Race Experts: Sculpture, Anthropology, and the American Public in Malvina Hoffman’s Races of Mankind

420 Pages·2018·11.35 MB·English

by  Linda Kim

RACE E XPERTS
Critical Studies in the
History of Anthropology
SERIES EDITORS
Regna Darnell
Stephen O. Murray
RACE E XPERTS
Sculpture, Anthropology, and the American
Public in Malvina Hoffman’s Races of Mankind
LINDA KIM
University of Nebraska Press
Lincoln and London
© 2018 by the Board of Regents of the University of
Nebraska. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the
United States of America.
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Kim, Linda, author.
Title: Race experts: sculpture, anthropology, and
the American public in Malvina Hoffman’s Races of
mankind / Linda Kim.
Description: Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press,
[2018] | Series: Critical studies in the history of
anthropology | Includes bibliographical references
and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017044555
ISBN 9781496201850 (cloth: alk. paper)
ISBN 9781496208033 (epub)
ISBN 9781496208040 (mobi)
ISBN 9781496208057 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Hoffman, Malvina, 1887– 1966.
Races of mankind. | Hoffman, Malvina, 1887– 1966—
Criticism and interpretation. | Figure sculpture,
American—2 0th century. | Ethnology in art. | Art
and anthropology— United States— History— 20th
century. | Art and society—U nited States—H istory—
20th century.
Classification: LCC NB237.H55 A74 2018 |
DDC 730.92—dc23 LC
record available at https:// lccn .loc .gov /2017044555
Set in Lyon Text by Mikala R. Kolander
To Han Chung Kyu and Kim Moon Ki,
who taught me about the injury of race
and the solace of books.

CONTENTS
List of Illustrations ix
Series Editors’ Introduction xv
Acknowledgments xix
Introduction 1
CHAPTER ONE
Racial Know- How: Expertise versus Common Sense 33
CHAPTER TWO
Mediations: Art in the Natural History Museum 73
CHAPTER THREE
Racial Portraiture: Between Typologies and Common Sense 127
CHAPTER FOUR
Racial Homelands: Popular Geography and Local Races 175
CHAPTER FIVE
Micro- Expertise: Passing for Indian, Passing for White 223
Conclusion 269
Notes 311
Bibliography 359
Index 375

ILLUSTRATIONS
1. View of the first gallery of the 10. Tony Churchill, Malvina
Hall of the Races of Mankind Hoffman, and Semang models
(ca. 1933), Field Museum of (ca. 1932) 48
Natural History 3
11. Hall of Science, Century-
2. View of the octagonal of- Progress Fair, Chicago
gallery of the Hall of the (1933) 51
Races of Mankind (ca. 1933),
12. Malvina Hoffman, drawing
Field Museum of Natural
of Chu Lan, Canton, from
History 5
Hoffman’s sketchbook
3. Races of Man exhibit (ca. 1937), (ca. 1931) 65
American Museum of Natural
13. Malvina Hoffman, Mongol Man
History, New York 7
from The Races of Mankind
4. View of Stanley Field Hall (1930– 34) 67
(ca. 1929) 8
14. Malvina Hoffman, Semang
5. Malvina Hoffman, posed in Pygmy from The Races of
front of some of The Races Mankind (1930– 34) 69
of Mankind sculptures
15. Malvina Hoffman, Andaman
(ca. 1933) 9
Islander from The Races of
6. Malvina Hoffman, Mask of
Mankind (1930– 34) 70
Anna Pavlova (1924) 11
16. Hoffman and small-s cale Races
7. Malvina Hoffman, bust of
of Mankind sculptures at the
Arthur Keith from The Races of
Trocadero Museum, Paris
Mankind (1930– 34) 39
(1933) 74
8. Malvina Hoffman, Portrait of
17. Installation view of South
Stanley Field (1931) 43
Asian types in the Hall of the
9. Malvina Hoffman, Alpine Man Races of Mankind (ca. 1933),
from The Races of Mankind Field Museum of Natural
(1930–3 4) 46 History 79

ix