Old photographs, stamps and film · to 1561
Beforetheslavetrade
Many were made by colonial officials, missionaries and foreign visitors. Titles and descriptions come from the collections that hold them and can carry the attitudes and language of their time. We show them as historical records, not as endorsements. Dates, eras and categories were assigned automatically from those records and some will be wrong. If you or your family appear in a picture, you hold rights to one, a detail is wrong, or you think a picture should not be here, tell us through daverosetholley.com.
Photographs
Map of the mouth of the Sierra Leone River, also called the Mitomba or Tagrin between 1700 and 1799 date QS:P571,+1750-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P
Original title: Carte de l'entrée de la rivière de Sierra Leona quon appelle aussi Mitomba ou Tagrim
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
View of a mountain range and houses in Sierra Leone circa 1750 date QS:P571,+1750-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q57279
Jakob van der Schley / Pieter de Hondt · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
European settlements on the coasts of Africa from Cap Blanc to the Cape of Good Hope 18 th century date QS:P571,+1750-00-00T00:00:00Z/7
Original title: Etablissemens des Européens sur les côtes d'Afrique depuis le cap Blanc jusqu'au cap de Bonne Espérance
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
The Guinea coast continued, from Cape Tagrin to Cape Lopez Gonsalvo, coloured by the possessions of the different powers 1778 - 1790s date QS:P571,+1790-00-00T00:00:00Z/8
Original title: Suite des côtes de Guinée depuis le cap Tagrin jusques au cap Lopez Gonsalvo, colorées relativement aux possessions des différentes puissanc
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Slave Auction Ad 1769
Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Maps
All 25 →
Freetown SPOT 1094 2006
Cnes - Spot Image · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Western Africa including: Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Costa d'Avorio, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo and Benin title QS:P1476,e 1580 date QS:P571,+1580-00-00T00:00:00Z/9
Stefano Bonsignori 1589 – cartographer (Italian) Born in Firenze. Died in Firenze. Details on Google Art Project · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
The river and mountains of Sierra Leone / Villault de Bellefonds 17 th century date QS:P571,+1650-00-00T00:00:00Z/7
Original title: La rivière et montagne de Sierra Leone / Villault de Bellefonds
Villault, Nicolas. Cartographe · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Kust van Sierra Leone Johannes Blaeu 1662 1662
Johannes Blaeu Original uploader was Jan Arkesteijn at nl.wikipedia · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
The kingdoms of Guinea, the Jolof and Sierra Leone. R 2= 22. Piece 15 1664
Original title: Genehoa, Jaloffi, et Sierraliones regna. R 2= 22. Pièce 15
Unknown author Unknown author · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
The kingdoms of Guinea, the Jolof and Sierra Leone between 1686 and 1719 date QS:P,+1500-00-00T00:00:00Z/6,P131
Original title: Genehoa, Jaloffi et Sierraliones regna
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Bay of Sierra Leone; view of the entrance to the bay / engraved by Dheulland between 1700 and 1799 date QS:P571,+1750-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P
Original title: Baye de Sierra Leona ; Veue de l'entrée de la baye de Sierra Leona / Dheulland sculp
Dheulland, Guillaume (17..?-177.). Graveur · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
![Map of the coast and neighbouring lands of the Sierra Leone and Sherbro rivers / [Bellin]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fres.cloudinary.com%2Fdaj0ik8rv%2Fimage%2Fupload%2Fv1790263317%2Ftem-tori%2Farchive%2Fcarte-de-la-coste-et-pays-voisins-des-rivieres-de-sierra-leona-et-de-sherbro-bel.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Map of the coast and neighbouring lands of the Sierra Leone and Sherbro rivers / [Bellin] between 1700 and 1799 date QS:P571,+1750-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P
Original title: Carte de la coste et pays voisins des rivières de Sierra Leona et de Sherbro / [Bellin]
Bellin, Jacques-Nicolas (1703-1772). Cartographe · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Map of the mouths of the Sherbro (or Cerbera) River on the Guinea coast, at 6 degrees 40 minutes north between 1700 and 1799 date QS:P571,+1750-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P
Original title: Carte des entrées de la rivière de Seherbro ou Cerbera située à la coste de Guinée par les 6 degrez 40 minutes de latitude septentrionale
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Bunce Island map circa 1727 date QS:P,+1727-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902
Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Bunce Island north-west circa 1727 date QS:P,+1727-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902
Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Map of part of the west coast of Africa, with an inset showing the coast of Sierra Leone 1732 date QS:P571,+1732-00-00T00:00:00Z/9
Awnsham Churchill / John Churchill / Jan Kip · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Prints & paintings
Governor John Thomas's house in Sierra Leone, mid-17th century, artist's recreation 1853
Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Objects & finds
All 43 →
Head (Temne or Bullom) 12th–16th century
Temne or Bullom artist(s) · Public domain (CC0) · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Source ↗
Seated Figure (Temne or Bullom peoples) 12th–16th century
Temne or Bullom artist(s) · Public domain (CC0) · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Source ↗
Seated male figure (Temne or Bullom peoples) 12th–16th century
Temne or Bullom artist(s) · Public domain (CC0) · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Source ↗
Head (Temne or Bullom peoples) 12th–16th century
Temne or Bullom artist(s) · Public domain (CC0) · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Source ↗
Figure (Africa, West Africa, Sierra Leone, Sapi-style carver) possibly early 1400s
Africa, West Africa, Sierra Leone, Sapi-style carver artist · Public domain (CC0) · Cleveland Museum of Art · Source ↗
Figure of a Man Holding a Crocodile 15th century or earlier
Unknown author Unknown author · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Figure of a Man Holding a Crocodile 15th century or earlier
Unknown author Unknown author · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Hunting horn, Sapi-Portuguese style, Bullom or Temne peoples, Sierra Leone, Late 15th century, Ivory, metal (2922770551) 2008-09-21 13:35
Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗
Spoon with figure (Temne or Bullom) ca. 1490–1530
Temne or Bullom artist(s) · Public domain (CC0) · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Source ↗
Lidded saltcellar (Temne or Bullom peoples) ca. 1490–1530
Temne or Bullom artist(s) · Public domain (CC0) · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Source ↗
Saltcellar Base (Temne or Bullom peoples) ca. 1490–1530
Temne or Bullom artist(s) · Public domain (CC0) · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Source ↗
Oliphant (side-blown horn) (Temne or Bullom peoples) ca. 1490–1530
Temne or Bullom artist(s) · Public domain (CC0) · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Source ↗