Ernestine Wieder Singer papers

Ernestine Wieder Singer, the daughter of Dr. Henry S. and Josephine M. Wieder of Philadelphia, was a Master's student at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Anthropology during the 1930s. Wieder Singer studied and wrote about the woven nets produced by the Indians of South America. Her Masters thesis, "Analysis and Distribution of Netting Techniques Among South American Indians," was conducted under the direction of Dr. J. Alden Mason. It was completed but not published.

In 1935 and 1936, Wieder Singer delivered papers on South American netting techniques at two anthropology conferences, including the American Anthropology Association in 1936. Her notes from anthropology courses at Penn and professional meetings are part of the collection at the American Philosophical Society, chief among them are details of the presentations of Ruth Benedict, William N. Fenton, Elsie Worthington Clews Parson, A. Irving Hallowell and Edgar Billings Howard.

Wieder Singer's paper on "The Technique of Certain Peruvian Hairnets" is referenced in Ina Van Stan's work, "Textiles from Beneath the Temple of Pachacamac" and published in Revista del Museo Nacional; V. 5, No. 1. Ernestine Wieder Singer's promising career was ended by her untimely death at the age of 26. She was the editor of the Journal of American Folklore at the time of her death.

Ernestine Wieder Singer, the daughter of Dr. Henry S. and Josephine M. Wieder of Philadelphia, was a Master's student at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Anthropology during the 1930s. Wieder Singer studied the woven nets produced by the Indians of South American during her Master's program. Her thesis, "Analysis and Distribution of Netting Techniques Among South American Indians," conducted under the direction of Dr. Alden Mason, was completed but not published.

The Ernestine Wieder Singer papers consist of five folders of information related to her special interest in South American netting techniques. There is one folder of correspondence written in French. Several pages of expenses are also in the correspondence file. The file of notes holds many small papers of hand-written information and hand-drawn pictures of knots used in netting. Larger drawings, used for her papers are held in the drawings file.

There are two folders of Wieder Singer's papers. One represents her Master's thesis and the other two papers presented at conferences in 1935 and 1936.

In addition to the holdings of the University of Pennsylvania Museum, papers of notes from classes and anthropological meetings are held by the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia.

Publication Information: University of Pennsylvania: Penn Museum Archives, 10/29/15

Finding Aid Author:

Use Restrictions:

Geographic Name(s)

• Pachacamac. Peru

Personal Name(s)

• Mason, John Alden, 1885-1967
• Wardle, Harriet Newell (H.N.), 1875-1964
• Wieder-Singer, Ernestine, 1910-1937

Subject(s)

• Folklore
• Material culture