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Catalog Data

Collector:
Brill, William, 1918-2003  Search this
Extent:
479 Photographic prints (object copy prints; black & white, 8 x 10 in. or smaller )
17 Photocopies
Note:
Located offsite at Iron Mountain (box 97464370).
Culture:
Loma (African people)  Search this
Makonde (African people)  Search this
Dogon (African people)  Search this
Punu (African people)  Search this
Asante (African people)  Search this
Zulu (African people)  Search this
Luba (African people)  Search this
Senufo (African people)  Search this
Baule (African people)  Search this
Kuba (African people)  Search this
Bassa (Liberian and Sierra Leone people)  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographic prints
Photocopies
Place:
Mali
Africa
Cameroon
Nigeria
Date:
circa 1983
Summary:
This collection is comprised of photographs collected by William W. Brill to document his personal collection of African art objects, which primarily contains masks, sculpted figures, and tools.
Scope and Contents:
This collection is comprised of photographs collected by William W. Brill to document his personal collection of African art objects, which primarily contains masks, sculpted figures, and tools. Masks documented are from the following peoples: Hemba, Lulua, Makonde, and Bbagani. Sculptural figures shown were created by the following groups: Bassa, Dogon, Kulango, Kuyu, Loma, Luba, Lunda, Punu, and Tabwa. Other objecs shown include an Asante comb, Asante royal staff, Baule animal head, Bete heddle pulley, Chokwe comb, Ijo staff, Kuba headrest, Lele staff, Ndengese axe handle, Senufo ceremonial container, Senufo wine strainer, Yela staff, Yoruba house post, Zulu comb, and Zulu hunter's staff. There are also images of musical instruments including bells, flutes, and rhythm pounders from Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, and Zaire. Photographers represented include Tony Fitsch, Al Mozell and Bernard Pierre Wolff.
Biographical / Historical:
William W. Brill (1918-2003) received a B.A. from Yale University and was the president of the Mutual Real Estate Investment Trust in New York. He started collecting African art around 1960 and has donated several art objects to museums.
Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Rights:
For study purposes only. Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Topic:
Art objects  Search this
Masks, African  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographic prints
Citation:
William Brill Photographs, EEPA 1985-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
EEPA.1985-001
Archival Repository:
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/xo7c9dda2a6-088c-4859-a81a-c36ea1fed79e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-eepa-1985-001