Written by
Kahn, Morton Charles, American, 1896 - 1959
Published by
Viking Press, founded 1925
Date
1931
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product), cardboard, and thread
Dimensions
H x W x D: 8 7/16 × 6 × 1 5/16 in. (21.4 × 15.2 × 3.3 cm)
Description
A 233-page first edition hardcover book entitled Djuka the Bush Negroes of Dutch Guiana. The front cover has a dark brown imprint of a close-up depiction of an African maroon from Dutch Guiana. The spine of the book has a brown decorative print with a border along the upper and lower edges. The spine reads [DJUKA / THE / BUSH / NEGROES / OF / DUTCH / GUIANA]. Beneath the title the author’s name is imprinted [ MORTON C. / KAHN]. [ VIKING ] is located just above the lower decorative print.
The interior end leaf of the book includes a map of the continents of South America, Africa, and a small portion of North America. This entire graphic is brick-red and light yellow in color. The light yellow continent of Africa is on the right side of the map. The early twentieth century boundary lines of Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana/British Gold Coast, Togoland, Nigeria, and Cameroon are filled in with the brick red color. The Niger River and the Congo River are also noted on the map. The interior of Africa has an illustration of individuals from their necks up. They all have coffles around their necks linking them together and the group is headed towards the western coast of Africa. The left side of the end leaf shows [SOUTH AMERICA], the [WEST INDIES] and the top of Florida labelled [N / A] presumably signifying North America. South America is light yellow, but [GUIANA] is blocked out in the same brick red color as the west African countries. The interior of South America has an illustrated depiction of a group of maroons with a dwelling behind them. The [SLAVE ROUTES] between these continents are depicted with bulleted arrows. The arrow starts at western Africa and branches to Guiana, the West Indies, and North America. The tip of the arrow pointing to Guiana has the labels of [BRITISH / DUTCH / FRENCH].
The book includes 65 photographs. Among them are benches almost identical to those of the Ashanti in West Africa, drums, carved calabash gourds used for eating, carved wooden combs, images of transportation along waterways, and other images of daily life, dress, and culture.
There is an inscription on the page facing the title page which appears to have been written in 1999 and was for documentation purposes.
Place depicted
Suriname, South America
Place printed
New York, United States, North and Central America
Place depicted
Netherlands, Europe
Cultural Place
West Africa, Africa
Classification
Documents and Published Materials-Published Works
Type
hardcover books
Topic
African diaspora
Colonialism
Communities
Dance
Dutch colonialism
Foodways
Free communities of color
Music
Race relations
Religion
Resistance
Rural life
Self-liberation
Trans Atlantic slave trade
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2010.1.253
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5abc65ed5-e5ea-4cd5-9a49-4b53842cfa1b

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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