Photograph Collection OA-2,  2.5 linear inches

Biography:
John Henry Brandt was a professional career officer with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Public Health Service and the U.S. Military. His government service includes eight years spent working in Southeast Asia in the 1960's, three years in the Micronesian Islands and ten years in the United States, primarily among the Navajo, Ute, Dakota, Chippewa, Pueblo and Apache. During his service overseas he collected ethnological materials in New Guinea, Micronesia and Southeast Asia. These collections were deposited in the American Museum of National History, the Milwaukee Museum, the Kenosha Museum, the Anthropology Museum of Mexico and the Royal Ontario Museum.

John H. Brandt has published widely in scientific journals on ornithology, entomology, ethnology and epidemiology. His anthropological publications include "The Negrito of Peninsular Malaysia", Journal Siam Society 49: 123-158 and "The Southeast Asian Negrito", Journal Siam Society 53: 27-43, 1965. A member of the Inter-University Southeast Asia committee during the Vietnam War period, he is currently a member Emeritus of the Explorers Club/NYC and a Research Associate with the Denver Museum of Natural History.

Summary:
This photograph collection documents the work and travels of John H. Brandt (JHB) among Orang Asli groups, primarily Negrito or Semang, in the southern extension (the peninsular region) of Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia in the early 1960's. JHB served as a career government officer in the early years of United States involvement in Southeast Asia during a time when the independent Federation of Malaya became the Federation of Malaysia (1963). There are three series of photographs in the collection. Series I consists of 125 black and white prints that record JHB's travels among the Negrito, Temuan and Jahai groups of Orang Asli peoples in the peninsular region of Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia. The prints are not dated but were most likely taken between 1961 and 1965. Series II is a group of 46 color slides of Negrito peoples of the peninsular region of Thailand that were taken between 1961 and 1964. Series III is a black and white slide presentation, created by JHB, called The Negrito of South Thailand. Most of the 38 slides are copies of images from Series I with the addition of a paragraph of narration for each slide. This work was prepared in 1965 for the Agency for International Development, United States, Operation Mission in Thailand, Division of Social Development.

Copyright:
This collection was produced by a United States government employee; therefore it is in the public domain.

John H. Brandt
Photographs, 1961-1965

Series I : Sakai Semang, n.d.
Series II : Color Slides, 1961-1964
Series III. The Negrito of South Thailand, 1965
Gallery

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