The collection dates from 1900 to 1997 and mostly includes images taken in South Africa. The images document the peoples of South Africa, particularly the Loved, Ndebele, San, Sotho, Xhosa, and Zulu peoples. Locations photographed include Basutoland (now Lesotho), Bechuanaland (now Botswana), Johannesburg, Natal, Pretoria, Soweto, Swaziland, Transkei, Transvaal, the Umzimkulu Valley and Zululand. Manuscript and office files include clippings, correspondence, exhibition announcements, invitations and reviews, notes, essays, receipts, and other materials that document Larrabee's career, family history, and personal life.
Scope and Contents:
The collection dates from 1900 to 1997 and mostly includes images taken in South Africa. The images document the peoples of South Africa, particularly the Lovedu, Ndebele, San, Sotho, Xhosa, and Zulu peoples. Locations photographed include Basutoland (now Lesotho), Bechuanaland (now Botswana), Johannesburg, Natal, Pretoria, Soweto, Swaziland, Transkei, Transvaal, the Umzimkulu Valley and Zululand.
Notable people photographed include Noel Coward, Gwen Ffangcon Davies, Athol Fugard, Nadine Gordimer, Norman Hackforth, Freida Lock, Ivor Novello, Alan Paton, Alexis Preller, Gerard Sekoto, and Marda Vanne.
The manuscript materials and office files are comprised of clippings, correspondence, exhibition announcements, invitations and reviews, notes, essays, receipts, and other manuscript materials that document Larrabee's career, family history, and personal life.
Arrangement:
Arranged by format into 3 series:
Series 1: Photographs, circa 1936-circa 1988
Series 2: Manuscript Materials, circa 1936-circa 1996
Series 3: Office Files, 1900-1997
Biographical/Historical note:
Photographer Constance Stuart Larrabee (1914-2000) was best known for her images taken in South Africa. Born in Cornwall, England, she was raised in Pretoria. She studied photography in London (1933-1935) and at the Bavarian State Institute for Photography in Munich (1935-1936), where she was influenced by the avant-garde work of artists at the Bauhaus. Returning to South Africa, Larrabee set up a studio and photographed many leading cultural and political figures of the period. During World War II she served as South Africa's first woman war correspondent, and in 1950 she married American Sterling Larrabee and moved to the United States.
Larrabee began photographing the peoples of South Africa in the late 1930s. She published extensively, including a portfolio produced for the book Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton (New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1948). Her work has appeared in exhibits throughout the world, including the following: The Lovedu in Pretoria, 1947; The Family of Man (Museum of Modern Art, 1955); Tribal Photographs (Corcoran Art Gallery, 1984; and Go Well, My Child (National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1986).
Provenance:
Donated by Constance Stuart Larabee in 1986 and 1998.
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.
Footage shot by artist Paul Travis during a trip through Africa and Southern Europe during 1927 and 1928.
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 Anthropology Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art holds the Paul B. Travis papers, 1925-1989.
Provenance:
Received from the Archives of American Art in 1989.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Genre/Form:
silent films
Citation:
Paul Travis films, Human Studies Film Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The collection depicts the everyday life and architecture of Basotho, Hausa, Makonde, Matabele, Pedi, Swazi, and Xhosa peoples in Nigeria, Southern Africa, and Tanzania.
Content Description:
The collection depicts Basotho, Hausa, Makonde, Matabele, Pedi, Swazi, and Xhosa peoples in Lesotho, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, and Tanzania. Images show agricultural work, architecture, carving, cooking, landscapes, mountains, and portraits, among other subjects. Highlights of the collection include Makonde carvers at work in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Hausa peoples tie dying at indigo dye pits in Kano, Nigeria, and house decorations in South Africa and Lesotho including Bataung houses decorated with stone mosaics.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into series according to geographic location:
Series 1: Nigeria, 1974
Series 2: South Africa, 1970-1975
Series 3: Tanzania, 1974
Biographical / Historical:
Dr. George F. Rohrmann is Professor Emeritus of the Department of Microbiology at Oregon State University. His field of specialization is Virology.
Provenance:
Donated by George Rohrmann in December 2017 and March 2018.
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.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting. In their layouts the settlements intuitively observe contours and provide for foothpaths of communication." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts shacks with abstract paintings on walls. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-3A, 34.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. Houses. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-3A, 34." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts mural paintings on shacks' wall, illustrating how the inhabitants of the settlement have reinterpreted their exposure to two different cultures, one traditional and the other western, and have invested them with their own symbolic meaning. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-4A, 2.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. Detail of painting, house exterior. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-4A, 2." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts mural paintings on shacks' wall, illustrating how the inhabitants of the settlement have reinterpreted their exposure to two different cultures, one traditional and the other western, and have invested them with their own symbolic meaning. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-3A, 36.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. House. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-3A, 36." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts mural paintings on shacks' wall, illustrating how the inhabitants of the settlement have reinterpreted their exposure to two different cultures, one traditional and the other western, and have invested them with their own symbolic meaning. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-3A, 35.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. House. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-3A, 35." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts mural paintings on shacks' wall, illustrating how the inhabitants of the settlement have reinterpreted their exposure to two different cultures, one traditional and the other western, and have invested them with their own symbolic meaning. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-3A, 37.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. House. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-3A, 37." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts mural paintings on shacks' wall, illustrating how the inhabitants of the settlement have reinterpreted their exposure to two different cultures, one traditional and the other western, and have invested them with their own symbolic meaning. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-4A, 1.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. House. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-4A, 1." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts mural paintings on shacks' wall, illustrating how the inhabitants of the settlement have reinterpreted their exposure to two different cultures, one traditional and the other western, and have invested them with their own symbolic meaning. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-4A, 6.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. House. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-4A, 6." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts mural paintings on shacks' wall, illustrating how the inhabitants of the settlement have reinterpreted their exposure to two different cultures, one traditional and the other western, and have invested them with their own symbolic meaning. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-4A, 5.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. House. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-4A, 5." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting. In their layouts the settlements intuitively observe contours and provide for foothpaths of communication." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts shacks with abstract paintings on walls. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-4A, 4.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. Houses. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-4A, 4." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
"The shortage of urban housing and the accelerated migration to the towns has led to the invasion of large tracts of vacant urban land by squatters who erects shacks (umjondolo). These rectangular makeshift huts are built of wattle stakes and laths and filled with mud, cartons or other discarded materials, and the roofs are of corrugated iron or plastic sheeting." [Oliver P., 1998: Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture of the World. The Sub-Saharan Africa. Cambridge University Press]. The photograph depicts mural paintings on shacks' wall, illustrating how the inhabitants of the settlement have reinterpreted their exposure to two different cultures, one traditional and the other western, and have invested them with their own symbolic meaning. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.
Local Numbers:
Negative number 24658, C-4A, 3.
General:
Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
Typed index card reads, "T 5 Ndb. Ndebele. Rhodesia, near the Bembesi River. House. 3/1947. EE. neg.no. 24658, C-4A, 3." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Original caption reads, "South Africa. Members of the Ndebele tribe in their colorful blankets and beadwork in front of gaily decorated walls."
General:
Title source: Postcard caption.
Image indexed by negative number.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Constance Stuart Larrabee Collection, EEPA 1998-006, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The cataloging of the Constance Stuart Larrabee Collection was supported by a grant from The Smithsonian Women's Committee.
