What exactly is the HSFA?

If you've read some of the posts from those of us at the Human Studies Film Archives, you might be wondering what we're all about.  The name is hard to say without some practice, and even dear, long-time friends sometimes mix up the letters in the acronym.  Our posts have included video clips of Ju/'hoan Bushmen in southern Africa, jump rope demonstrations, an Argentine religious icon maker, and Icelandic volcanoes.  How, exactly, are these things related, you might ask.


Our Senior Film Archivist, Pamela Wintle, answers this question and more in her recent interview with
the Department of Anthropology's Outreach Office (National Museum of Natural History).  Pam gives a great overview of HSFA collections and shares stories about a few notable film titles, including "Sugar Plant Hunting by Airplane in New Guinea", the Linker Family's "Adventure in Afghanistan", and the Kodak Cinegraph films.









As a bonus for anyone interested in anthropology, this is just one of a series of interviews with staff in the National Museum of Natural History's Anthropology department, including ethnologists, archaeologists, linguists and collection managers.


Karma Foley, Human Studies Film Archives