Colony and protectorate · 1896–1960
Chiefs,leadersandpubliclife
Paramount chiefs and their courts, governors and presidents, independence, parades, rallies and the law.
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, press “Report this picture” under it: your note reaches our editors with the picture attached, and they can take it down straight away. You can also write to hello@dt-ets.com.
Fabanna, Paramount Chief of the Vassa country, 1901 1901
Original title: Fabanna, Paramount Chief of the Vassa country
T. J. Alldridge · Public domain · Internet Archive · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Chief Kai Lundu of Luawa in his gown, 1901 1901
Original title: The late Chief Kai Lundu, Luawa, Upper Mendi
T. J. Alldridge · Public domain · Internet Archive · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Sir James Shaw Hay, Governor of Sierra Leone 1888–91 (Alldridge, 1901) 1901
Original title: The Sherbro and its hinterland (1901) (14596594610)
Internet Archive Book Images · No restrictions · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Sinkunia, Dembella country (Alldridge, 1901) 1901
Original title: The Sherbro and its hinterland (1901) (14596615900)
Internet Archive Book Images · No restrictions · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
This picture shows nudity. Many old pictures like this were taken by European visitors, colonial officials and missionaries, and we often cannot know whether the people in them agreed.
An Upper Mende chief wearing elephant-pad bangles (Alldridge, 1901) 1901
Original title: The Sherbro and its hinterland (1901) (14783305925)
Internet Archive Book Images · No restrictions · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
A young Upper Mende chief (Alldridge, 1901) 1901
Original title: The Sherbro and its hinterland (1901) (14803166603)
Internet Archive Book Images · No restrictions · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Charles Anthony King Harman 1904 1904
Henry Van der Weyde · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
A travelling palm-wine seller; Alimami Momo, chief of the Temne in Freetown, 1910 1910
Original title: An itinerating palm-wine seller; Alimami Momo, the Chief of the Timinis at Freetown
T. J. Alldridge · Public domain · Internet Archive · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Kutubu, Paramount Chief of Upper Bambara, with his secretary, Pendembu, 1910 1910
Original title: Kutubu, the Paramount Chief of Upper Bambara, with his secretary
T. J. Alldridge · Public domain · Internet Archive · Source ↗ · Report this picture
The installation of the Sokong of Imperri, with Tasso men in their headdresses, 1910 1910
Original title: The installation of a great chief, the late Sokong of Imperri
T. J. Alldridge · Public domain · Internet Archive · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig10 Weaving country cloth published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig12 Gbangbama Prison published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
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BEATTY(1915) Fig13 Gbangbama Prison, Prisoners awaiting Trial published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig14 A natural Bridge on the road to Gbangbama published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig15 A native village published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig16 Palm Forest, Sierra Leone published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig17 A native village published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig19 A waterside village published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
This picture may be distressing.
BEATTY(1915) Fig22 Sierra Leone, prisoners of a native chieftainess published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig25 Freetown, Empire Day published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig27 Sierra Leone Protectorate, threshing rice published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig30 In the Highlands of Sierra Leone published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig33 Freetown, from the Harbour published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
BEATTY(1915) Fig34 Freetown, from the Government House published 1915
Beatty, Kenneth James, (Sir); Sierra Leone. · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Mende, Temne and Kono chiefs gathered at Moyamba, 1916 1916
Original title: Gathering of Mendi, Temne and Konnoh chiefs at Moyamba
H. Osman Newland · Public domain · Internet Archive · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Paramount Chief Mima of Mano in embroidered gown and cap, 1930–31 1930
Original title: Headdress, chief, men
Bolinder, Gustaf Wilhelm · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture
A Kissi chief with his people, 1930–31 1930
Original title: Chief, house
Bolinder, Gustaf Wilhelm · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture
A Kissi chief with his people, by a house, 1930–31 1930
Original title: House, chief
Bolinder, Gustaf Wilhelm · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture
A Kissi chief and his attendants, 1930–31 1930
Original title: Chief
Bolinder, Gustaf Wilhelm · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture
A Kissi chief, 1930–31 1930
Original title: Chief
Bolinder, Gustaf Wilhelm · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture
The queen of Blama in her regalia, 1930–31 1930
Original title: Village, queen, woman
Bolinder, Gustaf Wilhelm · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture
The Law Courts, Freetown 1930
Postcard by the Lisk-Carew Brothers, Freetown, collected on Gustaf Bolinder's 1930–31 journey.
Lisk-Carew, Alphonso · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Canoes, 1937 1937
Original title: Boats, man
Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture
A canoe, 1937 1937
Original title: Man, boats
Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Juxon-SmithLorrySLIM 1957
Eluem · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Plaited beehive sealed with clay, Yalunka, Musaia Collected by 1957
Original title: Bikupa
Public domain (CC0) · Museum of World Culture, Gothenburg · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Court House, Freetown Photographed 1935
Original title: SierraLeone065
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture