Cultural Archives
Royal Niger Company Soldiery
A photograph depicting a formation of approximately thirteen African males, identified in the source metadata as \"soldiery\", who are members of the Royal Niger Constabulary. The individuals are arranged in two rows behind two small-bore artillery pieces with spoked wooden …
Construction of Brick Buildings by the Royal Niger Company
A photograph depicting a construction site featuring two single-story rectangular buildings made of exposed brick with corrugated metal roofs. The scene includes approximately nine individuals: some wearing Western-style buttoned shirts and trousers, and others in traditional wrap-style garments with bare …
Buildings and Warehouses along the River Niger
A photograph depicting buildings and warehouses along the River Niger. The image shows a series of low-profile, single-story buildings with gabled roofs and a long, open-fronted warehouse containing stacked raw materials, likely palm oil, as indicated by the metadata. The …
River Steamer on the Niger River
A photograph depicting a small, low-profile motorized river steamer, possibly a mission boat, navigating a wide, calm body of water. The vessel features a central vertical smokestack, a light-colored cabin toward the bow, and a thin vertical mast. In the …
Landscape of an Escarpment Area along the Niger River
A monochromatic photograph from the late 19th century depicting a landscape view of an escarpment area along the Niger River. The foreground consists of dense, low-lying shrubbery and grasses on sloping terrain. In the midground, a cluster of vernacular structures …
Portrait of Man and Woman
A photograph depicting a man and a woman standing in front of a vernacular architectural structure. The man, on the left, stands upright with a direct gaze, wearing a thin neck ring and a minimalist waist garment. The woman, on …
Family Group Portrait by William Henry Crosse
A monochrome photograph of a family. They are seated on an earthen incline against a textured vertical wall. Several individuals wear wrapped cloths with linear stripes or geometric patterns, and some women have bare upper torsos. Personal adornment is prominent, …
Portrait of a Woman in Striped Cloth
A photograph depicting a woman seated on a low, curved wooden stool, posing for the camera. She wears a fabric wrap or turban with a geometric pattern and a large piece of textile with wide, dark, horizontal stripes wrapped around …
Landscape of the Niger River near Asaba
A monochrome landscape photograph taken between 1886 and 1895 by William Henry Crosse, Principal Medical Officer of the Royal Niger Company. The image depicts a large, calm body of water in the foreground with a prominent, vegetated hill centered in …
Steam Vessel Anchored on the Niger River
A photograph depicting a single-masted, steam-powered vessel moored parallel to an earthen riverbank along the Niger River. The vessel features a vertical smokestack emitting a plume of white smoke, a central multi-level superstructure with railings, and a tall mast with …
Royal Niger Company Station with Soldiery
A monochromatic photograph depicting a two-story masonry structure built from irregular stone and mortar in a hilly landscape. Five uniformed male subjects, identified in manuscript notes as "Soldiery", are present: four stand in a line in the foreground holding rifles, …
Royal Niger Company Constabulary Band
A monochromatic photograph showing a musical ensemble from the Royal Niger Company Constabulary on a maritime vessel. The group consists of approximately eleven Black men in military-style tunics and garrison side caps, playing woodwind and brass instruments and a snare …