Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Raymond Corbey collection of African postcards, EEPA 2002-006

Summary

Collection ID:
EEPA.2002-006
Dates:
between 1900-1930
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
255 Postcards
(silver gelatin prints)
black & white
9 x 14 cm.
Repository:
Container:
1
2
Postcards collected by Dr. Raymond Corbey whose published works discuss most of the postcards in this collection. One part of the collection consists of postcards which Corbey acquired. The second part of the collection was compiled by a French colonial, known only as "Nic." Dr. Corbey organized the postcards according to theme and publisher. Themes include Northern Africa World Fairs and Religious Societies. Publishers include J. Geiser (Algiers), Lehnert and Landrock (Tunis), Gautron (Dakar), Fortier (Dakar), and Nels and Ernest Thill (Brussels). Among the more prominent postcard images is one of a minkisi by R. Visser (ca. 1890), depictions of installations and fairs at Tervuren (1900) colon sculptures in Savalou (Benin), circa 1920, an early depiction of a "Ricksha" boy, a Luba mask dancer, and a village chief in Dahomey.

Arrangement note

Arrangement note
Postcards organized in two volumes.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
Dr. Raymond Corbey, a philosopher at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, who has written several essays and a book on postcards.

Administration

Author
Paul Wood
Custodial History note
Purchased, 2002.

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
Raymond Corbey collection of African postcards, EEPA 2002-006, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Senegal Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Benin Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africa Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Congo (Democratic Republic) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Picture postcards Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Corbey, Raymond, 1954- Personal Name 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