Franz Boas (1858–1942)
Author of Primitive Art
About the Author
Franz Boas, a German-born American anthropologist, became the most influential anthropologist of his time. He left Germany because of its antiliberal and anti-Semitic climate. As a Columbia University professor for 37 years (1899-1936), he created both the field of anthropology and the modern show more concept of culture. Boas played a key role in organizing the American Anthropological Association (AAA) as an umbrella organization for the emerging field. At both Columbia and the AAA, Boas encouraged the "four field" concept of anthropology; he personally contributed to physical anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, as well as cultural anthropology. His work in these fields was pioneering. Both directly and through the influence of such students as Ruth Benedict, Melville J. Herskovits, Alfred L. Kroeber, and Margaret Mead, he set the agenda for all subsequent American cultural anthropology. In His lifetime Boas had many leadership roles including: Assistant curator at the American Museum of Natural History; editor of The Journal of American Folklore; president of the New York Academy of Sciences, and founder of the International Journal of American Linguistics. Boas is the author of hundreds of scientific monographs and articles. He died in 1942. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Canadian Museum of History collection
Series
Works by Franz Boas
Introduction to 'Handbook of American Indian Languages' and 'Indian Linguistic Families of America North of Mexico' (1963) 128 copies
A Franz Boas Reader: The Shaping of American Anthropology, 1883-1911 (Midway Reprint) (1982) 42 copies
Ethnography of Franz Boas: Letters and Diaries of Franz Boas Written on the Northwest Coast from 1886-1931 (1969) 16 copies
Handbook of American Indian Languages. Vol. 2: Takelma Language of Southwestern Oregon; Coos; Siuslawan (Lower Umpqua); Chukchee (1922) 14 copies
Handbook of American Indian Languages. Vol. 1 Part 1: Athapascan (Hupa), Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian and Kwak'wala (1911) 7 copies
The religion of the Kwakiutl Indians 4 copies
Handbook of American Indian Languages. Vol. 1 Part 2: Chinook, Maidu, Algonquian, Siouan and Inuit (1911) 3 copies
The journal of American folklore 3 copies
35th Annual Report of the American Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Intstitute 1913-14 part 2 (1921) 3 copies
Notes on the Tillamook 2 copies
Race, Language, and Culture 1 copy
The decorative art of the Indians of the North Pacific coast Volume 9 1897 [Leather Bound] (2022) 1 copy
The origin of totemism 1 copy
Anthropology 1 copy
Kwakiutl tales, new series 1 copy
Tsimshian mythology 1 copy
Siouan: Dakota (Teton and Santee dialects) with remarks on the Ponca and Winnebago : an illustrative sketch (1911) 1 copy
35th Annual Report of the American Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Intstitute 1913-14 part 1 (1921) 1 copy
Kwakiutl dictionary 1 copy
Associated Works
Beauty and the Beast: Classic Tales About Animal Brides and Grooms from Around the World (2017) — Contributor — 133 copies, 2 reviews
Monstrous Tales: Stories of Strange Creatures and Fearsome Beasts from around the World (2020) — Contributor — 116 copies
Tales of the Sea: Traditional Stories of Magic and Adventure from around the World (2022) — Contributor — 71 copies, 1 review
From the South Seas: Studies of Adolescence and Sex in Primitive Societies (1950) — Foreword, some editions — 27 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1858-07-09
- Date of death
- 1942-12-21
- Gender
- male
- Education
- University of Heidelberg (Universität Heidelberg)
University of Bonn (Universität Bonn)
University of Berlin (Ph.D.|Freie Universität Berlin) - Occupations
- ethnologist
anthropologist
professor (Anthropology) - Organizations
- American Anthropological Association
- Relationships
- Benedict, Ruth (student)
Bunzel, Ruth (student)
Herskovits, Melville J. (student)
Hurston, Zora Neale (student)
Kroeber, Alfred L. (student)
Mead, Margaret (student) - Nationality
- Germany (birth)
USA - Birthplace
- Minden, Westphalia, Germany
- Places of residence
- Minden, Westphalia, Germany (birthplace)
Heidelberg, Germany
Bonn, Germany
Kiel, Germany
Baffin Island, Canada
Berlin, Germany (show all 10)
British Columbia, Canada
Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
Chicago, Illinois, USA
New York, New York, USA - Place of death
- New York, New York, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Germany
Members
Reviews
I read this book in preparation for it being uploaded to Project Gutenberg. It has entered the public domain.
As someone who studied anthropology as an undergraduate, I was disappointed by how little "antiquated" theory we covered. Franz Boas is a key figure in the development of anthropology in the United States. At that time anthropology had a notoriously colonialist bent, so modern readers may be put off by how he problematically describes "primitive" cultures. Nonetheless, this is an show more important contribution to anthropological theory, and it would be remiss to erase it.
I recommend this book primarily to people interested in the history of anthropological theory, especially (and obviously) anthropology and art. Otherwise, it can be a bit of a slog to get through, as it seems the favorite anthropological method of the time was to overwhelm the reader with examples to methodically demonstrate or disprove cultural patterns. show less
As someone who studied anthropology as an undergraduate, I was disappointed by how little "antiquated" theory we covered. Franz Boas is a key figure in the development of anthropology in the United States. At that time anthropology had a notoriously colonialist bent, so modern readers may be put off by how he problematically describes "primitive" cultures. Nonetheless, this is an show more important contribution to anthropological theory, and it would be remiss to erase it.
I recommend this book primarily to people interested in the history of anthropological theory, especially (and obviously) anthropology and art. Otherwise, it can be a bit of a slog to get through, as it seems the favorite anthropological method of the time was to overwhelm the reader with examples to methodically demonstrate or disprove cultural patterns. show less
translation is rigid, otherwise, Barnaby's stories (2/3 or so of the book) should enter the canon as one of the greatest myth cycles ever recorded from a single Turtle Island native.
The first US edition, printing. Green ribbed cloth hard covers with gilt lettering to cover and spine. Notes. xii,294 3[ads.]pp. Ex libris (old small-town library) with mild markings to front endpapers, and a ghost of call numbers with some mild discoloration to spine. Small worm-hole in bottom margin near beginning. Otherwise clean, tight and unmarked. Very neat -- still a sound and handsome copy. Size: 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾ tall
I bought this book at Barnes and Noble several years ago. I got it mainly for the bit on the Dominican Republic.
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Statistics
- Works
- 110
- Also by
- 11
- Members
- 1,398
- Popularity
- #18,383
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 6
- ISBNs
- 185
- Languages
- 12
- Favorited
- 2
