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Photo album of colonial activity in Madagascar from 1899-1900, just 5 years after the French conquered the country. Shown are the construction of the first railroad at Tamatave, colonials in the bush, cattle hauling boats to shore, a regatta, July 14 celebrations, disembarking the first train locomotives, local village, Mission hospital, horse racing, colonial housing, local markets, General Pennequin disembarking, Malagache trailleurs, arrival of Governor General Gallieni, diplomats arriving by sea, local streets, new church, cemetery, local industry, preparation for Gallieni’s visit, fascinating photo of the opening of a French shop Grand Magazins du Louvre, wharf construction, tomb of an assassinated missionary, Customs House, Portuguese catholic ceremony involving local inhabitants, Governor Gallieni’s residence, colonial families and their servants, French hunters being carried by their servants, (interracial?) wedding ceremony, top colonial military/administrators enjoying wine, more. 111 photos, most captioned and dated. All from Tamatave. A rare album covering the period between the 1897 Menalamba Rebellion against French rule and the 1904 uprising. Both Gallieni and Pennequin arrived in Madagascar in 1897, so this album dates from their first visit, together, to Tamatave. A rare album from a critical period showing early colonial efforts at building an infrastructure.MD 115MD 115
Price: $3500.00
Note from Wikipedia: General Joseph Gallieni (1849-1916) was sent to Madagascar in 1896 as resident general. Abandoning the diplomatic approach of his predecessor, General M. Laroche, he preferred strong methods to stem the rise of anti-colonial resistance. He established forced labor for the natives by imposing 50 days of corvée per adult. The royal court, a center of resistance against France, was placed under surveillance. He immediately had Prince Ratsimamanga and Rainandriamampandry , Minister of the Interior, arrested and brought before the War Council for rebellion and “fahavalism”. At the end of a parody trial, they were sentenced to death and executed as an example, wishing to make "a strong impression on the natives". One of the members of the War Council subsequently confirmed that the two accused had been “condemned on the orders” of Gallieni. The latter destroyed the minutes of the hearing rather than transmitting them to the military archives.MD 115MD 115
Queen Ranavalona III was accused of plotting against French influence, and was deposed on February 27, 1897and exiled to Reunion Island, thus putting an end to the Malagasy monarchy and the Merina dynasty . In eight years of proconsulate, Gallieni pacified the island, proceeding with its colonization. The establishment of forced labor and the massive summary executions which characterized the repression he carried out against Malagasy resistance to colonization caused many deaths. He abolished slavery in Madagascar in 1896, leading to the freeing of more than 500,000 slaves across the country .
According to General Gallieni, military action had to be accompanied by aid to colonized peoples in different areas such as administration, economy and education. MD 115MD 115It required permanent contact with the inhabitants as well as a perfect knowledge of the country and its languages. Under the leadership of Gallieni, numerous infrastructures were put in place: the railway from Tamatave to Tananarive, the Pasteur Institute, secular schools providing education in French.
The general enforced the policy known as racial politics, which consisted of the recognition of the identity of each ethnic group and the end of their subordination to another ethnic group. This above all to put an end to centuries-old Merina domination, the Merinas being the most hostile to French domination. Relying on the writings of anthropologists and travelers of the 19th century and after a systematic census of the population using photography, he attempted to divide administrative districts by following this cartography of races.
Note from Wikipedia:MD 115MD 115Théophile Daniel Noël Pennequin ( 1849 – 1916 ) was a French general and colonial administrator. In 1883 he was charged with creating a company of mixed riflemen, Comorians, Zanzibari and Sakalaves who would take the name “black helmets”. This unit fought against the Hova Army during the First Franco-Malagasy War . His activity earned him the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor . Once again he was opposed to the Merina army commanded by the British Colonel Shervington during the battle of Andampy where he defeated them on August 27, 1885, which earned him promotion to officer of the Legion of Honor . He acquired great fame for these actions but also for his non-conformism. Following a tour in Indochina, he was named general before returning to Madagascar with his colleague Gallieni in April 1898. In sixteen months of superior command of the troops in Madagascar, and by ensuring the interim of Gallieni as governor-general, he subdued the Sakalave rebellions and in particular received in Tananarive the surrender of Queen Binao and two other Sakalave sovereigns.
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