"The Tellem, thought to be the ancestors of the people of Yatenga known today as the Kurumba, have left many magnificent artistic and architectural vestiges: dwellings, granaries, cemeteries, shrines, statuettes, and wooden headdrests... Some of these artifacts are so inaccessible, even for the Dogon, who are reputed to be skilled climbers, that tradition has it that the Tellem must have been able to fly like birds." [Pataux A., 2004: Dogon, People of the Cliffs. 5 Continents Editions]. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the Dogon people in Sanga (Sangha), a group of thirteen villages lying east of Bandiagara at the top of an escarpment. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.
Local Numbers:
U 1 DGN 15.1 EE 59
General:
Title is provided by EEPA staff based on photographer's notes.
Local Note:
57938 1 48
Frame value is 5.
Slide No. U 1 DGN 15.1 EE 59
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
Collection Rights:
Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
