The collection is comprised mainly of black and white professional photographs of masks, figures, weapons, utensils, musical instruments, and other objects from Africa and Oceania. There is also a smaller amount of Northwest American Indian art. The objects were photographed individually or in small groups against a plain background. The photos are in their original order, organized by region and then by specific location, ethnic or cultural group, and/or type of artifact. A few photos have individual labels, but most are labeled only with a handwritten number on the backing paper. There is no corresponding guide to the numbering system. Wingert was an avid photographer and the photos were likely taken by him, but are not signed. The collection also contains articles and book drafts by Wingert, copies of published articles and books by Wingert and others, original pen and ink illustrations of objects, additional photographs and negatives that do not seem to be part of the photo file, and small amounts of correspondence and other documents.