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Paul B. Means 1894-1980
Photograph Collection 1930-1937
Biography:
Paul B. Means received his B.A. from Yale in 1915, where he graduated
Phi Beta Kappa. He was a Rhodes Scholar from Nebraska at St. John's
College, Oxford University from 1919-1923 where he earned a B.Lit. Degree.
He obtained his Ph.D. in Philosophy and Religion from Columbia University
in 1934. His thesis on the "Genesis of the German Church Conflict"
(under Nazi Germany) was published as Things That Are Caesar's in 1935 by
Round Table Press, and it was selected as a Religious Book of the Month
Club Selection. In 1940 after receiving his doctorate he became a professor
at the University of Oregon. The Reverend Paul B. Means of the Methodist
Mission had first begun working with the Sengoi people in 1930 in the areas
of educational, medical and agricultural assistance. After the Second World
War he returned to Malaysia on sabbatical to work on several adult literacy
projects. After his retirement in 1959 he was involved in a linguistic
research project comparing various Southeast Asian languages. During that
time he began in-depth work, with the assistance of his wife Nathalie Means
and informants from the Kampar, Tapah and Cameron Highlands areas on
compiling a word list of the Sengoi and Temiar languages. This work was
carried on after his death in 1980 by Nathalie Means and his son Gordon
Means and was published as the Sengoi-English, English-Sengoi Dictionary
in 1986 and the Temiar-English, English-Temiar Dictionary in 1998.
Summary:
The photographs were all taken between 1930 and 1937 when the Reverend Paul Means was working in Malaysia and are from his photo albums or negative files. The photographs were scanned and the captions supplied by his son Gordon Means, who worked extensively with his father's diary to compile them. The photographs at the KSC Orang Asli archive are digital copies and are available for use on-site. Copies of the photographs and permission to publish should be requested from the copyright holder.
Copyright:
The copyright for the pictures is held by the Methodist Church Headquarters in Singapore.
Copies of individual photographs (up to 4 or 5 at a time) for the photographs listed below can be ordered by e-mail from Ernest Lau, Archivist at the Methodist Church Headquarters at 70 Barker Road, Singapore 309936. His e-mail address is archive.history@methodist.org.sg The phone number is: 6478-4786, Fax 6478-7494.
Paul B. Means 1894-1980
Photograph Collection 1930-1937
| Photo |
Description |
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Seng01 |
Typical Sengoi male from settlement near 17th mile Pahang Road (from Tapah to
Cameron Highlands), September 1931
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Seng02 |
Sengoi youth living near Renglet on Pahang Road, September 1931
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Seng03 |
Penghulu Blang Muda, headman of a Sengoi village reached by trail from 26th
mile off Pahang Road, at whose house we first visited in August 1931 and
demonstrated literacy charts based on the Laubach method for teaching reading,
August 1931
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Seng04 |
Wife of Pa' Dikit (or Bah Dikit) with two of her sons. The two boys became \ pupils in the first class of the first Sengoi School, started about October 1931 at
Pa' Dikit's village, located off the 16th mile of the Pahang Road, September 1931
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Seng05 |
Sengoi youth, probably from Pa' Dikit's settlement off 16th mile, Pahang Road. Note headband with symbols representing his name and his status in the Sengoi community, September 1931
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Seng06 |
Sengoi man and wife living in settlement off 16th mile, Pahang Road, September
1931
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Seng07 &
Seng08 |
The same woman in previous picture. She may be of mixed descent since the
fuzzy hair indicates Negrito mixture with Sengoi, September 1931
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Seng09 |
A Sengoi boy with blowpipe and poison arrows along trail off 16th mile Pahang
Road. He was from Pa' Dikit's settlement, September 1931
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Seng10 |
Sengoi male living at settlement of Blang Muda, reached by trail off 26th mile of
Pahang Road, September 1931
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Seng11 |
Group of men from settlement of Blang Muda, September 1931
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Seng12 |
A Sengoi student who enrolled in the first class at the Sengoi School established
by Alexander Simandjoentak at the 16th mile settlement, Pahang Road, October 1931
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| Photo |
Description |
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Seng13 |
Sengoi youth from 16th mile settlement of Bah Dikit, September 1931
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Seng14 |
Sengoi youth from 16th mile settlement with a visitor, Mr. Mathias Quadra from
Jolo Archipelago, Philippine Islands, September 1931
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Seng15 |
A Sengoi elder with his family at a settlement on the Pahang River near Lubok
Paku, Pahang. This was one of the first Sengoi settlements we visited, June
1931
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Seng16 |
A gathering of villagers in front of the house of Blang Muda, headman of the
village near the 26th mile trail, Pahang Road. Here we discussed the possibility of
opening a school to teach Sengoi youth. I am in the picture at left and Guru
Alexander took the photograph with my Graflex camera. Later when most of the
adult male 26th mile villagers left to work on construction and clearing of jungle
for Cameron Highlands, we decided instead to build the first Sengoi School at
Bah Dikit's settlement off the 16th mile trail, August 1931
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Seng17 |
Guru Alexander Simandjoentak and his first three pupils in front of the Methodist
Sengoi School and boarding quarters constructed in September 1931. Guru
Alexander, Bah Ngoris (son of headman Bah Dikit), Bah Juah and Bah Lemat (l-
r), November 1931
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Seng18 |
During our visit to the 26th mile settlement we discussed with headman Blang
Muda (sitting in front) the possibility of opening a school for Sengoi youth. I was
accompanied by the Tamil Colporteur Joseph (back row) and Alexander
Simandjoentak (left), August 1931
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Seng19 |
The daughter of Bah Dikit who was headman of the 16th mile settlement. She
entered the Sengoi School about January 1932 and was the first Sengoi girl pupil
to learn to read and write, December 1931
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Seng20 |
A Sengoi woman from 16th or 17th mile settlement, Pahang Road, about January 1932
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Seng21 |
Bah Ngoris, [also spelled Muris] son of headman Bah Dikit, was one of three
students in the first class of the Sengoi School started by Alexander Simandjoentak, September 1931
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Seng22 |
A Sengoi man beside the Pahang Road, a few miles from Renglet, August 1931
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Seng23 |
A Sengoi preparing a meal beside the Pahang Road a few miles from Renglet, [Same man as Seng22 ], August 1931
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Seng24 |
Renglet Resthouse, the advanced base for many jungle trips to the Bertam and
Telom Rivers, August 1931
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| Photo |
Description |
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Seng25 |
A Sengoi elder at 26th mile settlement, August 1931
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Seng26 |
Young boys at 26th mile settlement off Pahang Road, August 1931
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Seng27 |
Sengoi dwelling near limestone cliffs east of Kampar, July 1931
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Seng28 |
Alexander Simandjoentak traveling down Bertam and Lemoi rivers by bamboo raft, March 1932
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Seng29 &
Seng30 |
A Sengoi group on Jelai Kecil at Mandur's settlement preparing to travel
down \ river to the market at Kuala Medang, March 1932
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Seng31 |
Sengoi dwelling near Kuala Betaur abandoned after a death in the family,
February 1932 or July 1935
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Seng32 &
Seng33 |
Penghulu Batin Batu, principal headman of the Sengoi living in the Sungai
Telom valley, with wife and family, at Kuala Lemoi, July 1935
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Seng34 |
Sengoi with blowpipe hunting along the Jelai River, about 1935
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Seng35 |
Shooting Jelai River rapids riding a bamboo raft, about 1935
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Seng36 |
Two men from 26th mile village, Pahang Road, about to go hunting with
blowpipes. The man on the right appears to have a bark seteit (loin-cloth), October 1931
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| Photo |
Description |
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Seng37 |
A headman or elder at Sengoi settlement near Lubok Paku on Pahang
River, June 1931
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Seng38 |
A watch tower to guard against strangers, raiders, or marauding animals.
The settlement is near Lubok Paku, Pahang. Paul Means is sitting in the
tower while Malay guide and boatmen are standing below, June 1931
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Seng39,
Seng40 &
Seng41 |
Sengoi youth at Kuala Lemoi settlement listening to a gramaphone. In Seng40
notice young boy pretending to shoot gramaphone with his blowpipe, about 1935
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Seng42 |
Saripa Simandjoentak and daughter at Kuala Lemoi. The Sengoi women
have painted faces. The baby died a few months later from a fever, Late 1935
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Seng43 |
The information on this photograph is missing. The picture appears to be taken at the settlement at Kuala Celang, probably 1936 or 1937.
Gordon Means, son of Paul B. Means, thought Rev. Abel Eklund or Rev. Ralph Kesselring appears at the top left. Earnest Lau, Archivist at the Methodist Church Headquarters in Singapore, has identified the missionaries at the left rear as (from left) Eugene McGraw, John Simandjoentak (brother of Alexander) and Burr Baughman.
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Seng44 |
Possibly Kuala Celang, about 1936 or 1937
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Seng45,
Seng46 &
Seng47 |
Women at settlement on Sungai Bertam, 1932
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Seng48 |
Sengoi villagers sitting in front of the Methodist Sengoi School at the 9th
mile settlement. In the back row at right is Alexander Simandjoentak,
next to him is S. M. Sianturi. Sitting in front of Sianturi is the Penghulu of
the 9th mile settlement, early 1937
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Seng49 &
Seng50 |
No caption
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