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Africana Visual Materials Collection (post cards, trading cards, photographs)

 Collection
Identifier: 036

  • Staff Only
  • No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

This collection contains images of Africa carried on trading cards, postal cards, advertising cards, and similar materials. Subjects depicted include people, animals, landscapes, activities and adventures.

Most of the materials were commercially produced, but the collection also contains a few original photographs. Most of the materials were produced during the colonial period, but some were produced following independence. Some of the images are single images, while others are part of larger series.

Dates

  • 1890 - 2016

Conditions Governing Access

The materials in this collection are available to all researchers without restriction. To inquire about access to this collection, please contact the Herskovits Library at africana@northwestern.edu.

Extent

7 Boxes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection contains images of Africa carried on trading cards, postal cards, advertising cards, and similar materials. Subjects depicted include people, animals, landscapes, activities and adventures.

Arrangement

The finding aid is organized primarily by the country depicted in the image. When changes of name have occurred, and the borders have remained essentially the same, the country name used is the current name of the country. Within each country, arrangement is by title.

All items in a purchase group are housed together, regardless of the country depicted.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

These materials were obtained over a period of years, most often by purchase of a vendor-assembled group of similar materials. Each image is assigned a unique identifier consisting of the identifier for the collection (036), a sequential number for the original group, and a sequential number within the group. (For example, identifier "036-043-003" identifies the third image in the group assigned the sequential number 043.) The contents of any of the original purchase groups can be determined by finding all of the images with the same group identifier.

Separated Materials

Materials depicting the activities of Italians in the Horn of Africa, principally in the years 1936-1938, were originally part of this collection, but have been removed and used as the basis for a second collection, "Images of Italians in Africa"

Title
Guide to the Africana Visual Materials Collection (post cards, trading cards, photographs)
Author
Gary L. Strawn
Date
2019-12-17
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Library Details

Part of the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies Repository

Contact:
Main Library, 5th Floor, East Tower
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-467-3084