Pacific Island Photography Collection
316 records
In 2015, LACMA acquired a large collection of photography from Mark and Carolyn Blackburn. Sourced largely from informal sales and private collections, the collection comprises 10,000+ photographs representing 19th and 20th century life in various locations across the Pacific Islands, with an emphasis on Hawai’i. The content is a mixture of images presenting local communities, royalty, landscapes, significant historical periods (militarization, the plantation era, etc.) and everyday life and customs. While many images can be found in other significant collections of Pacific Island photography, there are also many unique images found within this collection at LACMA. Considering the history of photography parallel to colonialism in this area - and the fact that many of the photographers are of European descent - the authenticity of the narratives and representations need to be questioned, and ethics around handling and providing access to collections with potential privacy and sensitivity issues became a primary concern.
In late 2020, following the registration, digitization, and initial research of the collection, an Advisory Board was created which was made up of a variety of experts, cultural practitioners, and community members specializing in Indigenous Collections and the Pacific Islands. This Advisory Board helped LACMA to consider new approaches for describing and providing access to this collection, but was also a first step in creating new relationships with source communities in order to collaborate on building richer and more authentic narratives around this collection and considering new forms of use. This work is ongoing, and our work to build stronger relationships with source communities will be a never-ending process. We believe it is important to make this first step to share parts of this important collection with the public to be able to continue to expand outwardly and make new connections with communities.
This first glimpse into the collection is a subset that, in conversation with the Advisory Board, we believe to be a representation of both the collection as a whole and aspects of life in Hawai’i throughout important moments in the 19th and 20th century. We have carefully reviewed the content and associated metadata to improve its accuracy and respect for Indigenous communities, and are currently considering how best to work through the remainder of the collection which contains either under-researched material or images depicting ancestors whose descendents we hope to identify and engage around potential public access before making the images widely available. We also hope to use this opportunity to solicit feedback and crowdsource metadata for this collection. Should any of the metadata for this collection appear incomplete or inaccurate, or to request to see images from specific aspects of the collection that are not currently up for public viewing, please contact us at pacificislandphotography@lacma.org.
A note that as we strive to improve our Collections Online site that we hope to enhance some functions that will provide better context for this collection. This includes more accurate designations of Hawai'i's geography throughout its history, and acknowledge native Hawaiians ongoing pursuits for sovereignty over their own land. We are also open to feedback for what kinds of data we make available and in what format.
In late 2020, following the registration, digitization, and initial research of the collection, an Advisory Board was created which was made up of a variety of experts, cultural practitioners, and community members specializing in Indigenous Collections and the Pacific Islands. This Advisory Board helped LACMA to consider new approaches for describing and providing access to this collection, but was also a first step in creating new relationships with source communities in order to collaborate on building richer and more authentic narratives around this collection and considering new forms of use. This work is ongoing, and our work to build stronger relationships with source communities will be a never-ending process. We believe it is important to make this first step to share parts of this important collection with the public to be able to continue to expand outwardly and make new connections with communities.
This first glimpse into the collection is a subset that, in conversation with the Advisory Board, we believe to be a representation of both the collection as a whole and aspects of life in Hawai’i throughout important moments in the 19th and 20th century. We have carefully reviewed the content and associated metadata to improve its accuracy and respect for Indigenous communities, and are currently considering how best to work through the remainder of the collection which contains either under-researched material or images depicting ancestors whose descendents we hope to identify and engage around potential public access before making the images widely available. We also hope to use this opportunity to solicit feedback and crowdsource metadata for this collection. Should any of the metadata for this collection appear incomplete or inaccurate, or to request to see images from specific aspects of the collection that are not currently up for public viewing, please contact us at pacificislandphotography@lacma.org.
A note that as we strive to improve our Collections Online site that we hope to enhance some functions that will provide better context for this collection. This includes more accurate designations of Hawai'i's geography throughout its history, and acknowledge native Hawaiians ongoing pursuits for sovereignty over their own land. We are also open to feedback for what kinds of data we make available and in what format.
