From a family of Russian emigr‚s based in Paris, Nicola‹ Michoutouchkine set out travelling in the Near and Middle East, India and South East Asia in 1953. After a period of conscription and work in New Caledonia, Michoutouchkine wound up settling in Port Vila in 1961 with Aloi Pilioko, a Futuna Islander artist. They collected more than 6,000 indigenous art objects from right across the South Pacific which they have been exhibited, with their own works, in Noumea, French Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Russia and Central Europe, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Travel journals. The journals record the comments, sketches and verse of the artists, political and religious leaders, and other people Michoutouchkine met on his travels. They also hold travel documents, correspondence, press cuttings, photographs and ephemera. As well as tracking Michoutouchkine's journey, the journals indicate the artistic influences he experienced and document aspects of his artistic development.

Reel 1, Vol. 1, 2 Sep 1953-Nov 1953, Vol 2, Nov 1953-Aug 1954, Vol 3, Aug 1954-Nov 1954
Reel 2, Vol 3, Nov 1954-Jan 1955, Vol 4, Feb-Jul 1955, Vol 5, Aug 1955-Jan 1956
Reel 3 Vol 5, Aug 1955-Jan 1956, cont.