Casimir Zagourski African postcards, 1924-1941 (inclusive)
The collection consists of approximately 250 postcards made from photographs taken by Casimir Zagourski in Africa between 1924 and 1941, which formed a part of his overall project, "L'Afrique Qui Disparait" (Disappearing Africa). The photos are set in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo (formally known as Belgian Congo), Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Chad, Kenya, Central African Republic, Cameroon, and Congo Brazzaville. The postcards depict a variety of aspects of everyday life in these different settings, including housing styles and traditional grave sites of the Belgian Congo, Bakumu dancers, and Bongelima dignitaries. He also highlighted the beautification marks of the Gombe, the Bwaka, the Banza, and the Bapende of the Belgian Congo. Zagourski also focused on women at work, depicting them carrying goods home from market, collecting firewood, taking care of children, and preparing meals. Digital facsimiles of postcards in this collection, accompanied by more detailed descriptions, are available in the Manuscripts and Archives Digital Image Database (MADID) from the Manuscripts and Archives web site
Archival Material, English, 1924