“By now I think every living native in the Solomons knows that there is an American named Johnson who collects native artifacts, and they come for miles to trade with me . . . At night when the LST is anchored, and I’m not out in the field, the natives paddle out to ship and I climb down on the ships stern anchor and into the natives’ canoe. Of course, I leave the ship illegally, but I have a system worked out in which I can go ashore to the villages every night without my C.O. knowing any different.”
— Conrad 'Bud' Johnson to Hugo Rodeck, University of Colorado Museum of Natural History Director (1949)
Conrad 'Bud' Johnson was an enthusiastic collector who respected those he traded with, and people knew this. These collecting encounters were the establishing moments for the relationships between the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and Bougainville Island.
Both the collector's and trade partner's decisions impact what the museum will receive. Collectors make decisions about what they think is "museum worthy." Collectors' decisions are influenced by what islanders and other GI's offer to trade with them and the meaning or value that the collectors' place upon the objects.
“I questioned the natives in the canoe concerning their craft and they said that they built the canoe in their village back up in the mountains and then carried it the long distance to the ocean and then assembled it.”
— Conrad 'Bud' Johnson (DMNS 2015.12-5)
"Two native children from Pidia Village hanging around the LST hoping for a handout of cigarettes, gum, candy or pastry from the ships baker.”
— Conrad 'Bud' Johnson (DMNS 2015.12-7)
From the CU Collection
Carved Crocodile. Material: Wood, liquid silver. (07480)
"Before I gained possession of the crocodile the owner dropped it breaking off the tail. Of course true to GI methods he had to mend the tail with liquid solder and didn't do too neat a job. However, I think that you could probably repair the specimen so that the break wouldn't be noticeable." — Conrad 'Bud' Johnson
"Speaking of collecting, I manage to secure some additional museum material from men in the company here and will ship them to you as soon as I can secure packing materials…I have found that my enthusiasm overwhelms my buddies and being infectious as enthusiasm is, I find that securing specimens up here is rather a problem of locating someone with specimens in their possession rather that gaining possession of the material for the museum." — Conrad 'Bud' Johnson