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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:'Tin trunk literati' and beyond: hidden sources for Africa's history
Author:Killingray, DavidISNI
Year:2010
Periodical:African Research and Documentation (ISSN 0305-862X)
Issue:112
Pages:5-13
Language:English
Geographic term:Africa
Subjects:historical sources
autobiography
Abstract:Keynote address presented at the 2010 Conference of SCOLMA, the UK Libraries and Archives Group on Africa, whose theme was 'The real story? Personal papers, life histories and Africa'. The author discusses hidden sources for Africa's history, arguing that Africa has historically been an area strong on oral history but with limited levels of literacy. He looks chronologically and thematically at recent work that has helped put the words and writings of little-known Africans in the frame of African history, paying attention to late 18th-century Britain, African travellers in the late 18th and early 19th century, African soldiers (19th century), Africans in politics (late 19th century), and West African business people from the 18th century. The author concludes with a reflection on how these new found sources are to be preserved. Notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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