One of the largest private collections of Aboriginal bark art in the world , not many Territorians would be aware of its existence. It was built up over 25 years by the late Dr Edward L. Ruhe, a professor of 18th century English literature at the University of Kansas. Dr Ruhe became interested in Aboriginal art when he came to Australia in 1965 on a Fullbright fellowship at the University of Adelaide, travelling to Cape York Peninsula, Alice Springs and Darwin, visiting Maningrida.
For a time he worked and lived at Milingimbi . Later he hosted Aboriginal artists Wandjuk Marika, Robert Yunupingu and Stan Roache during a trip to Kansas. He had extensive contact through correspondence with missionary Reverend Fred Wells of Milingimbi and Yirrkala ; Wells travelled to Kansas in 1985 and they conferred.
Dr Ruhe, also keen on politics, organised some 20 exhibitions of his collection at museums and galleries in the US. The guide lists letters from him to Ms Shirley Collins of Darwin’s Raintree Aboriginal Art Gallery (see posts below ) in the extensive correspondence , and she was sent a copy .
Dr Ruhe’s wide ranging archival collection contains a list of Aboriginal art exhibitions from 1841-1971; extensive information about NT Aboriginal arts and crafts ; scholarly articles and books ; popular media articles ,including reports about Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins . Among general books with a Territory connections were novels by Xavier Herbert; George Chaloupka’s monograph , From Paleoart to Casual Paintings ; Bill Harney’s memoirs; Sandra le Brun Holmes Yirawala: Artist and Man .
FOOTNOTE : The late John W. Kluge,jointly mentioned in the above collection guide title , was once billed as the richest man in America. He sold his TV stations to 20th Century Fox , now under the control of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, for about $4billion . He gave his Virginia estate, valued at $45 million, to the university.
