Original 1956 COI Sudan Gum Arabic Acacia Tree Harvesting Press Photograph For Sale

Original 1956 COI Sudan Gum Arabic Acacia Tree Harvesting Press Photograph

Up for sale is an authentic, original vintage British Official Photograph issued for the Central Office of Information (COI) in London. This historical mid-1950s documentary press print records the labor-intensive harvesting of gum arabic in East Africa.

• Subject: An outdoor field scene capturing two Sudanese foragers working amidst the dense, thorny branches of a wild acacia tree. The harvester on the right stands holding a long walking or prodding staff, raising his right arm into the branches to gather the naturally exuded gum resin nodules. A second worker stands to the left with a collection basket tucked under their arm, surrounded by arid brush.

• Country of Subject: Sudan

• Date Issued: November 1956 (November 1956)

• Picture Number: DEA. 1896

• Dimensions: 6.5" x 8.5" (Approx.)

Historical Context:The highly comprehensive typewritten archival ledger on the reverse documents the global economic significance of the Sudanese gum trade, affectionately referred to as "Desert Gold." The text records that seven-eighths of the entire world's supply of Gum Arabic originated in the Sudan, where it had been the region's most important export for over 200 years. The resin served as an essential industrial adhesive for postage stamps, envelopes, and labels, as well as finding critical uses in medicinal compounding and confectionery manufacturing.

The report notes that only in the preceding 50 years had cotton surpassed gum as the Sudan's most valuable product. The narrative details how villagers search the "tears" of gum formed on the bark of the wild acacia trees, collecting them in simple animal skins before marketing the raw commodity locally for transport and global shipment. At the time of issue, annual exports reached 15,000 to 20,000 tons, valued at approximately one million pounds sterling.

Condition Note:This original period press print is in very good vintage condition. The high-contrast gelatin-silver surface expertly retains details within the dense, intricate web of branches. It exhibits only minimal edge handling characteristics and very soft corner wear confined to the outer margin borders, consistent with the stable preservation of this historical archive series.

Archival Markings:The reverse features a complete, clearly struck blue ink-stamped narrative information text block recording the commercial output, processing methods, and global trade value of the crop. It preserves the official reference codes: "NOV. 1896... BRITISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH (SUDAN EAST) CROWN COPYRIGHT RESERVED... November 1956."

Provenance & Authenticity:100% original period press print produced by the UK Central Office of Information for public distribution and administrative archives. We do not sell modern reprints or reproductions.