Tuareg men gathering nearby encampment, near Tombouctou, Mali

"The Tuareg have acquired a great variety of weaving fabrics from the regions of Sudan and southern Sahel. Many of these fabrics were dyed with indigo. The dark bluish black indigo-dyed cloth called 'aleshu', which shimmers when worn, is most often seen today in rural communities. For many rural men, conventional dress also consists of the 'tagulmust' (tagelmust), a long piece of generally blue or white cloth that serves simultaneously as a face veil and turban." [Rasmussen S., 2006: Dress, Identity, and Gender in Tuareg Culture and Society; Art of Being Tuareg. UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History]. During his trip to Mali, Elisofon visited the Kel Tademekket confederation of Tuareg people located in the Tombouctou region. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from August 18, 1959 to December 20, 1959.