Skip to main content

Search

My Visit
Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Maps and Brochures
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
      • Group Sales
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current
      • Upcoming
      • Past
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • - Art & Design
    • - History & Culture
    • - Science & Nature
    • Collections
      • Open Access
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Asian Art Museum Archives
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Podcasts
    • Stories
  • Learn
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
      • Art & Design Resources
      • Science & Nature Resources
      • Social Studies & Civics Resources
      • Professional Development
      • Events for Educators
      • Field Trips
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
  • Support Us
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Ambassador Program
      • Museum Information Desk
      • Docent Programs
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Participatory Science
  • About
    • Our Organization
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
        • Contact
      • Museums and Zoo
      • Research Centers
      • Cultural Centers
      • Education Centers
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Employee Benefits
        • How to Apply
        • Job Opportunities
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • EEO & Small Business
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Small Business Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Contracting Opportunities
          • Additional Resources
        • Special Emphasis Program
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Combating Trafficking in Persons
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

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

Pages

  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • …
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • …
  • next ›
  • last »
  • Colossal seated statues of Ramses II before the entrance pylon, Luxor, Egypt

  • Kuba warrior dressed for the state visit of the Nyim (ruler) Kot a Mbweeky III, Bungamba village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Traditional village among the Kuba people, Bushole village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Dan acrobatic dancers, Man region, Ivory Coast

  • Sophiatown, as it was left after removal of the population under the Western Areas Removal Scheme, Johannesburg, South Africa

  • Interior of Khafre's valley temple. Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

  • Dromedary camels at the river, Tombouctou, Mali

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

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

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

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

  • Kuba woman bathing baby girl, Mushenge, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Hausa mason and apprentice building a mud-brick wall, Katsina, Nigeria

  • Lega women carrying firewood, near Shabunda, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Kuba elders and warriors performing during the state visit of the Nyim (ruler) Kot a Mbweeky III, Bungamba village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • King Sneferu's pyramid, Meidum Pyramid, Egypt

  • East-west axis of the precinct of Amon, Karnak, Egypt

  • Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto; Premier of Northern Region of Nigeria, Sokoto, Nigeria

  • Old Dogon compound built into the side of the rocky plateau, Sanga region, Mali

  • Dendi girls with facial paint and scarifications, near Gaya village, Niger

  • Parachute Troops training camp, CIPA, near Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • Rectangular wattle-and-daub houses with a saddle roof, Shabunda, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • The Step Pyramid of Djoser, Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

  • Decaying building, Gorée (island), Senegal

  • Steep-walled gorges in the Bandiagara escarpment, accessible only by foot. Ireli, Mali

  • Paratroopers, using round parachutes, jump from cargo aircraft, near Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • The Dream Stela between the Great Sphinx's forepaws, Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

  • Kuba sculptor carving a ndop, Mushenge, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Barthelemy Akre, Chief of the Catholics, Anna village, Ivory Coast

  • Women carrying pots on their way to the local market, Kivu Province, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Dance performer from the Liberian National Dance Troupe

  • Shrine house priestess Okomfoyaa Anosua and attendants, Besease, Ghana

  • Kuba man weaving a mat, Mushenge, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Cane sugar plantation owned by the Compagnie Sucrière, Kwilu-Ngongo, near Mbanza-Ngungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Women making butter, Minshat Ramzi, Egypt

  • Parachute Troops training camp, CIPA, near Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Workers sifting beans to remove dirt, at Union Trading Co. cocoa buying depot, Agege, Nigeria

  • Remains of the temple of Khnum on Elephantine Island, near Aswan, Egypt

  • Metalkat plant, Kolwezi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Dance of the mukyeem (mukenga) mask, Muentshi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Mounted armed guard in a procession during festival of Sallah, Katsina, Nigeria

  • Yoruba farmer, Michael Ige, with cocoa pods, Adamo village, Nigeria

  • Granaries, part of Dogon family compounds, Sanga region, Mali

  • Young woman with elaborate hairstyle, Shabunda, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Sirige, Kanaga and Pulo Yana masqueraders during a Dama ceremony, Sanga, Mali

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

  • Clearing earth on top of ore with excavator at diamond mine, Société Minière de Bakwanga (MIBA), Mbuji Mayi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Herd of goats, Egypt

  • The mastaba of Mereruka, vizier in the reign of pharaoh Teti, Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

  • Dogon man in his compound. Songo village, Mali

  • Bassa masquerader performing Geh-naw forehead mask, Ganta Mission, Liberia

  • Pwo mask dancer, near Gungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • British breed of Large White sows at a privately owned farm, Kano, Nigeria

  • Workers carrying bags of groundnuts, on the premises of P.S. Mandrides & Co., Ltd., oil mill, Kano, Nigeria

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

  • Dakpa horn ensemble accompanying boys during their initiaton rites, Ubangi-Shari region, Central African Republic

  • Musicians and masqueraders from the Liberian National Dance Troupe

  • Dakpa horn ensemble accompanying boys during their initiaton rites, Ubangi-Shari region, Central African Republic

  • Students at secondary school Athénée Royale, Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Family of Angolan refugees, Kibentile near Mbanza-Ngungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Kuba warrior dressed for the state visit of the Nyim (ruler) Kot a Mbweeky III, Bungamba village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • Initiation rituals among Ndaka people, near Epulu, Ituri Forest, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • The Emir of Kano's herald on camel at the airport, Kano, Nigeria

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

  • Soldiers walking on Bailey bridge over Ulindi River, near Shabunda, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • Kimbanguist church people, dedication of new religious headquarters and theological school, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Hairdressing among Mangbetu people, Medje village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Minganji masquerader, near Gungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Food distribution in a refugee camp, Kibentile near Mbanza-Ngungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • Pyramids of Giza by the dawn's early light, Giza Plateau, Egypt

  • Sirige and kanaga masqueraders during the Dama ceremony, Sanga, Mali

  • Hairdressing among the Kuba people, Mushenge, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Man with dogs to be sold at local market, near Kaduna, Nigeria

  • Congolese man and women on their way to the fields, Kaina village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Sir Adesoji Aderemi, Oni of Ife, Ife, Nigeria

  • Hausa man at indigo dye pits, Kano, Nigeria

  • Professional hunter Sid Downey, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

  • Mende masquerader performing the satirical mask gongoli, Monrovia, Liberia

  • Congolese woman carrying banana bunch on her back, Kivu Province, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Toppled colossal seated figure of Ramses II and Osiride pillars in the second court of the Ramesseum, Necropolis of Thebes, Egypt

  • Colossi of Memnon at the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, Necropolis of Thebes, Egypt

  • Workers carrying bags of groundnuts, on the premises of P.S. Mandrides & Co., Ltd., oil mill, Kano, Nigeria

  • Fish transported on deck of Congo River steamer Colonel Ebeya, near Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Catfish being sold on deck of Congo River steamer Colonel Ebeya, near Kisangani, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Fulbe woman with four-lobed gold earrings and beaded necklaces, Bamako, Mali

  • Smoke-cooking of an antelope among the Mbuti people, Epulu, Ituri Forest, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Congolese crowd waiting at riverport facilities, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Female workers at Farmitalia Carlo Erba pharmaceutical company, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • City Five Band at Afro-Mogambo nightclub, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • Mbuti women carrying tubers and yams, Epulu, Ituri Forest, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Female musician playing drum, Tombouctou, Mali

  • The binu ginu, a shamanistic shrine, Ogol du Haut village, Mali

  • Large carrying baskets containing coffee beans, near Lake Kivu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Clearing earth on top of ore with excavator at diamond mine, Société Minière de Bakwanga (MIBA), Mbuji Mayi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

Pages

  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • …
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • …
  • next ›
  • last »
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.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
View Finding aid

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Get Involved
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • EEO & Small Business
  • Shop Online
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Sign up for Smithsonian e-news

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Back to Top