For Immediate Release Media Contact: Greg Borzo (312) 665-7106 gborzo@fieldmuseum.org General Information about The Field Museum: (312) 922-9410 Collection will be basis for study, understanding Digitizing the recorded descriptions of the collection that were so painstakingly made in 1958 will not just preserve Fuller’s voice but also give researchers a new perspective on individual pieces and the significance of the Fuller collection, as a whole. The Museum’s Regenstein Endowment supports this work. Objects come from almost every corner of the Micronesia and Polynesia, including Australia, Hawaii, Easter Islands, Fiji, New Guinea and Tahiti, to name just a few. The collection includes: a large, rare, carved wood idol thought to be the mate to the famous “Bloxam” idol now owned by the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii; a magnificent jade adze from New Zealand estimated to be more than 300 years old, yet in mint condition; a rare, intricately carved wood shield from the Solomon Islands with inlaid pearl shell. An entry from the recordings shows just one facet of the rich, vivid descriptions being preserved: "Bushmen's belt obtained at Auki Malaita Island. Mr. Holmes’ party went up the river in their launch to obtain fresh water when they were surprised by a party of Bushmen fully armed and apparently on a raiding expedition as they were so close to the coast. The launch beat a retreat down the river, the natives following on the banks, when near the mouth, and in safety, Mr. Holmes went close to the natives in a small boat while being covered by the guns in the launch and obtained this belt from one of them, it being the only thing the man had on.” “We are using 21st century technologies to study and learn from the information and characterizations on these recordings, which are so telling – just as Fuller would have done,” said John Maniatis, Field Museum collections assistant and principal investigator on this project. <<Back to the Press Room