Scope and Contents

40 x 62 mm.

Scope and Contents 56 x 84 mm. A girl from the N’Jarie Tribe from the N’Bombo Country. They have very elaborate tattooing on the body done by specialists with a pointed bamboo and ashes. Each cicatrix is a round dome, smooth and of regular size. A piece of bamboo is inserted into the nostrils. They used to practice cannibalism by setting traps of thin dust covered brushwood placed over pits or a chair set on the thinly covered pit in front of the house where the unwary traveller sat and fell in only to be set...

Scope and Contents 56 x 84 mm. A girl from the N’Jarie Tribe from the N’Bombo Country. They have very elaborate tattooing on the body done by specialists with a pointed bamboo and ashes. Each cicatrix is a round dome, smooth and of regular size. A piece of bamboo is inserted into the nostrils. They used to practice cannibalism by setting traps of thin dust covered brushwood placed over pits or a chair set on the thinly covered pit in front of the house where the unwary traveller sat and fell in only to be set...

Scope and Contents

40 x 62 mm. The 'arrow & circle' abdominal tattooing seen in almost every Banso girl, whether it is Phallic or not has yet to be decided. Some think it the sign of sun worship. But very debatable.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. At the entrance to the market, a very serious discussion between a palm wine seller, his wine in the calabash and the goat sellers.

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

62 x 40 mm. Clay pot made by the potters of Bamassi, the women are the best artists in this work. Note the snake design, these pots sell for about 1/-.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. The earthernware pot sellers from Bamassi. The typical Banso people strolling about, the girls with their waist strings 'Aggedsrs' and the red cloth draped in front 'Teh'. In their hands their raffia shopping baskets, very fine raffia work is done in the area. The effect of cheap Japanese cottons is seen in the hideous garb of the men and women who are mostly mission people and consider themselves very superior to what they call 'The Bush woman'.

Scope and Contents

53 x 42 mm. A Banso mat maker passes along one of the hillside paths to the market. He is dressed in the traditional 'kilt' and by holding his spear over his right shoulder takes the weight of the mats. On the hillside is one of the square roofed houses of Banso, only the Fon and the high Fais are permitted to have oblong roofed houses.

Scope and Contents

40 x 62 mm. Three ladies in the haberdashery department have an altercation with the local Mr. Selfridge. Bargaining is brought to a fine art when the seller adds 200% to the retail price and the buyer wants the goods at 200% under wholesale price.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. A Bororo woman, carrying her child in the usual Bororo position shocks the cloth seller by her valuation of his goods. The argument as to price waxes fast and furious but is all part of the game and the sellers would feel hurt if the buyer paid the original price asked for the goods. The bargaining is part of the fun though to witness it one would think that a fight would develop at any moment.

Scope and Contents

45 x 36 mm. The Butcher's stalls, the butchers are by far the aristocrats of the West African markets and are the wealthiest men in the town.

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40 x 62 mm. neg. Three ladies consider the gems in the Jewellery department. These cheap C-Sloviakan [sic] and Japanese bangles of coloured celluloid are sold at 3 penny each and are very valuable to the local ladies.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. A cam wood seller with the little cakes of mixed wood dust and water on her bamboo table and surrounded by prospective customers. The Fon, his daughters and the Fais all wear it on their legs and arms.

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57 x 85 mm. neg. with contact print. Cam wood sellers at the Market with their products on the Banso tables made from strips of Bamboo.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. Cam wood sellers in Banso Market with their legs covered with the red dust to advertise their wares.

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84 x 56 mm. The Juju man is seen between the two chindas in their ceremonial regalia. His garb is clearly seen and consists of a deep red gown reaching to his knees and a wooden mask carved as a grotesque face stuck on top of his head. The Mimbo is poured from the long necked calabashes into the artistically worked earthenware pot.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. Ngam - A Tarantula. It has powers of judging the evil one and is in many cases consulted, the man who understands what it says is called Ngangam in Banso. Four pieces of banana tree trunk are placed round the hole leading to the lair of Ngam. Then pieces of split bamboo representing the names of the suspected persons are put in the space radiating from the hole.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. From time to time Big men have dances in their compounds, the reason is hard to find and there usually are different reasons connected with family matters.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. The dancers are usually from some other Big Man's compound and bring with them their Jujus - in this case men draped with grass and wearing a cow mask - Nyam si Juim. They are held by ropes and are threatened by the dancers with cutlasses.

Scope and Contents

40 x 62 mm. Fai Ndzendzen dressed in his usual attire, kilt and hat which is of a special pattern and no other man can wear a similar hat. Title hereditary and is one of the most important men in the country. He is the Senior Kebai of the Yemulong (House of the inner Mulong Society with very limited membership) -See Banso Notes No.I. - Necklace of leopard teeth, a Royal insignia.

Scope and Contents

40 x 62 mm.

Scope and Contents

40 x 62 mm. Fai O Shube the next in seniority to Fai Ndzendzen.

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40 x 62 mm. Fai Tankum, the next in seniority to Fai Ndzendzen and so he wears the insignia of Royalty in the shape of a necklace of leopard teeth.

Scope and Contents

62 x 40 mm. The husband, having agreed that there is some grounds for suspicion as to who is causing this illness of his child, goes and arranges with Ngangam the witch doctor who understands the actions of Ngam the Tarantula. They then arrange the price for the work of Ngangam and proceed to the spot where the spider lives.