Maurice Vidal Portman (21 March 1860 – 14 February 1935) was a British naval officer, who is best known for documenting some of the Andamanese tribes between 1879 and 1901 when he was posted as a superintendent of the Andaman Island Penal Colony.

[1] During his time as a colonial administrator at Port Blair, Portman took a large number of photographs of the Andamanese, including some at the request of British Museum (at his own expense) and the Government of India (on payment).

The adults died of illness soon after reaching Port Blair, and Portman ordered the children to be sent back with a large number of gifts after a few weeks.

[4] [failed verification] During his time as a colonial administrator, Portman noted the devastating impact outside diseases, such as smallpox, had on the Andamanese.

[8] Portman repeatedly praised the male Andamanese body, writing that "many of the men are very good-looking; as they have none of the thick lips, high cheekbones, and flat noses of the negro type; though the women are rather of the Hottentot Venus order of beauty".