Want an adventure, help us in transcribing Ernst R. Moore’s papers. Moore worked as an ivory trader employed by Arnold, Cheney & Co., ivory importers of New York City, serving as the firm's agent in Aden, Mombasa, and Zanzibar from 1907 to 1911. In his work, Moore negotiated the purchase of tons of elephant tusks from the Arab traders who brought them from the interior of Africa, and made several trips into the interior himself. Over the course of his four years abroad, Moore is credited as the largest purchaser of Ivory in Africa at the time. He also served briefly as U.S. Consul at Zanzibar in 1911. While in Africa, Moore came in contact with the famous as well as the infamous; ranging from President Teddy Roosevelt when part of the Smithsonian-Roosevelt African Expedition, to the notorious slave trader and raider Tippu Tib and American poacher, King James. You can help us in transcribing these wonderful papers, while at the same time following Moore’s adventures.
The Ernst Moore collection consists primarily of copies of records still in the possession of Moore's family. Foremost among these are copies of his diary entries for the time he was employed overseas by Arnold, Cheney & Co. These provide a daily, often humorous, description of the lifestyle of an American businessman trading in the outposts of the British Empire. Further documentation of this lifestyle is provided by Moore's personal account book, expense account statements, and receipts, as well as the materials on Club life in these spots. These include rule books for the Union Club at Aden, the Mombasa Club, the Mombasa Sport Club, and the Mnazi Moja and English clubs at Zanzibar, along with statements of Moore's accounts at each.
The collection contains a great deal of information on the ivory trade, primarily in Moore's correspondence, both business and private, and in documents relating to his contract and service abroad. Although most of these are xerographic copies, a number of originals are included; since these are fragile, it is recommended that the researcher use the copies. There are several items directly related to ivory, including three ivory pricelists from 1922, a small pamphlet about ivory published in 1921, and Moore's handwritten description of the characteristics and classification of ivory. Also contained in the collection are a number of articles written by Moore about ivory and the ivory trade, along with his book, Ivory: The Scourge of Africa, in both typescript and published form. An additional folder contains a photographic copy of the map of "Ivory Country" used to illustrate the book.