Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Historic Engravings collection, EEPA 2010-003, 1747-circa 1905

Summary

Collection ID:
EEPA.2010-003
Dates:
1747-circa 1905
Languages:
Engraving titles and descriptions are primarily in
English
,
French
, and
Dutch
.
Physical Description:
154 Items
29 folders
engravings
21 1/2 x 16 in. (54.6 x 40.6 cm.) or smaller
Repository:
The Historic Engravings collection is comprised of 154 pages of engravings, dating from 1747 to circa 1905. The engravings depict subject matter related to Africa and Africans.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Historic Engravings collection consists of 154 pages of engravings, dating from 1747 to circa 1905, with the bulk created in the second half of the nineteenth century. Many of the engravings were completed for publication in leading nineteenth-century newspapers, including the
Illustrated London News
and
Harper's Weekly
.
Numerous engravings depict scenes from expeditions, including the Dr. Livingstone (Central and South Africa), Baker (Central Africa), and Stanley expeditions. Topics illustrated include agriculture, ceremonies, city and town views, ships, animals, battles, domestic scenes, diamond mines, and fashions. Represented peoples include the Khoikoi, Abyssinian, Ashanti, Griquas, Khoikoi, Ndebele, and Zulu. Finally, the engravings depict such wide-ranging locations as Abyssinia, Annesley Bay, Chupanga, Dahomey, Gondokoro, Hadoda Pass, Hamhamo Spring, Keiskamma Gorge, Mount Kilimanjaro, Kongone River, Lake Tanganyika, Limpopo River, Matabili [now Zimbabwe], Morocco, Nigeria, the Red Sea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Tekonda Pass, Ujiji, Umizimkulu Waterfall, Zambesi Delta, and Zanzibar, among others.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Series one and two are arranged by publisher name and filed chronologically thereafter. Series 3 is arranged alphabetically by expedition leader name, and series 4 is organized by accession number.
  • Series 1: Illustrated London News, 1851-1901 (51 items; Map Case Drawer M1, 9 folders)
  • Series 2: Harper's Weekly, 1867-1905 (19 items; Map Case Drawer M1, 4 folders)
  • Series 3: Expedition Leaders, Bankes to Smith, circa 1800s-circa 1904 (51 items; Map Case Drawer M1, 11 folders)
  • Series 4: Other/Unidentified, 1747-circa 1905 (33 items; Map Case Drawer M1, 5 folders)

Administration

Author
Gabriella Bellegarde and Eden Orelove
Processing Information
Processed by Gabriella Bellegarde and Eden Orelove, 2016.
Custodial History
Transfered from the Warren M. Robbins Library, National Museum of African Art. Accessioned as a group in 2010.
Description note
Each page of engravings is counted as one item. When there are multiple engravings on a page, this is indicated in a note under the item listing. When known, the publisher, author, and citation are provided.
When there are engravings on both sides of a page, the pages are differentiated with sides A and B.
All information not in brackets and/or in quotes are original titles; words in brackets were provided by the archivist.
Dimensions are given in height by width. When there are multiple engravings on one page, the measurement of the entire page is given; each engraving is not measured distinctly. However, when there is only one engraving on a page, the specific measurement of that engraving is provided.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Historic Engravings Collection, EEPA 2010-003, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
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.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Zulu (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rites and ceremonies -- Africa Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Zanzibar Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nigeria Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Dahomey Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africa Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tanganyika, Lake Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Engravings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Khoikhoi (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Senegal -- Social life and customs Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ashanti (African people) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Benin (Kingdom) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Newspapers Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africa -- Ethnology Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africa -- Maps Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africans Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africa -- Colonization Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Slave trade -- Africa -- History Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Africa -- Discovery and exploration Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Explorers -- Africa Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Zambezi River Geographic 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