Tuareg man with wife and children, near Tombouctou, Mali

The photograph depicts Tuareg woman wearing traditional long dark cloth and man wearing turban and face veil (tagelmust) made of indigo-dyed cloth. "While men's face veiling and women's headscarves fulfill Islamic requirements of modesty, they are also symbols of the Tuareg cultural value of reserve. These headdresses are directly linked to concepts of the person and to changes in an individual's status throughout his or her life (Rasmussen 1992: 101)." [Arnoldi M., 1995: Wrapping the Head, Crowning Achievements, 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. 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.