Northcote Thomas Archives ~ Ozi Ikòrò

09

An Igbo woman wearing ankle plates, Nigeria, West Africa, 1922. From Peoples of All Nations, Their Life Today and the Story of Their Past, volume I: Abyssinia to the British…

09

Feb 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

The Weight of Prestige: The Historical Evolution and Regional Styles of Igbo Brass Anklets

A historical portrait of an Igbo woman from the early 20th century, adorned in stacked brass leg rings signifying her social status. Photo Credit: G. I. Jones Archives / Museum…

07

Jan 2026

Anthropology and Ethnography Cultural Heritage Ethnohistory

The ‘Eze Uzu’ (King of Blacksmiths): Examining the Socio-Political Power of the Awka Iron-Working Guilds During British Pacification

A young apprentice assisting in a smithy helps illustrate the transmission of indigenous technological skills across generations. Photo credit: Hajjare, via Wikimedia Commons. The Awka people of southeastern Nigeria developed one…

25

Jun 2025

Anthropology and Ethnography

The Influence of Igbo Women in Language and Cultural Exchange: Insights from Colonial Anthropology

Northcote Thomas (1914). Anthropological Report on the Ibo-Speaking Peoples of Nigeria, Vol. IV: Law and Custom of the Ibo of the Asaba District, S. Nigeria, pp. 5 In his 1914 Anthropological Report…

17

May 2025

Ethnohistory Historical Studies

Abavo and Its Origins: History, Migration, and Cultural Identity

Situated within the Ika region west of the River Niger, Delta state, Abavo people whose history have long been shrouded in conflicting narratives and limited historical documentation. Many colonial reports…

12

May 2025

Cultural Heritage

Akalogoli Charms: Warding Off Evil Spirits

A man buries an Akalogoli charm made from burning palm flowers to repel evil spirits, a powerful Igbo ritual captured in the early 1910s. Photo - UkpuruIn Igbo culture, spirituality…

16

Feb 2025

Anthropology and Ethnography Ethnohistory Photos

The Historical and Cultural Legacy of Illah: A Nexus of Igbo, Igala, and Benin Influences

"Igbo woman from Illah. Southern Nigeria." Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. [Postcard] Illah (Ila), located in present-day Delta State, Nigeria, is a historically significant settlement with deep cultural and political connections…

24

Jan 2025

Photos

Mgbokwo of Öka (Awka), 1910-1911 – Colourised by Ụ́kpụ́rụ́, 2018

Mgbokwo of Öka (Awka), photographed by British colonial anthropologist Northcote Thomas (1910–1911). Colourised and cropped from the original black-and-white by Ụ́kpụ́rụ́ in 2018. Courtesy of the Museum of Archaeology and…

14

Jan 2025

Anthropology and Ethnography Photos

Nkpurumma: Bridging History with Modern Art

Left: Original photo of an Igbo woman, Puruma (Mkpurumma)?, photographed by Northcote Thomas, Onicha Olona, 1912. Right: A stunning colourized version by Chuka Odike, 2025. Original photo of an Igbo woman, Puruma…

02

Jan 2025

Photos ⁠Religion and Spirituality

Northcote Thomas’s photographs depict a man named Iyiazi with ichi scarification marks. They were taken in Nri in 1911.

Northcote Thomas's photographs depict a man named Iyiazi with ichi scarification marks. They were taken in Nri in 1911.