Arthur M. Morrissey photographs of Haiti

Collection

Collection MS-2018-033: Arthur M. Morrissey photographs of Haiti

Staff Only

Dates

Creation: 1964-1979, 1988

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of four photograph albums with black-and-white and color photographs of Haiti taken by Arthur M. Morrissey. Also included are photographs removed from the albums for a Burns Library exhibit in 1995. The photographs were primarily taken in the 1960s and 1970s when Morrissey established a medical clinic in Port-de-Paix after being inspired by an article in the Journal of Ophthalmology. Many of the photographs are accompanied by a handwritten or typescript note providing a brief description of the image, such as "Country scenes near Port-de-Paix" and "Around the house - boy with Dr. Morrissey." Photographs include landscapes of Haiti, including Port-de-Paix, Coquette, and Tortuga (referenced by its French name, Île de la Tortue), as well as scenes from the clinic where Morrissey worked. Also represented are views of daily life of Haitians, including images of women ironing, children attending First Communion, boatbuilders in Tortuga, and city streetscapes.

Creator

Morrissey, Arthur M., 1906-2004 (Person)

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.

Biographical note: Arthur M. Morrissey

Arthur M. Morrissey was born on December 26, 1906 to Michael and Amy E. (Ryan) Morrissey. He attended Boston College and graduated in 1929. Morrissey became an ophthalmologist and was appointed Surgeon-in-Chief to the Ear, Nose, and Throat Service at the Cambridge City Hospital in 1941. He was also a veteran of World War II. Morrissey donated his brother’s collection of Japanese prints to Boston College in December 1949 as a memorial to his brother, James W. Morrissey. Arthur M. Morrissey also donated his own collection of Haitian paintings from his time as a volunteer with Catholic Charities in Haiti in the late 1960s. He worked on-and-off in Haiti, primarily in Port-de-Paix from around 1964-1979, in a clinic as an ophthalmologist. Morrissey died on October 9, 2004.

Sources:

“Arthur Morrissey Obituary.” Boston Globe. October 11, 2004. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/arthur-morrissey-obituary?id=26920743.

Boston College Alumni News. Chestnut Hill, Mass. : Boston College. June 1941. https://archive.org/details/alumninews44bost/page/n3/mode/2up?q=morrissey

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (2 containers)

Language of Materials

English

French

Additional Description

Abstract

Photographs taken by American ophthalmologist Arthur M. Morrissey documenting his time spent in Haiti from the 1960s through the 1980s. The images were primarily taken in Port-de-Paix and Tortuga, and depict scenes of daily life of Haitian people, Haitian landscapes and seascapes, as well as Morrissey's time working in a medical clinic.

Arrangement

Albums are arranged chronologically. Photographs removed for exhibit have been kept separate.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Arthur M. Morrissey, date unknown.

Content notice

A few of the photographs of Arthur M. Morrissey's clinic contain graphic medical images, including deceased patients.

Processing Information

During processing the deteriorating albums were disassembled. Each album was assigned a number by the archivist to maintain distinction and original order. The album numbers were designated based on chronology.