The Ethnographic Collection is global in scope and is comprised of over 6,000 objects of cultural heritage. The vast majority of the collections span the North and South American continents. These cultural items represent various categories of material culture, including, but not limited to clothing and accessories, basketry and pottery items, household accessories, equestrian objects, hunting and recreational objects, and artwork.

The Ethnographic Collection was generated over the past century by both private donations, transfers from external institutions, and purchases by museum affiliates, faculty, and staff. Significant donations from individuals include the personal collection of Leigh Morgan Pearsall (1874-1964) who acquired cultural objects via art markets and individual purchases from other collectors during the period of 1900-1960.

The collections from South America prominently feature Andean and Amazonian folk art and every-day objects that document artistic traditions from Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. The core of these materials was assembled by Paul and Polly Doughty starting in the 1950s, and Roy C. Craven Jr. and Robert P. Ebersole in the 1970s.

The Florida Museum has worked with well-known scholars such as Frederick J. Dockstader, Norman Feder, and Bill Holm to determine cultural attributions for a large part of the collection for which original provenance was unknown. Janet Berlo, Aldona Jonaitis, Lea McChesney, and Susan Sekakuku also provided further analysis of the collection to compliment the collection records.

Beginning in September 2026, the Florida Museum of Natural History will not be accepting new donations to our general ethnographic collections from North America or elsewhere in the world. The museum is committed to the stewardship and care of the existing collections and is currently focused on its legal and ethical responsibilities under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. You may review the Department of Interior’s Tribal Leaders Directory or American Alliance of Museum’s Directory to locate a suitable alternative for proposed donations. We will continue to consider donations to our Florida Ethnographic Collection.