Object Details
sova.eepa.1991-001
- Place
- Africa -- Discovery and exploration
- Angola
- Ghana
- Egypt
- Cameroon
- Sierra Leone
- Africa -- Maps
- Senegal
- Gambia
- Guinea
- Africa -- Colonization
- Africa
- Africa -- Civilization
- Africa, Southern
- Kalabar (Nigeria)
- Volta River (Ghana)
- Africa, North
- Africa, East -- views
- Africa, West -- views
- See more items in
- Historic maps of Africa collection
- Summary
- The Historic Maps of Africa collection includes 78 maps and dates from circa 1631 to 1973. Geographic content of individual maps varies from topographical information, boundaries of colonial territories, and ethnic groups, among other topics. While several depict the continent of Africa in its entirety, many focus on specific countries and geographic regions. There are a particularly large number of maps depicting the West African Coast.
- Extent
- 78 Maps
- Date
- circa 1631-1973
- Custodial History
- The maps were transferred from both the Robbins Center and the Warren M. Robbins Library, National Museum of African Art.
- Archival Repository
- Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
- Identifier
- EEPA.1991-001
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Maps
- Citation
- Historic maps of Africa collection, EEPA 1991-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
- Arrangement
- The collection is arranged in chronological order.
- Processing Information
- The collection was rehoused and photographed in 2010. Map dimensions are measured height x width. Processed by Gabriella Bellegarde and Eden Orelove, December 2016
- Rights
- Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
- Scope and Contents
- The Historic Maps of Africa collection consists of 78 maps, dating from circa 1631 to 1973, with the bulk created in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The maps vary in size, ranging from the smallest at 7 x 7 (7/8) inches to the largest at 40 x 30 (5/8) inches. Geographic content of individual maps varies from topographical information, boundaries of colonial territories, and ethnic groups, among other topics. While several depict the continent of Africa in its entirety, many focus on specific countries and geographic regions. There are a particularly large number of maps depicting the West African Coast. The majority of the maps in the collection feature color illustrations. Titles and descriptions of the maps are in several languages (Dutch, English, French, German, and others), representing the different colonial powers in control at the time. Particular maps of interest include an 1830 colored map in English titled "Africa from the Best Authorities," which illustrates the entire African continent, various ethnic groups, and the inroads made by European colonial powers; and a 1656 topographic map in French depicting the west-central coast of Africa, specifically the mountains and rivers of the region. Digital copies of the maps are available.
- Restrictions
- Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
EEPA.1991-001
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo79c62b0c2-f66b-487f-9999-4ae80f8f7f0f
EEPA.1991-001
EEPA
- Record ID
- ebl-1503512428101-1503512428106-0
