 | A page from the albums of annotated photographs taken by Emile-Louis Abbat in French Soudan. (copyright Catherine Abbat. Do not reproduce without permission.) |
Fascinating new site displays 450 photographs with captions and 89 letters to his family left by Emile-Louis Abbat, a lieutenant in French Soudan (today Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso.) In addition to two of the earliest images of Malian weavers the first album includes rare views of a man wearing a lomasa boubou, another wearing a boubou tilbi, and a wonderful photo of a camel transporting two massive wheels of strip woven cloth.
“Emile-Louis ABBAT a été lieutenant au Soudan Français de 1894 à 1898. Il a laissé de cette période 450 photographies légendées (Sénégal, Mali et Burkina Faso actuels) et 89 lettres à sa famille, ainsi que plusieurs rapports militaires et une planche de dessins de scarifications. L’ensemble a été numérisé par mes soins.
La complémentarité iconographique et épistolaire du fonds en fait un témoignage exceptionnel sur cette page de l'histoire coloniale : les actions militaires bien sûr, mais aussi les relations entre les populations, les modes de vie, les métiers, la géographie, l’agriculture, et bien d’autres thèmes encore. Ce site se propose de le faire connaître.” Visit the site here
Hello, Duncan Clarke,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this blog ~
Can you tell me where are active creative centers for indigo, along the lines of adire eleko or stitched resist (especially of a pictorial variety) ? How is indigo dying faring in Saint Louis in the present day ? Is there anywhere where cassava paste is used aside from in Nigeria ?
Are artisans working with indigo in Bamako ?
I would like to go to Africa to experiment w/ traditional means and also to investigate symbology in textile design/pattern/motif.
Thank you much
Maria Creyts