[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=488144&t=w[/img]

"Chief in ceremonial dress, Gold Coast."

COLLECTION
The Dark Continent: Africa, The Landscape and the People
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1931
TOPICS
Africa --
Manners & customs -- Africa

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=488165&t=w[/img]

"Banjom chief, N. W. Cameroons."


COLLECTION
The Dark Continent: Africa, The Landscape and the People
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1931
TOPICS
Africa --
Ethnology -- Africa
Daggers & swords
Clothing & dress


['Banjom' = Bandjoun, a subgroup of the Bamileke of Cameroon.]

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1235185&t=w[/img]

"Un roi de Nouveau-Calabar."



AUTHOR
Compiègne, Louis-Alphonse-Henri-Victor du Pont, marquis de (1846-1876)
COLLECTION
Afrique equatoriale. Gabonais, Pahouins, Gallois, par le marquis de Compiegne. Ouvrage enrichi d'une carte speciale et de gravures sur bois dessinees par L. Breton d'apres des photographies et des croquis de l'auteur.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1875
TOPICS
Clothing & dress -- Africa
Kings -- Africa
Children -- Africa


[Nouveau Calabar = New Calabar, the term European writers used to refer to Elem Kalabari, in modern day Rivers state, Nigeria.]

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1107145&t=w[/img]

"1. Surgical knives ; 2. A brass anklet ; 3. A copper bracelet ; 4. Cast - brass tobacco pipes."


AUTHOR
Basden, George Thomas (1873-1944)
COLLECTION
Among the Ibos of Nigeria, an account of the curious & interesting habits, customs, & beliefs of a little known African people by one who has for many years lived amongst them on close & intimate terms, by G. T. Basden.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1921
TOPICS
Africa
Igbo (African people)
Knives
Tobacco pipes
Jewelry
Copperwork
Brasswork

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1107149&t=w[/img]

"Town dieties, Adonta, near Awgwash; A medicine man, with stock-in-trade."


AUTHOR
Basden, George Thomas (1873-1944)
COLLECTION
Among the Ibos of Nigeria, an account of the curious & interesting habits, customs, & beliefs of a little known African people by one who has for many years lived amongst them on close & intimate terms, by G. T. Basden.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1921
TOPICS
Africa
Igbo (African people)
Ceremonial objects
Healers
Shamans

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1107143&t=w[/img]

"Hair - dressing as a work of art."


AUTHOR
Basden, George Thomas (1873-1944)
COLLECTION
Among the Ibos of Nigeria, an account of the curious & interesting habits, customs, & beliefs of a little known African people by one who has for many years lived amongst them on close & intimate terms, by G. T. Basden.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1921
TOPICS
Africa
Igbo (African people)
Women
Hairstyles

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1248537&t=w[/img]

"Peuples de la Senegambie 1. Mandingue du Wolli, 2. Bambara, 3. Yoloff du pays de Wallo"


AUTHOR
Tardieu, Amédée (1822-1893)
COLLECTION
Sénégambie et Guinée, par m. Amédée Tardieu ... Nubie, par m. S. Chérubini ... Abyssinie, par m. Noël Desvergers ...
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1847
TOPICS
Africa --
Mandingo (African people)
Bambara (African people)
Wolof (African people)

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1103890&t=w[/img]

"Vue de Koundian."


AUTHOR
Mage, E. Eugene (1837-1869)
COLLECTION
Voyage dans le Soudan Occidental.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1872
TOPICS
Senegal
Senegambia
Dwellings

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1105137&t=w[/img]

"Toucouleur types - the interpreter Alpha Sega and his sisters."


AUTHOR
Reclus, Elisée (1830-1905)
COLLECTION
The Earth and Its Inhabitants, Africa.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1890-1893 [v.1, 1892]
TOPICS
Families
Clothing & dress -- Africa
Senegambia
Toucouleur (African people)

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1234440&t=w[/img]

"El-Haj Abd-el-Kader, Envoy of Timbuktu."


AUTHOR
Reclus, Elisée (1830-1905)
COLLECTION
The Earth and Its Inhabitants, Africa.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1890-1893 [v.1, 1892]
TOPICS
Messengers
Tombouctou (Mali)

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1103891&t=w[/img]

"Sambou, griot de Niantanso."


AUTHOR
Mage, E. Eugene (1837-1869)
COLLECTION
Voyage dans le Soudan Occidental.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1872
TOPICS
Senegal
Senegambia
Musicians
Musical instruments

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1103894&t=w[/img]

"Vue de Yamina sur le Niger."


AUTHOR
Mage, E. Eugene (1837-1869)
COLLECTION
Voyage dans le Soudan Occidental.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1872
TOPICS
Senegal
Senegambia
Dwellings
Waterways

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1103893&t=w[/img]

"Types et coiffures de Bambaras."


AUTHOR
Mage, E. Eugene (1837-1869)
COLLECTION
Voyage dans le Soudan Occidental.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1872
TOPICS
Senegal
Senegambia
Hats
Bambara (African people)

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1103896&t=w[/img]

"Entrée du palais d'Ahmadou à Ségou."


AUTHOR
Mage, E. Eugene (1837-1869)
COLLECTION
Voyage dans le Soudan Occidental.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1872
TOPICS
Senegal
Senegambia
Doors & doorways
Castles & palaces

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1103898&t=w[/img]

"Attack at Sansandig" (by Ahmadou's army)


AUTHOR
Mage, E. Eugene (1837-1869)
COLLECTION
Voyage dans le Soudan Occidental.
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1872
Senegal
Senegambia
Campaigns & battles

[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1267771&t=w[/img]

"A Sudanese scene: a reading in the street."


AUTHOR
Dubois, Félix (b. 1862)
COLLECTION
Timbuctoo the mysterious
DATES / ORIGIN
Date Issued: 1897
TOPICS
Mali
Men -- Clothing & dress -- Africa
Malians
Street life
Oral reading

@ physicsQED

great stuff you've been posting.

Looking at some of these pictures especially of the cityscapes, a question comes to mind.
How did it relate to their agrarian nature (for those that were into agriculture)?

Let me explain..for example,
I always imagined that in the ancient Benin kingdom, households were not clustered together.
each household would be surrounded by its farm, and the only place of building cluster would probably be the village square or market

so i am thinking,
did these guys who lived in clustered cities as shown in your pictures
have farmlands that were apportioned to them which were probably outside the city walls?
If this was the case, would it not have been realy easy for the enemy to cut off their food supply in times of war?

Please, what are your thoughts?

esere826:
@ physicsQED

great stuff you've been posting.

Looking at some of these pictures especially of the cityscapes, a question comes to mind.
How did it relate to their agrarian nature (for those that were into agriculture)?

Let me explain..for example,
I always imagined that in the ancient Benin kingdom, households were not clustered together.
each household would be surrounded by its farm, and the only place of building cluster would probably be the village square or market

so i am thinking,
did these guys who lived in clustered cities as shown in your pictures
have farmlands that were apportioned to them which were probably outside the city walls?
If this was the case, would it not have been realy easy for the enemy to cut off their food supply in times of war?

Please, what are your thoughts?

This is a very good question and I'll give my opinion based on what I've read later today or tomorrow.

PhysicsMHD:


This is a very good question and I'll give my opinion based on what I've read later today or tomorrow.

Thanks PhysicsQED
I'll look forward to your thoughts around this.

esere826:
@ physicsQED
so i am thinking,
did these guys who lived in clustered cities as shown in your pictures
have farmlands that were apportioned to them which were probably outside the city walls?
If this was the case, would it not have been realy easy for the enemy to cut off their food supply in times of war?

I imagine this is true for any populations, cities or kingdom in the past or even today.

You can always try to cut the food supply of the enemy as a kind of strategy (taking into account you're losing soldiers/equipments/resources for it). If the enemy is strong enough to cut your food supply, and you need it and can't take it back, it means you've lost or you're losing the war. When people are pushed to their city enclave, they must live off the food reserves which are sometimes pretty extensive, but you will still need to face the enemy at one point (or enter in diplomatic discussions).

We can imagine as a king you don't want to place yourself in a siege situation. You prefer to engage the enemy well beyond the living quarters, or beyond the capital, where the king lives. Even beyond agricultural fields. If you're a king you engage them at the latest when the enemy starts moving in large numbers and attacking towns under your protection beyond the capital. When you hear about it, you send troops to meet them. I imagine in most cases, Kings knew well in advance when the enemy planned to attack. They probably attacked other towns before. Or refuse to pay tributes if it's a kingdom under your control. Etc.

I'm only speculating here.

AmunRaOlodumare:

I imagine this is true for any populations, cities or kingdom in the past or even today.

You can always try to cut the food supply of the enemy as a kind of strategy (taking into account you're losing soldiers/equipments/resources for it). If the enemy is strong enough to cut your food supply, and you need it and can't take it back, it means you've lost or you're losing the war. When people are pushed to their city enclave, they must live off the food reserves which are sometimes pretty extensive, but you will still need to face the enemy at one point (or enter in diplomatic discussions).

We can imagine as a king you don't want to place yourself in a siege situation. You prefer to engage the enemy well beyond the living quarters, or beyond the capital, where the king lives. Even beyond agricultural fields. If you're a king you engage them at the latest when the enemy starts moving in large numbers and attacking towns under your protection beyond the capital. When you hear about it, you send troops to meet them. I imagine in most cases, Kings knew well in advance when the enemy planned to attack. They probably attacked other towns before. Or refuse to pay tributes if it's a kingdom under your control. Etc.

I'm only speculating here.

Umhhh

the theory does make a lot of 3D sense

With this theory, I'm thinking, that a hypothesis can be made that cities which were walled would tend to seek to a large extent the control of their near and far neighbours around them through warfare or blunt subjugation for reason of self defence
and, the upper class in such cities would tend to have invested more in livestock which their servants would easily herd home in times of war


Thanks much

From what I read about Idris Aloma's sieges on walled cities, they did indeed destroy the food supplies. But some of the larger cities appear to have had farms within the walls and could hold out indefinitely. Such cities, like Dala in ancient Kano, were never overcome.

History of the First Twelve Years of the Reign of the Mai Idris Alooma of Bornu, 1571-1583 (ISBN: 0714617091)

PhysicsQED:
^

Another image of Benin City, from the same source, H. Ling Roth's book Great Benin (1903):



This illustration was published in the Illustrated London News on March 27th, 1897 (after the Punitive Expedition and the destruction of Benin City) and it was made by one H.C. Seppings Wright.

There are more important pictures (actual photographs) of 1890s Benin that I have come across recently, that I will post in the Benin art/architecture thread later. I may post some of them in this thread later as well.

I know this is an old thread and all but looking at this picture and thinking about the destruction of these forest kingdoms, I can't help but wonder.

Why are most of the ancient and medieval savannah towns still standing today in 2015 while the towns of the forest regions are completely uprooted and gone as if they never existed?

Did the Europeans have trouble burning and looting the muslim kingdoms when they took them over? Did the locals of Benin, Oyo, etc tear down the remainder of their own settlements when they coverted to Christianity? Maybe environment played a factor? Tropical regions don't preserve negleted mud/wiod structures as well as savannah environments?

Compare the current state of the city of Edo to Kano in northern Nigeria. Even lesser powers like Bamoun's architecture that remained untouched into the 20th century doesn't seem to be standing anymore while the Dogon villages are still around. Almost all photographed forest region architecture in this thread and the benin one are either ild black & white photos or drawings while Kano, Timbuktu, Dogon and Gao can still be photographed today.

^ I think there are two factors that account for this.

a. Westernization proceeded much more rapidly in the south (i.e., the forest zone) than in the north (the savanna), and as families got westernised, they also tended to replace the old houses of mud and thatch with western ones of cement and 'zinc' roofs.

b. Perhaps more important than Westernization was climate. Mud houses deteriorate faster in the humid climate of the forest zone than in the dry climate of the savanna. In the forest zone mud walls had to be repaired quite regularly, much more regularly than in the savanna. The result was that in the 20th century, as the traditional houses in the south fell apart due to the climate, maintenance/renovation tended to involve replacing the thatch roofs with longer-lasting European-style metal roofs, and plastering the mud walls over with cement. I have seen many houses in Southern Nigeria where a crack in the cement wall revealed an interior of mud.

esere826:
@ physicsQED

great stuff you've been posting.

Looking at some of these pictures especially of the cityscapes, a question comes to mind.
How did it relate to their agrarian nature (for those that were into agriculture)?

Let me explain..for example,
I always imagined that in the ancient Benin kingdom, households were not clustered together.
each household would be surrounded by its farm, and the only place of building cluster would probably be the village square or market

so i am thinking,
did these guys who lived in clustered cities as shown in your pictures
have farmlands that were apportioned to them which were probably outside the city walls?
If this was the case, would it not have been realy easy for the enemy to cut off their food supply in times of war?

Please, what are your thoughts?

the enemy would not cut food supplies (if they were slavers they would not have time to wait for surrender). Rather, they engaged in open warfare if they were able to enter the town's perimeter undefeated and then took slaves afterwards.

Most towns, in an attempt to prevent this kind of thing from happening, usually had lookouts to sound the alarm if an enemy was sighted. And a standing army as well (most males were trained to fight as well as farm). If an alarm was heard, the males returned to defend the town and face the enemy in battle.

As to whether this method was effective, not really sure since most of the populace still got enslaved or killed anyway. Huge toll.

All this is as far as I know.

Mind you, it doesn't mean the tactic you mentioned ( cutting food supply) wasn't used at all back then, it depends on region sometimes.

tpiander:



the enemy would not cut food supplies (if they were slavers they would not have time to wait for surrender). Rather, they engaged in open warfare if they were able to enter the town's perimeter undefeated and then took slaves afterwards.

Most towns, in an attempt to prevent this kind of thing from happening, usually had lookouts to sound the alarm if an enemy was sighted. And a standing army as well (most males were trained to fight as well as farm). If an alarm was heard, the males returned to defend the town and face the enemy in battle.

As to whether this method was effective, not really sure since most of the populace still got enslaved or killed anyway. Huge toll.

All this is as far as I know.

Thanks.
It's quite helpful

I know this is an old thread. But please who has physicsqed's contact. It is really urgent pls.

PhysicsQED:
"Nigeria 100 years ago – Through the eyes of Leo Frobenius and his expedition team

Exhibition series with images from the ethnographic picture archive and the photographic archive of the Frobenius Institute, Frankfurt (Germany)"

http://www.frobenius-institut.de/index.php/das-institut/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/42-das-institut/119-nigeria-100-years-ago

Yorubaland: http://www.frobenius-institut.de/images/stories/Ausstellungen/Nigeria/yorubaland.pdf

Nupeland: http://www.frobenius-institut.de/images/stories/Ausstellungen/Nigeria/nupeland.pdf

Tivland and Jukunland: http://www.frobenius-institut.de/images/stories/Ausstellungen/Nigeria/tiv-jukunland.pdf

Adamawa: http://www.frobenius-institut.de/images/stories/Ausstellungen/Nigeria/adamawa.pdf

Portraits: http://www.frobenius-institut.de/images/stories/Ausstellungen/Nigeria/portraits.pdf


I plan to post a lot of select images from the image database of the Frobenius Institute's website, but those pdfs above give a brief and interesting overview of some of the areas in Nigeria that Frobenius's expedition team focused heavily on during some of their expeditions to Africa.

Mad cool history!