Photographs taken by Thomas William Maccaulay Smith, an avid photographer, while serving as U.S. Ambassador to Ghana in the early 1980s. The images provide extensive documentation of woodworking techniques to include the carving of tools, stools, canoes and figures. Also included among the images are the textile production and blacksmithing.

The collection consists of ephemera related to the Museum of African Art (now the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art) and 7 photographic prints. Ephemera includes monographs, clippings, exhibition invitations, the original prospectus for the Museum by Warren Robbins (1963), and a page of remarks delivered by Paul Tishman at the "Tribute to ...

Photographic album purchased by Blake Robinson in 1961 from the Charlejean Studio in Brazzaville, Congo. These images are of great interest as the images were most likely taken by an African photographer. Images include three of rivers scenes, two of funeral ceremonies, one each of a President and a press conference, three of modern house interiors and one aerial of Monumama. 42 postcards are from the city and surrounding countryside of Mogadishu, Somalia and depict architecture and wildlife. Evidence of Italian and Islamic influences appear in the urban scenes of Mogadishu's schools, banks, burial grounds, places of worship and legislative building. People pictured in the background are seen in mostly European clothing. A few scenes of the countryside include Somali herders in their traditional garments. Postcards of wildlife illustrate elephants, wart hogs, lions, buffalo, antelope and a leopard. 73 postcards depict scenes of urban and rural living in Chad, Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Congo and Morocco. Images include market places, aerial views of Goree and Liberian basket weavers.

Photographs assembled by Major Leon Roget, 1858-1909, in 1886 and 1888 in Boma, Congo Free State. Major Roget had organized the first companies of Force publique and had become its first commander (1886-1888). Most of the images are described in captions written on separate sheets by Rene J. Cornet, author of "La Bataille du Rail." Some images show the building of the railroad of the lower Congo (Matadi-Kinshasa), Katanga, and relate to the Belgian occupation and geological exploration of the Southeastern province and Maniema of the Belgian Congo by his father, Jules Cornet, 1865-1929. The majority of the images show architecture and colonial life in Boma and Matadi. They include a balloon ascent in 1889, a group of African men and women, African troops and African women with scarification. The most remarkable photographs include a picture of a Kongo burial ground, a studio photograph of a "horizontale" in Sierre Leone and a portrait of Makoleka, a "feticheur," who was executed for murder.

Photographs belonging to the fiancée of Mr. A.E. Ball, a missionary with the Church Missionary Society in Bida, Nigeria (Nupe). While she was waiting for him in England, he sent numerous photographs with penciled explanations to her, which she kept even after the engagement had ended. Many of the images appear to be the work of A.W. Banfield, a Canadian missionary and a contemporary of A.E. Ball, whose photographs are now in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Identical images are found in Banfield's book, Life Among the Nupe Tribe, (1905). Twenty-five of the images are portraits of African men and women in the style and size of cartes de visite. Many more of the images include group photographs of Africans and Europeans. A third subject found among the images is architecture. These images include Nupe buildings in Bida, a cathedral in the Canary Islands, a mosque and the High Commissioner's bungalow in Zumgeru.

Photographs taken by Janet Stanley while working with the Ghanaian Youth Workcamp Association, from mid-June through mid-August, 1967. During this time, she served at two work camps, the first being in Awundome-Tsito, Ho District, Volta Region, where most of the slides were taken. The other photographic images were taken at Accra, her point of entry.

Photographs taken by Dimitri Kyriazis while at the Institute for Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa, from ca. 1950 through the end of the reign of Emperor Halie Selassie I in 1974.

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.

The collection consists of an album containing 104 photographic prints dating from circa 1946. The photographs depict British soliders and native police, landscape views, a Victory Day parade, and scenes of daily life in and around Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Accra, Achimota, Takoradi, Teshi and Tamale in Ghana. Also included are images of the Volta River, the Oburi (Aburi) Gardens near Accra, and Osu Castle (also known as Fort Christiansborg or Christiansborg Castle), the seat of government in Ghana.

This collection consists of an album containing 36 photographs taken by Maj. Arthur E. Hillier, a British Army officer serving with the Nigeria Regiment, Royal West African Frontier Force, circa 1935. The images are portrait photographs, which were used to identify local staff and employees. Individuals from a variety of culture groups are depicted, including the Hausa, Yoruba, Kanuri, Nupe, Fula, Dakakari, Bella, Baggara, Sara, Angas, Tiv, Bagirmi and Zarma peoples.