Cultural Archives
Museum Identification Labels for Fish Trap from Awgbu
A photograph depicting a comparative catalog table of three museum specimen identification tags associated with a fish trap collected by Northcote Thomas in Awgbu (present-day Anambra State, Nigeria). Label A is an aged brown paper tag with printed text identifying …
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 …
Igbo bu Igbo (Great Igbo)
An audio recording of a folksong titled 'Igbo bu Igbo' (Great Igbo), recorded by Northcote Thomas on December 16, 1910, in Awka. The performance features a female singer utilizing a high-pitched, resonant vocal technique with a repetitive, call-and-response structure. The …
Speech by Chief Onyeso of Agukwu Nri
An audio recording featuring a re-recording of a speech by Chief Onyeso of Agukwu Nri, translated into standard Central Igbo by Yvonne Mbanefo and read by Oba Kosi Nwoba. The original recording was made by Northcote Thomas during his 1910-11 …
European Men and African Man at a Royal Niger Company Encampment
A photograph depicting a group of eight men at a temporary encampment. Seven light-skinned men are positioned standing and seated, wearing utilitarian warm-weather attire including pith helmets, boater hats, and white tunics. A dark-skinned man in a light-colored jacket and …
Group Portrait at a Royal Niger Company Station
A photograph depicting a group of individuals positioned in front of a long, single-story rectangular building and a high masonry perimeter wall. Several subjects wearing light-colored, simple garments are seated or crouching on the unpaved foreground, while others stand near …
Corrugated Metal Building and Individual along the Niger River
A photograph depicting a single-story, elongated rectangular building constructed from corrugated metal sheeting on both the walls and the roof. The structure features ornamental metal cresting along the roof ridge and one visible rectangular window. A single human figure wearing …
African Priest and Altar Boys at a Christian Church
A photograph depicting an African priest and four altar boys worshipping at a Christian church. The priest wears a white alb and a dark embroidered chasuble with floral motifs. The four boys are dressed in dark short capes over white …
Thatched Dwelling and Group of Individuals
A photograph depicting a single-story dwelling with a steeply pitched thatched roof and light-colored walls. The structure features a veranda area with a low perimeter wall and several dark rectangular openings. To the right, a group of approximately five individuals …
Earthwork Structures and Wooden Barrels along the Niger River
A photograph depicting a site featuring linear earthwork enclosures or partitioned embankments made of compacted soil. Several cylindrical wooden barrels are placed upright or tilted near the center, with one positioned horizontally in a depression. A temporary shelter consisting of …
Igbo Elder from Awka on Oche Mpata
These black-and-white photographs, taken by Northcote Thomas between 1910 and 1911 as part of his anthropological survey, feature an Igbo elder from Öka (Awka). The first shows a close view of her face and head, adorned with a wooden head …
Igbo Woman with Elaborate Geometric Hairstyle
This photograph, taken by Northcote Thomas around 1910 as part of his anthropological documentation, features an Igbo woman with an elaborate geometric hairstyle. In Igbo culture, hairstyles often signified age, social status, and marital status, offering insight into personal adornment …