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Laves correspondence and mentions in Elkin papers
The Elkin collection, University
of Sydney Archives includes letters from Laves, with some lists of
artefacts, and a genealogical chart. The letters contain linguistic
observations.
University of Sydney Archives -- catalogue extract:
Personal Archives Group
ELKIN Adolphus Peter [1891-1979]
Group Number: P.130
Faculty: Arts
Specific area: Anthropology
Quantity in shelf metres: 27
Guide
available [does not mention Laves]
The relevant part is
Series
40. ANRC papers.
Box 159. Items 53 - 54.
Correspondence 15/2/1929-17/10/1932.
The papers are on Open access.
There may be relevant photographs in the collection, but the Elkin
collection photographs are mostly "unprocessed" with no caption list. A
search of the database for the
miscellaneous photographs revealed nothing on Laves.
Laves correspondence
The correspondence is mostly between Laves and Professor
Radcliffe-Brown.
• 4/1/53 [1929-1930]
The first letters and telegrams are planning the trip from Chicago,
beginning with Laves' introductory letter of 15/2/1929.
Laves' agreement with ANRC signed 13.IX.29
Laves' letters to Radcliffe-Brown dated 18 April 1930, 13
May 1930, 8 August 1930, 11 September 1930, etc
• 4/1/54 [1921-1932]
The last letter is a carbon copy of Radcliffe-Brown's to Laves is dated
17/10/1932, congratulating Laves on his marriage.
The last letter from Laves is dated 1/9/1931, on board ship from
Auckland
to Suva.
A search of the index of correspondents revealed no other mention of
Laves.
Other mentions of Laves
Laves' progress is mentioned in the reports of the Committee on
Anthropological
Research (Series 40, Item 81, 161/4/1/81), 1929-32, with the most
information
in the report for 1930.
The "Report for the twelve months ending 31st July, 1929." simply lists
(on page 4) "App. No. 38 Gerhardt Laves: General study of
Australian
linguistics and ethnology.
£750 Work not yet started."
In 4/1/40, Elkin to Radcliffe-Brown, 6 February 1930, Elkin suggests
areas for Laves in northern WA. "I hope to see him either next
Thursday
or a few days later." (thanks to Geoff Gray)
Excerpts © University
of Sydney Archives made available with their kind permission.
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URL http://www.anu.edu.au/linguistics/nash/aust/laves/fisher.html