665 Negatives (photographic) (black & white, 4 x 5 in. or smaller)
520 Negatives (photographic) (duplicate negatives; black & white, 4 x 5 in. or smaller)
10 Postcards (black & white, 9 x 14 cm.)
157 Slides (photographs) (color)
338 Photographic prints (+ contact prints , black & white, 4 x 5 in. or smaller)
1 Photographic print ((panograph), black & white, 6.3 x 20 cm.)
Container:
Box 1
Item 487
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Negatives (photographic)
Postcards
Slides (photographs)
Photographic prints
Black-and-white photographs
Place:
Zambezi River -- Photographs
Victoria Falls Zimbabwe -- Photographs
Zambia
Cairo (Egypt)
Tanzania
Cape Town (South Africa)
Kalahari Desert -- Photographs
Egypt
South Africa
Luangwa River Zambia and Mozambique -- Photographs
Nile River
Port Said (Egypt)
Africa
Mozambique
Date:
1930-1952
Summary:
The photographs are cityscapes and landscapes taken by Burton E. Ashley in Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia during the early 1930s and early 1950s. The images include views of Cape Town, South Africa; Cairo, Egypt; Port Said, Egypt, and Mozambique. Architecture depicted includes buildings in Tanzania, a mission in Zambia and the Mohammed Ali Mosque in Cairo. Additionally, there are images of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and rivers and waterfalls including the Luangwa, Nile, Zambezi and Victoria Falls. The collection also includes photos of animals, geological features and vegetation.
Scope and Contents:
The photographs are cityscapes and landscapes taken by Burton E. Ashley in Egypt, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia during the early 1930s and early 1950s. More specifically, Ashley took photographs from 1930 to 1933 while working for the British South Africa Company, and from 1950 to 1952 while working for the U.S. Geological Survey.
The images illustrate architecture such as Islamic buildings in Tanzania, a mission in Zambia and the Mohammed Ali Mosque in Cairo, Egypt; cityscapes of Cape Town, South Africa, and Port Said, Egypt; market scenes in Cairo and Mozambique; and ships, structures, and waterscapes in the Suez Canal, Egypt. There are also images of animals, geological features, and vegetation, including landscapes of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana and waterscapes of rivers (such as the Luangwa River, Nile River, and Zambezi River) and waterfalls (such as Victoria Falls).
Some of the photographs were taken by Sydney Schafer. One set of twenty prints is a published package of black and white prints purchased by Ashley in 1933. The images are 6 x 9 cm. and depict Egyptian pyramids.
Arrangement note:
Prints and copy prints,volume #1;Arranged numerically by image number
Panographic print and published print setvolume #2;Arranged by image number
color slidesbox #1;Arranged by image number
nitrate negsbox #2;Arranged by image number
Biographical/Historical note:
Geologist Burton E. Ashley (1908-1993) worked for the British South Africa Company (1930-1933). He received a M.A. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1936 and later worked for the Texas Company (1936-1943), Phillips Petroleum Company (1943-1950), U.S. Geological Survey (1950-1957) and the U.S. Bureau of Mines (1957-1960). In 1961, he became minerals officer for the U.S. Department of State, serving in Australia. After retiring, Ashley served as a volunteer in the Mineral Sciences Department of the National Museum of Natural History.
Biographical / Historical:
Geologist Burton E. Ashley (1908-1993) worked for the British South Africa Company from 1930 to 1933. He received an M.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1936 and later worked for the Texas Company (1936-1943), Phillips Petroleum Company (1936-1943), U.S. Geological Survey (1950-1957), and U.S. Bureau of Mines (1957-1960). In 1961, he became minerals officer for the U.S. Department of State, serving in Australia. After retiring, Ashley served as a volunteer in the Mineral Sciences Department at the National Museum of Natural History.
Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Genre/Form:
Postcards
Black-and-white photographs
Photographic prints
Citation:
Burton Ashley Photograph Collection, EEPA 1979-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
