Archive

• Imagined Places

In the Land of the Emperor

12 September 2012 untill 13 January 2013 in the Gallery

An Expedition to Ethiopia (1930-1931)

Baron Binnert van Harinxma thoe Slooten and biologist Gerrit Brouwer had a unique opportunity on 2 November 1930 to witness the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia. You can relive that expedition to Abyssinia in In the Land of the Emperor. An Expedition to Ethiopia (1930-1931).

The two Dutch adventurers left for Ethiopia in October 1930 to study wildlife there, but before starting their trek, they enjoyed a week of celebrations at the capital, Addis Ababa. There they witnessed the coronation of Haile Selassie, born in 1892 as Tafari Makonnen and later the inspiration of the Rastafari movement. Van Harinxma and Brouwer had front-row seats, beside the Dutch ambassador Hendrik Maurits van Haersma de With.

Journey of a Lifetime

The Dutch adventurers found themselves in an empire with a unique history. The exhibition features a compilation of film clips by the American Burton Holmes. The second series of photos in In the Land of the Emperor shows a different world. Far away from Addis Ababa. They met local peoples and governors sent out by the emperor to represent the central government. This treasure of source material enable us to relive this historic journey in detail.

Made by Galleria.

Haile Selassie

Haile Selassie (1892–1975) was emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He began life as Tafari Makonnen; the name Haile Selassi dates from when he became emperor. It means Power of the Trinity. When photos of the coronation were published in Jamaica they had a huge impact; white people in Ethiopia were seen to be showing respect to a black ruler. Haile Selassie soon became extremely popular among Jamaicans and among members of the Rastafarian movement he was considered divine.

Although interrupted by the Italian occupation (1935-1941), Haile Selassie reigned from 1930 to 1974. While he encouraged modernisation and supported liberation movements in the rest of Africa, he eventually encountered growing opposition in his own country. A military coup in 1974 resulted in his deposition. He was imprisoned and soon afterwards he died.