Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers
Object Details
- Biographical/Historical note
- Lorenzo Dow Turner was born in Elizabeth City, N.C. in 1895. He earned his B.A. in 1914 from Howard University; in 1917, he received an M.A. in English from Harvard University. He received his doctorate in English from the University of Chicago in 1926 while simultaneously serving as chairman and professor of the Department of English at Howard from 1917 to 1928. He held the same positions at Fisk University in Nashville from 1929 to 1946. In 1946 he accepted a professorship in the English department at Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he remained as professor of English and lecturer in African Cultures until his retirement in 1970. Turner was professor emeritus at Roosevelt until his death at age 77 in 1972. Turner's professional and academic interests encompassed both English and linguistics. A noted scholar of African languages and linguistics, he learned numerous West African languages, mastering five of them. He was a noted authority on Gullah, a Creole language spoken in the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.
- Date
- 1895 - 1972
- Extent
- 23.97 Linear feet (20 boxes)
- Citation
- Lorenzo Dow Turner papers,Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Lois Turner Williams.
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Audiovisual materials
- Field recordings
- Photographs
- Photographic prints
- Maps
- Correspondence
- Topic
- Sea Islands Creole dialect
- African languages -- Study and teaching -- United States
- Linguistics -- Research -- United States
- Identifier
- ACMA.06-017
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
EAD Collection Results
745 result(s) Skip to facets for narrowing search results- Alumni magazines, Fisk University, Fisk University
- Rooks Turner, Sr.
- Correspondence, Roosevelt University
- Newspaper clipping, Fisk University
- List of expenses, 25 May 1941
- Reports and Agendas, Miscellaneous
- Fahari, February 1987
- Field Work in the Western Region (Nigeria): Portrait of a Member of the Clergy
- Miscellaneous, Lois M. Turner
- Field Work in the Western Region (Nigeria): Women Carrying Large Baskets on their Heads
- Field Work on both Sides of the Benue River, Northern Region (Nigeria): Tiv Women Tending to their Agricultural Field
- Attendance cards, English 490--A, Roosevelt University
- The palm-wine drunkard (Review)
- Field Work in Big Qua Town, Calabar, Eastern Region (Nigeria): Wire Recording Session of a Traditional Music Band, Attended by Ntoe Ika Ika Oqua II, Paramount Ruler of the Qua Clan
- Trainee list
- Field Work in the Eastern Region (Nigeria): Trading along the Road
- Field Work in Ife, Western Region (Nigeria): Administrative Assistants of Oba Sir Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi, Oni of Ife
- Problems confronting the investigator of Gullah
- Notebooks, Portuguese
- Menus
- Military Correspondence, Lorenzo Dow Turner, Jr.
- Plan of work
- Coursework, Cultural studies--341, Roosevelt University
- Correspondence, Miscellaneous, Roosevelt University
Facets
Clear facet(s):
-
Resource Type
- filter Archival materials 745 Exclude Archival materials
- filter Text 269 Exclude Text
- filter Negatives 192 Exclude Negatives
- filter Photographs 21 Exclude Photographs
- filter Photographic prints 9 Exclude Photographic prints
- filter Portraits 4 Exclude Portraits
- filter Photographic postcards 1 Exclude Photographic postcards
- filter Photographic_print_mounted_on_cardboard 1 Exclude Photographic_print_mounted_on_cardboard
- filter Scrapbooks 1 Exclude Scrapbooks
-
Culture
- filter Rukuba (African people) 28 Exclude Rukuba (African people)
- filter Irigwe (African people) 26 Exclude Irigwe (African people)
- filter Yoruba (African people) 26 Exclude Yoruba (African people)
- filter Tiv (African people) 11 Exclude Tiv (African people)
- filter Nupe (African people) 3 Exclude Nupe (African people)
- filter Afro-Brazilians 2 Exclude Afro-Brazilians
- filter Brazilians 2 Exclude Brazilians
- filter African Americans 1 Exclude African Americans
- filter Afro-Brazilian 1 Exclude Afro-Brazilian
- filter Ejagham (African people) 1 Exclude Ejagham (African people)
- filter Gullahs 1 Exclude Gullahs
-
Date
- filter 1900s 1 Exclude 1900s
- filter 1910s 13 Exclude 1910s
- filter 1920s 1 Exclude 1920s
- filter 1930s 5 Exclude 1930s
- filter 1940s 12 Exclude 1940s
- filter 1950s 197 Exclude 1950s
- filter 1960s 4 Exclude 1960s
- filter 1970s 5 Exclude 1970s
- filter 1980s 1 Exclude 1980s
- filter 1990s 1 Exclude 1990s
- filter 2000s 1 Exclude 2000s
-
Place
- filter Africa 192 Exclude Africa
- filter Nigeria 187 Exclude Nigeria
- filter Nigeria, Northern 62 Exclude Nigeria, Northern
- filter Nigeria, Western 62 Exclude Nigeria, Western
- filter Nigeria, Eastern 37 Exclude Nigeria, Eastern
- filter Ife (Nigeria) 8 Exclude Ife (Nigeria)
- filter Ibadan (Nigeria) 7 Exclude Ibadan (Nigeria)
- filter Washington (D.C.) 7 Exclude Washington (D.C.)
- filter Sierra Leone 4 Exclude Sierra Leone
- filter Bahia (Brazil : State) 3 Exclude Bahia (Brazil : State)
- filter Freetown (Sierra Leone) 3 Exclude Freetown (Sierra Leone)
- filter Calabar (Nigeria) 2 Exclude Calabar (Nigeria)
- filter Ondo (Nigeria) 2 Exclude Ondo (Nigeria)
- filter Badagri (Nigeria) 1 Exclude Badagri (Nigeria)
- filter Benin 1 Exclude Benin
- filter Brazil 1 Exclude Brazil
- filter Massachusetts 1 Exclude Massachusetts
- filter New York 1 Exclude New York
- filter Rockville (Md.) 1 Exclude Rockville (Md.)
- filter Tuskegee (Ala.) 1 Exclude Tuskegee (Ala.)
- filter United States 1 Exclude United States
-
Set Name
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers 745 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.3: Roosevelt University 136 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.3: Roosevelt University
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 1: Biographical / 1.1: Lorenzo Dow Turner 67 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 1: Biographical / 1.1: Lorenzo Dow Turner
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 3: Writings / 3.1: Writings by Lorenzo Dow Turner 64 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 3: Writings / 3.1: Writings by Lorenzo Dow Turner
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Nigeria, Northern 62 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Nigeria, Northern
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Nigeria, Western 62 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Nigeria, Western
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 1: Biographical / 1.2: Family 56 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 1: Biographical / 1.2: Family
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 4: Research / 4.1: Africa 39 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 4: Research / 4.1: Africa
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.2: Fisk University 38 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.2: Fisk University
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Nigeria, Eastern 37 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Nigeria, Eastern
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 4: Research / 4.2: Brazil 29 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 4: Research / 4.2: Brazil
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Nigeria, Southern 26 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Nigeria, Southern
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.4: Peace Corps 20 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.4: Peace Corps
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 3: Writings / 3.2: Writings by other Authors 20 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 3: Writings / 3.2: Writings by other Authors
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.1: Turner Portraits, circa 1906 12 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.1: Turner Portraits, circa 1906
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.1: Howard University 10 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.1: Howard University
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 4: Research / 4.3: Miscellaneous 10 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 4: Research / 4.3: Miscellaneous
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career 8 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.7: University of Chicago 8 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.7: University of Chicago
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.6: Dictionaries and Encyclopedias 7 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.6: Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.2: Research: Brazil 6 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.2: Research: Brazil
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.5: Y.M.C.A 5 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.5: Y.M.C.A
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.8: University of Illinois 5 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 2: Academic Career / 2.8: University of Illinois
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.2: Turner Family Photographs 5 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.2: Turner Family Photographs
- filter Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Sierra Leone 4 Exclude Lorenzo Dow Turner Papers / Series 5: Photographs, circa 1890–1974 / 5.4.1: Research: Africa / 35mm negatives / Sierra Leone
-
Topic
- filter Clothing and dress 60 Exclude Clothing and dress
- filter Women 60 Exclude Women
- filter Cultural landscapes 46 Exclude Cultural landscapes
- filter Architecture 38 Exclude Architecture
- filter Portrait photography 33 Exclude Portrait photography
- filter Agriculture 27 Exclude Agriculture
- filter Vernacular architecture 22 Exclude Vernacular architecture
- filter Musical instruments 18 Exclude Musical instruments
- filter Headdresses 16 Exclude Headdresses
- filter Musicians 15 Exclude Musicians
- filter Music 14 Exclude Music
- filter Rites and ceremonies 14 Exclude Rites and ceremonies
- filter Dance 13 Exclude Dance
- filter Sound recordings 12 Exclude Sound recordings
- filter Portraits, Group 9 Exclude Portraits, Group
- filter Religious buildings 8 Exclude Religious buildings
- filter Hairstyles 6 Exclude Hairstyles
- filter Natural landscapes 6 Exclude Natural landscapes
- filter African American professors 5 Exclude African American professors
- filter Baskets 5 Exclude Baskets
- filter Children 5 Exclude Children
- filter Transportation 5 Exclude Transportation
- filter African American baseball players 4 Exclude African American baseball players
- filter Shrines 4 Exclude Shrines
- filter Pottery 3 Exclude Pottery
- Metadata Usage
- type