Image 1 of 5

The Kuba, the Mangbetu and the Tutsi
Trade cards, paper, halftone
From the series Peuplades du Congo Belge (Peoples of the Belgian Congo)
Published by the Liebig Company, 1955
Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives
National Museum of African Art
Smithsonian Institution
EEPA CG 15-9

Since the second half of the 19th century, trade cards have served as advertising for stores and products. They depicted many themes and became collectibles. The Liebig Company, which produced "meat extract," began publishing cards worldwide in 1872 and only ceased production in 1975. These cards of the Mangbetu, Tutsi and Kuba were part of an 18-card set, which appeared in 1955 and depicted the peoples of the Belgian Congo.