Enya fishermen on fish-trap constructions in the cataracts, near Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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Object Details

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Congo (Democratic Republic) / EECL / Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

Collection Rights: Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Scope and Contents: "The Wagenia derive their fame as fisherman from the way in which they have turned the opportunities offered them by their natural environment to account. At the point where they live, the river narrows considerably and drops in a series of rapids and cataracts over a several metres high, hard rocky ledge which appears above the surface here. A special attraction for tourists is the way the Wagenia manoeuvre their canoes through the rapids and the acrobatic feats they perform when emptying the conical, 2 to 5-metre long fish-traps suspended in the rapids from structures of thick beams." [Droogers A., 1980: The Dangerous Journey, Symbolic Aspects of Boys' Initiation among the Wagenia of Kisangani, Zaire. Mouton Publishers, The Hague]. During his trip to Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited the Boyoma Falls near Kisangani. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon traveled to Africa from March 17, 1970 to July 17, 1970.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.