Description
Frances Emma Watkins, born 1899 December 27 and died circa 1987, was an anthropologist specializing in the American Southwest,
publishing mostly in the 1930s and 1940s. Watkins was an employee of the Southwest Museum of the American Indian from 1930
to the mid-1950s. This collection, spanning from 1855-1968, includes the manuscripts, personal papers, research notes and
publications by Frances E. Watkins, as well as manuscripts, research materials, and publications that she collected. There
are extensive materials on Charles Fletcher Lummis and George Wharton James, including correspondence, manuscripts, and clippings
both by and about them. This collection also includes travel brochures and publications on California and the Southwest from
1930-1960.
Background
Frances Emma Watkins was born on 1899 December 27 in Denver, Colorado. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from University
of Denver in 1929, specializing in archaeology and anthropology. While earning her degree, Watkins participated in a 1928
School of American Research excavation at Jemez, New Mexico under Dr. Edgar L. Hewett. After graduation in 1929, Watkins joined
Isabel Kelly and Eva Horner to do field work in a program sponsored by the Laboratory of Anthropology in New Mexico. The group
of three women directed an excavation at Tecolote in New Mexico under the tutelage of Dr. Alfred V. Kidder. It was possibly
the first excavation directed by an all-female team.
Extent
18 Linear Feet
(32 boxes)
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is
given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include
or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Availability
Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit https://theautry.org/research-collections/library-and-archives
and fill out the Researcher Application Form.