East Africa. A series of three photographs taken in the same location in Khartoum by Louis Vossion (1877-1955), a French diplomat who undertook postings to Sudan, Pacific, India. His interest in photography is suggested to be both personal, and professional in its reflection of diplomatic duties in remote areas.

One of the photographs shows a girl from the Bongo ethnic group, one of the smaller groups of the White Nile region, with a long tradition in cattle-rearing and pasturage. The 19th century arrival of the Ottomans, Arabs, and subsequently the British, had a major impact on relations between the Nilotic groups. Whilst certain groups accommodated foreign rulers, others rebelled; causing inter-group aggression and hostility. The girl photographed is part of an ancient dance troupe, which had performed after the main meal with important members of the tribe. She is pictured wearing frayed leather garments and an amulet hung on a long, leather cord around her neck.

On another photograph Vossion captured Fadl-el- Kerim, an Arab woman, and Aicha, a woman from the mountains of Djebel. They are part of the Nouba ethnic group, consisting of different peoples inhabiting the south of Sudan's Kordofan province. The group has African origins and settled in the region over thousands of years. They were fairly isolated until the nineteenth century, when Sudan came under Egyptian occupation. The violent rule of Mahdi and his successor, and British colonial rule also significantly shaped Nouba history. Today, Nouba is represented by over fifty tribes, approximating 2.5 million people.

The third photograph features a group of five woman of varied ethnicity, who were slaves belonging to Ibrahim Effendi Khalil, leader of the Copte colony of Khartoum. Khartoum expanded, becoming the Sudanese capital in 1834, as a result of the prospering slave trade between 1825 and 1880.


Three albumen prints. Fair tonal range and in good condition, pasted on original card, captions in manuscript.