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Wikipedia:GLAM/African Studies Centre Leiden

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Entrance of the library of the African Studies Centre Leiden in the Pieter de la Court-building of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Leiden University, with an African sculpture (left) as its janitor.

The African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL) of Leiden University is an academic institute for research and education on Africa. The activities of the ASCL library include collecting and distributing free images [1] and supplying textual information on African studies and Africa via Wikimedia websites. ASCL had uploaded some 6300 of its own and donors' images to Wikimedia Commons. Wikidata, the Wikimedia knowledge base, is used to illustrate Web dossiers of the ASCL, for example the web dossier on Southern African women writers. For further overviews of the ASCL photo collections please refer to Commons:Collections of the African Studies Centre (Leiden). ASCL contributed 100+ new articles on various language Wikipedias.

The Top 5 of Most-Viewed ASCL Photographs in May 2023 edit

Images from the African Study Center Leiden appear on various Wikipedia websites, especially on the English and French language Wikipedias. Using a tally how often those page weblinks are clicked on in a month time[2] as a proxy for the readers' interest, we can tentatively establish a Top 5 of most-viewed images in May 2023. It is shown here with links to the English Wikipedia articles the photographs appear on, the number of article page views and the ASCL photo source collections:

> Top 5 Photos for previous years

The ASCL photo collections on Wikimedia Commons include:

Hofstra collection Sierra Leone 1934-1936 edit

Sociologist and anthropologist Sjoerd Hofstra (1898-1983) photographed people and situations in Sierra Leone during 1934-1936. His daughter Marijke Gijswijt-Hofstra graciously donated glass plate lantern slides. A sample:

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    "Boy" Selu sitting on a chair made by the carpenter to the right, Panguma, Sierra Leone, 1934
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    A group of women, Panguma, 1934
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    Two women washing themselves, Panguma, 1934-1936
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    A masked Bundu dancer with her retinue, Panguma, 1936
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    Five masked people in costume with sticks, 1936
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    A masked gbini dancer, Panguma, 1936
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    Sjoerd Hofstra and his Mende informants, Panguma, 1936

Koopman collection of postcards of African libraries, 1950s-1960s edit

Sjoerd Koopman kindly gave historical photographs of libraries in Africa, mainly from the 1950s and 1960s:

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    Bibliothècque Nationale, Algiers, Algeria
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    Public library, Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 1960
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    Kenneth Onwuka Dike University Library, Ibadan, Nigeria, 1960

Coutinho collection Guinea-Bissau and Senegal 1973-1974 edit

Dutch medical doctor and professor Roel Coutinho in 2015 donated a photo collection of his medical work in Guinea-Bissau and Senegal during 1973-1974 to the ASC and Wikimedia Commons. Its 752 images were captured in the last year of the War of independence of the PAIGC against the colonising power Portugal and are largely made in the liberated areas of Guinea-Bissau, featuring medical interventions, open air schools and hospitals, but also socialist people's open air shops, daily life and parties.

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    Preliminary open-air surgical preparations, Guinea-Bissau - - 1974
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    Open-air infirmary in Sara, Guinea-Bissau, 1974
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    An imam takes care of a leprous patient, Sara, Guinea-Bissau, 1974
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    A soldier with a rocket propelled grenade, Manten, Guinea-Bissau, 1974
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    PAIGC soldiers in Guinea-Bissau - Military commanders on the northern front, Guinea-Bissau, 1974
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    Open-air school for adults in Guinea-Bissau, 1974
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    Woman on the northern front, Hermangono, Guinea-Bissau, 1974


Collection list continued below...

Project Wikipedians in special residence 2013 - 2015 edit

In 2013 ASC initiated the project Wikipedians in special residence to foster the collaboration of national cultural institutions with Wikimedia. Two Wikipedians visited twelve large museums, libraries and government agencies which donated image collections to Wikimedia Commons and contributed expertise to the Wikipedia encyclopedias. ASC itself and its staff members donated hundreds of photographs and maps to Wikimedia Commons.

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    A crab in a pot with shards to predict the future, Kapsiki, Cameroon. Photo Wouter van Beek
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    Funeral ritual, Kapsiki, Cameroon. Photo Wouter van Beek
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    Map of Tanganyika
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    Congo (Town) Bridge, Mountain Railway, Sierra Leone, 1910s. Photo Lisk-Carew Brothers
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    Many hands make light work. Meal Time, Sierra Leone, 1910s. Photo Lisk-Carew Brothers

Van Beek collection Cameroon and Mali 1970s edit

Dutch anthropologist w:nl:Wouter van Beek donated 132 photographs of Mali and Cameroon. Here some images of markets, agriculture and daily life of the Dogons in Mali.

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    Tourists in negotiations with a Fulbe man, Tireli, Mali 1985
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    Young man just returned from Abidjan, Nigeria, shows his radio, Tireli, Mali 1985
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    Women selling their beer warn the photographer that he also has to buy some, Tireli, Mali 1989
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    Meat at Sangha market, Mali 1992
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    A soap stall at Mopti market, Mali 1996
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    A circumcized boy drinking at the market of Tireli, Mali 1996
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    A donkey with goats in a Dogon stable, Amani, Mali 1989

Rietveld collection Robben Island, South Africa 2015 edit

Aart Rietveld, a teacher of (art) history, donated various image collections of Africa to the ASC, including 57 of Robben Island in 2015.

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    View of Table Mountain
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    Map of Robben Island of 1784
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    Garrison Church
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    Metal bunk beds in the prison on Robben Island
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    Visitors are addressed by a prison comrade of Mandela

Collection list continued below...

Project Wikipedian in residence 2019 - 2024 edit

Results edit

The African Studies Centre Leiden (ASC) scanned 6000+ photographic slides of Africa created and donated by pensioned Africanists and others, and published them on Wikimedia Commons in a Wikipedian in residence project. The focus then shifted to supplying missing Wikipedia articles on for example African cinema, African writers, Second Boer War Boer generals and Africanists, and uploading De Rouveroy short and feature films on Africa. Project leader is ASC head librarian Jos Damen, while Hans Muller (User:Hansmuller) is the Wikipedian in residence. (A previous similar project was Wikipedians in Special Residence 2013-2014.)

Results include:

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    Thirteen USB thumb drives containing more than 6000 files of scanned slides (.jpg en .tif) donated by Africanists, at the start of the upload project for photographs of Africa in 2019.
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    Dr. Gerard van de Bruinhorst, ASC staff member of ASC, went on a acquisition trip to Somaliland for the library in 2019 (refer to his other Somaliland photographs below).
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    Abyssinian woman - Winterton Collection of East African Photographs. A possible further project.

Stamps of East Africa, 19th century edit

Professor Ton Dietz of the African Studies Centre collected stamps and related images of East-Africa, 1865-1900.

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    French Post Office in Malindi, Zanzibar Stone Town, 19th century
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    Queen Victoria stamps used at Zanzibar, 1865-1890
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    Four annas green Queen Victoria stamps of India, Zanzibar, 1866
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    Envelope with half anna Queen Victoria stamps, Zanzibar, 1875-1895

NSAG collection North Africa 1961-1962 edit

Medical professor L.A. van Es and Mr. M.U.U. van Dis donated 1400-odd black and white and colour photographs of their expedition with the Dutch Student Africa Group (NSAG) mainly through the north of Africa in 1961-1962, visiting various universities. Some images:

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    An Egyptian guide, his little son and a Dutch student at the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, 1961
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    A group viewing the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pash, Cairo, Egypte, 1961
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    A farmer is plowing with two oxen near Cairo, Egypt, 1961
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    Ramses II. Small Temple of Hathor and Nefertari, now inundated, Abu Simbel, Egypte 1961
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    An Egyptian boatman on the Nile to Buhen, 1961
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    The tomb of the Mahdi (Mohamed Ahmed), mosque at Omdurman, Soedan, 1961
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    Two local students in conversation with a Dutch student, Omdurman, Sudan, 1961
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    Guards in white uniforms with headdress at the Presidential Palace, Khartoum, Sudan, 1961
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    A cyclist, Khartoum, Sudan, 1961
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    Laughing Dutch students, University of Khartoum, Sudan, 1961
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    Girls at an elementary school, Khartoum, Sudan, 1961
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    A boy at an elementary school is moving to the rhythm of music, Khartoum, Sudan, 1961
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    A grove of palm trees at an irrigation canal of the Gezira Plan, Sudan, 1961
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    Nalubaale Hydroelectric Power Station on the White Nile near Kampala, Uganda, 1961
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    Young men at a bicycle shop, Kampala, Uganda, 1961
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    Outpatient clinic of the Mulago hospital, Kampala, Uganda, 1961
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    Academics at University College Ibadan, Nigeria, February 1962

Rietveld collection Nigeria 1970-1973 edit

Aart Rietveld also donated 99 slides of his work in Nigeria as a history teacher at Toro Teachers College (1970-1973).

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    Teachers in training await the inspection of their huts, Toro Teachers College.
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    Polygamy. The driver of Toro Teachers College is marrying his third wife, Toro Teachers College.
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    Three impatient dodos - men dressed as evil spirits - wait until they can perform. Jos Ceremony, Jos.
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    The ceremonial ruler of Bauchi in his procession of horsemen, Eid al-Fitr (Durbar festival, Sallah), Bauchi.
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    Pan African Games Lagos. A female javelin thrower in the stadium, Lagos, 7-18 Januari 1973.
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    White horned zebus in front of the openings of the Kainji Dam.
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    Rietveld is being taught how to ride a horse, Toro, Nigeria, 1970-1973

Van der Kraaij collection Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mali, Morocco and Senegal 1972-1987 edit

Dutch economist Fred van der Kraaij lived for many years in Liberia where his activities included teaching at the university in Monrovia. He kindly allowed ASC to scan his large collection of slides. Here we show images from his first series, mainly concerning the mines at Yekepa and the Firestone rubber factory in Harbel, both in Liberia.

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    Fruit vendors headcarrying enamel bowls, Monrovia, 1975
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    LAMCO J.V. open pit mining for iron ore, Yekepa 1976
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    Conveyor belt for iron ore, Yekepa 1976
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    Train for iron ore transport, Yekepa 1976
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    Dam for eletricity generation, Firestone rubber factory, Harbel 1976
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    A rubber tapper with buckets at the Firestone rubber plantation, Harbel 1976
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    Firestone latex factory, Harbel 1976
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    Firestone latex factory, Harbel 1976
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    Houses for laborers at the Firestone rubber factory, Harbel 1976
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    Storage of folded latex sheets, Harbel 1976
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    A woman busy winnowing paddy and a man with a mortar, Agrimeco, Montserrado county, 1976
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    A woman prepares a meal in conversation with Dr. Van der Kraaij, Région de Kayes, Mali, 1985

Rietveld collection East Africa 1975 edit

Aart Rietveld also donated slides of this journey through Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe in 1975. Streets and buildings in Nairobi and Mombasa, locals in their landscape and at school, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls in de Zambezi. Identification of the countries is welcome!

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    Maduni's club, a night club in Nairobi
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    Swans in a lake, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
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    A donkeycart driver on a new tarmac road, Zambia/Zimbabwe.
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    A black female teacher instructs black boys how to add numbers, Zambia/Zimbabwe.
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    A man in the landscape, Zambia/Zimbabwe.
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    A young fisherman is turning his boat with a stick, Zambia/Zimbabwe.
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    Laminar and turbulent flow in the Victoria Falls, 1975

Van Achterberg collection Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Morocco, Mauretania, Namibia, Niger and Tunesia 1985, 1996 - 1997 edit

Dutch cultural anthropologist Angeline van Achterberg widely travelled through Northwest Africa as a researcher, visited women's organisations and wrote books about the region. Some images from the scanned slides she donated:

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    A Tuareg lady and girl ask for water along the tarmac road Arlit-Agadez, Niger, 1985
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    A boy is standing near a sign for the political party MNSD-Nassara (Mouvement National pour la Société du Développement), Agadez, Niger, December 1996 - January 1997
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    A break in the journey by bus to Ougadougou, Yako, Burkina Faso, 1996
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    A seller of pancakes on the street, Gorom-Gorom, Burkina Faso 1996.
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    "Ensemble stoppons le SIDA Fidelité Abstinence Préservatif"/"Together we stop AIDS. Loyalty Abstinence Condom". Sign to combat HIV/AIDS along the road from Bamako naar Ségou, Mali, 1996
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    A Tuareg griot (singer) with his family and musical instrument tehardent, Tin Aicha, Timboektoe, Mali, 1996
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    A griot (singer) outdoors with his tehardent and public, UNHCR kamp Mberra, Mauretania 1996
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    Men at a market for beans and flour, Léré, Timbuctu, Mali 1996
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    The Atlantic Ocean viewed from Hotel l'Océan, Kribi, Cameroon 1997
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    A working-class area of Yaoundé, Cameroon 1997
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    Pupils of the boarding school for the Bagyéli people, Bipindi, Cameroon 1997
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    Members of the selfhelp organisation Mboscuda, Bamenda, Cameroon 1997

Van de Bruinhorst collection Somaliland 2019 edit

Dr. Gerard van de Bruinhorst, Afrikanist at ASC, donated photographs and videos of his trip to the Hargeysa 12th International Book Fair 20-25 July 2019 in Somaliland. Because of copyright some beautiful book covers have to be omitted here.

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    A food stall run by women, Hargeisa
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    Nasiim Mohomed Ali Aar, author of the novel Between Love, Past and Destiny, Hargeisa
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    The lights of Hargeysa with the Central Market at night seen the Masala View Restaurant, Hargeisa
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    A panel discussion at the Hargeysa 12th International Book Fair 20-25 July 2019
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    Hargeisa War Cemetery
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    A painting depicting an animal story with a mathematical geometric series of 0.5, Hargeysa Cultural Centre
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    Hanging nests of weaverbirds, Hargeisa
  • Video of sheep near Masjid Jama, Central Mosque of Hargeisa
  • Video of a group of men sitting in front of the University Bookshop. Women in burqa pass by, Hargeisa
  • Dromedaries, sheep and goats at the live stock market in Hargeisa

Kigali, Rwanda 2021 edit

In 2021 Gerard van de Bruinhorst and Elvire Eijkman, both from the African Studies Centre Leiden, visited Rwanda Children's Book Fair 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda and donated some photographs and videos taken there.

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    The Caritas bookshop in Kigali, 2021.
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    Monument for the ten murdered Belgian Blue Helmets of the United Nations 1994, Kigali.
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    A Kigali school blackboard with bullet holes and a French text commemorating the Belgian paratrooper Debatty, killed in April 1994.
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    A crafted passenger airplane, with text "Amahoro" (Peace) in Kigali Public Library.
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    A lady in front of the large banner "Rwanda Children's Book Organization. Book Fair 2021".
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    A representative for Bakame Editions at Rwanda Children's Bookfair 2021, Kigali.
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    Books on display at the Rwanda Children's Book Fair 2021, Kigali
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    A taxi motorcyclist with his engine on a red dirt road, Kigali.
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    The Genocide Monument of the University of Rwanda in a parking lot, Kigali.
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    A white mosque with loudspeaker with hills in the background, Kigali.
  • White-brown robin-chats (Cossypha heuglini) sing in the hotel garden, Kigali.
  • A church service with community singing in St. Étienne Cathedral, Kigali.

Top 5 of Most-Viewed Photographs, September 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 edit

(Please click here for the September 2022 Top 5.)

September 2022 edit

Top 5 of most-clicked images from ASCL for September 2022.

September 2021 edit

Top 5 of most-clicked images from ASCL for September 2021.

September 2020 edit

Top 5 of most-clicked images from ASCL for September 2020.

September 2019 edit

Top 5 of most-clicked images from ASCL for September 2019, when for the first time since the start of the counts in 2014, the threshold of two million views (clicks, peeks) per month was crossed.

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    1. Dutch medical doctor Roel Coutinho photographed weapons of the liberation movement PAIGC in Guinea-Bissau, 1973 - article AK-47 - clicked 132,411 x - Guinea-Bissau and Senegal 1973-1974 (Coutinho Collection).
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    2. Dutch history teacher Aart Rietveld found this Jains Hindu temple in Mombasa, 1975 - article Jainism - clicked 115.291 x - East Africa 1975 (Rietveld Collection)
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    3. Aart Rietveld photographed female coffee pickers in Zambia or Zimbabwe, 1975 - article Coffee - clicked 97,025 x - East Africa 1975 (Rietveld Collection)
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    4. Female beer sellers admonish Dutch anthropologist and professor Wouter van Beek to buy their beer, instead of only taking pictures, Tireli, Mali, Mali 1989 - article Marketing - clicked 94,264 x - Dogon (W.E.A. van Beek Collection)
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    5. Dutch anthropologist and professor Wouter van Beek saw eleven boys clad in white immediately after their circumcision at market in Tireli, Mali 1990 - article Circumcision - clicked 81,077 x - Dogon (W.E.A. van Beek Collection).

Notes edit

  1. ^ w:c:Category:Collections of the African Studies Centre (Leiden)
  2. ^ NB. In this count, as far as is known, the number of visitors on the Internet leaving a web page within a few seconds (bounce, a normal phenomenon on the internet), is not (yet) deducted, so the numbers mentioned are (over) estimates and only relatively indicative.
  3. ^ Book review in Dutch: Martens, Joris (2023). "Arts en ooggetuige in Guinee-Bissau". indiestijdschrift.nl (in Dutch). Indies tijdschrift. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
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