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Arnold Leonard and Trude Scarlett Epstein Papers
MSS 22
MSS 22
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Title: Arnold Leonard and Trude Scarlett Epstein Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 22
Contributing Institution:
Mandeville Special Collections Library
La Jolla, California 92093-0175
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
11.4 Linear feet
26 archives boxes, 12 oversize folders
Date (inclusive): 1949-1995
Abstract: Papers of anthropologists Arnold Leonard and Trude Scarlett Epstein. The accession processed in 1985 contains field notes
and produce market studies compiled by Arnold and Trude Scarlett Epstein between 1959 and 1961. The materials detail the lives
of the Tolai people from the Island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea. Topics covered include beliefs and customs, marriage
and kinship, economic, business, and government structures. Also included are statistical reports such as census reports and
produce market studies. The materials are arranged in two series: 1) FIELD NOTES and 2) PRODUCE MARKET STUDIES. (Note: A portion
of the 1984 additions have been microfilmed and is available on microfiche no x798 No. 0031 in the UCSD Geisel Library.) The
accession processed in 1993 includes correspondence, field notes, research materials, writings, and maps. The Arnold Epstein
portion of the collection includes field notes made in Zambia during the 1950s and 1960s that focus on government, communities,
unions and laws; notes from meetings of the African National Congress of Northern Rhodesia (1953-1954); and, information on
the 1968 election process of the Tolai people on Matupit, Papua New Guinea. The Trude Epstein portion of the collection focuses
on economic conditions and market trends of the Tolai people in the 1950s and 1960s. Both portions of the collection document
social and political structures of the Tolai people. The materials date from 1949-1981 and are arranged in nine series: 1)
CORRESPONDENCE, 2) FIELD NOTES - A.L. EPSTEIN, 3) RESEARCH MATERIALS - A.L. EPSTEIN, 4) WRITINGS - A.L. EPSTEIN, 5) FIELD
NOTES - T.S. EPSTEIN, 6) ANALYTICAL STUDIES AND SURVEYS - T.S. EPSTEIN, 7) WRITINGS - T.S. EPSTEIN, 8) WRITINGS OF OTHERS
- T.S. EPSTEIN, and 9) MAPS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA. The accessions processed in 1999 are solely representative of A. L. Epstein
and include correspondence, writings, talks and seminar presentations, field notes on Tolai marriage, and biographical materials.
The accessions are arranged in five series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE - A.L. EPSTEIN, 2) WRITINGS - A.L. EPSTEIN, 3) TALKS AND SEMINAR
PRESENTATIONS - A.L. EPSTEIN, 4) FIELD NOTES - A.L. EPSTEIN, and 5) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS.
Creator:
Epstein, A.L., (Arnold Leonard)
Creator:
Epstein, T. Scarlett, (Trude Scarlett)
Scope and Content of Collection
Accession Processed in 1985
The Arnold Leonard and Trude Scarlet Epstein Papers consist primarily of field notes and other data compiled by the husband
and wife anthropological team. Compiled between 1959 and 1961, the notes cover a wide variety of topics regarding the Tolai
people of Matupit, an island in the East New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea. Topics include beliefs and customs, marriage
and kinship, economy and business, and governmental structures.
SERIES 1: FIELD NOTES
The first series, FIELD NOTES, is arranged in the original order that the Epsteins utilized. This original order is alphabetical
by subject, and chronological thereafter. Titles for each date are also noted. Additionally, all wording and capitalization/punctuation
used by the Epsteins has been retained.
SERIES 2: PRODUCE MARKET STUDIES
The second series, PRODUCE MARKET STUDIES, consists primarily of statistical records (e.g. census reports) for specific villages
in Matupit. Again, the original arrangement has been maintained, with some folders containing information for more than one
village. Also included in this series are the computer tapes which were used to compile the data from these studies, as well
as computer print-outs and other explanatory materials.
A portion of this collection has been microfilmed and is available on microfiche number x798 No. 0031 in the UCSD Geisel Library.
Accessions Processed in 1993
The accessions processed in 1993 to the Arnold Leonard and Trude Scarlett Epstein Papers consist of correspondence, field
notes, research materials, writings, and maps. The papers span the years 1949-1981 with the bulk of the material dating from
the 1950s and 1960s. The accession occupies 8.8 linear feet and is arranged in nine series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE 2) FIELD NOTES
- A.L. EPSTEIN, 3) RESEARCH MATERIALS - A.L. EPSTEIN, 4) WRITINGS - A.L. EPSTEIN, 5) FIELD NOTES - T.S. EPSTEIN, 6) ANALYTICAL
STUDIES AND SURVEYS - T.S. EPSTEIN, 7) WRITINGS - T.S. EPSTEIN, 8) WRITINGS BY OTHERS, and 9) MAPS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.
The A.L. Epstein portion of the collection is a rich source of unique materials that describe the political and social structure
of peoples in Zambia during the 1950s and 1960s, with a focus on government, community, unions, and law. Also included in
the A.L. Epstein papers are notes from meetings of the African National Congress of Northern Rhodesia (1953-1954), and information
on the 1968 election process on Matupit, Papua New Guinea. The T.S. Epstein portion of the papers also provide information
on the political and social structure of the Tolai people from the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea in the 1950s
and 1960s, but particular emphasis is on economic conditions and trends in this region.
SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE
The first series, CORRESPONDENCE, is arranged in two subseries: A) Family Correspondence and B) A.L. Epstein Correspondence.
The first subseries, Family Correspondence , contains letters written by and to the immediate family members of T.S. and A.L.
Epstein. The majority of the letters are written by Scarlett to her husband in the years 1959-1968. The second subseries,
A.L. Epstein Correspondence, contains both professional and personal letters written to A.L. Epstein between 1952 and 1989.
Of particular interest are the letters written by anthropology professor Max Gluckman of the University Manchester. He was
a mentor and close friend to both Scarlett and Arnold. This series is arranged alphabetically by author.
SERIES 2: FIELD NOTES - A.L. EPSTEIN
The second series, FIELD NOTES - A.L. EPSTEIN, is arranged in four subseries according to the region that the field notes
cover. All of these field notes were produced during the years 1951-1957. The subseries are as follows: A) African National
Congress, Northern Rhodesia; B) Bemba People, Zambia; C) Luanshya, Zambia; and, D) Ndola, Zambia. The field notes from Ndola
make up the bulk of this series. These materials are organized alphabetically by subject.
SERIES 3: RESEARCH MATERIALS - A.L. EPSTEIN
The third series, RESEARCH MATERIALS - A.L. EPSTEIN, contains Australian policy statements, manuscripts, notes, and newspaper
clippings. These materials date between the years 1951 and 1970. The majority of the material in this series centers around
an urban court study which A.L. Epstein conducted in Zambia. These papers are arranged alphabetically by subject.
SERIES 4: WRITINGS - A.L. EPSTEIN
The fourth series, WRITINGS - A.L. EPSTEIN, contains correspondence, sales statistics, manuscript papers, reviews and research
materials related to published books and titles by A.L. Epstein. These papers cover the years 1950-1986 and are arranged alphabetically
according to title.
SERIES 5: FIELD NOTES - T.S. EPSTEIN
The fifth series, FIELD NOTES - T.S. EPSTEIN, contains notes on the Tolai people created by T.S. Epstein between 1956-1961.
These papers have been divided into three subseries: A) Economic, B) Political, and C) Sociological and are arranged alphabetically
by subject.
SERIES 6: ANALYTICAL STUDIES AND SURVEYS - T.S. EPSTEIN
The sixth series contains charts, statistics, tables, graphs, surveys, and census reports on economic conditions and trends
for several villages on the Gazelle Peninsula. This series is divided into two subseries. The first, Market Studies, contains
materials related directly to the performance of the local markets. The second subseries, Miscellaneous Studies and Surveys
contains materials that are related to the population at large, ie: a census of budgets and fermentary records. These materials
provide information for the years 1947-1971 and are organized alphabetically by subject.
SERIES 7: WRITINGS - T.S. EPSTEIN
The seventh series, WRITINGS - T.S. EPSTEIN, contains typescripts, notecards and some correspondence that relate to small
publications by T.S. Epstein. This series has been arranged alphabetically by subject.
SERIES 8: WRITINGS BY OTHERS - T.S. EPSTEIN
This is a small series that contains only two papers written by W.L. Conroy and J.M. McKinnon that T.S. Epstein seemed to
have used for her own research on Papua New Guinea. This is arranged alphabetically by author.
SERIES 9: MAPS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA
The ninth series contains several extremely detailed maps of regions in Papua New Guinea. The Gazelle Peninsula and the island
of Matupit are heavily represented in this part of the collection.
Accessions Processed in 1999
The accessions processed in 1999 relate exclusively to A.L. Epstein and represent his recent (1985-1995) research and scholarship
on cultures in Papua New Guinea and Africa. Included are notes, correspondence and reviews associated with Epstein's journal
articles and books; correspondence with family members, friends and colleagues; talks and seminar presentations on research
in Northern Rhodesia and southern Africa; a single field notebook on Tolai marriage (1986); and, miscellaneous materials.
The accessions are arranged in five series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE - A.L. EPSTEIN, 2) WRITINGS - A.L. EPSTEIN, 3) TALKS AND SEMINAR
PRESENTATIONS - A.L. EPSTEIN, 4) FIELD NOTES - A.L. EPSTEIN, and 5) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS - A.L. EPSTEIN.
BIOGRAPHY - A.L. EPSTEIN
Arnold Leonard (Bill) Epstein, anthropologist, professor and writer, was born in Liverpool, England, on September 13, 1924.
He served in the Royal Navy during the war. In 1944, he received a law degree from Queen's University in Belfast, Northern
Ireland, and a doctorate in social anthropology from the University of Manchester in 1955. His post-doctoral research (1950-1956)
at the Rhodes-Livingstone Institute in Lansaka, Northern Rhodesia, involved the study of African native tribal law.
After returning to England, Epstein worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Manchester (1957-1958) where met
his future wife, Trude Scarlett Trent. Together they undertook a study of Tolai culture on the island of New Britain, Papua
New Guinea. They first went to Rapitok, then to Matupit, where Epstein studied the legal, political and social structure of
the Tolai people. T.S. Epstein continued her own research on the economic affairs of the Gazelle Peninsula. They returned
to England in 1960 and Epstein was appointed as Senior Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Manchester in
1961, where he remained until 1966. He received a fellowship from the Australian National University in Canberra and taught
there from 1966-1972, serving as the Head of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology from 1970-1972.
In 1972, Epstein was appointed professor of social anthropology at the School of African and Asian Studies at the University
of Sussex. In 1974, he received a fellowship from the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.
In 1981, Epstein spent a year at the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies in Wessenaar.
BIOGRAPHY - TRUDE SCARLETT EPSTEIN
Trude Scarlett Epstein, anthropologist, economist and writer, was born on July 13, 1922. She studied economic development
and social change in the Mysore villages of southern India (1954-1956, 1970). She also conducted research on economic structures
of the Gazelle Peninsula in New Britain, Papua New Guinea, during 1959-1960 and 1969-1970.
In 1959, T.S. Epstein was appointed Senior Fellow in the Department of Economics at the Institute of Development Studies,
Australian National University. She remained there until 1972 when she was later appointed professor at the Institute of Development
Studies, University of Sussex in Brighton, England.
Not Available
The typescript of "Melanesian Masquerade: The Male Cult among the Tolai of the Gazelle Peninsula" located in Box 26 is restricted
until 2018.
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Arnold Leonard and Trude Scarlett Epstein Papers, MSS 22. Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Aronoff, Michael
Colson, Elizabeth, 1917-
Devereux, George, 1908-
Epstein, A.L., (Arnold Leonard) -- Archives
Epstein, T. Scarlett, (Trude Scarlett) -- Archives
Firth, Raymond, 1901-2002
Mitchell, Clyde
Tuzin, Donald F.
Ethnology--Papua New Guinea--Matupi Island
Markets -- Papua New Guinea
Matupi Island (Papua New Guinea) -- Social life and customs
Oceania
Produce trade -- Papua New Guinea
Tolai (Melanesian People)