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Henry B. Nicholson papers, 1901-1995 (bulk 1950-1995)
1863
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Table of contents
Title: Henry B. Nicholson papers
Collection number: 1863
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
29.4 linear ft.
(36 document boxes, 2 oversize boxes, 13 cartons.)
Date (bulk): Bulk, 1950-1995
Date (inclusive): 1901-2005 (bulk 1950-1995)
Abstract: Henry Bigger Nicholson (September 5, 1925-March 2, 2007) was Professor and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University
of California, Los Angeles, dedicated to studying Aztec history, art and religion. The Henry Nicholson collection spans almost
the entire 20th century, with the bulk of the material dating between 1950 and 1995. The collection includes his professional
and research papers, photographs of excavations, and documentation of exhibitions curated by Nicholson. A large portion of
the collection consists of photographs, negatives, contact sheets and photocopies of Aztec art and sculpture. Over the course
of his career, Nicholson visited archeological sites, museums and private collections in Mexico, the United States and Europe
compiling photographs of Aztec art and sculpture and bibliographic records for the UCLA Aztec Archive, a computerized image
storage and retrieval system for the Late Post-classic Central Mexican art and sculpture.
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections
for paging information.
Creator:
Henry B. Nicholson
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections. Literary rights, including
copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds
the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold
the copyright.
[Identification of item], Henry B. Nicholson papers (Collection 1863). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young
Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
6651427
Processed by Daniella Perry in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Kelley Wolfe Bachli,
2010.
Additions processed by Kelly Besser, 2013. The additions were minimally processed to facilitate access. Most materials are
in their original folders and retain their original folder titles and organization.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
UCLA University Archives acquired this collection in June, 2010 and May, 2011.
Henry Bigger Nicholson (September 5, 1925-March 2, 2007) was Professor and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University
of California, Los Angeles, dedicated to studying Aztec history, art and religion. Nicholson participated in WWII in Germany
and Philippines (1944-1945), studied at University of California, Berkeley and received his PhD in 1958 from Harvard. He started
his professional career in 1956 at UCLA. He researched the ethnohistory of the Mesoamerican area co-tradition, conducted field
archaeological projects and published over 200 articles and monographs. Nicholson helped excavate Cerro Portezuelo in 1957,
near the ancient shores of Lake Texcoco in Central Mexico (A.D. 350 - 1500, now Mexico City). The Cerro Portezuelo Archives
at UCLA's Fowler Museum of Cultural History is a result of these excavations that were initially started by George Brainerd
(1909-1956). This collection's ceramic objects represent the most complete and unbroken sequence for the region. The National
Science Foundation provided funds to analyze the excavated materials in 1961 and funded several more projects conducted by
Nicholson to catalogue Central Mexico's cultural history.
Over the course of his career, Nicholson visited archeological sites, museums and private collections in Mexico, the United
States and Europe compiling photographs of Aztec art and sculpture and bibliographic records for the UCLA Aztec Archive, a
computerized image storage and retrieval system for the Late Post-classic Central Mexican art and sculpture. He was an associate
editor for parts 3 and 4 of the
Guide to Ethnohistorical Sources, volumes 14 and 15 of the
Handbook of Middle American Indians (1975), and was a co-editor of
The Work of Bernardino de Sahagún with Quiñones Keber (1988). The
Handbook was a collaborative project, sponsored in part by the Library of Congress. Nicholson also helped catalogue other collections
around the country and published several codices and reports on Aztec culture.
The Henry B. Nicholson papers span almost the entire 20th century, with the bulk of the material dating between 1950 and 1995.
The collection includes his professional and research papers, photographs of excavations, and documentation of exhibitions
curated by Nicholson for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). A large portion of the collection consists of photographs,
negatives, contact sheets and photocopies of Aztec art and sculpture. The photographs were taken at public and private collections
in the United States, Europe and Mexico, and were compiled for the UCLA Aztec Archive. Some of these items have related correspondence
from curators and colleagues and discuss acquisition, value, location and interpretations of the items. Several letters are
in Spanish and German, but the primary language throughout the collection is English. Another large portion of the collection
includes working papers and drafts for the
Handbook on Middle American Indians, research notes, articles and papers (original drafts and published) written by other scholars and students.
Arranged in the following series:
- Aztec Archive
- Correspondence
- Articles and Manuscripts by Nicholson
- Articles and Manuscripts by other authors
- Handbook of Middle American Indians
- Academic Coursework and Research Materials
- Grants and Fellowships.
The additions maintain the creator's original order but were not arranged into series. The creator's files are listed by box
number.
Cerro Portezuelo Archives, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, Archaeology Collections Facility, University of California, Los Angeles.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Henry B. Nicholson---Archives.
Anthropologists --California --Archival resources.
Indians of Mexico --Antiquities.