Elsdon Best's Recordings of Traditional Maori Songs

This series consists of recordings made by Elsdon Best between 1919 and 1935.

Johannes C, Andersen and James McDonald accompanied Best on these expeditions and they were assisted at each venue by person’s expert in Maori custom who could smooth the way for the Recordist.

The first set of recordings was made on expeditions to Gisborne 1919, Rotorua 1920 (accompanied by Major Peter Buck and Captain Vercoe), and the Whanganui River 1921 (with Peter Buck being an official member of the party, having been given leave from his duties as Native Health Officer).

During the East Coast expedition in 1923, Buck was again a member of the team, and Apirana Ngata was present for part of the time.

Of the three permanent team members, Best and McDonald were both staff members of the sponsoring institution. Best the ethnographer, McDonald the expert photographer and cinematographer and Andersen recruited because of his knowledge of music.

The second set of recordings [mostly undated] c1931 - 35 consist of Dictaphone recordings recorded at Parliament Buildings, Wellington.