Rhein-Main Universitäten (RMU)

The photo archive of Frobenius Institute holds more than 60,000 original negatives and over 100 extensive „catalogues“ with pasted-in prints. The photographs were taken during ethnological research trips undertaken by the institute from the early 20th century until the 1980s, mainly to Africa but also to Europe, India, Indonesia, Australia, and South America. The collection is complemented by a slide library originally created for teaching purposes, with around 4,500 35mm slides, and an ongoing photo collection from various donations and bequests related to ethnology and colonial history. The historical negatives are mainly archived in a climate-controlled chamber, where expedition films (16mm originals and copies) are also stored. A large part of the images is accessible via an image database. An attached laboratory enables the execution of reproductive backup work on the original negatives, as well as the production of high-quality enlargements for exhibitions and the creation of image templates for publication projects.