Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Ronald A. Brooks Papers
- Dates:
- 1962-1986
- Creators:
- Brooks, Ronald Allen
- Abstract:
- Ronald Allen Brooks (1937-circa 1986) was an anthropologist and exhibit designer, including a year of employment in the exhibits department of the Southwest Museum in 1985. This collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, notes, and photocopied articles Brooks wrote or collected from 1932-1986, covering anthropological and linguistic topics, such as orangutans, Niska Indians of the Nass River, Northwest Coast art and archaeology, Northwest Coast fishery history and eulachon or candlefish. This collection includes copies and drafts of the paper "Box of Daylight: Myths of Invention" which Brooks presented at the Third Annual Meeting of the Canadian Ethnology Society in Victoria, British Columbia in February of 1976.
- Extent:
- 2.5 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
Ronald A. Brooks Papers, 1962-1986, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.231; [folder number] [folder title][date].
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, notes, and photocopied articles from Ronald A. Brooks' anthropological and linguistic studies from 1962-1986. Research materials include collected articles and class notes covering many topics in archaeology and linguistics, such as orangutans, Niska Indians of the Nass River, Northwest Coast art and archaeology, Northwest Coast fishery history and eulachon or candlefish.
Brooks' research files sometimes include annotated index cards, correspondence, diagrams, drawings, maps, notes, and photographs. Research materials also include collected publications dating from 1939 and on, and include such publications as Tsimshian Clan and Society by Viola E. Garfield and an undated copy of Makah Stories by Bob Miller. Collected publications also include an autographed copy of Bill Holm's 1985 exhibit catalog, also named Box of Daylight.
This collection includes papers regarding Brooks' participation in the Third Annual Meeting of Canadian Ethnology Society in Victoria, British Columbia in February 1976, copies and drafts of the paper Brooks presented there, "Box of Daylight: Myths of Invention," and correspondence and edits of this manuscript. This collection also includes all of Brooks' university correspondence and paperwork from his attendance at various institutions, including applications and transcripts, as well as notes and exams from lectures and classes. This collection also includes a 1985 resume for exhibition work, listing Dr. Patrick Houlihan as a reference.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Ronald Allen Brooks was born 1937 February 9 in Los Angeles. He studied design and construction technology at Santa Monica College and then studied anthropology at San Francisco State College, where he received his B.A. Brooks then received his M.A. in anthropology from University of California, Davis. Brooks presented his paper "Box of Daylight: Myths of Invention" at the Third Annual Meeting of Canadian Ethnology Society in Victoria, British Columbia in February 1976. Brooks also contributed the definition for "Northwest Coast Art" to Harper and Row's 1976 publication Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Brooks collected extensive research material for his proposed Ph.D. dissertation "Candlefish Run: A Natural Resource for Nativistic Revival, Nass River, British Columbia." His dissertation however was never completed. Brooks combined interests in art and anthropology with his technical skills to work as a museum exhibit curator/designer in the 1970s-1980s, including a year of employment in the exhibits department of the Southwest Museum in 1985. Ron Brooks passed away in 1985 or 1986.
- Acquisition information:
- Donation in the memory of Ronald A. Brooks from Mrs. and Dr. Milo B. Brooks, 1986 April 17.
- Processing information:
-
Processing and finding aid completed by Holly Rose Larson, NHPRC Processing Archivist, 2012 September 10, made possible through grant funding from the National Historical Publications and Records Commissions (NHPRC).
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-10-25 17:48:09 +0000 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
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.
- Terms of access:
-
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.
- Preferred citation:
-
Ronald A. Brooks Papers, 1962-1986, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.231; [folder number] [folder title][date].
- Location of this collection:
-
4700 Western Heritage WayLos Angeles, CA 90027, US
- Contact:
- (747) 201-8448