Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

William W. Brill photographs, EEPA 1985-001

Summary

Collection ID:
EEPA.1985-001
Creators:
Brill, William, 1918-2003
Dates:
circa 1983
Languages:
Undetermined
.
Physical Description:
479 Photographic prints
object copy prints; black & white
8 x 10 in. or smaller
17 Photocopies
Repository:
This collection is comprised of photographs collected by William W. Brill to document his personal collection of African art objects, which primarily contains masks, sculpted figures, and tools.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection is comprised of photographs collected by William W. Brill to document his personal collection of African art objects, which primarily contains masks, sculpted figures, and tools. Masks documented are from the following peoples: Hemba, Lulua, Makonde, and Bbagani. Sculptural figures shown were created by the following groups: Bassa, Dogon, Kulango, Kuyu, Loma, Luba, Lunda, Punu, and Tabwa. Other objecs shown include an Asante comb, Asante royal staff, Baule animal head, Bete heddle pulley, Chokwe comb, Ijo staff, Kuba headrest, Lele staff, Ndengese axe handle, Senufo ceremonial container, Senufo wine strainer, Yela staff, Yoruba house post, Zulu comb, and Zulu hunter's staff. There are also images of musical instruments including bells, flutes, and rhythm pounders from Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, and Zaire. Photographers represented include Tony Fitsch, Al Mozell and Bernard Pierre Wolff.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
William W. Brill (1918-2003) received a B.A. from Yale University and was the president of the Mutual Real Estate Investment Trust in New York. He started collecting African art around 1960 and has donated several art objects to museums.

Administration

Author
Eden Orelove

Using the Collection

Located offsite at Iron Mountain (box 97464370).
Conditions Governing Access note
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Conditions Governing Use note
For study purposes only. Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Preferred Citation
William Brill Photographs, EEPA 1985-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Loma (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mali Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africa Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Makonde (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dogon (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Punu (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Asante (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Zulu (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Luba (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Senufo (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Baule (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kuba (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cameroon Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art objects Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nigeria Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bassa (Liberian and Sierra Leone people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Masks, African Topical 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