James Stuart and Stevey Bruce Papers

Mandeville Special Collections Library
Mandeville Special Collections Library
The UCSD Libraries
9500 Gilman Drive
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California 92093-0175
Phone: (858) 534-2533
Fax: (858) 534-5950
URL: http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/
Copyright 2005
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.


Descriptive Summary

Creator: Bruce, James Stuart
Title: James Stuart and Stevey Bruce Papers,
Date (inclusive): 1957 - 1985
Extent: 2.00 linear feet (2 archives boxes and 2 oversize folders)
Abstract: Papers and photograph collection of James and Stevey Bruce, anthropologists, photographers, and filmmakers, specifically of New Guinea native tribes. The collection contains mainly narratives (scripts) to films of his expeditions, plus many photographs and slides. Bruce made expeditions from 1961 to 1982 to New Guinea to study, photograph, and film tribes inhabiting many of the islands, including the John Frum Cult on Vanuatu Island, a cult based on a belief system around the Gods living in the USA, who are responsible for the "magical" appearance of manufactured items that cannot be fashioned from the jungle or sea; and other tribes inhabiting Malaita, Solomon Islands and tribes in Indonesia. Many of his photographs, taken principally by his wife Stevey Bruce, are of ceremonial dances and rituals and document the ceremonial dress of the native tribes as well as depicting village life.
Repository: University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.
La Jolla, California 92093-0175
Collection number: MSS 0673
Language of Material: Collection materials in English

Access

Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Information

Not Available

Preferred Citation

James Stuart and Stevey Bruce Papers, MSS 0673. Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD.

Publication Rights

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

Biography

James Stuart Bruce was born in Butte, Montana June 12, 1919. At the age of six he and his family moved to the island of Cyprus where his father was the managing director of Cyprus Mines Corporation. James Bruce lived in Cyprus from 1926 to 1938 and spent three years at school in Beirut, Lebanon. He then attended Pomona College and graduated with a B.A. in 1942. From 1942 to 1945, James Bruce served in the Army Corps of Engineers with duty in New Guinea and the Philippines. His service in New Guinea brought him in contact with native tribes and contributed to his interest in studying New Guinea tribes later on in his life. After the war, from 1947 to 1954, James Bruce was self-employed as a ceramic manufacturer in Pasadena, California.
James Bruce had a continuing interest in Melanesian cultures. He traveled to various locations to film, photograph, and study the native populations of New Guinea. One group of natives he documented were members of the John Frum Cult, a culture based on a belief system around the "gods" living in the USA, who are responsible for the "magical" appearance of manufactured items that cannot be fashined from the jungle or seas. During World War II, generous American soldiers with their abundance of goods gave freely to the people and unwittingly helped solidify the beliefs of the cult. He also filmed and photographed tribes on the islands of Malaita and Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. James Bruce published multiple articles in EXPLORERS JOURNAL and PACIFIC MAGAZINE and authored, "BEYOND THE RANGES," published in 1991.
James was married to Stevey Bruce, who traveled with him on many expeditions. She helped with research, filming, and maintaining their expedition diaries.

Scope and Content of Collection

The James and Stevey Bruce papers, arranged in four series, contains scripts, photos and tapes. The scripts correspond with James' videotapes of his expeditions to New Guinea. The photographs are also of his expeditions to New Guinea. Of particular note within the collection are two scrapbooks of color photographs documenting James' expeditions. The papers are arranged in four series: 1) MISCELLANEOUS, 2) FILM SCRIPTS AND VIDEOTAPES, 3) AUDIOCASSETTE TAPES, and 4) PHOTOGRAPHS.
SERIES 1: MISCELLANEOUS
This series contains news clippings, a vita and James' dissertation from UCLA titled "Cargo Cults of the South Seas with a Special Emphasis on the John Frum Cult and the Maasina Cult."
SERIES 2: FILM SCRIPTS AND VIDEOTAPES
This series is arranged in two subseries: A) Scripts and B) Videotapes. The Scripts subseries is a compilation of scripts to the films of James' and Stevey's expeditions to New Guinea. They include scripts (narratives) of films that pertain to James' dissertation on Cargo Cults in the South Seas. The Videotapes subseries includes 3 videos of his travels in New Guinea, titled "The Valley Beyond," "The Island That Time Forgot," and "John Frum Cargo Cult Festival."
SERIES 3: AUDIOCASSETTE TAPES
This series is arranged in two subseries: A) New Guinea Tapes and B) Miscellaneous. The New Guinea Tapes subseries records rituals of, ceremonies of, songs by and interviews with New Guinea natives. The Miscellaneous tapes are more recent conversations between Stevey Bruce and UCSD Melanesian Collection colleagues.
SERIES 4: PHOTOGRAPHS
This series is arranged in three subseries: A) Prints, B) Slides and C) Scrapbooks. The Prints subseries portrays village life as well as natives in ceremonial dress. The Slides sub-series document James' expeditions to New Guinea from James expeditions from 1961 to 1982. The Scrapbook subseries contains two scrapbooks entitled New Guinea and New Guinea Patrol, which document the 1961 expedition to Dutch New Guinea, including Waina Suanda, Amgotro, Poenda, and Oebroeb. The photographs depict ceremonial dances, including a Fertility Dance and Dance of the Dead, as well as pictures of village life.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Bruce, James Stuart -- Archives
Bruce, Stevey -- Archives

Contributors

Bruce, Stevey


 

MISCELLANEOUS

box 1, folder 1

News Clippings: Copies

box 1, folder 2

Thesis 1983

box 1, folder 3

Vita, Lists of Publications, Unpublished Writings and Films 1985

 

FILM SCRIPTS AND VIDEOTAPES

 

Scripts

box 1, folder 4

Scripts, An Account of a Voyage to New Guinea, Manus, New Ireland and New Britain 1957

box 1, folder 5

The Cannibal Murderers of Malaita 1979

box 1, folder 6

Cargo Cults of the South Seas, [1970s]

box 1, folder 7

The Gourdmen of New Guinea 1961

box 1, folder 8

The John Frum Cult [1970s]

box 1, folder 9

John Frum-he came [1970s]

box 1, folder 10

Lost in the Jimi River

box 1, folder 11

Land Divers of Pentecost 1985

box 1, folder 12

Naghol. The Tower (Synopsis) 1983

box 1, folder 13

New Guinea Highlands 1963

box 1, folder 14

New Guinea patrol 1961

box 1, folder 15

Rebellion on Vanuatu 1981

box 1, folder 16

The Solomon Islands 1979

box 1, folder 17

The Valley Beyond 1963

box 1, folder 18

A Walk in the Jimi Valley 1979

box 1, folder 19

Whatever Happened to Mike? [re. Michael Rockefeller] 1975

 

Videotapes

box 1, folder 20

"John Frum Cargo Cult Festival"

box 1, folder 21

"The Island That Time Forgot"

box 2, folder 1

"The Valley Beyond"

 

AUDIO CASSETTE TAPES

 

New Guinea Tapes

box 3, folder 1

Singing by Girls at our house, Shellmoney Story, Bride Money Lionel Fagasi 1979

box 3, folder 2

Sing Sing Lae, George Washington, Turnem Head

box 3, folder 3

New Guinea, Tuareg Music

box 3, folder 4

Dance of School in Wairokai, Story of Former Cannibal, Talk to Chief George Washington, Completo 1979

box 3, folder 5

Mille Wall-Bouganville, Merle Wall, Leve (Carver) Munda 1970 - 1979

box 3, folder 6

Interview with Reverend John Gina Munda, Solomon Islands, St. Joseph's Cathedral Kieta Bouganville 1970 - 1979

box 3, folder 7

1st Story Luke Sosota, End John Gina Music, Tal of Battles and Maasina Rule by Sgt. Vouza 1979

box 3, folder 8

Kava Talk, Tanna, Bungalow's Talk with Tanna 1980

box 3, folder 9

Interview with Tuk, Tuk Interview Tanna 1980

box 3, folder 10

Pentecost Ceremony 1982

 

Miscellaneous

box 3, folder 11

Tape #4, User Copy

box 3, folder 12

Tape 2, Stevey Bruce 2000

box 3, folder 13

Stevey Bruce, Conversation with Stevey Bruce, Joel Robbins, Kathy Creely 2000

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

 

Prints

box 4, folder 1

Photographs of Artifacts

box 4, folder 2

Malaita, Solomon Islands

box 4, folder 3

New Guinea 1981

box 4, folder 4

New Guinea (Dutch New Guinea/Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea)

box 4, folder 5

Vanuatu-Pentecost

box 4, folder 6

Vanuatu-Tanna Island

 

Slides

box 4, folder 7

Papua New Guinea-Amgotor and Waina 1961

box 4, folder 8

Papua New Guinea 1963

box 4, folder 9

Papua New Guinea 1966 - 1975

box 4, folder 10

Solomon Islands, Especially Malaita 1979

box 4, folder 11

Vanuatu-Pentecost (Island) 1982

box 4, folder 12

Vanuatu-Tanna, John Frum Cult Sulphur Bay 1977 - 1981

 

Scrapbooks

box 5, folder 1, oversize FB4421

Scrapbooks: New Guinea Patrol 1966 - 1968

box 5, folder 2, oversize FB4422

Scrapbooks: New Guinea 1961