From ethnographic knowledge to anthropological intelligence: An anthropologist in the office of strategic services in Second World War Africa

Nolte, Insa; Shear, Keith; Yelvington, Kevin A.

doi:10.1080/02757206.2017.1322587

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This was tolerated by the British authorities as the artefact was eventually obtained by the British Museum that same year, where it has remained ever since (see Figure 2). 7 Less than two years after the Wúnmọníjẹ̀ discovery, World War Two broke out, and Bascom became involved in the war effort in Nigeria, where he conducted intelligence work on behalf of the United States Office of Strategic Services (Nolte et al 2018;Tignor 1990: 429). Following the end of the war, E. H. Duckworth and Kenneth Murray (Nigeria's Surveyor of Antiquities), who were seeking to repatriate expropriated Ifẹà ntiquities, demanded that Bascom return the heads to Nigeria.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Debating the Bascom controversy: revisiting the expropriation and repatriation of the Ifẹ̀ bronzes

Evans

2024

Africa

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In 1937–38, the American doctoral candidate William R. Bascom conducted anthropological research in the sacred Yorùbá city of Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Nigeria. Bascom’s visit was a decisive moment in the history of African art, as, in 1938, he observed the chance discovery of unique copper and copper alloy heads, two of which he acquired and exported to the USA. Bascom’s actions in 1938, and his subsequent conflicts with British officials who demanded the return of the heads in the 1940s, have become matters of controversy and scholarly debate. Historian Robert Tignor and anthropologist Simon Ottenberg have presented contrasting arguments regarding the affair. This article draws on material from several archives to shed further light on this discussion, resolve remaining areas of dispute, and explore what the study of this controversy tells us about the nature and practice of anthropology, the impacts of Western exhibitions of African art, and early cultural preservation and repatriation efforts of the late colonial period. At a time when colonial-era collecting practices are facing increased critical re-examination, and with intensified calls for the repatriation of Nigerian cultural patrimony in Western museums, this article reflects on how the study of this controversy contributes to present restitution efforts.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Debating the Bascom controversy: revisiting the expropriation and repatriation of the Ifẹ̀ bronzes

Evans

2024

Africa

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Intelligent library knowledge innovation service system based on multimedia technology

Yu-jie

2019

Pers Ubiquit Comput

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

From ethnographic knowledge to anthropological intelligence: An anthropologist in the office of strategic services in Second World War Africa

Cited by 2 publications

References 33 publications

Debating the Bascom controversy: revisiting the expropriation and repatriation of the Ifẹ̀ bronzes

Debating the Bascom controversy: revisiting the expropriation and repatriation of the Ifẹ̀ bronzes

Intelligent library knowledge innovation service system based on multimedia technology

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About