1998.480.6

The slides mounts are labeled Agfa-Gevaert, a merger which took place in 1964. This provides a terminus post quem for the developing and mounting of the photographs, and therefore probably the photographs themselves, of 1964. The original box of slides was labeled 'B. Fagg'. Catherine Fagg and Angela Rackham have both ruled out the idea that they were taken by Bernard Fagg. This suggests that the box was labeled for the attention of Bernard Fagg by the photographer. Since Bernard Fagg left the PRM in 1975 this provides a terminus ante quem for the slides. [CM 30/03/2009]

Research notes - Keith Nicklin, the photographer, included some of the images from this group of 79 slides in his article entitled 'Nigerian Skin-Covered Masks' published in the journal African Arts Volume 7, Number 3 (Spring 1974). This particular image is not included in the article, although other images are included from the same sequence of slides showing Patrick Achong making a skin-covered janus-faced helmet mask. If you look at this particular image you can see the mask is the same one and identify Patrick Achong, even when his face is not shown, because of the shirt he is wearing. On 18 September 2013 I showed these images to Jill Salmons, Keith Nicklin's widow, who thinks they were probably taken in 1972 but definitely between 1970 and before Spring 1974. Jill confirmed this particular image shows Patrick Achong covering a janus-faced helmet mask with skin. Patrick is using one of tools included in slide 1998.480.1. [ZM 20/09/2013]