Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. After dancing round the edge of the compound the chief got very excited and mounting the plinth he proceeded to execute a sort of a jig on his own whilst cheered on in his efforts by the equally excited populace. The glittering eagle mounted helmet and silver cuirasse looked rather out of place but certainly created a sensation among the people.

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100 x 64 mm. The Chief tiring of his dancing called for his rifle and gave a fiery speech intermitted with shots into the air to stress some important point.

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75 x 104 mm. It was obvious that music, women and wine made the Chief forget the dignity of his office but after his little dance and exhibition with his rifle he sobered up and gave a very good little speech to the people telling them all visitors were their guests and there must be no thieving or fighting and they must after this party return to their farms and tend their crops, not only for market but for feeding their families.

Scope and Contents

43 x 40 mm. Gunners and Fies saluting the Chief after he returned to his throne by running forward with a prancing step then kneeling down and firing their native blunderbusses that make a terrific explosion and emit clouds of acrid smelling smoke.

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62 x 40 mm. With all the excitement and the desire to outdo each other many of the gunners and the Fies when firing did so with the guns pointing down and so endangered the people. Whenever this was noticed, the Chindas of the Chief rushed out and arrested the wrongdoer who was promptly marched off to spend his time in silent meditation on his evil deed.

Scope and Contents

34 x 40 mm. At one time in the proceedings the firing low of the gunners got so bad that the Chief lost his temper and joined his Chindas in the rush to arrest the evildoers. Everyone took part in the chase of these men and it was obviously looked upon as great fun by the younger members though the older people realised the danger if this indiscriminate shooting was allowed to go unchecked.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. One of the arrested gunners being led away by some of the Chief's chindas whilst two other chindas are seen striding across the compound to catch another man who has been seen firing low.

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76 x 103 mm. "Les can-can girls" - a group of dancing girls with small bells and rattles attached to their ankles and concealed by a cleverly twined covering of leaves and grass.

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76 x 103 mm. A daughter of the Chief of Bafut proudly displaying her Leopard skin girdle and German necklaces with a black silk tassel at the back. Her wrists and ankles are encased with brass bracelets.

Scope and Contents

76 x 103 mm. One of the daughters of the Chief of Bafut with her numerous necklaces of German beads and a cord of silk with a tassel. Some of the tattooing is seen on her shoulder and back, but her whole body was a mass of intricate patterns.

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62 x 40 mm. A decorated Bamenda hat. These small cap-like headdresses fit closely on to the head and are made from native cotton, many skilful and varied designs are seen usually in blue as this is the common native dye.

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64 x 108 mm. A flute player with his hood of blue velvet embroidered with red silk, and the gown of many hues with native designs. He had on the ivory bangle worn by all the 'big men'. The flute is played with one finger at the base to control the tones and attached to it is a complicated knot of what looked like Tie-tie grass.

Scope and Contents

77 x 103 mm. One of the gunners with a draped skirt of white narrow red stripes and a broad purple band. He has a raffia hat surmounted with dark blue feathers and his sachet had a fringe of bells.

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104 x 64 mm. A young gunner with his feathered headdress and old brass studded flintlock gun.

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64 x 90 mm. Another gunner with his native made hat of dark blue cotton pulled out to form small tags or 'rays'. He also wears one of the thick ivory bangles so common among the men of the Bamenda Division.

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40 x 62 mm. This old warrior turned up complete with his gun, showing the goat hide shield to protect him against misfires. His manjong sword on its lizard skin covered sheath with a small bell attached to the wickerwork handles, a fly-switch and his drinking horn in his 'hip-pocket'.

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76 x 103 mm. Another gunner with his stoppered calabash powder box, a fullani sword, a fly switch and not a care in the world.

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76 x 103 mm. One of the gunners - Wonga - Fie Alakume - sees a joke either in the camera or the photographer! He is wearing one of the 'rayed' hats made entirely of cotton by the men in the Bamenda Division.

Scope and Contents From the File: A collection of photographs on 77 loose sheets. On one sheet, in ink capitals, is written 'Photographs taken between June 18th 1934 - December 1934, in the Lamu Archipelago, Tanganyika, Kenya, Uganda, Belgian Congo, Ruanda Urundi, French Equatorial Africa, Cameroons, Nigeria, French West Africa.' The majority of the photographs have been captioned by hand, in a difficult handwriting, and some of the names of peoples and places have not been traced in works of reference. The following...

Scope and Contents

40 x 62 mm neg. with 68 x 111 mm. print. An Ibo with facial markings that represent the wings of a hawk among other things. A very rare thing to see now a days.

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40 x 62 mm. neg. with 84 x 111 mm. print. These tribal markings were used in the old days when wars were frequent and thus the captors knew the area from which their prisoners had come.

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40 x 62 mm. neg. with 84 x 111 mm. print. This particular boy shows the markings indicating he comes from between Owerri and Onitsha. The two sides of the face have not the same design.

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61 x 96 mm. A Juju man who was acting as police to keep order. His waist was covered with small calabashes acting as powder horns whilst snail shells were garlanded round his neck.

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76 x 103 mm. A Juju man with his leopard skin headdress with snail shells attached to the crown. In his right hand he holds a sort of rattle of pleated fibre with hard seeds inside whilst his left hand holds the forerunner of the Swastika, which is also used as a charm.

Scope and Contents

76 x 103 mm. A Juju man with his leopard skin headdress with snail shells attached to the crown. In his right hand he holds a sort of rattle of pleated fibre with hard seeds inside whilst his left hand holds the forerunner of the Swastika, which is also used as a charm.