Storytelling in Archival Contexts

The Marshall Family Archives at the Peabody Museum is rich with stories. The collection as a whole tells us about a family that pushed the boundaries of anthropological research in taking eight expeditions into the Kalahari Desert of South West Africa from 1950 to 1961, intending to document people – primarily the Ju/’hoansi – who were on the brink of transitioning from living as semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers to being settled on a reserve. The images in the collection vividly tell stories about the Ju/’hoansi and other Kalahari peoples in what is now Namibia, Botswana, and Angola. As archivists, our goal is to uncover and convey the many stories buried within the Marshall Family Archives through the processes of cataloging and digitization.

Image Sequences

To convey stories, photograph descriptions must include sufficient context. As we progressed in our cataloging, we uncovered and added information to the Peabody Museum’s collections management system to contextualize the images more thoroughly. Some information comes from collections documentation. For example, the first few pages of the Marshalls’ photograph catalog books, which include indexes, typed headers, and even handwritten notes, provide information about where and when the photos were taken.

Contextual information is also uncovered through careful attention to the images themselves. During digitization, we sometimes notice a continuous story visible through consecutive images. For instance, a group of slides taken during the Marshalls’ sixth expedition (1957-1958) in Nama Pan, Namibia, depict women and children digging with sticks in the grass. At first glance, it is not clear what they are doing and what story they tell us. The related Marshall photograph catalog does not specify the context in detail. However, when the complete series of images is viewed together, it becomes evident that these photographs illustrated a day of food gathering. We decided to add the words “food,” “gather,” and “gathering” to the Display Titles so this context would be clear and users could easily find the images by searching any of these terms. These images are not only important for users interested in the gathering of various types of foods but also in gender roles as this activity was primarily done by women, whereas hunting was the work of men.

Many Similar Photographs, Different Stories

The sheer size and scope of the collection reveal that the Marshalls attempted to document almost every activity or scene in detail. They painstakingly took multiple photographs that, to some, might seem identical and repetitive. When compared closely, each shot differs in composition, subtle angle changes, and conveyed messages. This meticulous documentation helped the Marshalls to later filter out what they considered poor-quality photographs and select for publication those shots with the artistic qualities and ethnographic information they wished to highlight. The following photographs were taken in Nyae Nyae, Namibia, on the Marshalls’ 1951-1953 expedition. These images vary in composition, but all capture a girl named Khuan//a holding a //gwashi, a five-stringed traditional instrument.

The first photograph above is one of the most well-known of the Marshall Family Archives. It appeared on a South West African stamp issued in 1978, and thus became an iconic image representing the Ju/’hoansi. It was likely selected because of its symmetry, the central positioning of Khuan//a framed by the opening in the structure behind her, and the expression on her face. Some users, however, might want more context, like the inclusion of ostrich eggshells nearby, or they might prefer a horizontal image over a vertical one to fit a publication, poster, or website. Having numerous images that are variations on a theme offers a range of options to users, depending on what they want to illustrate or how they want to use the images. To learn more, see: Barbash, Ilisa. Where the Roads All End: Photography and Anthropology in the Kalahari. Cambridge, MA: Peabody Museum Press, Harvard University, 2016, p. 114-115.

Knowing this collection can support a range of stories, we aimed to catalog images so that different users can easily find those images that fit their needs. We have also produced a detailed Marshall Family Archive: Researcher Guide, which provides search tips for the many areas of interest a user might have, such as music, cultural change, technical photograph specifications, food, and architecture.

Why Stories in the Marshall Family Archives Resonate with Us

As the Marshall Family Archives is processed, we notice little-known stories about the Ju/’hoansi and other Kalahari peoples, such as an afternoon when N!ai and other women and children gathered food or a day when Khuan//a played a //gwashi. The power of the Marshall Family Archives lies in the human-centered narratives embodied in the records. The Marshalls and other expedition members lived and traveled as participant observers with the Indigenous people, following their lives in the Kalahari Desert. The Marshalls’ attempt to name each person as an individual reflects their respect for them. Moreover, in their photography, the Marshalls didn’t limit their position to just observing, but also took pictures of themselves in the field, alternating their roles between that of a viewer and a subject.

As archivists, we work to respect people depicted in the collections, preserve their stories, and be reflective about our own potential impact. We hope the ways in which we describe images, providing information about the context and content of the collection, will help users add to, share, critique, or reinterpret the Marshalls’ own stories. After the project is completed, whatever stories future users discover within the Marshall Family Archives will hopefully beget further stories and open continuing conversations, increasing public awareness about and a richer understanding of the Kalahari peoples.

Beyond fostering increased public understanding, ultimately we expect the Marshall Family Archives to serve descendant communities. As the collection is made digitally accessible, Indigenous and descendant communities will be able to tap into the celebration of their cultural heritage and use these images for their own outreach and advocacy. Long-term initiatives include building descendant community partnerships in support of the dissemination and sustainability of the Marshall Family Archives in alignment with the Peabody’s commitment to Ethical Stewardship. By expanding access to the Marshall Family Archives, we hope that Kalahari peoples can use these images to tell their own stories in their own voices.

Read more about the project team's process: The Marshall IMLS Grant and Resources for Reparative Description.

This project [MA-245387-OMS-20] was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Author: Angela Lee