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Di Tɛm ɛn Tɔri is a living archive of Sierra Leone's history: stories, places, voices and old photographs, gathered before they are lost.

A project by Daverose Tholley · hello@dt-ets.com

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New stories, finds and voices, now and then. Never more than once a month.

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Stories: Written and checked by our editors, with sources listed.
From the public: Photos, memories and comments shared by readers. Photos are reviewed before they go up, location data is removed, and anything reported comes down until an editor checks it.
From the archives: Old photographs, maps, stamps and film from public collections, each credited to its maker.

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© 2026 Daverose Tholley · Di Tɛm ɛn Tɔri. Our writing: CC BY-NC 4.0. Design and wordmark: all rights reserved. Archive items belong to their credited holders. Terms

How we lived

Home

Houses and compounds, kitchens, lamps, water and the things in every parlour.

← Everyday life

From the archive

129 items · page 2 / 2

Women standing before a house, probably doing the laundry — Women standing before a house, probably doing the laundry 1934–36
Original title: SierraLeone Hofstra 330
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Palm trees with a small hut to right of frame — Palm trees with a small hut to right of frame 1934–36
Original title: SierraLeone Hofstra 352
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Rest house Panguma with Sjoerd Hofstra on staircase, taken by Mr Robert, missionary from Bunumbu, February… — Rest house Panguma with Sjoerd Hofstra on staircase, taken by Mr Robert, missionary from Bunumbu, February… 1934
Original title: SierraLeoneHofstra2.4
Photograph: Mr. Robert (missionary form Bunumbu) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Farm hut in the main rice farm for cooking and taking shelter from fierce sun or rain, Panguma (Sierra… — Farm hut in the main rice farm for cooking and taking shelter from fierce sun or rain, Panguma (Sierra… 1934
Original title: SierraLeoneHofstra4.12
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Rest house, Panguma summer 1936 — Rest house, Panguma summer 1936 1936
Original title: SierraLeoneHofstra7.3
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Sjoerd Hofstra at work with Mende informants in the rest house, Panguma 1936 — Sjoerd Hofstra at work with Mende informants in the rest house, Panguma 1936 1936
Original title: SierraLeoneHofstra7.4
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Bo, Sierra Leone c 1944 (3134620528) — Bo, Sierra Leone c 1944 (3134620528) 2008
Sludge G · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

A street in Freetown, 1967 — A street in Freetown, 1967 1967
Original title: Building, house
Martinsson, Erik · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Man — Man 1967
Martinsson, Erik · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture

A house in the English colonial style, Freetown, 1967 — A house in the English colonial style, Freetown, 1967 1967
Original title: Building, house
Martinsson, Erik · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture

A drummer at a dance school near Freetown, 1967 — A drummer at a dance school near Freetown, 1967 1967
Original title: Man
Martinsson, Erik · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Musicians at a dance school near Freetown, 1967 — Musicians at a dance school near Freetown, 1967 1967
Original title: Man
Martinsson, Erik · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Neighbour cooking, Kabala, Sierra Leone (West Africa) (486806722) — Neighbour cooking, Kabala, Sierra Leone (West Africa) (486806722) 1968
John Atherton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Next-Door neighbours, Kabala, Sierra Leone (West Africa) (486810290) — Next-Door neighbours, Kabala, Sierra Leone (West Africa) (486810290) 1968
John Atherton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Freetown, Sierra Leone (1429746128) — Freetown, Sierra Leone (1429746128) 2007
Jared & Melanie & Huxley Ponchot · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Freetown 06 10 (12) (4723659115) — Freetown 06 10 (12) (4723659115) 2010
The EITI from Oslo, Norway · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Aberdeen, Freetown, Sierra Leone - panoramio — Aberdeen, Freetown, Sierra Leone - panoramio 2011
Ghassan Mroue · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Yoni Makeni Canteen en route to Outamba-Kilimi Park — Yoni Makeni Canteen en route to Outamba-Kilimi Park 2012
Leasmhar · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Four women spinning cotton in front of a house, Panguma — Four women spinning cotton in front of a house, Panguma Photographed 1935
Original title: SierraLeone027
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Farm hut on the rice farm, for cooking and shelter from sun and rain, Panguma, 1934 — Farm hut on the rice farm, for cooking and shelter from sun and rain, Panguma, 1934 Photographed late 1934
Original title: SierraLeone039
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

A low house among trees, Panguma — A low house among trees, Panguma Photographed 1935
Original title: SierraLeone050
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

A house among trees, Panguma — A house among trees, Panguma Photographed 1935
Original title: SierraLeone053
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Court House, Freetown — Court House, Freetown Photographed 1935
Original title: SierraLeone065
Sjoerd Hofstra · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Sierra leone Nubian Lines — Sierra leone Nubian Lines 2016
Kasambu 'Ra House- Federation Of The South · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Julius Maada Bio White House delegation 2018 — Julius Maada Bio White House delegation 2018 2018
U.S. Embassy in Sierra Leone · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Gregory Meeks, Karen Bass and Julius Maada Bio at House Foreign Affairs Committee — Gregory Meeks, Karen Bass and Julius Maada Bio at House Foreign Affairs Committee 2021
House Foreign Affairs Committee · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Book of Condolence (52365389872) — Book of Condolence (52365389872) 2022
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Dining Hall and Kitchen Construction 1 — Dining Hall and Kitchen Construction 1 2010
Speakupgurl · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Native house builders, Freetown (Lisk-Carew postcard) — Native house builders, Freetown (Lisk-Carew postcard) 1930
Original title: Building, house
Lisk-Carew, Alphonso · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Vegetable market, Protectorate (Lisk-Carew postcard) — Vegetable market, Protectorate (Lisk-Carew postcard) 1930
Original title: Hut, market
Lisk-Carew, Alphonso · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Susan's Bay, Freetown (Lisk-Carew postcard) — Susan's Bay, Freetown (Lisk-Carew postcard) 1930
Original title: House, harbour, vy
Lisk-Carew, Alphonso · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture

An acrobat's hammock dance at a festival (Lisk-Carew postcard) — An acrobat's hammock dance at a festival (Lisk-Carew postcard) 1930
Original title: Village, ceremony, hut
Lisk-Carew, Alphonso · Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture

State House, Freetown, Sierra Leone — State House, Freetown, Sierra Leone 1968
Bahsoon Bros. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Governor John Thomas's house in Sierra Leone, mid-17th century, artist's recreation — Governor John Thomas's house in Sierra Leone, mid-17th century, artist's recreation 1853
Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Close-up of the remains of a stone-walled house at the deserted hilltop defensive site of Yagala, Sierra Leone (West Africa) (1891925947) — Close-up of the remains of a stone-walled house at the deserted hilltop defensive site of Yagala, Sierra Leone (West Africa) (1891925947) 1967
John Atherton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Remains of a stone-walled house at the deserted hilltop defensive site of Yagala, Sierra Leone (West Africa) (402035324) — Remains of a stone-walled house at the deserted hilltop defensive site of Yagala, Sierra Leone (West Africa) (402035324) 1967
John Atherton · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture

Broom bound with bast — Broom bound with bast Collected 1930–31
Original title: Sopkvast, broom
Public domain (CC0) · Museum of Ethnography, Stockholm · Source ↗ · Report this picture