This collection is composed of fifty-one (51) drawings by Herbert Ward, made when he was a member of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. Most of the drawings depict men and women of the upper Congo River, but several others depict tools and implements.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Historical Note:
The Emin Pasha Relief Expedition (1886-1889) was a British expedition through the interior of Africa led by Henry Morton Stanley. The professed goal of the expedition was to provide aid to Emin Pasha, the governor of Equatoria, which was threatened by Mahdist forces of Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah.
Biographical Note:
Herbert Ward (1863-1919) moved to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then called Zaire) in 1884. He joined the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition (1886-1889) as an aide to Stanley. After the expedition, Ward returned to Europe, where he lectured and wrote about his experiences in the Congo. In 1893, he began formal art training, including the study of sculpture, and became a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. He spent most of his later life crafting bronzes of Africans and African life; his sculptures and his collection of African artifacts were exhibited by the United States National Museum in 1922.
Conservation Note:
The drawings were arranged in 6 montages by the Ward/Barclay family. The drawings were removed from their original mats and placed in individual conservation mats. Photographs of the drawings in the original mats are available.
Related Materials:
Ward's collection of bronzes and artifacts held in the Department of Anthropology collections in accession 067312.
The National Anthropological Archives holds the Harry C. Ellis photographs of Herbert Ward's studio in Paris (Photo Lot 75-52). Additional Ellis photographs of Ward's studio can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in Photo Lot 4 (under H.C. Ellis).
A pamphlet on the Herbert Ward African Collection can be found in the National Anthropological Archives reference files.
The Royal Geographical Society holds papers relating to Herbert Ward.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Genre/Form:
Works of art
Drawings
Citation:
MS 1999-23 Herbert Ward drawings from the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
