Cornell University Anthropology Collections

09/04/2026

A different view of our friends the Johnson Museum of Art — taken from near the mouth of Fall Creek

06/28/2026

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Archaeology and cultural heritage work have fully entered the digital age. Today, researchers rely on tools like 3D scanners, a variety of GIS software, and Lidar equipped drones to document the past in ways that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. These technologies are powerful—but they’...

06/25/2026

The tank was scrapped in the 1930s, and no part remains in any University collection so far as is known. Louis Livingston Seaman, who arranged the donation, served as a medical officer in several wars of the early 20th century, and some of his photographs from East Asia are in the Collections.

In April 1926, a loud mechanical rumble, which, perhaps, could have been mistaken for distant thunder, resonated throughout campus.

While stormy skies were a common Ithaca occurrence then as now, this unusual roar emanated from the newest addition to the Hill: a British Mark V tank from World War I, a gift to Cornell from the British government, facilitated by WWI veteran Maj. Louis Livingston Seaman 1872.

Dubbed “America,” the tank had taken a transatlantic journey of nearly 3,500 miles from London to its new home.

“It stands not only for the ideals associated with its name,” Seaman said at a dedication ceremony in May 1926, “but for noble expression of ideals — the ideals of America and Cornell.”

Cornell contributed over 4,500 commissioned officers to World War I, more than any other institution, even West Point, and 265 alumni died in the conflict.

“We have learned to recognize in the name ‘Cornell’ a synonym for duty, patriotism, devotion, and the high virtue of citizenship,” Seaman said at the dedication. “These are ideals branded on the souls of every one of us.”

After its dedication, the “America” tank was relocated inside Barton. Today, the only remaining evidence of the tank’s presence is a large memorial plaque in Barton’s west stairway. Dedicated to the Class of 1872 for its military service and noting the gift “of the war tank ‘America’” among its contributions, it was presented in 1927 by the class president: Louis Livingston Seaman.

For more information, check out Remembering When ‘America’ Came to the Hill (the Army Tank, That Is) at https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/earle-tank/.

(Photo courtesy of the Cornell University Library Rare and Manuscript Collections)

06/19/2026

An interesting exhibit at the Met this summer – although I suspect that, like the author and some commentators, I'd want to see more accompanying text/interpretation....

You may stand a little straighter after visiting the Met’s Temple of Dendur, which has been reanimated with sculptures by the Swiss master of figurative tension.

06/06/2026

A few shots from late in the Reunion open-house today, Alison had considerably more people in the morning but Fred wasn’t there until later to get photos. There was still a steady stream of visitors through the afternoon, who seemed to really enjoy the Collections, the selected objects, and most of all, Alison’s explanations and stories.

06/01/2026

Open House this Friday...
Anthropology & Archaeology Collections
Come visit the new location of the collections in the Anthropology Collaboratory in Olin Library, view selections of archaeological and ethnographic material, and chat with curators.
Fri, June 05 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Anthropology Collaboratory, Olin Library, room B66
The Collections will be open for most of the afternoon, too. You're welcome to stop by outside of designated hours if you miss the morning open house!

05/29/2026

Current status of the McGraw Hall renovation. Fred went up to consult with Alison on a variety of projects — it’s been a crazy semester and we hadn’t been able to get together for ages! Alison will be doing an open-house for Reunion as usual, next Friday in the new Collaboratory space, so those coming for Reunion should be sure to stop by!

05/13/2026

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The fragment wasn’t placed besides the body, but stuffed inside it.

05/13/2026

A little update on the McGraw Hall renovation project

As McGraw Hall, one of the university’s oldest buildings, is rebuilt from the inside out, workers have made several discoveries, and faculty are reusing and studying materials from the building in the classroom.

05/01/2026

A nice article on a great collection of material culture!

Yale’s Bicentennial Schlock collection offers a window into the star-spangled commercialism that swept the country 50 years ago.