Massive World War I Archive

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2004

FURLONG, Charles Wellington (1874-1967). Colonel C. W. Furlong's long and active life was one of extraordinary accomplishment punctuated by adventure. He excelled as a soldier, sailor, explorer, anthropologist, author, photographer, artist, and even as a rodeo bull-rider. Whether heading Cornell's Art Department or living among Pygmies, Furlong made his mark. In 1904 Furlong began a long string of expeditions with the discovery of the U.S.S. Philadelphia, which had been sunk in Tripoli Harbor during the Navy's war with the Barbary Pirates a century earlier. His travels, be they military or scholarly, would eventually take him to South America, the West Indies, Europe, Africa, and the Near East. It became customary for Furlong, while abroad, to ship antiquities and ethnic art to the United States. Many world-class museums contain items the Colonel collected on his travels. As a soldier, Furlong worked in Military Intelligence during World War I, was an aide to President Wilson during the Versailles Conference, and an observer in several theaters of operations. Commissioned a full Colonel in 1929, Furlong remained with the Army Reserves through the Second World War during which he was a recognized expert of Middle Eastern affairs. Furlong's papers are archived at Dartmouth College while much of his photography resides at the University of Oregon. Large grouping of several hundred items pertaining to the military assignments and civilian adventures of Charles Wellington Furlong. The collection, housed in two binders and three original file boxes, consists primarily of notes, photographs, ephemera, newspaper clippings, telegrams, maps, and personal correspondence. A sampling of items includes: Approximately 50 types sheets of notes, quarto, ca. 1919, Syria. Remarks on personalities, history, culture, and language in Syria...Plus; Newspaper story by Furlong, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, KING-MAKER OF THE DESERT, one page, folio, May 26, 1935, The Boston Herald. Furlong remembers Lawrence and his own time in the Middle East...Approximately 100 photographs and postcards, averaging 4" x 5", ca. 1920's, The Balkans and Near East. Shown are scenes in rural Greece and Syria. Many of the prints are likely images taken by Furlong himself...Plus; 15 photographs, octavo or smaller, ca. 1930, Africa. Taken during Furlong's celebrated safari, these images show the Colonel as a hunter. He poses alone, with other whites on safari, and with big game, most notably an African elephant and a leopard...Plus; Typed Letter Unsigned by Furlong, one page, quarto, November 22, 1929, Constantinople, Turkey to Leslie J. Tarleton, Nairobi, Kenya. Furlong, writing as regards his African expedition, states in part: "...I am very anxious to get off the beaten track in my expedition where we shall use porters and get away from the trucks. I want to get as much data of unique interest in the way of most interesting native and least known tribes..."...Plus; Autograph Letter Signed "C Wellington Furlong", one page, small octavo, December 28, 1929, Cairo Egypt to Said Poulfikan Pasha, Grand Chamberlain to the King of Egypt. Furlong writes: "I have the honor to have received your letter of December twenty eight informing me that His Majesty the King your August Sovereign will receive me this coming Monday, December thirtieth at four in the afternoon at the Abdine Palace. I accept this great honor with much pleasure and anticipation. With deep appreciation and sincere sentiments."...Plus; Typed Report, THE FURLONG EXPEDITION TO EAST AFRICA, 3 pages, quarto, March 27, 1930, Nairobi, Kenya. It reads in small part: "...the expedition has been an unusually hard one...three of their BLACKS had to be shipped from the field...three dogs died because of the fly, and over half of the blacks came in sick. Colonel Furlong himself has just recuperated from a hard attack of malaria...this is his sixth expedition into the African Continent. Although interested in hunting big game, he is even more interested in photographing same and making some ethnological studies of the interesting primitive tribes, particularly the Masai...Colonel Furlong considers that Kenya is not only the key of British Empire in Africa, but is the focal point of the great problem of black and white, and that Kenya and East Africa are bound to loom large in the political history not only of Africa but of the world in the future..."...Plus; Partially printed document, one page, oblong octavo, April 13, 1931. Furlong signs off here for a shipment of his African trophies. Included are skins from leopards, lions, a jackal, a hunting dog, and a python....Plus; Approximately 30 black and white postcards, ca. 1930, East Africa. Natives, landscapes and wildlife are featured...Plus; Receipts for supplies, guns, ammo, railway tickets, and hunting licenses associated with the African expedition...Plus; 15 booklets pertaining to East Africa, mostly octavo, ca. 1930. Titles include: THE AMERICAN TRAVELER IN AFRICA, THE CALL OF AFRICA, KENYA AND UGANDA, KENYA BRITAIN'S MOST ATTRACTIVE COLONY, EAST AFRICA AND WHERE TO STAY...Plus; Account Book, 10 pages inscribed of approximately 30 pages bound, small octavo, 1930, Kenya. From labor to ketchup to visas, expenditures are noted... Plus; Magazine cover, OUTING, 12" x 16 1/2", ca. 1920's. "Outing" billed itself as "An Illustrated Magazine of Sport Travel Adventure and Country Life". The cover illustration for this edition of the magazine has a wonderful depiction of two giraffes and is signed "Chas. W. Furlong" by the artist. What an incredibly talented individual he was!...Plus; Poster, 13 3/4" x 22", ca. 1930's. This blue and gold poster reads: "Welcome Col. Furlong on your 10th Appearance at the F.R. Lion's Club". Furlong gave literally thousands of lectures during the course of his life...Plus; A second copy of the identical poster...Plus; Musical Instrument, 7 1/2" x 27", ca. 1930, East Africa. Resembling a dug-out canoe, this native African instrument has 6 strings and is made of a single block of wood. Decorations consist of three cut-through crosses and triangles burned onto its back. Complete with an original ID tag reading "Col. C. Wellington Furlong c/o Safariland Ltd.". Safariland was the Nairobi firm engaged to ship Furlong's African trophies to the States...Plus; Mask, 9" x 10", ca. 1910, likely South America. Although not identified, this mask was among Furlong's possessions and shows every indication of being a souvenir of his South American expeditions. Constructed of a molded paper mache material and topped with straight black human hair, it appears to be the death mask of an actual person. The facial features of the mask, the hair, and its coloring would indicate a Native American provenance. Conditions vary widely among the Furlong material. Publications, letters, and photographs are generally in VF condition whereas newspaper clippings and field notes ar often only in Fair condition. The Furlong artifacts are in Good condition.

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