Date: 19th century — exact date not established.
Location: Liberia, West Africa
Category: Indigenous Peoples & Culture
Historical Significance:
This is a photo of the first “Liberia, West Africa: Nine Mandingo people.” It provides an early visual record of members of the Mandingo (Mandinka) community in Liberia. The photograph is preserved in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.
This is an important addition to the Gallery because Liberia's history extends far beyond the political history of Monrovia and the Americo-Liberian republic. Indigenous and long-established African communities have been central to the history of the territory for centuries.