Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Collecting Mesoamerican Art in the Twentieth Century: Revealing Histories of the International Art Market
This event occurred on April 26, 2024.
The third international symposium of the Getty Research Institute's Pre-Hispanic Art Provenance Initiative (PHAPI) focuses on mid-twentieth century practices of collecting Mesoamerican antiquities among museums and individuals in the United States, Europe, and Mexico as nations of origin were taking greater measures to prevent looting and export. The speakers in this symposium address the complex and often clandestine histories behind these events, as well as their ramifications for the present and future.
El tercer simposio internacional de la Iniciativa de Procedencia del Arte Prehisp ánico (PHAPI) del Getty Research Institute se centra en las prácticas de colección de antigüedades mesoamericanas entre museos e individuos en los Estados Unidos, Europa y México a mediados del siglo XX, mientras que las naciones de origen tomaban medidas más estrictas para prevenir el saqueo y la exportación. Los ponentes de este simposio abordan las complejas y a menudo clandestinas historias detrás de estos eventos, así como sus repercusiones para el presente y el futuro.
00:00 Welcome remarks by Mary Miller
12:21 Andrew Hamilton, "Only Connect: The Digital Future of Pre-Hispanic Provenance Research"
36:37 Martin Berger, "New Horizons or Well-trodden Paths? Collecting Mesoamerican archaeology in European museums, 1945-1975"
01:05:45 Kylie King, "'It would be well to date your letters': Harmonizing Archival Resources and Revealing Hidden Business Strategies in the Stendahl Art Galleries Records"
01:38:29 Haydée López Hernández, "Gifts and Cheap Purchases: Collections, Collectors,
and the National Museum (1920-1964)"
02:05:49 Discussion and Q&A
02:29:47 Break
03:46:38 Michael Mathiowetz, "A “Cocktail and Buffet Supper”: The Social Networks
of Archaeologists, Institutions, and Pre-Columbian Art Dealers and Collectors in Mid-Century Los Angeles"
04:12:17 María Galbán, "Searching Heye and Low: Reconstructing MAI Collections Histories Through Documentation"
04:41:38 Megan O'Neil, "The Business of Archaeology?: A Glimpse Into Panama’s Antiquities Market Through Two Dealer Archives"
05:09:56 Manuel May Castillo, "Silent Stories, Global Supply Chains: Identifying Mayan Relics in European Museums"
05:37:35 Matthew Robb and Mary Miller, "Spratling Trouble"
06:35:29 Discussion and Q&A
Speakers:
Martin Berger, Leiden University
Manuel May Castillo, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich
María Galbán, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian
Andrew J. Hamilton, Art Institute of Chicago
Kylie King, Independent Scholar
Haydée López Hernández, Dirección de Estudios Históricos (INAH)
Michael Mathiowetz, Getty Research Institute
Mary Miller, Getty Research Institute
Megan O’Neil, Emory University
Matthew H. Robb, Library of Congress
Learn more and view the program: https://www.getty.edu/visit/cal/events/ev_4115.html
The Getty Research Institute is dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts and their various histories through its expertise, active collecting program, public programs, institutional collaborations, exhibitions, publications, digital services, and residential scholars programs. Its library and special collections of rare materials and digital resources serve an international community of scholars and the interested public. The Research Institute's activities and scholarly resources guide and sustain each other and together provide a unique environment for research, critical inquiry, and scholarly exchange.
Getty Research Institute: https://www.getty.edu/research/
Getty is a world-renowned cultural and philanthropic organization that shares and advances the world’s visual art and cultural heritage. Collectively and individually, our programs pursue our mission in Los Angeles and throughout the world. Our engagement in culture, arts, and philanthropy is achieved through our constituent programs: the Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Foundation, Getty Museum, Getty Research Institute, and Getty Trust.
Getty: https://www.getty.edu/
Getty Conservation Institute: https://www.getty.edu/conservation/
Getty Foundation: https://www.getty.edu/foundation/
Getty Museum: https://www.getty.edu/museum/
Getty Villa Museum: https://www.getty.edu/visit/villa/
Getty Research Institute: https://www.getty.edu/research/
Collecting Mesoamerican Art in the Twentieth Century: Revealing Histories of the International Art Market
This event occurred on April 26, 2024.
The third international symposium of the Getty Research Institute's Pre-Hispanic Art Provenance Initiative (PHAPI) focuses on mid-twentieth century practices of collecting Mesoamerican antiquities among museums and individuals in the United States, Europe, and Mexico as nations of origin were taking greater measures to prevent looting and export. The speakers in this symposium address the complex and often clandestine histories behind these events, as well as their ramifications for the present and future.
El tercer simposio internacional de la Iniciativa de Procedencia del Arte Prehisp ánico (PHAPI) del Getty Research Institute se centra en las prácticas de colección de antigüedades mesoamericanas entre museos e individuos en los Estados Unidos, Europa y México a mediados del siglo XX, mientras que las naciones de origen tomaban medidas más estrictas para prevenir el saqueo y la exportación. Los ponentes de este simposio abordan las complejas y a menudo clandestinas historias detrás de estos eventos, así como sus repercusiones para el presente y el futuro.
00:00 Welcome remarks by Mary Miller
12:21 Andrew Hamilton, "Only Connect: The Digital Future of Pre-Hispanic Provenance Research"
36:37 Martin Berger, "New Horizons or Well-trodden Paths? Collecting Mesoamerican archaeology in European museums, 1945-1975"
01:05:45 Kylie King, "'It would be well to date your letters': Harmonizing Archival Resources and Revealing Hidden Business Strategies in the Stendahl Art Galleries Records"
01:38:29 Haydée López Hernández, "Gifts and Cheap Purchases: Collections, Collectors,
and the National Museum (1920-1964)"
02:05:49 Discussion and Q&A
02:29:47 Break
03:46:38 Michael Mathiowetz, "A “Cocktail and Buffet Supper”: The Social Networks
of Archaeologists, Institutions, and Pre-Columbian Art Dealers and Collectors in Mid-Century Los Angeles"
04:12:17 María Galbán, "Searching Heye and Low: Reconstructing MAI Collections Histories Through Documentation"
04:41:38 Megan O'Neil, "The Business of Archaeology?: A Glimpse Into Panama’s Antiquities Market Through Two Dealer Archives"
05:09:56 Manuel May Castillo, "Silent Stories, Global Supply Chains: Identifying Mayan Relics in European Museums"
05:37:35 Matthew Robb and Mary Miller, "Spratling Trouble"
06:35:29 Discussion and Q&A
Speakers:
Martin Berger, Leiden University
Manuel May Castillo, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich
María Galbán, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian
Andrew J. Hamilton, Art Institute of Chicago
Kylie King, Independent Scholar
Haydée López Hernández, Dirección de Estudios Históricos (INAH)
Michael Mathiowetz, Getty Research Institute
Mary Miller, Getty Research Institute
Megan O’Neil, Emory University
Matthew H. Robb, Library of Congress
Learn more and view the program: https://www.getty.edu/visit/cal/events/ev_4115.html
The Getty Research Institute is dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts and their various histories through its expertise, active collecting program, public programs, institutional collaborations, exhibitions, publications, digital services, and residential scholars programs. Its library and special collections of rare materials and digital resources serve an international community of scholars and the interested public. The Research Institute's activities and scholarly resources guide and sustain each other and together provide a unique environment for research, critical inquiry, and scholarly exchange.
Getty Research Institute: https://www.getty.edu/research/
Getty is a world-renowned cultural and philanthropic organization that shares and advances the world’s visual art and cultural heritage. Collectively and individually, our programs pursue our mission in Los Angeles and throughout the world. Our engagement in culture, arts, and philanthropy is achieved through our constituent programs: the Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Foundation, Getty Museum, Getty Research Institute, and Getty Trust.
Getty: https://www.getty.edu/
Getty Conservation Institute: https://www.getty.edu/conservation/
Getty Foundation: https://www.getty.edu/foundation/
Getty Museum: https://www.getty.edu/museum/
Getty Villa Museum: https://www.getty.edu/visit/villa/
Getty Research Institute: https://www.getty.edu/research/
