Harvard’s Peabody Museum showcases Philippine collection

Consul  General Senen Mangalile  visited the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography at Harvard University on May 21 to view its extensive Philippine collection. His wife Ma. Fe Mangalile joined him on his visit.

The Peabody Museum houses over 8,000 ethnographic and photographic materials from the Philippines, primarily acquired between 1900 and 1930 by renowned anthropologists, colonial administrators, and collectors, according to a statement from the Philippine Consulate.

The visit was part of the commemoration of Philippine National Heritage Month in May.

Among the collectors whose donations form part of the Philippine artifacts were American anthropologist Henry Otley Beyer, author John M. Garvan of “The Manobos of Mindanao,”  diplomat William Cameron Forbes, Boston collector Lewis H. Farlow, and Swedish archaeologist Olov Janse.

Part of the collection were the earliest versions of the Philippine flags and various indigenous crafts, which reflect the country’s rich history and cultural heritage.

Selected pieces from the collection were curated by Filipino American students from the first Filipino class at Harvard. The students worked with Dr. Ingrid Ahlgren, the curator of Oceanic Collections at the Peabody Museum, to gather detailed information about the historical items.

The Peabody Museum is located on 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA.  – Philippine Consulate General