IDNO

N.19346.ROS

Description

Frontal portrait of a man from the Bambwa mountain tribe of the Ruwenzori range. In the foreground, the Bambwa man sits on a wooden? box which has a metal catch. The only clothing he wears is, what appears to be, a cloth around the waist. In the background, there is a brick wall with a wooden window frame covered by wooden shutters. The floor appears to be made of flaking plaster.

Physical Condition: Film is a yellow/brown colour.

Place

E Africa; Uganda; Luenzori

Cultural Affliation

Bambwa

Named Person

Photographer

?Roscoe, John R.

Collector / Expedition

Roscoe, John R. [Mackie Ethnological Expedition, Uganda, 1919 - 1920]

Date

1919 - 1920

Collection Name

Roscoe Collection

Source

Format

Film Negative Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

This negative was kept in an envelope marked C30/293/ by the cataloguer. The envelope was kept in box marked C30/ by the cataloguer.
Previously stored on Shelf 4, in group of 4 wooden boxes numbered 180.

Publication: Image published in Roscoe, J., 1924. The Bagesu and other tribes of the Uganda Protectorate: The Third Part of the Report of the Mackie Ethnological Expedition to Central Africa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.), p. 146 with the caption "Man of Bambwa, a cannibal tribe of Mount Ruwenzori”. [ED 27/9/2007]

Context: "The Bambwa were a mountain tribe living on the western slopes of the Ruwenzori range. They were a turbulent people and were never completely subdued, though in the past they were regarded as free-men under the king of Kitara. Their subservience, however, though nominally the head-man of a clan was accountable to his over-lord, only meant that from time to time small presents and submissive messages were sent to Kitara or sometimes to Toro.
Neighbouring tribes declared that the Bambwa were cannibals; and though the people themselves denied this, the evidence pointed to the truth of assertion. In fact when I visited the western slopes of the mountain some twenty-two years ago, I found them actually using human flesh. They were also in the bait of filing their teeth to points, which was said by their neighbours to be a sign of cannibalism” (Roscoe, J., 1924. The Bagesu and other tribes of the Uganda Protectorate: The Third Part of the Report of the Mackie Ethnological Expedition to Central Africa. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.), pp. 147 - 155). [ED 27/9/2007]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Elisabeth Deane 27/9/2007]