Philip J.C. Dark (1918-2008)

Leading Authority on Tribal Arts, Philip John Crosskey Dark (1918-2008), professor emeritus of Anthropology at Southern Illinois University, a leading authority on tribal arts, particularly of Benin and the Pacific, as well as a pivotal figure of the PAA, passed away on April 4th in Cornwall.

Dark chose to focus on the art and peoples of the Pacific region in the 1960's, leading to his fieldwork (in the company of his wife Mavis) in West New Britain with the Kilenge. The Pacific, including the Abelam area of Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya, and Palau, continued to be his major area of interest for the next 35 years. In 1975, after his retirement from the University, he returned to England and to new activities which included his work as the first editor of the Pacific Arts association Newsletter, the role he played for the next 25 years.

Described as "a meticulous scholar, a brilliant photographer, and an avid book collector, with a constantly inquisitive mind and many interests outside of anthropology, ranging from art to politics to travel…." Dark is said to have been "gentlemanly in demeanor, with a quiet wit, unfailingly considerate of others and sensitive to their needs." A supportive mentor, his Pacific research notes and photograph have been given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. [With thanks to Jerome S Handler for his source obituary of Dark in American Anthropologist, Fall 2008]