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UNIDENTIFIED : c1930 ORIGINAL PHOTO ALBUM: 105 SUPERB PHOTOS THAT RECORD THE MODERNITY OF TRACKS AND TRAINS AS THEY PASS THROUGH ANCIENT AFRICAN TRIBAL LANDS AND THE PEOPLE OF THE BELGIAN CONGO

10.5 X 7.25 INCHES. On offer is a superb, original photograph album filled with pictures taken in Belgian Congo, circa 1932. The 100+, very vivid photographs are of Albertville [Kalemie now] and surrounding area on Lake Tanganyika. With the railway system highlighted the photographer takes super photographs of early locomotive trains operating in the Belgian Congo, including close-ups of wheels, steering components, gauges, as well as passenger cabins, both 1st class and 2nd class accommodation. Several rail routes are shown and identified in manuscript, as is the railway station at Albertville. Captions mention the Belgian Railway Company for Upper Congo and the Great African Lakes, known in short as 'C.F.L.' [Compagnie des Chemins de Fer du Congo Supérieur aux Grands Lacs Africains.] What sets this photo album apart in uniqueness is the modernity of the railway system balanced with stunning photographs capturing indigenous life and customs revealing an interesting fusion of western industrialization and uncomplicated tribal life: tribal dancers in costume and drummers playing; boys bathing in the Lukuga River; images of people engaged in arduous commerce for sustenance in a tropical land; straw-thatched huts; and glimpses of the wood industry and cocoa harvesting. A certain Mr. Eschoffen appears occasionally, seemingly a notable figure, as he is greeted by a receiving line of several young Congo men in uniform. Other views feature Niemba, a quaint town on the Lukuga River, which is connected by rail to Kalemie, and occasional views of Lake Tanganyika. The album ends with views from the route to Nacala in Mozambique, a passage from there to Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, a view of the port of Mombassa, and three street scenes from Port Said, Egypt. All in all an extraordinary original relic of Central Africa. The oblong red cloth string-tied album measures approximately 10 inches x 7 inches (25cm x 18cm) and contains 105 black and white photographs mounted with photo corners onto 19 leaves, each separated by a patterned tissue guard. Photographs vary in size, the smallest being 3.5 inches x 2.75 inches (9cm x 7cm), and the largest 4.5 inches x 3.5 inches (12cm x 9cm). With occasional handwritten captions in French, this is a pleasing album in very good condition with near fine photographs.. Photo Album. Book Condition: Very Good+. Binding: Hard Cover

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