An inescapable presence in early 20th century Southwestern cultural life, Edgar Lee Hewett (1865-1946) earned the nickname “El Toro.” Among his accomplishments, he used his political skills and stubbornness to centralize cultural preservation and promote and establish New Mexico as a hub for archaeology. He trained a new generation of archaeologists, invited women into the field, and worked tirelessly for the United States Antiquities Act (1906). He led the School of American Archaeology (today known as the School for Advanced Research) and helped create the Museum of New Mexico, originally in the Palace of the Governors.
The Hewett Document and Photographic Collections are completely processed and available for research at the New Mexico History Museum. By making Hewett’s papers widely available, researchers can grapple with the history of Southwestern archaeology and the methods and systems Hewett built as he elevated American archaeology on the world stage.
The Collections
The manuscript collection contains the personal and professional papers of archaeologist and educator Edgar Lee Hewett (1865-1946), including correspondence, manuscripts by Hewett and others, publications, archaeological notes and reports, financial records, personal documents, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, account books and ledgers, visitor registers, maps, and other miscellaneous papers, with the bulk dating from 1897-1947.
Finding aid to the Edgar L. Hewett Collection (AC105)
The image collection contains photographs, photographic negatives, photo albums, postcards, and ephemera collected by Edgar Lee Hewett. Content includes travels, archaeological expeditions, mementoes, and images of friends and family.
Finding aid to the Edgar L. Hewett Photographs and Ephemera Collection (PAAC0056)
Digitized Collections
The digitized Hewett collections are browsable on the New Mexico History Museum's digital collections site:
Edgar L. Hewett Collection Online
Thank You
The New Mexico History Museum digitized and made publicly available the Hewett manuscript and photograph collections thanks to a major grant from the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.
