Bassa (Liberian and Sierra Leone people) Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographic prints
Photocopies
Place:
Mali
Africa
Cameroon
Nigeria
Date:
circa 1983
Summary:
This collection is comprised of photographs collected by William W. Brill to document his personal collection of African art objects, which primarily contains masks, sculpted figures, and tools.
Scope and Contents:
This collection is comprised of photographs collected by William W. Brill to document his personal collection of African art objects, which primarily contains masks, sculpted figures, and tools. Masks documented are from the following peoples: Hemba, Lulua, Makonde, and Bbagani. Sculptural figures shown were created by the following groups: Bassa, Dogon, Kulango, Kuyu, Loma, Luba, Lunda, Punu, and Tabwa. Other objecs shown include an Asante comb, Asante royal staff, Baule animal head, Bete heddle pulley, Chokwe comb, Ijo staff, Kuba headrest, Lele staff, Ndengese axe handle, Senufo ceremonial container, Senufo wine strainer, Yela staff, Yoruba house post, Zulu comb, and Zulu hunter's staff. There are also images of musical instruments including bells, flutes, and rhythm pounders from Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, and Zaire. Photographers represented include Tony Fitsch, Al Mozell and Bernard Pierre Wolff.
Biographical / Historical:
William W. Brill (1918-2003) received a B.A. from Yale University and was the president of the Mutual Real Estate Investment Trust in New York. He started collecting African art around 1960 and has donated several art objects to museums.
Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Rights:
For study purposes only. Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Peoples and kingdoms whose art works are shown include the Asante, Baule, Benin, Boki, Dogon, Fang (Pahouin), Ijo, Kuba, Lumbu, Mama, Mende, Mpongwe, Punu and Yoruba. Objects depicted include garments, doors, fly whisks, gold weights, headrests, jewelry, masks, musical instrument such as bells and rhythym pounders, power figures, pipes, staff finials, stools and wood sculptures of men and women.
Biographical/Historical note:
Walker Evans, 1903-1975, photographer and educator. Studied at Williams College in 1923 and the Sorbonne in Paris in 1926, worked as a photographer for the Farm Security administration from 1935 to 1937, worked as a contributing editor to Time magazine from 1943 to 1945, and served as an associate editor and staff photographer at Fortune magazine from 1946 to 1965. Mr. Evans also taught graphic arts at Yale University and served as artist-in-residence at Dartmouth College.
General note:
Images indexed by negative number.
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.
