Tuareg man on dromedary camel wearing turban and face veil, near Tombouctou, Mali

Object Details

Local Numbers: C 1 TRG 1 EE 59
General: Title is provided by EEPA staff based on photographer's notes.
Local Note: Time Life Magazine no. 57938 1 44; Frame value is 1.; Slide No. C 1 TRG 1 EE 59

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

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

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. Where noted, some images remain under the copyright of Life/Shutterstock. 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]. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the Kel Tademekket confederation of Tuareg people located in the Tombouctou region. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.

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