Die befreiten Geiseln Kaiser Tewodros' II. Aus dem Photoalbum der Royal Engineers 1867/68

Abstract

The famous Robert Lebeck Collection of historical photographs, which has been preserved in the Agfa Foto-Historama in the Wallraf-Richartz Museum/ Museum Ludwig, Cologne, since 1994, contains an album entitled “Views of the Abyssinian Campaign – presented by Lord Napier of Magdala”. With its 78 albumen prints, taken by the photographers of the 10^th Company, Royal Engineers–Great Britain, it seems to be a unique but scarcely known source for Ethiopian studies. To our present knowledge, they are the earliest photographic documents related to Ethiopia.

In this article the author gives a detailed analysis of three prints (Nr.: 58, 59, 60) showing the released captives on whose behalf the “crusade” of the Magdala-expedition was undertaken in 1867/68, and makes an attempt to identify the persons on the photos. Many of these persons left an indelible impact on the 19^th century Ethiopian history through their roles as counsellors, missionaries, scientists or artisans.