1950 Carriat-Rolant Pictorial Map of French West Africa

This vibrant c. 1950 pictorial map of French West Africa was drawn by artist Gabriel Carriat-Rolant, printed in Casablanca. Aside from its artistic quality, the map provides a fascinating glimpse into French views of their African empire, poised to rapidly collapse within a few years.

A Closer Look

The map covers the northwestern part of Africa, with the federation of French West Africa (Afrique-Occidentale Française) highlighted. Drawings depict the cities, cultures, economies, flora, and fauna of the region, ranging from the lush rainforests of the Ivory Coast to the vast, scorching Sahara and Sahel. The illustrations collectively reveal French conceptions of their West African colonies at the time - perhaps a more respectful image than in years prior, but still one defined by romanticization and exoticism (and eroticism, as evidenced by the naked ladies at bottom-right). A partial exception to this general attitude is the representation of coastal cities and ports such as Dakar, Conakry, and Abidjan with tall buildings and modern ships.

Afrique-Occidentale Française

Created in 1895 to organize the vast territories in the region recently acquired in the 'Scramble for Africa,' French West Africa was a political federation with a governor based in Senegal (initially Saint-Louis and then Dakar) that consisted of, at the time of publication, Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Dahomey (now Benin), and Niger. It was part of, yet distinct from, a wider group of French colonies and territories in northern and western Africa that also included Chad, Gabon, French Cameroon, French Congo, Ubangi-Shari, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. The constituent parts of the federation were administered somewhat independently, though broad policy goals were implemented by the governor in Senegal. Residents of Senegal also eventually enjoyed special rights, closer to those of French citizens, unlike French subjects in other parts of the federation. At the local level, a French official (commandant de cercle) worked with recognized local chiefs to manage society as they saw fit, which easily led to capricious abuses of power.

The federation was involved in both world wars, contributing over 140,000 conscripts for the World War I (1914 - 1918) and serving as a theater for fighting between Free French and Vichy forces in World War II (1939 - 1945). These contributions helped the subjects of these lands press for greater rights and autonomy in the postwar period. Initially, these moves stymied calls for independence, and in 1958 all the French colonies in West Africa (except Gabon) voted to become members of the Communauté Française, which granted them broad internal autonomy. But due to France's heavy-handed response to anti-colonial movements in Algeria and Indochina, the constituent parts of French West Africa quickly began to pursue full independence, which was achieved rapidly throughout the region in 1960. Though France's empire collapsed, this gradual devolution of power (prompted largely by the Second World War) generally avoided the sort of violent conflict seen in Algeria and Vietnam.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Gabriel Carriat-Rolant and published by Paul Bory in Casablanca. It is undated, but most likely was produced in the late 1940s or early 1950s. As explained below the title, only 1000 numbered prints of the map were produced, with the present map being number 364. This map is quite scarce today, with only one known example in institutional collections, at the combined Liberation of Paris Museum - General Leclerc Museum - Jean Moulin Museum.