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Cultural Archives

A group of Royal Niger Constabulary soldiers with two artillery pieces.

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 …

A photograph showing a river steamer on the Niger River with a man on the bank.

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 …

A photograph depicting a village on fire along the banks of the Niger River.

Burning of a Village along the Niger River

A monochrome photograph depicting the burning of a village as seen from the river, likely the result of a punitive expedition. The image shows multiple points of intense combustion among traditional architectural structures with pitched rooflines along the shoreline. Smoke …

A group of uniformed personnel with rifles standing in a linear formation with a mounted officer on horseback.

Royal Niger Company Soldiery

A photograph depicting a large group of approximately 45 to 55 individuals arranged in a formal, shoulder-to-shoulder linear formation. The personnel are wearing matching light-colored short-sleeved shirts and shorts, with most holding long-barreled firearms. To the far left, a single …

A hybrid steam and sail cargo vessel anchored on the Niger River.

Royal Niger Company Steam Vessel on the Niger River

A photograph depicting a medium-sized transport vessel with hybrid steam and sail propulsion anchored along a riverbank on the Niger River. The vessel features a single mast and a mid-aft smokestack emitting steam. The upper deck is heavily laden with …

A photograph of a multi-level steam vessel anchored on a riverbank.

Royal Niger Company Vessel on the Niger River

A photograph depicting a multi-level watercraft anchored along an embankment on the Niger River. The vessel features a dark hull with barrels and utility equipment on the lower deck, a secondary upper deck with a rectangular cabin, and a light-colored …

Listen

Igbo War Shouting Recording

An audio recording of Igbo war shouting captured on a wax cylinder. The recording includes a brief English introduction followed by rhythmic male vocalizations and a solo high-pitched vocal performance. The performance is unaccompanied and utilizes rapid, oscillating vocal techniques, …

An image showing two facing pages of the 1899 manual Notes and Queries on Anthropology detailing descriptive physical characters.

Notes and Queries on Anthropology: Descriptive Characters

An image showing pages 12 and 13 from the 1899 edition of Notes and Queries on Anthropology. The text presents a systematic framework titled 'Descriptive Characters' for the morphological and chromatic classification of human physical traits. Categories include skin coloration, …

Map of the British Possessions in West Africa 1895.

Stanford's Map of the British Possessions in West Africa 1895

A grayscale cartographic map titled Stanford's Map of the British Possessions in West Africa 1895. The document depicts the Gulf of Guinea, Bight of Benin, Bight of Biafra, and various river systems. It includes labels for regions such as Borno, …

Group Portrait from Royal Niger Company, c. 1886-1895.

Group Portrait from Royal Niger Company

This group portrait, photographed by William Henry Crosse between 1886 and 1895, captures Igbo individuals associated with the Royal Niger Company along the Niger River. The image provides insights into colonial trade interactions and social dynamics in the region during …

King (Eze Nri) surrounded by standing attendants and chiefs in a marketplace.

Eze Nri Obalike with his attendants and Chiefs at Enugwu-Ukwu

This photograph, taken by Northcote Thomas in 1911, shows Eze Nri Obalike, who ruled from around 1889 to 1926, surrounded by his attendants and chiefs at the Nkwọ Marketplace in Enugwu-Ukwu. Under the watchful eyes of British colonial officers, Obalike …

Aro natives clearing bushland during the Anglo-Aro War.

Aro men in loincloths clearing thick forest overgrowth under direction of colonial forces

This photograph, taken by Donald A. MacAlister as part of a series from the Aro Punitive Expedition, shows a group of Aro men clearing forest vegetation with machetes to facilitate British colonial troop movement during the Anglo-Aro War of 1901. …