Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

West African photographs, EEPA 1995-017, between 1877-1895

Summary
Accra Dancers
Accra Dancers
Collection ID:
EEPA.1995-017
Dates:
between 1877-1895
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
169 Negatives (photographic)
dupe negs.
black & white
4 x 5 in.
169 Photographic prints
dupe prints (2 v.)
black & white
8 x 10 in.
169 Photographic prints
(1 album)
black & white
14 x 20 cm. or smaller.
Repository:
Container:
160
1
2
1
Photographs of West Africa, mostly from Lagos and coastal Nigeria, 1877-1895. There are high quality pictures of trading houses and residences in Lagos, often with the name of the owners given in the caption. One of the buildings depicted is the cathedral. Several exceptional images portray chiefs, such as the King of Opobo, and the wives of the King of Opobo, the Balogun of Epe, the Alake of Abeokuta, and the chief of New Calabar. Of greatest interest is a photograph entitled "Benin Gods" which shows figures from the Kingdom of Brass, taken in circa 1877/1878. There are also views of Cape Coast, Elmina, Accra, Wydah, Fernando Poo, Porto Novo, Grand Popo, and one from Liberia. The themes range from architecture to dances and weddings. Of particular interest are two depictions of fancy dress.
Administration
Author
Paul Wood
Custodial History note
Purchase, 1995. Conserved through a preservation grant funded by the Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee, 2006.
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.
More Information
General note
General note
Images indexed by negative number.
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Ghana Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cameroon Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Liberia Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Elmina (Ghana) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nigeria Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Monrovia (Liberia) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fernando Po (Equatorial Guinea) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lagos (Nigeria) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Black-and-white photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cultural landscapes Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africa Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Accra (Ghana) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Benin Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographic prints Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Repository Contact
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