Welcome to the History page of the Anthropology Department.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County opened in 1913 with three departments: Art, History, and Science. At that time, there was no formal Anthropology Department though some of the first acquisitions to the museum were of an archaeological and ethnographic nature. In 1925, C.W. Hatton, Curator of History, is mentioned as a member of the museum's "Indian Department", an early forerunner of the Anthropology Department.

One year later, in 1926, Bruce Bryan was hired as the museum's first Staff Archaeologist. In that same year, the museum launched its first archaeological expedition to San Nicolas Island led by Bryan and Hatton. Bryan left the museum in 1927 for a position at the Southwest museum, while Hatton stayed on.

In 1928 Arthur Woodward was hired as a Curator of History and Anthropology. He soon began archaeological field surveys with some limited excavations in California and Arizona. During the latter part of 1929, Woodward participated in the Van Bergen - Los Angeles Museum Expeditions to California, Arizona, and Utah. During this time, he was particularly well known for his work at the Grewe Site in Arizona. The expeditions were funded until 1932 by Dr. Charles Van Bergen, a wealthy gentleman from New York.

From 1939 to 1941, Woodward involved himself in the Los Angeles Museum - Channel Islands Biological Survey. This survey involved NHM staff from various disciplines studying the biology, history, and archaeology of the Channel Islands. Woodward worked on the archaeological sites of San Clemente, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa Islands. With the advent of U.S. involvement in World War II, the expedition was abruptly terminated, and the team evacuated the Islands. Woodward engaged in exhibit development and research until his retirement in 1953.

Robert Ariss began working for the museum as a Curator in 1946. He developed many permanent and temporary exhibits, playing an active roll in museum education and public programming. At that time, Ariss was also involved in the Archaeological Site Survey of Southern California, an early organization that surveyed and recorded local archaeological sites.

Charles E. Rozaire began working for the museum in 1965. His primary responsibility upon hire was to create and install a hall depicting Latin American Prehistory. With much help from the Stendahl Galleries, the Hall opened in October of 1966. Rozaire later conducted extensive research on the archaeology of San Miguel Island, Californian basketry, and Native American textiles. Prior to retiring in 1990, Rozaire helped to update the Latin American Hall to its present standards.

William B. Lee joined the museum in 1974 and conducted research in the Southwest and Northwest Coast area of America, the Canadian Yukon, and Latin America. While his main research interest was Visual Anthropology, he also worked to improve storage for the section's collections. Lee left the Anthropology Department in 1980 and the museum only one year later.

Nancy Blomberg was hired as a Curator in 1978. She and Lee worked continuously to improve storage conditions for the section's collections. Active in exhibit development and public programming, Blomberg researched Native American basketry and Navajo textiles. Her intense interest in Navajo textiles resulted in the publication of Navajo Textiles, The William Randolph Hearst Collection in 1988.

In 1991, Christopher B. Steiner joined the Section as an Ethnology Curator. His research interests focused on African Art. However, after only two short years and several publications, he left the museum in 1993.

The Times Mirror Native American Hall was opened in 1990 with a gala welcoming. Designed by Margaret Hardin with inspirations of twenty years of fieldwork in the Southwest, and in consultation with several Native American Indian tribal representatives, the Hall is a testament to the dynamic and diverse cultures of Native North Americans.

For the current status of our collections and curators, you are invited to peruse the other sections of the Anthropology web pages.