context (amendments & updates)
Arthur Mahaffy was born in Dublin in October 1869, eldest son of classical scholar Rev. John Mahaffy, D.D., later Provost of Trinity College. He joined the Royal Munster Fusiliers and then the Colonial Service in October 1895. His first substantial position was as the British Government Agent and Resident Commissioner in the isolated Gilbert and Ellice Islands Protectorate, now Kiribati and Tuvalu. In October 1896 he transferred to be Resident Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner of BSIP under Charles Woodford (q.v.). He remained in the Solomons for five year until September 1904 when he transferred to Fiji to work for the Colonial Secretary, Sir Everard Im Thurn.
Mahaffy returned to England in 1909 and in 1914 was re-employed as the Administrator of Dominica. He died on 30 October 1919. Details taken http://www.solomonencyclopaedia.net/biogs/E000777b.htm

The Arthur Mahaffy Pacific collection was offered for sale by his sister, Rachel, and purchased by the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin, in 1923. Rachel Mahaffy oversaw Arthur's handwritten catalogue typed up on Ridgeway's advice and sent two of then, one to Von Hugel, who presumably also gave this copy to Ridgeway.

Catalogue includes:
1- Typescript catalogue gives an overview of the Pacific, divided along Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia, giving a brief colonial history and insights into material culture, from Kiribati mats, Caroline Is stone money, to religion, burial practices, currency, headhunting, pig culture, feasting, etc.
2- Catalogue Raisonnee, gives detailed descriptions and provenance of Pacific materila numbered 1-241.
3- A second envelope included the 'Supplementary collection, sent home in 1914, with a pencil inscription 'Catalogue of a collection [?] in material offer [? sic] for purchase in 1922' , numbered 1A- 48A.

These are duplicated in AO1/1/1, which is Von Hugel's copy of the material
27/11/2018
Created by: rachel hand on 27/11/2018

Description (CMS Description)
Typescript copy of the catalogue of the collection of A. Mahaffy [?] (b. 1869. Gov. agent and resident officer, Gilbert Islands Protectorate, 1895. Resident magistrate and Deputy Commissioner Solomons, 1896, colonial rec. Fiji 1904).
Cont.: introduction; pp1-11 describes main racial and cultural divisions of the Pacific, pp 12-42 describes culture and manufactures of the Solomons
"Catalogue Raisonee" of collection, cont. description of 241 entries from number of island groups. items are described, and considerable information provided about their manufacture and use.
"Supplementary list of objects brought home in 1914" - c 48 entries from number of areas.
At rear of catalogue are typescript copies of Mahaffy's notes by Ridgeway, re; items of special interest in introduction and catalogue, dated 1922.
Frontispiece stamped "Ridgeway Bequest", and inside front cover is a note on the biography of A. Mahaffy by G.K. Roth.
01/06/1998
Created by: maa on 01/06/1998