Blake Robinson photographs and postcards
name: label: Collector
content: Robinson, Blake
place: label: Place
content: Mogadishu (Somalia)
label: Place
content: Liberia
label: Place
content: Nigeria
label: Place
content: Brazzaville (Congo)
label: Place
content: Africa
label: Place
content: Senegal
label: Place
content: Congo River
label: Place
content: Congo (Democratic Republic)
label: Place
content: Gorée (Senegal)
label: Place
content: Côte d'Ivoire
label: Place
content: Monumama (Congo)
abstract: label: Summary
content: Photographic album purchased by Blake Robinson in 1961 from the Charlejean Studio in Brazzaville, Congo. These images are of great interest as the images were most likely taken by an African photographer. Images include three of rivers scenes, two of funeral ceremonies, one each of a President and a press conference, three of modern house interiors and one aerial of Monumama. 

42 postcards are from the city and surrounding countryside of Mogadishu, Somalia and depict architecture and wildlife. Evidence of Italian and Islamic influences appear in the urban scenes of Mogadishu's schools, banks, burial grounds, places of worship and legislative building. People pictured in the background are seen in mostly European clothing. A few scenes of the countryside include Somali herders in their traditional garments. Postcards of wildlife illustrate elephants, wart hogs, lions, buffalo, antelope and a leopard. 

73 postcards depict scenes of urban and rural living in Chad, Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Congo and Morocco. Images include market places, aerial views of Goree and Liberian basket weavers.
bioghist: label: Biographical/Historical note
content: Blake Robinson, b. 1932, worked for the U.S. Information Agency in the Philippines, Somalia (then U.N. Trusteeship Territory of Somalia), Senegal, Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia), Democratic Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville), the United States, Vietnam, Italy and France and for the U.S. Educational and Cultural Foundation in Liberia. He received a B.A. from Harvard in 1953 and an M.A. in 1957. After retiring, he translated French and Italian literary works.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 12 Negatives (photographic) (dupe negs, black & white, 4 x 5 in.)
label: Extent
content: 115 Postcards (1 volume)
label: Extent
content: 12 Photographic prints ((1 album), black & white, 13 x 18 cm. or smaller.)
label: Extent
content: 12 Photographic prints (dupe prints (1 v.), black & white, 8 x 10 in.)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1961
container: label: Container
content: Item 12
label: Container
content: Box 1
label: Container
content: Volume 1
custodhist: label: Custodial History note
content: Donated by Blake Robinson, 1997. Conserved through a preservation grant funded by the Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee, 2006.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: EEPA.1997-012
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Negatives (photographic)
label: Type
content: Postcards
label: Type
content: Photographic prints
arrangement: label: Arrangement note
content: Images indexed by negative number.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Postcards
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographic prints