Tuareg man wearing turban and face veil, Chadawanka village, Niger

Object Details

Local Numbers: EENG-VII-22, 7A.
General: Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note: Typed index card reads, "D 1 Trg. Tuareg. Niger, Chadawanka village. Man with pounded indigo cloth. 1/1971. EE. neg.no. VII-22, 7A." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.

Topic: Portraits; Clothing and dress -- Africa; Headdresses -- headgear -- Africa

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Niger

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

Type: Archival materials; Negatives (photographic); Black-and-white negatives; Negatives

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 photograph depicts Tuareg man wearing turban and face veil (tagelmust) made of indigo-dyed cloth. "While men's face veiling and women's headscarves fulfill Islamic requirements of modesty, they are also symbols of the Tuareg cultural value of reserve. These headdresses are directly linked to concepts of the person and to changes in an individual's status throughout his or her life (Rasmussen 1992: 101)." [Arnoldi M., 1995: Wrapping the Head, Crowning Achievements, UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History]. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Westinghouse Film and traveled to Africa from October 26, 1970 to end of March 1971.

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