Object Details
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of five (5) watercolor drawings and two (2) engravings made by Alfred T. Agate for the United States Exploring Expedition. It includes portraits of King Kamehameha III of Hawaii, Kotowatowa (a Maori chief), and unnamed individuals from Brazil, Peru, Fiji, as well as illustrations of Maori ornamental carvings.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
sova.naa.ms382524
Variant Title
Natives of Oceania, and ornamental architecture, signed "A. T. Agate, del., A. T. A., del.
Local Numbers
NAA MS 382524
USNM Accession 16909
Artist
Agate, Alfred T., 1812-1846
Names
United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842)
Place
Oceania
South America
Provenance
Gift of Mr. M. C. Hopkins to United States National Museum, May 7, 1942. The collection was transferred from the object collections of the Department of Anthropology to the National Anthropological Archives in July 1969.
Artist
Agate, Alfred T., 1812-1846
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Alfred T. Agate drawings from the United States Exploring Expedition
Biographical Note
Alfred Thomas Agate was an artist, painter, and miniaturist, known for his landscapes, portraits and scientific illustrations. Agate was born February 14, 1812 in Sparta, N.Y. In 1838, he joined the Scientific Corps of the United States Exploring Expedition as a portraitist and botanical artist. He spent four years traveling around the world, mapping the coast of Oregon, documenting hundreds of islands in the Pacific, and collecting more than sixty thousand plant and bird specimens. In 1842, Agate settled in Washington, D.C., and prepared his drawings for the expedition's multi-volume report. He died January 5, 1846.
Extent
5 Drawings (visual works)
2 Engravings
Date
1838-1842
Archival Repository
National Anthropological Archives
Identifier
NAA.MS382524
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings (visual works)
Engravings
Drawings
Portraits
Works of art
Citation
Alfred T. Agate drawings from the United States Exploring Expedition (MS 382524), National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Rights
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Bibliography
Two watercolor drawings and both engravings were reproduced in Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition (1845). The artist's name appears in list of crew members as "Alfred S. Agate."
Genre/Form
Drawings
Portraits
Engravings
Works of art
Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
NAA.MS382524
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw36d243d1f-59f9-4200-acda-7e2f8272baa5
NAA.MS382524
NAA
Record ID
ebl-1538127020167-1538127020170-0