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

  • Rites built around a door-shield (keibi), part of the lutumbo lwa kindi initiations, Kabila village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Musicians and masqueraders from the Liberian National Dance Troupe

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

  • Two men with water buffalo. Nile Delta region, Egypt

  • Fishermen at Vitshumbi, Virunga National Park, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Dragline removing overburden at Amalgamated Tin Mines of Nigeria Ltd., a tin and colombite mining operation, Barakin Akawu, south of Jos, Nigeria

  • View of the city, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Montane grasslands with giant senecio and lobelia plants, Ruwenzori Mountains, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Private diner, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Stairs leading to half-bastion of Sa̋o Mateus at Fort Jesus, Mombasa, Kenya

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

  • Clearing the fields, near Isiro, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Flow racks of electrolyzed copper, Gecamines Shituru refinery, Likasi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Abdul Wanis, with his dromedary camels. Near Al Fayyum, Egypt

  • Stern-wheeler Congolia, Malebo Pool, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • Balaphon players, near Korhogo, Ivory Coast

  • The ninth pylon of Horemheb at the sacral complex of Amon. Karnak, Egypt

  • Ocean freighters sailing on the Benin River, near Sapele, Nigeria

  • Gynecological operation in progress at Lagos General Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria

  • Mangbetu women removing seeds from cotton pods, Mongomasi village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Masked performer wearing male Chi wara headdress, Bamako (national district), Mali

  • Narrow street with open sewer in the old walled section of town, Kano, Nigeria

  • Latifu Awoyale, Ibadan, Nigeria

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

  • Door of the Palace of the Alaiye, Effon-Alaiye, Nigeria

  • Military training on the field, Kananga, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Polychrome low relief in tomb of Ptahhotep. Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

  • Mural paintings on traditional dwelling. Near Karnak, Egypt

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

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

  • A Cercopithecus ascanius schmidti, Bunia, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Men with fishing net, Cape Coast, Ghana

  • Nubian rural dwelling. El Haisa, Egypt

  • Woman stirring cooking pot, Chadawanka village, Niger

  • Lamidi Olonade Fakeye, at work, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Dogon settlement at the base of the Bandiagara escarpment, Ireli, Mali

  • At the weekly market, Kibentile near Mbanza-Ngungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Regiment of mounted armed guards in a procession during festival of Sallah, Katsina, Nigeria

  • Tuareg men gathering nearby encampment, near Tombouctou, Mali

  • Dogon women wearing traditional clothes, Sanga region, Mali

  • Rural village on the Niger riverbanks, Niger River valley, Niger

  • Hausa women threshing millet, Chadawanka village, Niger

  • Interaction of relief and architecture at the pylon of Ptolemy XII of the Horus temple. Idfū, Egypt

  • Hydroelectrical power plant, Zongo Falls, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Domestic animals in the Egyptian countryside. Mit Rahina, Egypt

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

  • Wanyugo mask dancer, near Korhogo, Ivory Coast

  • Kyaman goldsmith, Anna village, Ivory Coast

  • Man using shadoof. Near Idfū, Egypt

  • Dancer performing Minganji face mask, near Gungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • South-north axis of the precinct of Amon. Karnak, Egypt

  • Interior of home. El Haisa, Egypt

  • Bridge over Inkisi River, near Mbanza-Ngungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Hairstyle of a Maasai olmurrani warrior, Great Rift Valley, Kenya

  • Kuba Nyim (ruler) Kot a Mbweeky III, Bungamba village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Kuba Nyim (ruler) Kot a-Mbweeky III, in state dress, Mushenge, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Congolese crowd, Kotokoli, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Spotted Hyena, a solitary hunter, Virunga National Park, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • Woman with elaborate hairstyle, on the Congo River, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Wall decoration within the causeway of the pyramid of Unas. Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

  • Rural settlement along El Mahmudiya canal. Nile Delta region, Egypt

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

  • The polychrome earthen bas-reliefs of the ajalala (palace) of King Béhanzin, Abomey, Benin

  • Natural landscapes around Bunia, near Albert, Lake, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Eliot Elisofon photographing wildlife by lake Edward. Virunga National Park, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Young woman, Bungamba village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Lualaba River on the Katanga Plateau, near Musofi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Women selling cassava at Basoko market, near Mbandaka, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Sunday service of Kimbanguists, Kingoo-Uweto, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Rubber plantation owned by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Liberia

  • From the plain, trees at the edge of the village. Near Sanga, Mali

  • Dugout canoe on the Niger River, Niger River valley, Burkina Faso

  • Strip of Asante kente cloth, near Kumasi, Ghana

  • Asante countryside, near Kumasi, Ghana

  • Stonework from Coptic Church. Old Cairo, Egypt

  • Joseph Mokobi and his family, Bunia, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Interior of Ben Ezra Synagogue. Old Cairo, Egypt

  • Private diner, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Saqiya, or water-wheel driven by animal. Shatanof village, Egypt

  • Dr. Pascal J. Imperato, Modibo N'Faly Keita and Djigui Diakite, Bamako, Mali

  • People embarking ferry before crossing Congo River, near Matadi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • Dan acrobatic dancers, Man region, Ivory Coast

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

  • The profile of the Great Sphinx. Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

  • Ritual ceremonies associated with Senufo hunters' society, Boundiali, Ivory Coast

  • Mont Ngaliema, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • A Ginna, the ancestral adobe of a Dogon lineage, Ogol du Haut village, Mali

  • Elmina Castle, Elmina, Ghana

  • Asante woman in shrine house courtyard, Besease, Ghana

  • The Ruins of Elephantine Island. Aswan, Egypt

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

  • Portraits of the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser plastered on wall building. Cairo, Egypt

  • Congo's major ocean port, Matadi, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Okapi, in captivity, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Hairdressing among Mangbetu people, Medje village, 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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