Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Burton Ashley photographs, EEPA 1979-001, 1930-1952

Summary

Collection ID:
EEPA.1979-001
Creators:
Ashley, Burton E., 1908-
Dates:
1930-1952
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
665 Negatives (photographic)
black & white
4 x 5 in. or smaller
520 Negatives (photographic)
duplicate negatives; black & white
4 x 5 in. or smaller
10 Postcards
black & white
9 x 14 cm.
157 Slides (photographs)
color
338 Photographic prints
+ contact prints
black & white
4 x 5 in. or smaller
1 Photographic print
(panograph)
black & white
6.3 x 20 cm.
Repository:
Container:
1
487
The photographs are cityscapes and landscapes taken by Burton E. Ashley in Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia during the early 1930s and early 1950s. The images include views of Cape Town, South Africa; Cairo, Egypt; Port Said, Egypt, and Mozambique. Architecture depicted includes buildings in Tanzania, a mission in Zambia and the Mohammed Ali Mosque in Cairo. Additionally, there are images of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and rivers and waterfalls including the Luangwa, Nile, Zambezi and Victoria Falls. The collection also includes photos of animals, geological features and vegetation.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The photographs are cityscapes and landscapes taken by Burton E. Ashley in Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia during the early 1930s and early 1950s. More specifically, Ashley took photographs from 1930 to 1933 while working for the British South Africa Company, and from 1950 to 1952 while working for the U.S. Geological Survey.
The images illustrate architecture such as Islamic buildings in Tanzania, a mission in Zambia and the Mohammed Ali Mosque in Cairo, Egypt; cityscapes of Cape Town, South Africa, and Port Said, Egypt; market scenes in Cairo and Mozambique; and ships, structures, and waterscapes in the Suez Canal, Egypt. There are also images of animals, geological features, and vegetation, including landscapes of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and waterscapes of rivers (such as the Luangwa River, Nile River, and Zambezi River) and waterfalls (such as Victoria Falls).
Some of the photographs were taken by Sydney Schafer. One set of twenty prints is a published package of black and white prints purchased by Ashley in 1933. The images are 6 x 9 cm. and depict Egyptian pyramids.

Arrangement note

Arrangement note
Prints and copy prints,volume #1;Arranged numerically by image number
Panographic print and published print setvolume #2;Arranged by image number
color slidesbox #1;Arranged by image number
nitrate negsbox #2;Arranged by image number

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Geologist Burton E. Ashley (1908-1993) worked for the British South Africa Company (1930-1933). He received a M.A. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1936 and later worked for the Texas Company (1936-1943), Phillips Petroleum Company (1943-1950), U.S. Geological Survey (1950-1957) and the U.S. Bureau of Mines (1957-1960). In 1961, he became minerals officer for the U.S. Department of State, serving in Australia. After retiring, Ashley served as a volunteer in the Mineral Sciences Department of the National Museum of Natural History.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Geologist Burton E. Ashley (1908-1993) worked for the British South Africa Company from 1930 to 1933. He received an M.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1936 and later worked for the Texas Company (1936-1943), Phillips Petroleum Company (1936-1943), U.S. Geological Survey (1950-1957), and U.S. Bureau of Mines (1957-1960). In 1961, he became minerals officer for the U.S. Department of State, serving in Australia. After retiring, Ashley served as a volunteer in the Mineral Sciences Department at the National Museum of Natural History.

Administration

Author
Paul Wood
Custodial History note
Donated by Burton E. Ashley, 1979.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Conditions Governing Access note
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Preferred Citation
Burton Ashley Photograph Collection, EEPA 1979-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Zambezi River -- Photographs Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Victoria Falls Zimbabwe -- Photographs Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Postcards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Zambia Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cairo (Egypt) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tanzania Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cape Town (South Africa) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kalahari Desert -- Photographs Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Egypt Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
South Africa Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Luangwa River Zambia and Mozambique -- Photographs Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Black-and-white photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nile River Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Port Said (Egypt) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africa Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mozambique Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographic prints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
National Museum of African Art
P.O. Box 37012
MRC 708
Washington, DC 20013-7012
elisofonarchives@si.edu