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1874–1877
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Henry Morton Stanley (who located David Livingstone with the famous words: ‘Dr. Livingstone, I presume?’), ‘discovers’ the Congo River Basin removing the last unknown part of Africa from Western maps and heightening imperial interest.
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1876
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King Léopold II of Belgium creates The International African Society (Association Internationale Africaine). It is conceived as a multinational, scientific and humanitarian assembly but quickly becomes dominated by Leopold and his economic interests in Africa.
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1878
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International Congo Society is formed, closely related to International African Society, but with more economic goals. Léopold secretly buys off foreign investors in the Congo Society.
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1879
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King Léopold II recruits Stanley to make treaties with native chiefs in the Congo Basin and begins a process of claiming ownership.
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1882
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France begins to colonise the area, taking over the Middle Congo (now the Republic of the Congo), part of the territory on the right bank of the River Congo.
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1884
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Major congress of imperialist nations at The Berlin Conference. Representatives of Austria–Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Norway and the Ottoman Empire agree to partition Africa and prepare to invade. The Congo Free State is confirmed as the private property of the Congo Society; ceding ownership of the entire territory of thirty million people and some two million square kilometers to King Leopold.
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1885
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Léopold sets out to conquer and ‘pacify’ the Congo Free State. He attacks and assassinates the African chief of the southern Katanga region, who refuses to negotiate.
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1885
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France invades and takes control of Gabon.
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1886 – 1888
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Belgian painter Frans Hens arrives in the Congo.
Frans Hens
1856–1928 Belgian
Isle of Mate BBA (Congo) 1887
Oil on wood panel
The Private Collection of Freddie Booker-Carson and Simon Carson
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1887
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France makes a deal with the Congo Free State for the possession of Oubangui-Chari (now the Central African Republic), formerly an Egyptian Sultanate.
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1890
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Léopold’s Congo Free State establishes the ‘domaine privé’ under which African forced labourers (slaves in all but name) are obliged to produce quotas of rubber which increase annually. Punishments for failure are death or mutilation. Estimates of the death toll vary up to thirty million.
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1895
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Oubangui-Chari officially becomes a French colony.
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1895
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Germany takes over Rwanda-Urundi (now Rwanda and Burundi). They establish indirect rule through the already ruling Tutsi aristocracy.
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1900
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Battle of Kousséri (now in Cameroon on the border with Chad), where France defeats local kings and takes over Chad.
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1902
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British novelist Joseph Conrad publishes Heart of Darkness based on his experience in the Congo Free State, though the country is not mentioned specifically.
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1904
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British consul in Congo Free State, Roger Casement, publishes the Congo Report; a British government-commissioned report exposing the brutality of Léopold’s forced labour regime.
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1906
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Oubangui-Chari is united with Chad under French rule.
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1908
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The Belgian government, spurred by the international outcry following the Congo Report, takes over administration of Congo Free State, renaming it Belgian Congo.
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1910
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French Equatorial Africa is established (taking in Gabon, Middle Congo, Oubangui-Chari and Chad) – ruled from the capital Brazzaville.
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1914
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The outbreak of the First World War.
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1914
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Belgium takes over Rwanda from Germany under a League of Nations Mandate. They continue the indirect rule of the Tutsi aristocracy.
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1918
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End of the First World War.
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1924 –34
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Building of the Congo-Ocean Railway – opens up the interior to large-scale exploitation. Using forced labour, it is estimated that seventeen thousand of the workers died during the construction of the railway.
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1924
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Car manufacturer Citroen launches La Croisiere Noire – a publicity stunt expedition across Africa in a motorised vehicle – includes painter Alexandre Iacovleff.
Andre Iavocleff
1887–1938 Russian/French
The Sorcerer 1932
Oil on paper on card
The Private Collection of Freddie Booker-Carson and Simon Carson
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1927
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Belgian sculptor Arthur Dupagne arrives in the Congo.
Arthur Dupagne
1895–1961 Belgian
African Girl 1930s
Bronze on wooden base
The Private Collection of Freddie Booker-Carson and Simon Carson
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1928
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Artist Fernand Allard L’Olivier visits the Congo for the first time.
Fernand Allard L’Olivier
1883–1933 Belgian
Study for Femme Mutusi 1930
Oil on paper
The Private Collection of Freddie Booker-Carson and Simon Carson
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1934
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Artist Andre Hallett arrives in the region and forges relationship with Tutsi king Mwambi Matura III, beginning a series of detailed paintings of the king’s family and court.
Andre Hallet
1890–1959 Belgian
Hutu Prince date unknown
Oil on plywood panel
The Private Collection of Freddie Booker-Carson and Simon Carson
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1936
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Artist Clement Serneels arrives in the Congo.
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1939
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Outbreak of the Second World War.
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1939 –40
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Artist Rene Lesuisse sent on a recording mission to the Belgian Congo.
Rene La Suisse
Belgian
Seated Young (Medje Mango Mambia) Dates unknown
Oil on plywood panel
Watercolour on card
The Private Collection of Freddie Booker-Carson and Simon Carson
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1940
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French Equatorial Africa is declared the wartime capital of Free France.
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1944
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Brazzaville conference radicalises French colonial policy, abolishing forced labour and establishing local assemblies.
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1945
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End of the Second World War.
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1946
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Belgian mandate over Rwanda extended by the UN. Indirect Tutsi rule continues.
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1948
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The paternalistic regime in the Belgian Congo continues - 99.6% of educational facilities are controlled by Christian missions, limiting native education to rudimentary reading and writing.
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1950s
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Belgian Congo Gross National Product (the goods and services produced by the country) is rated the highest in Africa. Political agitation for independence takes place throughout the 1950s.
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1951
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Artist Marcel Pire travels from West Africa to the Belgian Congo and remains there for ten years.
Marcel Pire
1913–1981 Belgian
Figure Group 1952
Oil on canvas
The Private Collection of Freddie Booker-Carson and Simon Carson
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1952 –58
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Artist Floris Jespers is sent to the Belgian Congo.
Floris Jespers
1889–1965 Belgian
Portrait of an African Princess 1958
Oil on board
The Private Collection of Freddie Booker-Carson and Simon Carson
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1960
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Independence of Belgian Congo.
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