning are based on her long-term
fieldwork conducted in West New Britain Province from 1954 through 1992. A significant part of this collection is slide materials
from nearly 240 rolls taken while in West New Britain in 1963-1964. The slides cover those occasions when Chowning was doing
joint fieldwork with Jane Goodale, her friend and co-fieldworker, who was working at that time among the Kaulong people in
Umbi of West New Britain.
The collection is arranged in four series: 1) HUMAN RELATIONS AREA FILES, 2) LANGUAGE NOTES, 3) WRITINGS BY CHOWNING, and
4) SLIDES.
SERIES 1: HUMAN RELATIONS AREA FILES
The HUMAN RELATIONS AREA FILES series contains typescript notes and photocopies of typescript notes extracted from field notes
and compiled by Chowning according to subject categories described in George Murdock's classification system for cultural
anthropology. Chowning brought together all pages dealing with a particular aspect of culture and compiled them preserving
the chronological order in which they appear in her field notes. Compiled notes are extracted from field notes written while
Chowning was among the Molima people of Milne Bay Province in 1957-1958 and 1975-1976, the Sengseng people in West New Britain
Province in 1962-1966 and 1980-1981, and the Kove people of West New Britain in 1966-1968 and 1975-1976. The files are arranged
in three subseries: A) Molima Materials, B) Sengseng Materials, and C) Kove Materials. Each subseries is arranged in numerical
order according to numbers assigned to subject categories used in Murdock's classification system.
SERIES 2: LANGUAGE NOTES
The LANGUAGE NOTES series documents Chowning's study of Sengseng language in the field and contains handwritten and typewritten
notes with vocabulary lists extracted from notebooks. The series is arranged in alphabetical order.
SERIES 3: WRITINGS BY CHOWNING
The WRITINGS BY CHOWNING contains published and unpublished writings arranged in two subseries: A) General Writings and B)
Grant Reports. The General Writings subseries contains typescripts and reprints of articles on various aspects of Melanesian
culture, as well as typescripts of papers given at various conferences and meetings. The subseries is arranged alphabetically
by title. The Grant Reports subseries consists of progress reports written to various granting agencies, including the National
Science Foundation, and is arranged chronologically.
SERIES 4: SLIDES
The SLIDES series contains 35mm color slides and documents the joint fieldwork of Chowning and her co-fieldworker Jane Goodale
in 1963-1964 while in New Britain. The slides were largely made when Chowning visited her friend in Umbi or on occasions when
they traveled together from their field sites to nearby communities for the observation of rituals and celebrations. The slides
are complementary to those found in Jane Goodale Papers (MSS 643) and document daily life, costumes, rituals, song performances,
and dance. The series is arranged numerically using roll numbers assigned by Chowning.
Ann Chowning, American anthropologist, received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from
the University of Pennsylvania. Her doctoral thesis was based on her 1954-1956 fieldwork with the Lakalai people of West New
Britain Province, Papua New Guinea. She retired as professor of anthropology at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
Earlier she taught at Bryn Mawr and Barnard Colleges in Pennsylvania and at the University of Papua New Guinea, and was a
senior research fellow at the Australian National University. She carried out long-term fieldwork in four distinct Papua New
Guinea societies from 1954 through 1992. Studied groups included the Lakalai of West New Britain Province, the Molima of Milne
Bay Province on Fergusson Island, the Sengseng of West New Britain Province, and the Kove of West New Britain Province. She
studied economic and religious organization, beliefs, practices and relations. Chowning especially focused on Austronesian
languages and their comparative aspects, on folklore and religion, and on patterns of insanity.
Ann Chowning Papers, MSS 242. Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD.
Not Available
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Chowning, Martha Ann -- Archives
Anthropology--Melanesia
Anthropology--Oceania
Kove (Papua New Guinean people)
Milne Bay Province (Papua New Guinea) -- Social life and customs
Molima (Papua New Guinean people)
Oceania -- Anthropology
Sengseng (Papua New Guinean people)
West New Britain Province (Papua New Guinea) -- Social life and customs