Photographer: Scohy, André (ca. 1905–1987).
Title: untitled (Un Batua).
Date: ca. 1950.
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Medium: unmounted gelatin silver print.
Size: 18,0 x 24,0 cm.
Condition: very good.
Reference: ASV0520/1.
Provenance: French collection.
Extra: typed note with identification in French and Dutch on verso. Congopresse 24.111/1.
The Batua (Batwa) are a pygmy people living in symbiosis with Bantu communities in the region of Lake Mai-Ndombe (formerly Lake Leopold II) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their traditional way of life is closely tied to local Bantu populations, particularly through hunting, gathering, and local trade.
Territory: Inongo.
Province: Mai-Ndombe (former Bandundu). 
André Scohy (ca. 1905–1987), Belgian colonial administrator, broadcaster, and author
Active in the Belgian Congo during the 1950s, André Scohy played a significant role in the colony’s cultural and informational landscape. He began his career as a territorial administrator in 1938 and later worked in the Governor-General’s information services. As director of Radio Congo Belge, he contributed to the development of radio broadcasting and the local music scene.In 1954, Scohy co-founded the Groupement Culturel Belgo-Congolais, an intellectual forum that included prominent Congolese figures such as Patrice Lumumba, Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, and Moïse Tshombe.
Scohy also authored several richly illustrated books on Congolese life and culture. Notable works include: Les Corps Expéditionnaires Congolais (1945), on Congolese troops in WWII, Étapes au soleil (1952), a travelogue highlighting groups like the Bapende and Booli, Geheimzinnig Uele (1955), featuring photography by Henri Goldstein and Étapes au soleil: Images du Congo (1956), a trilingual publication with maps and photos.His work reflects both the colonial gaze and a desire to document the diversity of the Congolese regions and peoples during a pivotal historical moment.