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

  • Student at Protestant secondary school, with elaborate hairstyle, Mbandaka, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Sail boat on Lake Nokwe, near Ganvie, Benin

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

  • Tuareg women playing drum, clapping hands and singing melodies during spontaneous event called tende, Tombouctou, Mali

  • View of a daily food market, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Camels carrying loads, Manchat Ammari, Egypt

  • Pastoral Maasai drawing cow's blood into a calabash gourd, Olengaitoli village, Kenya

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

  • Kyaman chiefs and notables, Anna village, Ivory Coast

  • Law School of Lovanium University, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Fulbe herder's Zebu cattle, near Jos, Nigeria

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

  • View of east side of the city, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Ntore dancers, Goma, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Nupe woman about to enter through principal entrance of a compound, Bida, Nigeria

  • Habe woman pouring out threshed millet, Barhin village, near Katsina, Nigeria

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

  • Young man separating chaff from wheat, Minshat Ramzi, Egypt

  • View of the city, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Oji River Power Station run by the Electricity Corp. of Nigeria, 25 miles west of Enugu, Nigeria

  • Irigwe dancers of Miango village, Jos Plateau, Nigeria

  • The Step Pyramid of Djoser. Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

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

  • Houses built by the Western Region Housing Corporation, Bodija, near Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Novelist Chinua Achebe, Enugu, Nigeria

  • Ntore dancers, Goma, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Maasai girl eating blood mixture from calabash gourd, Olengaitoli village, Kenya

  • Nupe women carrying enamelled tinware with flexible woven cover, Wuya, west of Bida, Nigeria

  • Initiated performers at a mungonge ceremony, near Gungu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

  • Irigwe dancers of Miango village, Jos Plateau, Nigeria

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

  • Caravan of dromedary camels passing at dawn, Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

  • Maasai boy eating blood mixture from calabash gourd, Olengaitoli village, Kenya

  • Zul women at the market, Zaranda village, east of Jos, Nigeria

  • Woman peeling manioc tubers, Beni, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, Nigeria

  • The pyramids of Giza, seen from the south, Giza Plateau, Egypt

  • Young Senufo dancers, Boundiali village, Ivory Coast

  • Ntore dancers, Goma, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • The Ruzizi River, near Lake Kivu, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Women displaying cloths for sale at the market, Kumasi, Ghana

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

  • Seated statues of Amon and his wife, Luxor, Egypt

  • Mbuti net-hunters with captured ungulates, Epulu, Ituri Forest, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Passengers on steamer. Near Mbandaka, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Employees of "Impreco-Son's Clothier," Benin City, Nigeria

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

  • Herd of goats attached to a truck, Ibadan, Nigeria

  • Welder at work, at riverport facilities, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • The Great Hypostyle Hall at the temple of Amon, Karnak, Egypt

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

  • Mosque of Abu el-Haggag. Luxor, Egypt

  • Hausa man riding donkey, near Sokoto, Nigeria

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

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

  • Hausa horsemen during 10th anniversary of independence celebration, Niamey, Niger

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

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

  • The rock-cut tomb of Sirenput I at Qubbet al-Hawa. Near Aswan, Egypt

  • Soccer game at Kashama commune Stadium, Kananga, Congo (Democratic Republic)

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

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

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

  • Kyaman goldsmiths, Anna village, Ivory Coast

  • Bozo women and children by the river, Mopti, Mali

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

  • The external gate of traditional building, Mopti, Mali

  • Vertical Chi wara headdress mounted on basketry cap, Bougouni village, Mali

  • Men in various outfits, Damanhur, Egypt

  • Panoramic view of the island, Gorée (island), Senegal

  • Nile River flooding the fields, near Al Uqsur, Egypt

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

  • President "Mzee" Jomo Kenyatta, Mombasa, Kenya

  • Pool at the Funa Club, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Wheat fields, near Al Uqsur, Egypt

  • Dromedary camel riders attending a tende, Tombouctou, Mali

  • Eliot Elisofon and cameraman George Bracher filming pot found at Igbo-Ukwu excavation site, Ibadan, Nigeria

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

  • Dance of the women warriors, Abomey, Benin

  • Soldiers of the Nigerian Army third battalion on a training exercise, Victoria Beach, outside of Lagos, Nigeria

  • "Papa" Joseph Diagienda, spiritual leader of the Kimbanguists, Kinshasa, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Dolo, a blacksmith and woodcarver, with his son Samuel, carving a Kanaga mask, Ogol du Haut village, Mali

  • Kyaman goldsmiths, Anna village, Ivory Coast

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

  • City street, Goma, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Eleventh Foundation Day anniversary at University College, faculty members and new graduates in front of Trenchard Hall, Ibadan, Nigeria

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

  • Smoked meat prepared by Mbuti people, Epulu, Ituri Forest, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • Dogon rock paintings on the great vault, Songo village, Mali

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

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

  • Dromedary camels passing by the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Ṣaqqārah, Egypt

  • Modern painted figure carved by Anang (Ibibio) artist, Ede, Nigeria

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

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

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

  • Mangbetu court music, Medje village, Congo (Democratic Republic)

  • The Emir of Katsina, Sir Alhaji Usman Nagogo, holding a morning greeting ceremony, Katsina, Nigeria

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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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