Life Histories: Alice Kandell Oral History

Dr. Alice Kandell Oral History Project

Alice Kandell is a Himalayan photographer, well known for her vast collection of Himalayan art and artifacts. Kandell donated a Tibetan shrine room to the Smithsonian’s The National Museum of Asian Art, Sackler Gallery. The shrine opened to the public in 2010. She has written and taken photos for several books about the now-Indian state of Sikkim, alongside photos for magazines and projects. As a child psychologist, she worked at the Mount Sinai Hospital and the Early Childhood Development Center. She has also been a member of the US Presidential Committee on the Arts and Humanities during the Clinton Administration, a delegate to the UN meeting on child trafficking, Vice President of the International League for Human Rights, Chair of the International Vocal Arts Institute, Chair of the International Opera Alliance, Chair of the Athenians, and an opera actress with the Metropolitan Opera.

This single life history interview consisted of two sessions with Kandell, largely focusing on her Tibetan art collection and Himalayan photography. The interview reveals how she gained an interest in the Himalayas, including her first trip to Sikkim after her friend Hope Cook’s coronation as Queen after marrying Palden Thondup Namgyal, King of Sikkim. She subsequently explains how she acquired her art collection, and why she believes that, even for non-Buddhists, the religious meaning of the artifacts is an essential part of how they should be displayed in museums. She also talks about her experience with anti-trafficking campaigns in Thailand, her service on the US Presidential Committee on the Arts and Humanities, her love of opera, her work in the field of child psychology, and her own life as a mother, creating a rich tapestry of her life.

(please consult "Guidelines for Researchers" at the Columbia Center for Oral History Archives for citation guidance)

Transcript of Alice Kandell Session 1

Transcript of Alice Kandell Session 2

See Transcript and Listing at Columbia University Libraries