Missionary staff portraits

Images, mainly original photographs or reproductions of them, of missionaries and other staff employed by the (Wesleyan) Methodist Missionary Society and its predecessors. The majority of these images have been identified and dated (mostly 1910s to 1960s). This collection of photographs principally...

Full description


Date(s) of creation: 1859-c 1968
Level: Sub-series
Format: Archive           

collection SOAS Archive
id MMS.17.07.01.01.01
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
callnumber MMS/17/07/01/01/01
callnumber_txt MMS/17/07/01/01/01
callnumber-sort MMS/17/07/01/01/01
prefix_number 01
scb_previous_numbers MMS/01/20/01
title Missionary staff portraits
scb_date_creation 1859-c 1968
scb_level Sub-series
level_sort 7/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File
scb_extent 957 items
format Archive
description Images, mainly original photographs or reproductions of them, of missionaries and other staff employed by the (Wesleyan) Methodist Missionary Society and its predecessors. The majority of these images have been identified and dated (mostly 1910s to 1960s). This collection of photographs principally comprises images of MMS (as well as its predecessor organisations) missionaries and other staff with nearly all of them dating from the 1910s to 1960s (there are about nine C19th images or copies of them). Most of the images are portrait style photographs but some are less formal, including a few images of couples or families. It would seem that most of the photographs were commercially produced and given to the Methodist Church by the subjects themselves. It is clear from the reverse of some of these photographs that they were reproduced in Methodist missionary publications, such as The Kingdom Overseas, and where this is known the relevant issue has been recorded in the note field of the list. However, it is likely that many of the remaining photographs were also reproduced in Methodist missionary publications.
scb_arrangement Arranged alphabetically by surname.
scb_access_status Open
language English
language_search English
scb_physc_charac_tech_reqs The photographs within this collection have been placed inside archival polyester pockets for their protection. Please do not remove a photograph from a pocket.
note The date field contains the date recorded on the reverse of the photograph. This is presumably the date the photograph was taken but, in some instances, may be the date that the individual began overseas service. Where no date is recorded on the photograph an attempt has been made to date the photograph by other sources. The place field lists the mission district or mission field that the missionary served in as recorded on the reverse of the photograph. Where this information is lacking an attempt has been made to establish the district or field from other sources. Please note that place names have not been modernised as the name used at the time reflects the area designated as a mission district or field by the missionary society and not necessarily a specific geographic area. The note field contains any further relevant information recorded on the reverse of the photograph (such as subsequent postings or the edition of a magazine the image was reproduced in) as well as, in a few instances, any additional information added by the cataloguer for clarification.
hierarchy_top_id_raw MMS
hierarchy_sequence MMS.0017.0007.0001.0001.0001