La Croisiere Noire

The Expedition Citroën crossed Africa (from October 1924 to June 1925) to establish a reliable automobile link between French territories in West Africa and Madagascar. Tourists, businessmen, and government officials would be able to travel in comfort, riding in Citroën’s new half-track vehicles and lodging in specially built, rather luxurious accommodations. The sixty-three photographs included in this volume are invaluable records of people, customs, and dwellings seen along the way.  The most iconic image is the head elongation and elaborate coiffure of the Mangbetu woman. Each chapter describes one stage of the journey and is headed by a small, decorative orientation map; a large, fold-out map shows the entire route.  Four portrait sketches of the travelers by Russian artist Alexandre Iacovleff are included.  A silent film of the journey was immensely popular when released back in France.