Young Lega woman with plantains, Shabunda, Congo (Democratic Republic)

Object Details

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Congo (Democratic Republic) / EECL / Shabunda, Congo (Democratic Republic)

Archival Repository: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

Collection Citation: Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution

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.

Scope and Contents: "The staple crop is bananas. For example, they recognize fourteen traditional varieties of bananas, three imported from the Songola, two introduced by the Bangwana, and one brought in by the Europeans. Basically, the Lega are banana growers. It is in term of banana growing that their agricultural activities must be understood, since bananas play the principal role in diet, exchange, and ritual symbolism. Lega settlements are usually located some distance away from the banana fields." [Biebuyck D., 1973: Lega Culture. University of California Press]. During his trip to Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited the Lega people at Shabunda and its surroundings in the Maniema district. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Broadcasting Company and traveled to Africa from early December 1966 to early February 1967.

Collection Restrictions: Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.