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Eliot Elisofon Field collection

National Museum of African Art

Object Details

Photographer
Elisofon, Eliot
Place
Africa
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Mali
Ghana
Côte d'Ivoire
Benin
Burkina Faso
Egypt
Kenya
Liberia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Central African Republic
Topic
Body arts
Photographer
Elisofon, Eliot
See more items in
Eliot Elisofon Field collection
Summary
This collection is comprised of photographic and manuscript materials, primarily created by Eliot Elisofon to document his travels and work. The images portray many aspects of African life and culture including agriculture, wildlife, archaeology, architecture, art and artisans, children, cityscapes and landscapes, leaders, markets, medicine, recreation, ritual and celebration, and transportation. The manuscript materials include correspondence, essays, clippings, puobligations, notes, research, and itineraries.
Biographical/Historical note
A photographer best known for his work in Life magazine. Elisofon worked as a free-lance magazine photographer from 1933 to 1937, as a staff photographer for Life from 1933 to 1937 and on photographic assignments for various magazines, including the Smithsonian magazine, from 1942 to 1945. Elisofon traveled extensively in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America documenting the peoples of these lands as well as their arts and environments. A founding member and curatorial associate of the private Museum of African Art, which in 1981 became the National Museum of African Art (NMAfA), Elisofon bequeathed his collection of African photographs to the museum when he died in 1973. To honor Elisofon's contribution to the understanding of African art and culture, NMAfA named its archives after him.
Extent
14000 Negatives (photographic) (b&w, 35mm)
30000 Slides (photographs) (color)
80,000 Photographic prints (b&w, 25 x 20 cm. or smaller.)
Date
circa 1935-1978
Custodial History note
Photographs from this collection appeared in Life magazine and in the following publications; Color Photography by Eliot Elisofon (London: Thames & Hudson, 1962), The Nile by Eliot Elisofon (New York: Viking Press, 1964), Zaire: A Week in Joseph's World by Eliot Elisofon ((New York: Crowell-Collier Press, 1973), Africa by Eliot Elisofon edited by Tom Maloney (New York: U.S. Camera Annual, 1953-54) and Memorable Life Photographs by Edward Steichen (New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1951).
Archival Repository
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
Identifier
EEPA.1973-001
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Negatives (photographic)
Slides (photographs)
Photographic prints
Negatives
Color slides
Black-and-white negatives
Black-and-white photographs
Citation
Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution
Rights
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Genre/Form
Negatives
Photographic prints
Color slides
Black-and-white negatives
Black-and-white photographs
Scope and Contents
This collection is comprised of circa 14,000 negatives, 30, 0000 slides, 8,000 photographic prints, and 14 boxes of manuscript materials that date from circa 1945-1978. The photographs document Eliot Elisofon's travels and work in Africa. The images portray many aspects of African life and culture including agriculture, wildlife, archaeology, architecture, art and artisans, children, cityscapes and landscapes, leaders, markets, medicine, recreation, ritual and celebration, and transportation. Artisans shown include an Asante weaver making kente cloth in Ghana; a Dogon carver in Mali making a kanaga mask; an Ebrie goldsmith in Cote d'Ivoire; Hausa dyers in Kano, Nigeria; and Nupe beadmakers in Nigeria; as well as artists at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Kinshasa, Congo. Portraits of leaders include the Asante court at Kumase in Ghana; Ebrie chiefs and notables in Cote d'Ivoire; the timi (king) of Ede, a Yourba town, Nigeria; the emir of Katsina, Nigeria; and the Kuba king and his court in the Congo. There are informal portraits showing children of the Kuba royal court dancing, Fulbe women with gold earrings in Mali, Mangbetu women in the Congo, and Maasai elders in Kenya. Masked dances documented include a Dogon dama festival celebration in Mali, an Igbo festival in Nigeria, and Kuba and Pende masked dancers in the Congo. There are also images of Yoruba gelede (men's association) masks in Nigeria. Non-masked dancers shown include Dan professional acrobatic dancers in Cote d'Ivoire, Irigwe dancers in Nigeria, Mangbetu dancers in the Congo, Mbuti dancers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Wodaabe men dancing in Nigeria. Events shown include Hausa riders in chain mail during the Independence Day celebration in Katsina, Nigeria. Images of art in situ include ancestral altars in the King of Benin's palace in Nigeria; Dogon rock paintings in Mali; and Yoruba Shango shrine sculptures in the palace courtyard of timi (king) of Ede in Nigeria. Landscapes include views of mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Animals shown include birds, buffalos, elephants and giraffes. Traditional architecture shown includes Asante shrine houses with raised wall decorations in Ghana, Dogon villages in Mali and mosques in Mopti. The manuscript materials include correspondence, essays, clippings, puobligations, notes, research, and itineraries.
Restrictions
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1536870822481-1536871012384-0
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo763575c19-5f10-470a-af8b-75ebd1c82664

In the Collection

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  • Bas-relief sculpture adorning small building, near Kumasi, Ghana

  • Clearing the fields, Mongomasi village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Mangbetu woman with skull elongation, Medje village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Hausa women threshing millet, Chadawanka village, Niger

  • The construction of a traditional house, Rutshuru, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Pwoom Itok mask dancer. Muentshi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Sarkin Musulmi alhaji Sir Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, with his retinue in the walled (old) town, Sokoto, Nigeria

  • Conical fish-traps suspended from wood construction in the cataracts, near Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Joint canoeing to the fish-traps in the cataracts, near Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Académie des Beaux-Arts, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Buildings along Boulevard du 30 Juin, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • President Mobutu at a parade of the "Corps des Volontaires de la République," Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Hall with fluted columns leading to a small sanctuary for Anubis at the temple of Hatshepsut, Deir el-Bahri site, Necropolis of Thebes, Egypt

  • Monique Mbuni, age 6, a Lulua girl, carrying water in Congo beer bottle, Kananga, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Mangbetu musicians, Medje village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Fishermen by Fort St. Jago, Elmina, Ghana

  • Kuba woman cultivating sweet potato plants, Mushenge, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Joseph Mokobi playing soccer, Bunia, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Yoruba girls with facial scarifications, Meko, Nigeria

  • High-altitude tea plantation, near Virunga National Park, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Shrine house priestess Okomfoyaa Anosua, Besease, Ghana

  • Female soldiers at parachute troops training camp, CIPA, near Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Healer selling his wares on street corner, Lagos, Nigeria

  • Catholic mission school, Bunia, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Worshippers in conversation with the Canon outside the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos, Nigeria

  • A Dogon boy displays a calabash gourd, Ogol du Haut village, Mali

  • Children of former Minister of Culture Paul Mushiete, in the pool at their home, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Nufori acrobat-mask performs the final rituals of a Senufo funeral, Promafolo village, near Korhogo, Ivory Coast

  • The making of mud bricks, Mellaui, Egypt

  • Mangbetu wood carver, Medje village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Dromedary camels passing by the Pyramid of Userkaf, Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

  • Yoruba weaver, Nigeria

  • Ruins of St Simeon's Monastery. Near Aswan, Egypt

  • Kamoto open pit copper mine, Kolwezi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Elephants on the Kibirizi plains, Virunga National Park, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Donkey-drawn carriage. Nile Delta region, Egypt

  • Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Premier of Eastern Region, at N.C.N.C. rally, Urualla, Nigeria

  • Fish-trap construction in the cataracts, near Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Representatives of cult groups attenting a community festival, Ede, Nigeria

  • The pyramid of Khafre. Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

  • Young Wodaabe man, Abouza, Zinder-Tanout region, Niger

  • Dugout canoes on the riverbanks, Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Juice condensers at Lafia Canning Factory, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim & Seraphim, on Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

  • Aerial view of the city, Lubumbashi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Ferry boat on Niger River, near Tombouctou, Mali

  • The carving of a Kanaga mask, Ogol du Haut village, Mali

  • Dance performer from the Liberian National Dance Troupe

  • Tuareg men selling ornamented poles at the market, Chadawanka village, Niger

  • Three masked performers, one wearing male horizontal Chi wara headdress, the other two wearing double-headed horizontal Chi wara headdresses, each referred to as n'gonzon koun, Bamako (national district), Mali

  • Men wearing Fulani-style hats, Goundam, Mali

  • Yoruba women with traditional hairstyles, near Ife, Nigeria

  • Woman with jewelry. Bamako, Mali

  • Form of boxing fights organized by the Amalaita migrant association, near Pretoria, South Africa

  • Parade of the "Corps des Volontaires de la République," Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Traditional mud brick village. Sanga, Mali

  • Students at May Day celebration, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Music orchestra performing during women dance, near Gungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Metalkat plant, Kolwezi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • The Step Pyramid of Djoser, Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

  • Women cleaning pots. Diffrah village, Egypt

  • Fishing boats, Elmina, Ghana

  • Students at May Day celebration, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Massive papyrus columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall at the temple of Amon, Karnak, Egypt

  • Asante women shaping clay pots, near Kumasi, Ghana

  • Shovel and 100-ton truck at work, Kamoto open pit copper mine, Kolwezi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Waterfalls on the Tshopo River, Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • A view of the city, Lubumbashi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Joint canoeing to the fish-traps in the cataracts, near Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Kwilu Pende chief wearing bicorn headdress, Gungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Nupe compounds with perimeter fence made of grass, Mokwe village, Nigeria

  • At the market, Tombouctou, Mali

  • Man using shadoof. Near Idfū, Egypt

  • Girls carrying fire wood, Man region, Ivory Coast

  • Attendant to the shrine house priestess, Besease, Ghana

  • Hippopotamus and Uganda kob on Kibirizi plains, Virunga National Park, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Members of Eliot Elisofon's trekking expedition, Ruwenzori Mountains, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Asante women firing pots, near Kumasi, Ghana

  • The Moro Naba Kougri, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

  • Cabbage fields, Amiria quarter of Cairo, Egypt

  • Dolo, a blacksmith and woodcarver, Ogol du Haut village, Mali

  • Rural Hausa family compound with farmer raised conical granaries, east of Zinder, Niger

  • Women pounding millet, Sanga region, Mali

  • Eternal Sacred Order of the Cherubim & Seraphim, on Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria

  • Ancestral shrines, House of the Oba, Benin City, Nigeria

  • Igbo masked dancers performing during the Onwa Asaa festival, Ugwuoba village, Nigeria

  • Ge Gblin stilt-dancer mask, Man region, Ivory Coast

  • Musicians accompanying female dancer, Bamako (national district), Mali

  • Tanzanian guide with mountain climbing equipment, Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

  • Men and children. Bin village, Mali

  • Dogon woman dancing with whisk in hand. Near Sanga, Mali

  • The trading and transporting of salt, Tombouctou, Mali

  • Woman watching musicians and dancers, Bamako, Mali

  • Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, at work, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Women on their way to the market, Yoruba region, Nigeria

  • The Step Pyramid of Djoser and the funerary chapel's frieze that belongs to the south tomb, Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

  • Ntore dancers. Goma, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • The cavetto molding of the pylon of Ptolemy V on partly submerged island of Philae, near Aswan, Egypt

  • Paratroopers using round parachutes at parachute troops training camp, CIPA, near Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Water hyacinths in Malebo Pool, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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Woman dancing at the royal palace, Abomey, Benin
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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