Onitsha people, 1905-11

People of Onitsha shot by Robert Mcwhirter, 1905-11.

Igbo woman wearing a wig

Young married woman from Achalla Awka wearing a wig, north-central Igbo area, Nigeria. Photo: K. C. Murray, 1939.

Boy from Umuahia

A boy with chalk patterns on his body, Umuahia, Eastern Nigeria, ca. 1925. Shot by Emily Godfrey. USC Digital Library.

Decorated Igbo men

Young men of the ogbolo age-grade, with uli and fine hairstyles, Achalla Awka, north central-Igbo area, Nigeria. Photo: K. C. Murray, 1939.

Aboh Child, 1840s

Son of Onnese Obi Osai Inside front cover of the medical and surgical journal of His Majesty’s Steam Ship Albert by J. O. McWilliam, MD, Surgeon with the picture of a son of the Obi of the Igbo town of Aboh. The Albert travelled the course of the Niger River from 1841.

‘One of the sons of Onnese Obi Osai chief of Aboh, River Niger’, drawn by John Duncan. The illustration appears to have been cut from a published source and pasted inside the journal. Beneath it is a written note 'Ali Hare came on board accompanied by a dozen little boys, who seemed to be nearly coeval [the same age]. These were sons of the Obi.

— The National Archives, UK.

Public Arena

Tiered seats under trees in an Igbo village square for public activities. Photo by Gustaf Bolinder 1930-31.

Ichi Marks

Igbo youth with solar/lunar ichi marks. The marks are made to look like sun rays and also represent the moon. In Igbo the lines are called ogba ’farm furrows’. Early 20th century, Photo by MDW Jeffreys.

Location: ?Unsure?, Alaigbo | Date: ?Unsure?, Before 1920 | Credit: Jeffreys

Engaged Igbo Women

Engaged [Northern] Igbo women in “Gala” dress. Photo by G. T. Basden, turn of the 20th century.

Location: ?Unsure?, Alaigbo | Date: ?Unsure?, Before 1920 | Credit: Basden

Okorosie or Okoroshi masquerade

An Okorosie or Okoroshi masquerade of a female character called Nwanyire dancing in front of a group of spectators. The masquerader is wearing a white female face mask with a superstructure of a carved head on top with a pipe in her mouth. The masquerader is draped in cloths and holding a white feather.

— G. I. Jones

Location: ?Unknown?, Alaigbo | Date: 1930s | Credit: G. I. Jones

Wall painting by Annang artist

Close up photograph of wall painting in Okwu village painted by an Anang artist in the style of Ngwomo ghost houses. The wall painting depicts a large horse on the left, a cat and a figure on the right. A geometric border is at the bottom of the painting.

— G. I. Jones

Location: Okwu, Alaigbo | Date: 1930s | Credit: G. I. Jones

A Niger Delta-Igbo Owu masquerade

A Niger Delta-Igbo Owu masquerade

Location: Ugwuta, | Date: 1940s | Credit: Sabine Jell-Bahlsen

Okorosie or Okoroshi masquerade

Okorosie or Okoroshi masquerade An Okorosie or Okoroshi masquerade of a female character called Nwanyire dancing in front of a group of spectators. The masquerader is wearing a white female face mask with a superstructure of a carved head on top with a pipe in her mouth. The masquerader is draped in cloths and holding a white feather.

— G. I. Jones

Location: ?Unknown? | Date: 1930s | Credit: Jones