Thomas Thomsen
| Dr Thomas Thomsen | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Born | 1870 | ||||||
| Died | 1941 | ||||||
| Residence | Ethnographische Sammlung, National Museum, Copenhagen [1935] | ||||||
| Occupation |
museum work archaeologist ethnographer | ||||||
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Contents
Notes
Office Notes
House Notes
1933.12.12 The following were nominated as Honorary Fellows: Dr Laufer, Dr Lowie, Dr Krause, Prof. Thomas Thomsen, Dr Mollison, Prof. Menghin, Dr Akiro Matsumura, Mr S. Lothrop.
death noted in Report of the Council 1941-1942
Notes From Elsewhere
Thomas Thomsen, Thomas Marius Thomsen , 14.6.1870-19.12.1941, museum inspector, archaeologist, ethnographer. Under the influence of his uncle, chemist Jul. Thomsen , in whose home Thomas Thomsen lived for a long time after his graduation from Herlufsholm in 1888, he began studying chemistry, but gave up this for the benefit of Danish and history. However, his appointment at the 1st department of the National Museum, first as assistant in 1894, then as a permanent assistant in 1899, prevented him from taking any final diploma, while his interests were being led more and more in archaeological direction.
As an archaeologist, Thomas Thomsen studied the Stone Age settlement at Brabrand Lake (1903-04), the extensive and rich Iron Age burial site and settlement at Kraghede where, thanks to a meticulous excavation technique, he was able to demonstrate for the first time a custom from the early Iron Age (1905-07) the rich bronze age grave at Egtved (1921). The last of which contained an outstanding, well-preserved women's suit, Thomas Thomsen published in a monumental work (Nordic Memorial II, 4, 1929). A few years after Thomas Thomsen's appointment at the museum, Kr. Died . Bahnson who had specially carried out the ethnographic collection, and the work with this was now handed over Thomas Thomsen. In this connection, he described the findings from the Danish expedition to Northeast Greenland (Communications on Greenland XLIV, 1917) and made a journey to West Greenland in 1909, where he undertook excavations at Sermermiut in the Jakobshavn district and partly had the opportunity to perform ethnographic gatherings among the polar skimans at Kap York. By the way, it was especially the museum's old cases from the kgl. art chamber that imprisoned him. A fruit of this is the beautiful time picture 1938 by the Dutch painter Alb. Eckhout and his representations of Brazilian Indians and Congonegre were given to Frederick III of Moritz first by Nassau. Despite difficult working conditions in the ethnographic gathering, Thomas Thomsen understood his position, and after 1919 becoming a museum inspector, he was appointed by the 1921 Ordinance as Chief Inspector of the Ethnographic Department. As such, it fell in his favor to include the very large collections from the Eskimo area, the Pacific, Mongolia, etc., which the museum received in the following years, and himself he took a living part in the work of preparation and procurement whereby his quiet negotiating ability and friendlike mind undoubtedly contributed often to the lucky outcome.
In his last years at the department he led the interior and layout of the new building. In 1940 he retired due to age, but continued his scientific work, including with an account of the medieval brahmanistic sculpture in the ethnographic collection, printed in its anniversary publication in 1941.
Thomas Thomsen was born in Næstved and died in Frederiksberg, the throat of Ass. KGD. Parents: Procurator Sigismund Gotthelf Thomsen (1831-1903, married 2nd time 1899 with Henriette Castenschiold, 1852-1939) and Juliane (Julie) Marie Bagger (1832-77). Married 31.5.1900 in Herstedøster with Dora Seraphia Hansen, born 31.1.1872 in Kbh. (Step.), Died 17.4.1941 on Frbg., Daughter of the merchant Peter Hansen (1822-84) and Louise Birgitte Nielsen (1845-1912).
Publications
External Publications
The Angmagsalik eskimo: notes and corrections of vol. 39 monographs on Greenland,