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Barton A. Wright collection, 1912, 1960-1976

MS-233

Biographical Note

Barton Allen Wright was born 21 Dec 1920 in Bisbee, Arizona to Roy Wright, a mining engineer born in Kansas and Anna H. Wright, who was born in Louisiana. Wright is married to Margaret Nickelson Wright. Wright was Curator of Art and the Curator of the Museum at the Museum of Northern Arizona from 1956 -1977. He became very interested in the Hopi Indians, their arts and crafts and kachinas, and from 1960 to 1977 made tape recordings on various aspects of Hopi life and history. He is an accomplished artist, writer and museum specialist. He left Flagstaff in 1977 to take a position at the San Diego Museum of Man.

Scope and Content

Collection consists of oral history tapes (with some transcription) regarding the Hopi and Navajo people, as well as Flagstaff, the Museum of Northern Arizona, and the outlying vicinity. Interviewees include Jimmy Kewanwytewa (mainly identifying Hopi images in the Voth collection), Willie Coin, Raymond Coin, Vera Nevahoioma, Tewaquoptewa, Carrie Joseph, Elizabeth White, Oswald White Bear Fredericks, Steve Honani, Agnes Mowa, Paul Long, Laura Runke, Philip Johnston, Clay Lockett, and John Ressler. Subject matter includes myths and legends, identification of people and clans, Hopi history, Piki stone making, trading posts, Mormons, songs, Hopi language, Flagstaff, kachinas, and dances.

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Use

Collection consists of oral history tapes (with some transcription) regarding the Hopi and Navajo people, as well as Flagstaff, the Museum of Northern Arizona, and the outlying vicinity. Interviewees include Jimmy Kewanwytewa (mainly identifying Hopi images in the Voth collection), Willie Coin, Raymond Coin, Vera Nevahoioma, Tewaquoptewa, Carrie Joseph, Elizabeth White, Oswald White Bear Fredericks, Steve Honani, Agnes Mowa, Paul Long, Laura Runke, Philip Johnston, Clay Lockett, and John Ressler. Subject matter includes myths and legends, identification of people and clans, Hopi history, Piki stone making, trading posts, Mormons, songs, Hopi language, Flagstaff, kachinas, and dances.

Related Material

The H.R. Voth collection of photographs (MS-50) is found in MNA's Historic Reference Materials collections.

The Walter Runke collection (MS-74) contains photographs taken by Walter and Laura Runke, circa 1901-1903.

The Philip Johnston collection (MS-136) is found in MNA's Historic Reference Materials collections.

The W. James Burns collection (MS-360) contains an oral history interview (and accompanying transcription) with Barton Wright from 2009.

The Henry Claiborne Lockett collection (MS-370) contains an album created by Clay Lockett.

Controlled Access Terms

Administrative Information

Custodial History

Multiple reels were removed from this collection to the A.F. Whiting collection (MS-59), because the recordings were created by Whiting.

One reel was removed to the Fred Kabotie collection (MS-235) because the recording is an interview with Kabotie about his paintings, the slides and prints of which reside in MS-235.

In 1979, a researcher borrowed six reels that have since not been returned to the Museum.

Preferred Citation

Barton A. Wright collection, MS-233 [Box Number]. Museum of Northern Arizona. Flagstaff, Arizona.

Acquisition Information

The collection was donated by Wright in June 1977 (accession #MS-233)

Processing Information

Processed in October of 2010.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

Other Finding Aid

A detailed inventory listing is available upon request.

Container List