First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology

The First Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology offers a vivid snapshot of late‑19th‑century American anthropology, presented as the official account of the Smithsonian’s newly funded research program. Written by the bureau’s director, it outlines the agency’s mandate, the congressional support that made it possible, and the early fieldwork that took explorers from the Colorado River to the Rocky Mountains. Listeners will hear a blend of administrative detail and scholarly enthusiasm, as the report emphasizes the collaborative spirit of the scientists and assistants who first set out to document the continent’s indigenous peoples.

Beyond the introductory narrative, the volume gathers ten accompanying papers that delve into specific topics such as language recording, mortuary customs, and material culture, each illustrated with period plates and figures. The text also includes careful notes on the specialized characters used to render native phonetics and Greek terms, giving a sense of the painstaking effort to capture linguistic nuance. Altogether, the report provides a compelling window into the foundations of ethnological study in the United States.