Numerous people have assisted with building up and researching MAA's Fijian collections. Since von Hügel, George Kingsley Roth made the most significant contribution. A colonial administrator in Fiji between the late 1920s and 1950s, Roth gathered hundreds of objects, photographs, archival documents and sound recordings.
Roth took the diploma in Anthropology in Cambridge under Alfred Haddon. During his time in the colonial service he became fluent in Fijian and dedicated himself to the study and recording of aspects of Fijian culture. He maintained strong conections to Cambridge, donating Fijian material to the Museum over several decades. Unlike his Victorian predecessors, his attention focused on processes, techniques and variations. His collection was a series, containing everything from the raw materials to the finished product as well as the tools employed in an object's manufacture.
After his retirement from the position of Secretary for Fijian Affairs, he was appointed Honorary Curator for the Fijian collections, a task continued by Jane Roth after her husband passed away. The Roth material at MAA is exceptionally well-documented and covers a broad geographical range, including artefacts from the island of Vanua Levu.
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