Compagnie Cotonnière Congolaise 1926.

102 silver prints, c. 8 x 14 cm, tipped-in at corners (removable), paper strips with typed legends for each photo.

Obl. folio album, cardboard wrappers (sl. def.).

André-Jacques Landeghem (1876-1943) went for the first time to Congo as second lieutenant of reserve in 1897 and was designated to command the Buta post. During this first term he was appointed lieutenant of the Force Publique in 1899. Returning to Belgium on January 3, 1902, King Leopold II summoned him to entrust him with second in command of the mission of Bahr El Gazal. During a third stay (1906-1909) he took command from the Buta sector then from the Rubi zone. From 1919-1922 Landeghem was collaborator in the cotton cultivation program and succesful in the creation of a road network to transport the cotton. In 1923 after a career of 26 years Landeghem returned to Belgium and was appointed general manager and then managing director of Compagnie Cotonnière Congolaise. In this capacity he visited Congo a couple of times and proved his dynamism and qualities. In 1929 he became the founder and took the presidency of the Comité Cotonnière Congolaise. Jacques van der Plancke (1890-1943) belonging to a family of industrialists entered the service of the Compagnie Cotonnière Congolaise in 1924 where he directed the service of cotton sale as from 1929. Later he continued his missions to Congo and French Equatorial Africa to optimise work methods in the cotton factories. The album presents photos of the factory, shops, offices, cotton markets and working stations of the company in Dingila (Uélé Province), Yukuluku, Viadana, Nepoko, Denge, Bondo, Dungu, Wauwa, Niangara, Poko, Titule, Bambili, Kibombo, Lualaba, Kabalo, Kasongo, Tchofa, Lusambo, etc. Also photos of the transportation of cotton by human power, by boat and truck (Minerva, Renault), by elephant, etc. The visit of Princess de Ligne and governor de Meulemeester in Faradje, a portrait of Landeghem, etc. The construction of a bridge over the Likati. To end with a set of photos of native people.
Ref. Biogr. coloniale belge, V, 1958, col. 529-530 (Landeghem). - Biographie belge d'Outre-Mer, T. VI, 1968, col. 823 (van der Plancke).
Prov. "A Monsieur Van der Planke / un souvenir de notre seconde collaboration / [signed] Landeghe" (ms. dedication on front flyleaf).