Herbert Basedow photographs and drawings relating to Aboriginal Australians, ca. 1890-ca. 1930

PXA 1685/Boxes 1-2
PXD 1286/Boxes 1-5
PXE 1440/Boxes1-4
PXX 83

fonds

ca. 1890-ca. 1930

Graphic Materials, Photographs, Drawings, Watercolours

1017327

Approx. 1700 photographs - 50.5 x 58 cm and smaller
178 drawings - watercolour and pen & ink : - 294 x 77 cm and smaller

Herbert Basedow , 1881-1933 was an anthropologist, geologist, explorer and medical practitioner. He took part in geological, exploratory and medical relief expeditions to central and northern Australia during which he took photographs and recorded the traditional way of life of Aboriginal Australians.
Reference:
Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7, 1979

PXD 1286/Box 1
(32 mounted photographs and one drawing)
Includes photographs from:
The Mackay Exploring Expedition, Central Australia. 1926
The Mackay Exploring Expedition, Arnhem Land, 1928
Third Medical Relief Expedition, 1920

1. Wongapitcha Tribesman
2. Injinniga, the Rain-Maker
3. [Aboriginal woman]
4. Central Mt Stuart
5. Native Corrobborie South Australia (watercolour)
6. Portraits of Truganini, William Lanne, Bessy Clarke, Napperty, and Patty
7. A New Waterhole known as Weakottu discovered at Giles' Ruined Rampart
8. Expedition Caravan Crossing Sandy Desert
9. South Australian Medical Relief Expedition in Central Australia
10. Mount Kinguana
11. Mount Nangorru
12. New Species of the Corkscrew Palm
13. Paperbark Thicket, Arnhem Land
14. A cavern at the base of Ayers Rock
15. Camp at the base of Ayers Rock
16. Indigenous Fan Palm Grove, Macdonnell Ranges
17. Aluridja Hunters stalking Kangaroo
18. Aluridja Hunter climbing gum tree in search of Witchedy Grub
19. Women of the Interior Arnhem Land with large plaited baskets
20. Wet Weather Hut of the unmarried men, Headwaters of Liverpool River
21. Bark Hut, Goonandera Tribe, Headwaters of Liverpool River
22. Mother and Child, Liverpool River
23. Natives of ther Kakta Tribe spearing fish, Billabong Alligator River
24. Caves of the tablelands of the Interior of Arnhem Land
25. Waterlily Lagoon, Interior of Arnhem Land
26. Scene on the "Supposed Cadell River", Arnhem Land
27. Morning Reflections, Interior of Arnhem Land
28. Stevenson's Peak
29. Mount Olga
30. Dinosaur Hill
31. Katututa Springs at Mount Olga
32. Ayers Rock
33. Caverns at the foot of Ayers Rock

PXD 1286/Box 2 RESTRICTED
Sacred Ceremonies (14 mounted photographs)

Bringing Death to the Enemy by "Pointing the Bone"
Tooth-Rapping Ceremony
Forcing the Gum from the Tooth prior to the Removal of Tooth
Wild Dog Ceremony
Mallee Hen Ceremony
Opening a Vein in the Forearm
Collecting Blood in a Shield
A Sacred Ground Drawing
The Tribal Guardian of the Ancestral Emu Totem
Preparing for the "Nam" Ceremony
Headgear used during a Sacred Ceremony
[Untitled]
Dressing for the Arrekutja (Old Woman) Ceremony
Dressed for a Ceremonial Dance

PXD 1286/Box 3
(22 mounted photographs)
Includes photographs from the Second Medical Relief Expedition, 1920.

Fire Worshipper
Medicine Man
Shaping Stone Spear
Ideas of Beauty
Fire Making
Depot Tree at which a Relief Expedition awaited for 4 Months [for] the Return of the Ill-Fated Burke and Wills Expedition
"Burke's Tree." Cooper River
Sand Ridge. Lake Eyre District
Sturt's Stony Desert or "The Gibbers"
Nullabor Plains, South Australia
Typical Mound Spring, Central Australia
South Australian Medical Relief Expedition En Route
Medical Relief caravan
9 Photographs of Aboriginal Australians advertising Dr Basedow's Lantern Lecture, Semaphore Town Hall, 13 October

PXD 1286/Box 4
Photographs for the Government North West Prospecting Expedition, 1903 (1 album of approx. 245 photographs)
Includes a photocopy of “Records of Exposures” detailing date & time; Subject; Lens; Light; & Exposure for these photographs. Original held at: 1903; `Records of Exposures' (Locn No.: MLMSS 161 / 5 / Item 5)

PXD 1286/Box 5
(25 mounted photographs)
Includes photographs, 1920s, reproduced in 'The Australian Aboriginal' / by Herbert Basedow 1925.
Also includes photographs from 1923 Vice-Regal trip to central Australia with SA Governor, Sir Thomas Bridges

Climbing [a tree] (3 copies)
Making Boomerang
Aboriginal Carpenter making a Spear-Thrower
Rendering Dance Music
Fighting with "Kutturu"
Aluridja Belle wearing Nose-stick
The "Animal Crawl"
Digging "Yelka"
Cleaning "Yelca"
Aluridja Warriors
Members of the Aluridja Tribe. Central Australia
The Governor (Sir Thomas Bridges) planting a tree at Arltunga
The Old Well at Winneckes Depot
At the Alice Springs Hotel
Bogged on Burt Plains North of MacDonnell Ranges
Spinifex and Mallee Desert south west of MacDonnell Ranges
Indigenous Fan Palms. Krichauff Range
Chambers Pillar
Crown Point
Natural Wall of Stone. MacDonnell Range
Potholes in Finke River Bed
Castle Hill. Central Australia
Bubbling Artesian Spring. Central Australia


PXA 1685/Box 1
Expeditions (13 folders with approx. 500 photographs)
1. 1903. Government North-West Expedition (see also Box 5)
2. 1905. South Australian Govt. Geological Expedition to ‘Top End’.
3. 1911-1913. Bathurst Island, Northern Territory. Photos taken on Bathurst Island and of artefacts.
4. 1916. Expedition of Exploration in North-Western Australia
5. 1919. First Medical Relief Expedition, North-Eastern South Australia. (See PXB 263 which includes photographs from this expedition)
6. 1920. Second Medical Relief Expedition, Port Augusta, S.A. to Eucla W.A.
7. 1920. Third Medical Relief Expedition, Port Augusta S.A. to Charlotte Waters, Hermannsburg, Alice Springs & Arltunga. (See also Box 1)
8. 1922. Mararao Expedition to Victoria River N.T. district. Includes photographs of Victoria River Downs station.

9. 1923. Vice-regal Expedition to Central Australia with the Governor of South Australia, Sir Thomas Bridges. (See PXB 263 which includes photographs from this expedition)
10a & b. 1926. Mackay Exploring Expedition in Central Australia. Mainly photographs of rock paintings and carvings. (See also Box 1)
11. 1928. Mackay Exploring Expedition to Arnhem Land. Includes photographs of rock paintings. (See also Box 1)
12. Glacial Till, Yellow Cliff, Finke River, N.T., 1920
13. Plates in 'The Australian Aboriginal'

PXA 1685/Box 2
(16 folders with 558 photographs and 4 tracings)
1. Ivaratji "Princess Amelia"
2. Medical Album
3. Photographs in The Australian Aboriginal / by Herbert Basedow, 1925
4. Photographs of paintings
5. Photographs possibly taken by Basedow
6. Photographs probably not taken by Basedow. Includes various locations and many portraits, including Eddie Gilbert "the famous cricketer of Queensland", Rev. George Taplin, Rev. Gribble, Archie Giles, George Augustus Robinson.
7. Photographs published in Knights of the Boomerang / by Herbert Basedow, 1935
8a, b & c. Photographs taken by Paul Foelsche, late 1800s. Folesche was police inspector in Darwin. Portraits of Aboriginal Australians.
9. Photographs - various publications. Mainly Aboriginal tools and relics.
10. Postcards. Includes portraits of Aboriginal Australians.
11. Prints of photographs taken by W. B. Spencer or F. J. Gillen. Includes portraits and groups of Aboriginal Australians.
12. Prints of photographs taken in the Katherine area, N.T. Includes photographs of individuals and groups, rock and bark drawings, and tree graves.
13. Rock Engraving, Northern Territory.
14. Rock Engravings, Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Includes 4 tracings.
15. Undated photographs by Basedow. Includes portraits and group portraits and photographs of sculptures by Jim Kite.
16. Unndela and Tjikanna. Two Aboriginal girls/young women who lived in the Basedow home from 1920 to ca. 1933.


PXE 1440/Box 1
(38 photographs, chiefly mounted plus 1 printed illustration)
The photographs mounted on brown card were all taken on the 1926 Mackay Exploring Expedition in Central Australia. These photographs were taken by Basedow as were most of the portraits. None of the other photographs in this box, mainly of Aboriginal Australians, were taken by Basedow, except possibly the one showing the glaciated rock surface but this print is not labelled in Basedow’s hand.

Includes group portraits showing:
Herbert Basedow
Frank Feast; Bert Oliffe, Donald Mackay, Herbert Basedow
Expedition assistants – Kaiditj men
Bert Oliffe; Frank Feast
Basedow’s dog

PXE 1440/Box 2 - RESTRICTED
(1 album with 110 photographs & 13 folders with 104 loose photographs)
1. Album of medical photographs
2. Burials. Flinders Ranges, S.A.; Fulham Park, Adelaide; Kimberley, W.A.
3. Restricted photographs not taken by Basedow.
4. Secret ceremonies, 1905, 1920-1924. Include tooth rapping, phallic objects, string cross, bone pointing, circumcision

PXE 1440/Box 3
(55 photographs, 1 print)
1. "Calvert Expedition prints".
2. Photographs of an expedition to Northern Territory & South Australia. (not one of Basedow's expeditions)
3. Portraits of missionaries to interior of Australia: John Carrruthers; Moorehouse; Jupirt Mossman (i.e. Mosman)
4. Miscellaneous photographs. Include Torres Straits people; preparing kava in Fiji; Deeburg Creek[?] Aboriginal cricket team ("Ipswich" and team members inscribed in pencil below image); Wesleyan church in valley; original church at German Station (Nundah).

PXE 1440/Box 4
Art work (approx. 150 drawings)
Drawings, pen & ink, (probably by Basedow) for plates in various publications. Mainly implements, weapons, rock drawings.


PXX 83/Folder 1
Tracings of rock carvings mounted on 15 mylar sheets. Subjects include human figures, kangaroos and lizards.

PXX 83/Folder 2
Aboriginal drawings on linen paper (nos 3 to 7 are signed by Basedow).
1 & 2. Rock drawings at Cave Hill, Musgrave Range, Central Australia, by W.R. Murray, 1901
3. Ochre drawings, Forrest River, North Western Australia, 1914
4. Charcoal drawings of ceremonial dance and natives hunting buffalo and spearing kangaroos etc., Pigeon Hole, Victoria River, Northern Territory, 1922
5. Cave drawings of kangaroos, Forrest River, North Western Australia, 1916
6. Ochre drawings, Forrest River, North Western Australia, 1916
7. Drawings of North Western Australia
8. Ochre drawings of human figure and lizard, Forrest River, 1916

PXX 83/Folder 3 [OUTSIZE FOLDER]
Drawing, watercolour, of "Aboriginal cave drawing of human figure, Berrial Bluff" (reproduced in Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch, XVIII, 1918, plate xxxiii, opp. p.208)


Forms part of Herbert Basedow - Papers, 1856-1932, 1941; with incidental papers of Professor Ralph Tate, 1879-1899 at MLMSS 161

Restricted: - - For access to this material please contact the Head of Pictures Section - - Culturally sensitive material - contains images of deceased people, diseased & deformed people and secret ceremonies - refers to PXD 1286/Box 2 & PXE 1350/Box 2

Out of copyright: created before 1955 - refers to photographs
Out of copyright: creator died before 1955 - refers to drawings by Herbert Basedow
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Pic.Acc. Update Project - Information transferred from Pic.Acc.5669 as part of the eRecords Project 2012-2013
PXX 83 transferred from PXD 1287/Folders 1-3, 13 November 2023

Most photographs and some drawings are identified