The George Handy Bates Samoan Papers: Photographs digital collection includes over one hundred forty albumen print photographs of the people and scenic views of Fiji, Hawaii, New Zealand, Samoa, Tahiti, and Tonga. The photographs make up Series III of the George Handy Bates Samoan Papers in the Special Collections Department of the University of Delaware Library.

The George Handy Bates Samoan Papers, 1869-1916, contain correspondence, documents, memoranda, clippings, photographs, and other material relating to George Handy Bates' tenure as a special investigator into Samoan affairs beginning in 1886, and as a commissioner to the 1889 Berlin Conference on Samoan Affairs. The papers are valuable for studying the culture and history of Samoa, particularly during the 1880s. Consult the online finding aid for more information about this collection.

Viewing the Photographs

Use the links above to access the ContentDM Search page, or browse the terms in selected indexes by clicking on Browse by Place or Browse by Subject. To view all the photographs in the collection, go to the CONTENTdm Browse page. To view all of the photographs in CONTENTdm in the same order as listed in the online finding aid, set your Preferences to sort by the Identifier field.

There are 131 photographs mounted on plates, or mat boards. Most of the mats have photographs on both sides, and each side that contains photographs is numbered (plate 1 through 77). Many of the mats have multiple photographs on a side. Clicking on the "View Mat" link provides a view of the entire plate. Information in the record also indicates which other photographs are mounted on the same plate and on the verso.

There are also 13 un-numbered photographs, some of which have inscriptions or photographer's identifications on the back. These can be viewed by clicking on the "View Back" links in the records.

Many of these photographs are rich in detail that can be seen when the images are enlarged. Click on the "Detailed View" link to zoom in on selected areas. See, for example, Neiafu, Vavau, Tonga, Tongan Girls-Nukualofa, or Samoan house-Apia-Kava Making.