Nelson R. Perry Collection
Scope and Contents of the Papers
This collection had no apparent order when it came to Mystic Seaport Museum. It has been arranged chronologically by subject in the following series:
Series 1: Eskimo life and culture; 1937-1962
Series 2: Arctic wildlife; 1852-1963
Series 3: Polar exploration; 1949-1963
Series 4: Miscellaneous; 1939-1963
Series 5: Oversized material; 1867-1913
Dates
- Creation: 1812-1964 (bulk 1950-1964)
Language of Materials
English Latin
Restrictions on Access
Available for use in the Manuscripts Division.
Restrictions on Use
Various copying restrictions apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division.
Biography of Nelson R. Perry
Nelson R. Perry was born on March 28, 1894. Nelson R. Perry was an avid collector of Eskimo art buying many of his pieces from author and documentary filmmaker James Houston. As a field reporter and photographer for the Junior Natural History magazine Perry wrote articles about Eskimo life and included photographs of Eskimo art collection in them. In October of 1963, the Schenectady Museum hosted an exhibit of 350 pieces of Eskimo art from his collection. While living Bronxville, New York he was an active member of the Explorer's Club and a Regional Manager for the Met Life Insurance Company. On September 24, 1964, he suddenly died while on a trip to London, England.
Extent
5 box(es) (1769 items, including oversized)
Abstract
Collection, 1812-1964 (bulk 1950-1964), consists mainly of magazine and newspaper articles about Eskimo life and culture. Also included are articles about Arctic and Antarctic exploration, the surrounding lands and pamphlets from Canada's Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources. The majority of the articles are from National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, The Beaver, Alaska Sportsman, True, The Man's Magazine and the Explorer's Journal. This collection complements objects in the General Collection.
Genre / Form
Geographic
Occupation
Topical
- Title
- Nelson R. Perry Collection (Coll. 290)
- Subtitle
- An Inventory of the Collection at the G.W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts Repository
G. W. Blunt White Library
Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.
112 Greenmanville Avenue
Mystic CT 06355 United States
860.572.5367
collections@mysticseaport.org