Let's visit Chichen Itza! In 1931!
Our tour guide is Sylvanus Morley, the preeminent Mayanist of the period between the World Wars, overseeing excavations and restorations of the site for the Carnegie Institution.
Not everything he says may meet best academic understanding 90+ years later, but a treat to see.
Video courtesy Evan J. Albright @ChichenItza
#Maya #ChichenItza #Mesoamerica #Archaeology #1930s #NewsReel
Something that really comes across is Morley's ability to SELL. He's sharing his enthusiasm for the Ancient Maya and the archeological project and its importance - remember this was 1931, and funds didn't flow as readily as they did before the Crash in late '29. Morley was able to keep the project going to 1940.
Morley was very near-sighted; for the close up shots they got him to take off his glasses, but in some of the long shots they can be seen, under the oversized straw hat he was fond of.
Wikipedia article on Morley:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvanus_Morley
When I first heard this, Morley's voice seemed very familiar - then I realized it reminds me of prolific early recording singer Billy Murray. A quick web search shows they were born within about 7 years and 30km of each other, so I'll guess it's a late 19th century Philadelphia area accent.
Infrogmation