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Paper short abstract

The paper examines Helmi Reiman-Neggo and Helmi Kurrik as pioneers of Estonian ethnology before WWII, situating their work on folk art and costumes in a broader socio-political context, and asks about the other women who were involved in ethnological work in the first half of the 20th century.

Paper long abstract

Two women stand out in the history of Estonian ethnology before the Second World War: Helmi Reiman-Neggo (1892–1920) and Helmi Kurrik (1883–1960). Both focused their research on folk art and folk costumes, and worked at the Estonian National Museum, but at different times. Reiman-Neggo published several theoretically innovative studies on folk art that were ahead of her time. However, her work did not gain recognition in the 1920s from Ilmari Manninen, the first associate professor of ethnology in Estonia, and her scholarly approach influenced Estonian folk art studies more substantially only after the war. Kurrik, by contrast, became a widely acknowledged expert on Estonian folk costumes in the 1930s. Despite their contributions, broader recognition of both women in the historiography of Estonian ethnology emerged only from the 2010s onward.

The presentation situates the biographies and scholarly contributions of Reiman-Neggo and Kurrik within the cultural, historical, and social context of their time. Both can be seen as representatives of the first generation of "new" active women in Estonian history who perceived themselves as equal to men and acted accordingly. Their primary ideological framework, however, was not radical feminism but cultural nationalism. The presentation also addresses other women active in Estonian ethnology during the first half of the 20th century – largely unknown figures who participated in the collection of folk traditions and enrolled at the University of Tartu once women were admitted, yet often faced significant obstacles in completing their studies or pursuing professional careers.