Postcard featuring a photographic image of 'The Pygmies', members of a Pygmy tribe of the Ituri Forest in an area that is now part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are named Bokane, Kuarke, Mongona, Mafutiminga, Matuka and Amuriape.
In 1904, Colonel James Harrison of Brandesburton Hall, East Yorkshire, met members of the indigenous Pygmy tribe while travelling through the Congo River basin. Colonel Harrison arranged for six of the tribe to be brought back to England with him. From June 1905, the group spent 30 months in England appearing at the London Hippodrome, Olympia and the House of Commons. They were returned to their home by 1908 having sailed from Hull in November 1907.
The postcard is dated 'Brighton 6/4/06'. Over the course of a fortnight, the group appeared at Brighton Aquarium. On Tuesday 3 April the group were taken out in a row boat off of Brighton. The following day they were taken in a reserved car for a ride of Volk's Electric Railway and each presented with a little Union Jack flag. See page 6, column 4 of the Brighton Herald dated 7 April 1906.
The postcard was published by Rotary Photo and is copyright of W & D Downey.
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