John McPherson
DOCTOR IN REVOLUTIONARY MEXICO
John McPherson lived in Mexico during a time of political transitions. In 1910, a few years after he had arrived in the country, a revolution overthrew the long-standing dictatorship in the name of fair elections, access to land and better working ocnditions. From the end of the revolution in 1917 and into the 1930s, Mexico saw decades of land reform, labour militancy and social change, together with a new nationalism that glorified Mexico's indigenous cultures. Despite all this going on around him, McPherson remained remarkably detached from these political changes, concentrating on his medical work and building his collections.
An Aberdee medical graduate, McPherson worked as a doctor in Mexico and also collected antiquities almost compusively. From around 1903 he was Medical Officer at a port in the state of Oaxaca, treating workers and inspecting vessels. He left Mexico in 1925, due to ill health, but returned in 1930 when he was hired by the Royal Dutch Shell owned oil company, El Aguila, to work in oil fields in Veracruz state on the Gulf coast. When the employment of foreign doctors was legally restricted, he turned to private practice.
In 1921 McPherson sent his first recorded donations to the University of Aberdeen: 'some ancient Mexican skulls and other antiquities'. From then on, he corresponded with museum curator and Professor of Anatomy, Robert Reid, sending photos and stories of his growing collections. In total he donated over 1000 items to th emuseum.
Although McPherson was primarily interested in collecting pre-Columbian antiquities, he also recorded some scraps about life in Mexico, for instance nothing that stone pestles to grind corn for tortillas were being replaced by 'mills driven by electric power in the town and larger villages'. they also hint at his condescending attitude towards Mexicans, whom he described as having 'a somehwat grandiose manner'. Despite limited financial means, and legal restrictions on exporting archaeological specimesn from Mexico, McPherson's priority was to support the university's museum. He told Reid that he hoped that his donations 'will act as an added argument as to your need of more space to display your exhibits'.