Headwrap Collection

Saint Sebastian attended by Saint Irene and her Maid, 1615. Creator: Dirck van Baburen
Saint Sebastian attended by Saint Irene and her Maid, 1615.

Portrait of young woman in profile, c1800. Creator: Marie-Nicole Vestier
Portrait of young woman in profile, c1800

Fashion Plate (Evening Dresses for Novr. 1801), 1801. Creator: Unknown
Fashion Plate (Evening Dresses for Novr. 1801), 1801. From The Lady's Monthly Museum

Costumes de Différents Pays, Ganga Magicien-Medecin de Congo, c1797. Creator: Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur
Costumes de Differents Pays, Ganga Magicien-Medecin de Congo, c1797

Costumes de Différents Pays, Femme de Kamtschatka, c1797. Creator: Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur
Costumes de Differents Pays, Femme de Kamtschatka, c1797

Bust of an Old Peasant Woman Holding a Jug, after 1643. Creator: Unknown
Bust of an Old Peasant Woman Holding a Jug, after 1643

"A Sketch in the Fruit Market at Rio Janeiro" - by J. Gilbert, 1856. Creator: Unknown
"A Sketch in the Fruit Market at Rio Janeiro" - by J. Gilbert, 1856. Engraving of a painting. From "Illustrated London News", 1856

Sharpneck, Dorothy, Miss, portrait photograph, 1929 Mar. 2. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Sharpneck, Dorothy, Miss, portrait photograph, 1929 Mar. 2

Ito, Michio, Mr. between 1916 and 1921. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Ito, Michio, Mr. between 1916 and 1921

Leonard, Mrs. with cat, standing outdoors, between 1926 and 1938. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Leonard, Mrs. with cat, standing outdoors, between 1926 and 1938

Stewart-Richardson, Constance, Lady, portrait photograph, 1913 Dec. 27. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Stewart-Richardson, Constance, Lady, portrait photograph, 1913 Dec. 27

Moore, Dulcie, Miss, portrait photograph, between 1916 and 1918. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Moore, Dulcie, Miss, portrait photograph, between 1916 and 1918

Moore, Dulcie, Miss, portrait photograph, between 1916 and 1918. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Moore, Dulcie, Miss, portrait photograph, between 1916 and 1918

Maitland, Miss, and Miss Knight, 1915 July 9. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Maitland, Miss, and Miss Knight, 1915 July 9

Fontaine, Miss, portrait photograph, 1916 Feb. 2. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Fontaine, Miss, portrait photograph, 1916 Feb. 2

Portrait of the Electress Sibyl of Saxony (1510-1569), 1533. Creator: Lucas Cranach the Elder
Portrait of the Electress Sibyl of Saxony (1510-1569), 1533

Beaten biscuit, 1898. Creator: Unknown
Beaten biscuit, 1898

Market woman, Brazil, (1854-1890?). Creator: Unknown
Market woman, Brazil, (1854-1890?)

Portrait of seated woman wearing a headwrap, c1870. Creator: Thomas M Saurman
Portrait of seated woman wearing a headwrap, c1870

Market woman, Brazil, 1870-1878. Creator: Henschel & Benque. Market woman, Brazil, 1870-1878
Market woman, Brazil, 1870-1878

Portrait of Louis Armstrong, Aquarium, New York, N.Y. ca. July 1946. Creator: William Paul Gottlieb
Portrait of Louis Armstrong, Aquarium, New York, N.Y. ca. July 1946

Mother and mammy, 1898. Creator: Unknown
Mother and mammy, 1898

Swiskaya, Countess, portrait photograph, between 1917 and 1929. Creator: Arnold Genthe
Swiskaya, Countess, portrait photograph, between 1917 and 1929

Woman, half-length portrait, facing right, viewed from behind, between 1920 and 1930. Creator: Adolph de Meyer
Woman, half-length portrait, facing right, viewed from behind, between 1920 and 1930

The Crusader, June; West African girls; Cover page, 1918-1922. Creator: Unknown
The Crusader, June; West African girls; Cover page, 1918-1922

Presumed portrait of the architect Bernier, 1793. Creator: Jerome Langlois
Presumed portrait of the architect Bernier, 1793

Cotton hoer near Clarksdale, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cotton hoer near Clarksdale, Mississippi

Fingoe Woman, 1850. Creator: Unknown
Fingoe Woman, 1850. The Fingoe Woman from Algoa Bay was sketched at Port Elizabeth, where a large portion of this tribe is located along the coast as far as Sunday's River

Little Russians. (Ukrainians), 1862. Creator: Karl Fiale
Little Russians. (Ukrainians), 1862. Sheet 5 from the album "Description ethnographique des peuples de la Russie", volume 1

Our Margaret, 1897. Creator: Frances S. Allen
Our Margaret, 1897. Photograph shows head-and-shoulders portrait of an African American woman

Headwrap Girl
Carelle N'guessan

Madecasse Lady of Sainte Marie; Recent Explorations in Madagascar, 1875. Creator: Alfred Grandidier
Madecasse Lady of Sainte Marie; Recent Explorations in Madagascar, 1875. From, Illustrated Travels by H.W. Bates. [Cassell, Petter, and Galpin, c1880, London] Belle Sauvage Works.London E.C

Oinochoe (Pitcher), about 440 BCE. Creator: Painter of Naples 3136
Oinochoe (Pitcher), about 440 BCE

ELLIS ISLAND: WOMEN, 1911. Portrait of three woman from Guadeloupe at Ellis Island. Photograph by Augustus Sherman, 1911

ELLIS ISLAND: WOMAN, 1911. Portrait of a woman from Guadeloupe at Ellis Island. Photograph by Augustus Sherman, 1911

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

From the shores of Madagascar to the bustling shores of Ellis Island, the headwrap - a symbol of cultural heritage and resilience - has been a constant thread in the tapestry of women's histories. The Headwrap Girl, a modern embodiment of this tradition, pays homage to the Madecasse Lady of Sainte Marie, whose elegant headwrap graced Alfred Grandidier's 1875 exploration. This ancient adornment, also seen on the Oinochoe pitcher from 440 BCE, speaks to the timeless allure of this versatile accessory. As women from Guadeloupe arrived at Ellis Island in 1911, their headwraps served as a testament to their unbroken connection to their homeland. A portrait of an African American woman from Georgia, captured in 1899, further highlights the enduring significance of this style. Through the trials and triumphs of history, the headwrap has remained a powerful expression of identity and empowerment.