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.

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.

24.73 linear feet (14 document boxes, 1 half-size document box, 12 flat boxes, 8 shoe boxes)

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.

The collection is open for research.