A Bamana family compound, Senou village, Mali

Object Details

Local Numbers: EENG-VII-8, 24A.
General: Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
Local Note: Typed index card reads, "T 1 Bmb. Bambara. Mali, near Bamako. House with gourds growing on roof. 12/1970. EE. neg.no. VII-8, 24A." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.

See more items in: Eliot Elisofon Field collection; Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Mali

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

Type: Archival materials; Negatives (photographic); Black-and-white negatives; Negatives

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: "Bamana villages are called duguw. They are comprised of compounds, often set off in the eastern Bamana country by mud brick walls. In this region, houses are usually rectangular and constructed of mud brick with roofs of wooden poles overlaid with dried mud. In the western and southern Bamana country, houses are usually round with thatch roofs. However, in recent years, rectangular mud brick construction has been increasingly adopted in this area." [Imperato P., 2001: Legends, Sorcerers, and Enchanted Lizards, Door Locks of the Bamana of Mali, Africana Publishing Company]. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the village of Senou, near Bamako. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Westinghouse Film and traveled to Africa from October 26, 1970 to end of March 1971.

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