HvWO1890k

Swahili lady in Zanzibar hairdressing using a beautiful locally made wooden comb Photo dates from the 1890's
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Rare photo (silver print) There is an early "Coutinho Brothers Photographers" stamp on the back of the photo. Coutinho brothers Zanzibar were active between 1870 and 1905. The started as one of the first professional photographers in the 1870's. A few years later another studio was opened in Dar-es-Salam. Around 1890 the cooperation between the brothers ended and J.B. Coutinho started a studio with A.C. Gomes (who had started as a photographer 20 years earlier in Aden) In 1898 the partnership between J.B. Coutinho and Gomes ended and the Coutinho brothers rejoined. In 1905 the Countinho brothers split again.

 

antique photo zanzibar ladies hair combing with wooden comb

 Swahili ladies combing Hair in Zanzibar around 1890

See the wood section for an example of a smilar comb

References: 

  1. Another antique  print of the same photo is in the Winterton collection of the North Western  university (but that print with a fold bottom right) Zanzibar envelope 62 Object ID: 62-7
  2. Catalogue of the photographic archive of the Winterton collection, published by  Allsworth rare books, London (no date) Page 85 section 62 item 7.