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hiddenhistory.bsky.social
HiddenHistorian
@hiddenhistory.bsky.social
51 followers 37 following 150 posts
African History buff & sometimes Youtuber:
https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenhist

I post: African history related images ▪ updates on video progress ▪ updates on other projects ▪ thoughts on books I'm reading ▪ anything else on my mind!
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hiddenhistory.bsky.social
HiddenHistorian @hiddenhistory.bsky.social · Jan 2
This year's goal: weekly image posts, and hopefully other posts besides! I'll try to make it happen for y'all!
A marabout teaches a young boy to read and write Arabic using a traditional Koranic writing board, of a kind quite common across West Africa.
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
Two men in what looks to be a much calmer market, Liberia.

This much more intimate portrait captures some of the intricacies of West African style.

Note the laced scabbard to the right; the reddish leather sandals; and, of course, the so-called "Kufi" caps.

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"The Negro in West Africa: Liberian Hinterland". Johnston Harry, The Negro in the New World. 1910. Frontispiece.
August 7, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Reposted by HiddenHistorian
cmaafrican.bsky.social
Figure https://clevelandart.org/art/1976.29
The most varied group of soapstone figures and heads has been found in the homelands of the Kissi. Calling them pomda ("images of the dead"), the Kissi placed them in ancestral shrines, offering them the last seeds at sowing times and the first fruits of the harvest. However, the sculptures are believed to have been made centuries ago by the ancestors of the Kissi, the so-called Sapi people.
July 29, 2025 at 4:05 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
A lively night market in Bida, capital of Nupe, Nigeria.

The crowded bustle of this impressionistic scene is at first overwhelming, but close inspection reveals tons of character.

My favorite is the smiling lady to the left, balancing a stack of bowls on her head.

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"Scene in the Great Night Market in Bida (Oil Sketch by Carl Arriens)." Leo Frobenius, The Voice of Africa: Being An Account Of The Travels Of The German Inner African Exploration Expedition In The Years 1910-1912. vol. 2. 1913. p. 426. An energetic and lively piece depicting the night market at Bida, also known as Nikki, capital of the Nupe or Bida Emirate. Captured are various instances of transaction and interaction, each blended into the next with the artist's playful stroke: merchants hawk wares, customers haggle prices, dozens of people gather in conversation, while a mysterious woman looks beyond, turned slightly away from the viewer. The chaotic scene is illuminated by disparate fires, complimenting the dim glow of the moon above.
July 28, 2025 at 12:46 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
"Village scene" in Biskra, Algeria.

Located at the Northern edge of the Sahara, Biskra is an ancient oasis town boasting a mixture of architectural heritages.

Buildings like those in this picture draw on old mudbrick traditions with parallels on either end of the Sahara.

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"A Village Street, Biskra". Frances E. Nesbitt, Algeria and Tunis Painted & Described by Frances E. Nesbitt; Published by A. and C. Black; London MCMXI. 1906. p. 70. Gutenburg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/files/55041/55041-h/55041-h.htm#fig27 A beautifully painted street scene in Biskra, Algeria. A small rivulet—containing some of the precious water on which the desert frontier town relies—runs down the street. On either side are mud-brick buildings, including what appears to be a minaret in the background. The rivulet is forded by at least two small "bridges". A few people—wearing white, orange, and possibly blue robes, stand to the left side; some appear to be children. To the right side, buildings positioned at a "side" angle prominently display both their projecting wooden beams as well as a bit of pattern-working; quite evocative of architecture from along the Niger Bend. The mostly yellowish tones of the illustration are broken by splendid palm-trees dominating the town's "skyline"; the cooler colors of their leaves ease the eyes into a clear, blue, sky.
July 20, 2025 at 4:56 AM
Reposted by HiddenHistorian
eyobderillo1.bsky.social
Uncatalogued Arabic manuscript from West Africa — a fragmented. Loose leaves, varying paper sizes. Topics include mathematics, astrology, talismans, magic, divination, and treatises. I am looking for assistance with describing this manuscript, if interested, please DM me. Thanks
July 13, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Reposted by HiddenHistorian
aicafricanart.bsky.social
Commemorative Head https://www.artic.edu/artworks/152856/
Benin brass-casters traditionally make commemorative heads in both terracotta and brass. This terracotta head is distinguished by its fleshy, idealized facial features, scarification patterns above each eye, stylized hairstyle—arranged in a series of horizontal rows—and snuggly worn beaded collar. The fullness of the cheeks is best perceived from a profile view, and the delicate modeling of the eyes, nose, and lips testifies to the sensitivity and skill of the artist. In the Kingdom of Benin, in southeastern Nigeria, the creation and display of ancestral commemorative heads is an ancient practice extending back to the first dynasty, before the 14th century. The heads were made of different materials to suit the varied political and social status of their owners. Sometime after the 14th century royal commemorative heads were cast in brass; however, oral tradition suggests that terracotta heads adorned royal altars at an earlier time. More recently, terracotta heads have functioned to commemorate important members of the brass-casters’ guild, adorning their ancestral altars. Like the brass commemorative heads, this terracotta head has a hole on the crown. In the case of the brass heads, this hollowed-out space served to hold an ivory tusk, a symbol of royal prestige and power. Although it has been suggested that the holes on the terracotta heads served the same function, this seems unlikely given the fragility of terracotta and the exclusive royal claim for ivory. –Permanent Collection Object Description Gift of Richard Faletti, the Faletti Family Collection
July 10, 2025 at 2:59 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
History of Indians in Africa, a thread.

Sources, Swahili Coast:
▪ ‘Indian’ metalwork in East Africa, Horton & Blurton
▪ The Architecture of Elsewhere, Prita Meier
▪ Buying Time, Thomas McDow
▪ History of Photography on the Swahili Coast, Prita Meier

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hiddenhistory.bsky.social HiddenHistorian @hiddenhistory.bsky.social · Jul 9
An Indian girl of Zanzibar, Tanzania, as painted by Irma Sterne.

Though separated by thousands of miles, the monsoon currents of the Indian Ocean have long facilitated contacts, connections, and migrations between Africa and South Asia...

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
“Bahora Girl.” Painting by Irma Sterne. 1945. Facebook user: Female Artists in History https://www.facebook.com/female.artists.in.history/photos/irma-stern-south-african-painter-1894-1966bahora-girl-1945oil-on-canvas87-x-71-c/1546290758989141/. Portrait of Fatu, a young "Bohara" lady, reclined in her room. Looking away from the viewer—perhaps pensively, perhaps idly—she wears a long, red sari, draped over a longer dress. The warm colors of her seat and the wall behind her compliment her outfit and skin; they are inflected by specks of blue and green, and given depth by a cool wall in the lower background. The "Bohara" woman in question is likely a member of the Dawoodi Bohra, a Muslim denomination of the Shia Isma'ilis. Though drawing on international heritage, the Dawoodi Bohras first developed into a large community in India, especially Gujarat. Many Dawoodi Bohras immigrated to East Africa during the 19th century, where they became particularly prominent in business and commerce (in fact, the word "Bohra" literally means "to trade"). Their architectural traditions, prominent in Gujarati cities like Sidhpur, have had a pronounced effect on East Africa's urban landscapes. However, their economic standing and comparative insularity has at times been a source of friction - sometimes quite explosive - in many of their host countries.
July 9, 2025 at 11:21 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
An Indian girl of Zanzibar, Tanzania, as painted by Irma Sterne.

Though separated by thousands of miles, the monsoon currents of the Indian Ocean have long facilitated contacts, connections, and migrations between Africa and South Asia...

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
“Bahora Girl.” Painting by Irma Sterne. 1945. Facebook user: Female Artists in History https://www.facebook.com/female.artists.in.history/photos/irma-stern-south-african-painter-1894-1966bahora-girl-1945oil-on-canvas87-x-71-c/1546290758989141/. Portrait of Fatu, a young "Bohara" lady, reclined in her room. Looking away from the viewer—perhaps pensively, perhaps idly—she wears a long, red sari, draped over a longer dress. The warm colors of her seat and the wall behind her compliment her outfit and skin; they are inflected by specks of blue and green, and given depth by a cool wall in the lower background. The "Bohara" woman in question is likely a member of the Dawoodi Bohra, a Muslim denomination of the Shia Isma'ilis. Though drawing on international heritage, the Dawoodi Bohras first developed into a large community in India, especially Gujarat. Many Dawoodi Bohras immigrated to East Africa during the 19th century, where they became particularly prominent in business and commerce (in fact, the word "Bohra" literally means "to trade"). Their architectural traditions, prominent in Gujarati cities like Sidhpur, have had a pronounced effect on East Africa's urban landscapes. However, their economic standing and comparative insularity has at times been a source of friction - sometimes quite explosive - in many of their host countries.
July 9, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Reposted by HiddenHistorian
peterpaulrubens.bsky.social
Charles Willson Peale paints great geezers, #1: Yarrow Mamout (Muhammed Yaro) in 1819. Educated African man, captured & enslaved 45 years, gained freedom, bought property, invested well, became minor celebrity.
July 4, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Reposted by HiddenHistorian
peterpaulrubens.bsky.social
Boy w/ flowers, or allegory of smell, from Bartolomeo Passerotti.
June 29, 2025 at 3:57 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
A view of New Oyo (Ọ̀yọ́ Àtìbà), Nigeria, from a postcard.

Like Abeokuta and Ibadan, New Oyo is a relatively young city of Yorubaland, having only been "founded" c. 1835 following Alaafin Oluewu's disastrous defeat at the battle of Ilorin...

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"Oyo village, Nigeria, ca.1920-1940." By an unknown photographer. c.1920-1940. USC Digital Library UC1816299. https://digitallibrary.usc.edu/asset-management/2A3BF1DNSIRM?&WS=SearchResults&Flat=FP A view of Oyo, Nigeria. A few people roam about the broken terrain of the foreground, one group clustering near to a large building with an apparently decayed roof. Behind them, in the background, are the yellow-tinted roofs of an apparently sprawling urban landscape. Though captioned "A Street Scene, Ọyọ", the image appears to actually be an exterior shot of the city from behind its surrounding walls.
June 29, 2025 at 7:34 AM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
mfw post I worked on for hours gets neutered because it is a relatively accurate illustration of how people in pre-colonial Africa dressed and apparently that's sexual to moderation.
June 22, 2025 at 3:15 AM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
Women and children at work in Tswana country, Southern Africa.

To the left, a woman sporting short braids and a porcupine-quill earpiece builds a large granary; to the right, another makes pottery while seated under a parasol of ostrich feathers...

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"Booshuana Women Manufacturing EarthenWare." Samuel Daniell, African Scenery and Animals. 1804. Plate no. 23. A pretty domestic scene, painted by the author (Samuel Daniell), capturing women and children at work. To the left, a woman sporting short braids and a lengthy earpiece (perhaps a porcupine quill?) builds what is likely a large granary; to the right, another makes pottery while seated under a parasol of ostrich feathers. Behind, a child climbs a perhaps precarious "ladder" of sticks, inserted during the construction process, to put finishing touches on another granary. An adze, and possibly a hoe, are strewn across the floor of the homestead—allusions to the woman's role in agricultural labor—while meat boils in a pot to the right of the frame. A finished granary peaks above the walls of a homestead in the background, its thatched roofing properly installed. Around (and in front of-) it are the outlines of various figures, one of them riding a cow.
June 22, 2025 at 3:00 AM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
A Swahili family from Mombasa, Kenya.

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"Famille Souahhéli." Charles Guillain, Voyage à la côte orientale d'Afrique: exécuté pendant les années 1846, 1847 et 1848; par Le Brick Le Ducouëdic sous le commandement de M. Guillain; capitaine de frégate; Publié par ordre du gouvernement; Album Lithographié Par MM. Bayot, E. Ciceri, J. Jacottet, Sabatier et Vogt; D'Après Des Épreuves Daguerriennes et les Dessins. 1856. Plate no. 31.
June 13, 2025 at 10:45 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
Council meeting before the sultan of Tadjoura, Djibouti.

During the 19th century, Tadjoura was a relatively sleepy port-town on the East African coast...

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"A Council of Elders Before the Sultan's Dwelling." Johann Martin Bernatz, Scenes in Ethiopia: Drawn and Described by John Martin Bernatz, Artist to the Mate British Mission to the Court of Shoa, in two Volums. 1851. vol. 1. Plate no. 7. https://www.splrarebooks.com/collection/view/scenes-in-ethiopia-designed-from-nature...with-descriptions-of-the-plates-a Colors modified by user Historum Sundiata1.
June 8, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Reposted by HiddenHistorian
cecilefromont.bsky.social
Antonio Manuel ne Vunda, Kongo ambassador to the Pope in Rome in 1607-8. His polychrome marble bust usually graces his funeral monument high above ground in Santa Maria Maggiore. In the Global Baroque exhibition at the Quirinale, you can see him almost eye to eye #earlymodern #Kongo #AfricanHistory
Marble bust of a Kongo ambassador
June 3, 2025 at 4:05 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
Murzuk, an oasis town of the Sahara. Fezzan region, Libya.

In spite of its reputation as a nigh-inhospitable desert, the Sahara is dotted with oases and mountains which have facilitated settled life for millennia...

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"The Castle of Morzouk." George Francis Lyon, A Narrative of Travels in North Africa in the years 1818, 1819, and 1820, accompanied by Geographical Notices of Soudan and of the Course of the Niger. 1821. p. 100. Uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by Kompakt, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Castle_of_Morzouk.jpg.
June 1, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Reposted by HiddenHistorian
peterpaulrubens.bsky.social
Ethiopian prince Zaga Christ, portrayed in miniature in 1635 by Giovanna Garzoni. He'd come to Europe seeking help for his claims to the throne. Ended up with an A+ portrait.
May 29, 2025 at 9:09 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
"Dance of Elders" in the Kingdom of Kuba, Central Africa.

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"Bushongo Elders Dancing." Melville William Hilton-Simpson, Land and Peoples of the Kasai: Being a Narrative of Two Years' Journey Among the Cannibals of the Equatorial Forest and Other Savage Tribes of the South-Western Congo. 1911. p. 201. A lively scene in central Africa. Wearing elegantly-patterned "kilts" beaded and "floral" necklaces, and strikingly feathered headdresses, elders of the Kuba kingdom dance to the beats of drums played by others, including a figure in the background. Though they perform on an open plain, forest trees and shrubbery are clearly visible beyond the crowds surrounding the subjects.
May 25, 2025 at 3:58 AM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
One of the oldest continuous capitals in Africa, Cairo was established around 973 as a successor to the nearby city (now suburb) of Fustat.

Its urban fabric represents Egypt's truly layered history, containing Muslim universities, Coptic churches, and Roman forts.

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"Cairo, looking West." Illustration by David Roberts. In, Egypt & Nubia: From Drawings Made On The Spot By David Roberts R.A. With Historical Descriptions By William Brockedon, F.R.S. Lithographed By Louis Haghe. vol. 3. 1849. plate no. 12. NYPL Digital Collections 208495b0-c616-012f-84af-58d385a7bc34. View of the city of Cairo, looking westward. Though mosques and minarets dominate the skyline, the pyramids of Giza, across the horizon, still hold their own as a testament to the country's ancient past. Comparatively miniscule, people can be seen on the roofs of some buildings, while others walk beside the medieval walls of the city in small groups.
May 18, 2025 at 3:59 AM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
In Bornu country.

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"In Bornu." Sir Harry Johnston, Pioneers in West Africa. 1912. p. 196. NYPL Digital Collections e1b84770-c627-012f-b7f9-58d385a7bc34. Scene from the environs of the Bornu sultanate, now in North-Eastern Nigeria and Chad. Three people are fully visible in-frame: a lady to the left, a man riding a camel, and a third individual to the right, wearing a cap and apparently herding an animal, possibly a goat. Mountains in the background frame a scatter of thatched-roof round houses.
May 10, 2025 at 9:49 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
Here are some additional pictures of the Shango temple at Ibadan.

To the left, a detail on some of the posts and statuettes. To the right, an alternative version of the painting from my post, showing prostrating worshippers.

From Ulrich Pfifsterer 2019, Carl Arriens.

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"Shango-Tempel." Illustration by Carl Arriens. 1928. Taken from: Ulrich Pfifsterer, Carl Arriens (Heide/Holstein 1869-1952 Berlin), in: Frobenius: Die Kunst des Forschens. Petersberg: 2019. p. 128. Work published under a Creative Commons ShareAlike 4.0 License, but corresponds to Frobenius-Institut EBA-B 00439. Link to resource: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/8148/1/Pfisterer_Carl_Arriens_2019.pdf. Detail showing the shrine at the temple to Shango, Ibadan. Figures include equestrians and seated figures - common in Yoruba art. "Tempel im Hause des Shango-Priesters." Illustration by Carl Arriens. 1928. Taken from: Ulrich Pfifsterer, Carl Arriens (Heide/Holstein 1869-1952 Berlin), in: Frobenius: Die Kunst des Forschens. Petersberg: 2019. p. 129. Work published under a Creative Commons ShareAlike License, but corresponds to "1. Tempel im Hause des Schangopriesters." Carl Arriens, Am Herdfeuer Der Schwarzen: Erlebtes Aus WestAfrika. 1928. Frontispiece. Link to resource: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/8148/1/Pfisterer_Carl_Arriens_2019.pdf. Depiction of the shrine at the temple of Shango in the Agbeni District, Ibadan, Nigeria; this version of the illustration features two additional individuals, clad in blue cloth, who prostrate in worship before the shrine.
May 4, 2025 at 9:20 PM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
Somali man and woman of the Issa clan, decked out in their fineries. The Issa traditionally lived between what is now Northern Somalia, Western Djibouti, and the Ogaden (Eastern Ethiopia).

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"Essah Somauli." Sir William Cornwall Harris, Illustrations of the Highlands of Aethiopia. 1844. Card 8 (detail, left). https://nypl.getarchive.net/media/eesah-somauli-c97014. Man of the Issa Somali clan, donning a necklace with a pendant. He holds a bow against his left shoulder, and arrows in his right hand. Beneath the cloths of his garments, one sees the handle of a mean dagger, currently held in its sheath. "Essah Somauli." Sir William Cornwall Harris, Illustrations of the Highlands of Aethiopia. 1844. Card 8 (detail, right). https://nypl.getarchive.net/media/eesah-somauli-c97014. Woman of the Issa Somali, donning two necklaces (one tight around her neck, and another apparently made of some kind of segments or beads); as well as an earring, possibly metallic. Her hair is pulled back behind a segmented head scarf, and possibly partially-braided. On her left arm, she sports "floral" tattoos, likely applied with henna.
May 4, 2025 at 2:19 AM
hiddenhistory.bsky.social
A temple to Shango in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria; relocated from Old-Oyo around 1830.

#AfricanHistoryInPictures
"The God of Thunder's Temple in Ibadan (from a water colour drawing by Carl Arriens)." Leo Frobenius, The Voice of Africa: Being An Account Of The Travels Of The German Inner African Exploration Expedition In The Years 1910-1912. vol. 1. 1913. frontispiece. The shrine to Shango in the Agbeni district, Ibadan, Nigeria, as illustrated by Carl Arriens. By the time Frobenius encountered the shrine, it had already suffered some decay: the nine foot tall doorway to the compound (not depicted) no longer hung on its hinge, but was instead propped against a lintel. Nonetheless, the elegantly-carved columns, captured in the painting, hint at the craftmanship which would have characterized this site, still in active use during Frobenius' day.
April 27, 2025 at 3:59 AM
Reposted by HiddenHistorian
aicafricanart.bsky.social
Woman's Apron https://www.artic.edu/artworks/155984/
Bead working continues to be an important art form in parts of Africa to this day. The range of styles and compositions in aprons from northern Cameroon reflect the skill, virtuosity, and creativity of the women who designed and produced them. This apron plays on a theme of diamond shapes with shifting patterns and colors. Among the subtle details of the composition are five light-blue diamonds in the apron's upper edge, balanced at the bottom by the eight small blue beads in the otherwise all yellow fringe with cowrie shells along the bottom of the skirt.—Permanent Collection Object Description O. Renard Goltra Endowment
April 20, 2025 at 5:10 PM