Scope and Content Note
The papers of Rhoda Bubendey Métraux (1914-2003) span the years 1837-1997, with the bulk of material dating from 1946 to 1990. The collection documents Métraux's work as a cultural anthropologist through correspondence with colleagues; memoranda, minutes, and reports from professional organizations and institutions; notes and proceedings from conferences and meetings; field diaries, notes, photographs, maps, and research data; and drafts of lectures, articles, books, and reviews. The collection is arranged in two parts. Part I consists of material given to the Library by Métraux in 1980 and is arranged in five series: General Correspondence, Subject File, Projects, Lectures and Writings, and Oversize. Part II comprises a large addition to the collection and is arranged in seven series: General Correspondence, Subject File, Projects, Writings, Personal File, Classified, and Oversize.
The collection as a whole documents Métraux’s work as an anthropologist, including her explorations into the ethnology of Caribbean peasant cultures, the complexities of cultural imagery, the relevance of cultural patterning for psychotherapy, the uses of projective testing, and the study of national character, including those of Germany, France, China, and the United States. Her papers include material from her work during World War II with the Office of Strategic Services on German civilian morale, her postwar work with the Research in Contemporary Cultures Project at Columbia University in the 1950s, her longtime association with the American Museum of Natural History, and her fieldwork in Haiti (1940s), Montserrat (1953-1954, 1966), and Papua New Guinea (1967-1968, 1971, 1972-1973). The collection further explores her collaborations and relationships with prominent anthropologists and psychologists, among them Theodora Mead Abel, Gregory Bateson, Jane Belo, Ruth Benedict, Kenneth P. Emory, Max Gluckman, Geoffrey Gorer, Margaret Lowenfeld, her husband, Alfred Métraux, and William E. Mitchell. Métraux is perhaps best known for her collaboration with anthropologist Margaret Mead with whom she shared a close personal relationship. The collection documents many facets of their friendship and working partnership.
The collection's series are listed and briefly described below. A fuller description of each series and a list of its contents can be accessed in the series descriptions within the container list.
Part I
The General Correspondence series contains Métraux’s correspondence with her family and close friends and associates, as well as her broader professional correspondence.
The Subject File series largely concerns Métraux's organizational affiliations. It also documents the lives and professional careers of colleagues with whom she collaborated, most notably Margaret Mead.
The Projects series constitutes more than half of Part I and contains files from three major research projects as well as a miscellaneous grouping of smaller projects.
The Lectures and Writings series documents the breadth of Métraux's research interests and contributions to the field of anthropology.
The remaining series in Part I contains Oversize material.
Part II
The General Correspondence series in Part II supplements the correspondence files in Part I and features correspondence with family members and close colleagues.
The Subject File covers a variety of topics including Métraux’s involvement in professional organizations. It further explores the lives and professional activities of colleagues and the childrearing of her son, Daniel Alfred Metraux.
The Projects series documents Métraux’s work as an anthropologist, most notably her fieldwork in Montserrat and Papua New Guinea.
The Writings features bibliographies, drafts, and reprints of writings by Métraux.
The Personal File documents various aspects of Métraux’s life.
The remaining series in Part II consist of Classified and Oversize material.