French National Archives–historic images of West African textile production.

Now online from the French Archives nationale d’outre-mer are over 5000 images taken before the 1960s in France’s former African colonies. Among the other treasures in this important resource are a number of superb images of aspects of textile production in West Africa. A few highlights are shown below.

“The weaver prepares his thread” Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 1930-60.

“Young Bobo girl spins thread”, photographer Berthier (Joseph, Louis), Burkina Faso (1945-1961)

“Loom” Burkina Faso, 1959 – some kind of craft training school probably.

“Dyers” photographer Chéron (Georges, Gustave, René) (1882 – ?), Kaya, Burkina Faso, (1908-1934)

“Dyers” – Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

“Tukolor weavers” photographer Puigaudeau (Odette du) (1894-1991), Selibaby (Guidimakha),Mauretania, 1934.

“Hausa embroiderer”, Niger, before 1930.

“Weaving fibres of “liane floria”” photographer Krull (Germaine) (1897-1985), Bafoussam, Cameroon, 1943

“Diola-Floup weaver” Ziguinchor, Senegal, before 1960.

“Weavers” photographer Verger (Pierre) (1902-1996), Bamako, Mali, 1935/36.

“Weaving bands of ‘galak’” Chad, 1932.

“Weaver prepares his equipment” photographer Marcel Monnier, Bondoukou, Ivory Coast, 1892.

“Sudanic loom” photographer Marcel Monnier, Ivory Coast, 1892.

"Fanti Women in Full Dress"

Vintage postcard: "Fanti Women in Full Dress" Photographer Jacob Vitta, Takwa, Ghana, circa 1910

Senegalese Men’s Robes – some early C20th images.

“Trader from Cayor”, circa 1910, photographer Edmond Fortier.  Indigo resist dyed robe.

“Allioune Sô, chief of the Fulani of Sine”, circa 1910, photographer Edmond Fortier.

“Wolof chief and his griot,” circa 1910, photographer Edmond Fortier.

“Fulani chief” circa 1900, photographer Edmond Fortier.

“Thiès. Three elegant men” circa 1900-10, photographer/publisher E.H, Thiès.

“Thiès. Young Wolofs”, circa 1900-10. Photographer/publisher Harimann.

 

“Dakar (Senegal). Senufo types” circa 1900-10. Photographer/publisher Albaret.

“West Africa. Arrival of a Grand Marabout” circa 1900-20, photographer unknown. A marabout is an Islamic scholar and teacher.

 

“Dakar. Senegalese man, festival dress” circa 1900. Photographer/publisher P.H. & Co.

“Dakar. Senegalese students.” circa 1900-10. Photographer unknown.

All photos author’s collection.

Three early postcards from Benin.

Vintage postcard, circa 1900, Benin Republic. Caption" Dahomey woman." Photographer Geo Wolber.

Vintage postcard, before 1904. Caption "The King of Sakete", Benin Republic.

Vintage postcard, circa 1900, Benin Republic, caption "A cunning Hausa" - photographer Geo. Wolber.

West African Robes: some early photos of Nigerian robes

To mark the recent update of the robe section of our gallery, today I am posting a selection of early images of this style of robe in use. Although this style of robe was made in and closely associated with the nineteenth century Sokoto Caliphate in north Nigeria, taking in Hausa, Nupe and northern Yoruba peoples, such was it’s prestige that it was traded and worn across a much wider expanse of West Africa.

Photographer unknown. Lagos, Nigeria, Circa 1890.

Photographer N. Walwin Holm or J.A. C. Holm, circa 1900-10. The Alake of Abeokuta.

Photographer unknown, Cameroun, early C20th.

Photographer unknown, Burkina Faso, early C20th. the Moro Naba, king of the Mossi, Ouagadougou.

Photographer unknown, early C20th, Tuareg Chief, Zinder, Niger.

Photographer unknown, early C20th. Hausa dance troupe, northern Nigeria.

Photographer unknown, early C2oth, Shendam, east central Nigeria.

Click on the photos to enlarge. Please visit our robe gallery to see our current stock and for more information.

More images from old Dahomey

“Féticheuses du Caméléon” – vintage postcard, circa 1900-10. Republic of Benin.

“Chef du Canton d’Abomey” – vintage postcard circa 1900. Republic of Benin.

Former Amazons (redoubtable warriors) – vintage postcard, circa 1900-10, photographer Edmond Fortier.  Republic of Benin.

“Group of Fetish chiefs.” – vintage postcard, circa 1900-10, photographer Edmond Fortier.  Republic of Benin.

Click on the images to enlarge.

“Fetish Woman and Servant, Accra”

Postcard, circa 1900.

Studio portrait, Mauretania.

Caption “Pullo debbo, Muritani” – Fulani woman, Mauretania.

from “Fulanitube” on Facebook.

Family portrait, Mali(?), circa 1920s

Not a great piece of photography or printing but I love this family group portrait postcard I just received today. Photographer and location are unknown but I would guess Mali or Guinea around 1920. What can be seen of the pattern on the blanket hung as a backdrop is quite unusual. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Wodaabe–“nomads who cultivate beauty”

Photo taken from the book “Nomads who cultivate beauty” by Mette Bovin (Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, 2001) in my view the most interesting of many books on the Wodaabe nomads of Niger. Bovon notes that this picture was taken in 1975 by a local photographer Yacoubou in Diffa. She noted – ‘Young men nowadays laugh when they see this photo, and comment “How old-fashioned they look, the mirrors are too big and hanging too low. Our fashion today is much smarter, more chic. But look, all three men’s faces are pretty.”’

Two hand-coloured portraits, Senegal, early C20th.

Eyo Masqueraders, openwork shawls and early aso oke.

Eyo or Adamorisha, is the signature masquerade performance of Lagos island, still enacted as an annual festival event. Today the performers wear imported white lace robes and veils but images from the early colonial era , above, show a combination of agbada gowns in various colours with locally woven openwork aso oke cloths similar to the two now very rare C19th examples shown above. We can imagine the performers borrowing women’s shawls from wives or mothers for this purpose, and that there participation in the spiritually charged performance added an additional layer of meaning to the textiles.

For more details on the shawls please visit out Nigerian men’s weaving gallery here. For robes see our agbada gallery.

The second masquerade picture above is in the British Museum, ref Af,A51.75. Other images authors collection.

Fanti Asafo, Fanti Hairstyles….

Today’s post marks an update to our gallery of Fanti Asafo flags from Ghana with a focus on two of the remarkable women’s hair styles of the region.  [The first three images are from our collection, the fourth courtesy of the Smithsonian Eliot Elisofon archive. ]

Here are the complete flags:

For more details please visit our gallery online here.