Polygamy Collection

Zulu warrior and his five wives
A Zulu warrior and his five wives - South Africa Date: circa 1905

A Mormon family in Utah in the 19th century. (print)
7419927 A Mormon family in Utah in the 19th century. (print); (add.info.: A Mormon family in Utah in the 19th century. A man, his two wives and child)

Blimy Bill what a lazy bounder! (colour litho)
8656773 Blimy Bill what a lazy bounder! (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Blimy Bill what a lazy bounder! Not arf one's too many for me)

Native American (Timucuan) tattooed chief in painted deerskin robe accompanied by his wives in necklaces and sashes
FLO4621994 Native American (Timucuan) tattooed chief in painted deerskin robe accompanied by his wives in necklaces and sashes, and two servant boys with fans

The Daughters of Thespius King Thespios had fifty daughters whom he wanted to unite with
JLJ4676406 The Daughters of Thespius King Thespios had fifty daughters whom he wanted to unite with Heracles (Hercules), representative at the centre, so that they all had a child of him

Mandingo ritual of Mumbo Jumbo, Kolor
A Mandingo polygamist in a suit of tree bark beats one of his wives in the brutal ritual of Mumbo Jumbo, Kolor. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Antonio Sasso from Giulio Ferrarios Ancient

Bahram Gur in the White Palace on Friday, Folio 235 from a Khamsa... A.H. 931 / A.D
Bahram Gur in the White Palace on Friday, Folio 235 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, A.H. 931/A.D. 1524-25

Bahram Gur in the Yellow Palace on Sunday, Folio 213 from a Khamsa... A.H. 931 / A.D
Bahram Gur in the Yellow Palace on Sunday, Folio 213 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, A.H. 931/A.D. 1524-25

Bahram Gur in the Sandal Palace on Thursday, Folio 230 from a Khamsa... A.H. 931 / A.D
Bahram Gur in the Sandal Palace on Thursday, Folio 230 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, A.H. 931/A.D. 1524-25

Southern Africa - Zulu Chieftain with his many wives. The practice of having several wives indicates a mans social standing, wealth and virility

Brigham Young at Home, published 1872 (print)
7315205 Brigham Young at Home, published 1872 (print) by Stephens, Henry Louis (1821-86) (after); (add.info.: Brigham Young at Home. An illustration by H.L)

The mixture (colour litho)
3642792 The mixture (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The mixture. Postcard, early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

The Women of the King (drawing)
JEB4870272 The Women of the King (drawing) by Lauzet, Auguste (1863-1898); Palais de Longchamp, Marseille, France; © Jean Bernard. All rights reserved 2022

"Le roi Salomon entraine dans l idolatrie"(The Idolatry of King Solomon)
FIA5340458 " Le roi Salomon entraine dans l idolatrie" (The Idolatry of King Solomon) Salomons abandonne dans l amour des femmes et des idoles

Charlemagne and his four wives (litho)
7186061 Charlemagne and his four wives (litho) by European School, (16th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne and his four wives)

Congo tribal chief and his many wives (b / w photo)
6015434 Congo tribal chief and his many wives (b/w photo) by European Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Congo tribal chief and his many wives)

The visit of the queens, the sixteen wives of King Sepopo, in Dr. Holubs box
LSE4333734 The visit of the queens, the sixteen wives of King Sepopo, in Dr. Holubs box. Engraving by D.Maillard, to illustrate the story " Au pays des Marutses", in 1875-1879, by Dr

Native American Chief and two wives. 1908

Native Chiefs and Harem, Mendi land (gelatin silver print)
622662 Native Chiefs and Harem, Mendi land (gelatin silver print) by Balmer, William Turnbull (1866-1928); 10.8x15.1 cm; Private Collection; (add.info)

Brigham Young (1801-77), President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
AQS336855 Brigham Young (1801-77), President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormons (albumen print) by Savage

Wilford Woodruff (1807-98), 4th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
AQS336854 Wilford Woodruff (1807-98), 4th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or Mormons (albumen print) by Savage

Man with two wives, Lokoja, Nigeria, West Africa
Abigah (Abigel), son of the King of Lokoja, with his two wives, Lokoja, Nigeria, West Africa. 1922

Palanquin of the Concubines of the Sultan, court of the Shah alem
JLJ4687337 Palanquin of the Concubines of the Sultan, court of the Shah alem. Indian and Persian miniatures in " History of India from Tamertante to Orangreyb" by Niccolo Manucci (1638-1717)

Voyage De M Brun Au Pays Des Achantis (engraving)
2783061 Voyage De M Brun Au Pays Des Achantis (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Voyage De M Brun Au Pays Des Achantis)

Mormon Pioneer Family at Echo City, Utah, c. 1869 (b / w photo)
PNP251887 Mormon Pioneer Family at Echo City, Utah, c.1869 (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark American Pictures; American, out of copyright

The Church Congress at Wakefield (engraving)
1055079 The Church Congress at Wakefield (engraving) by Hall, Sydney Prior (1842-1922) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Church Congress at Wakefield)

King Georges Wives, Opobo, near Calabar, Nigeria, c. 1870 (albumen print)
622667 King Georges Wives, Opobo, near Calabar, Nigeria, c.1870 (albumen print) by Joaque, Francis W. (c.1845-1900) (attr)

The Two Wives of Jason, before 1872 (watercolour and bodycolour over black chalk on paper
1218066 The Two Wives of Jason, before 1872 (watercolour and bodycolour over black chalk on paper) by Burne-Jones, Edward Coley (1833-98); Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Islamic Art: "Marriage of the Three Daughters of Sero
LRI4667520 Islamic Art: " Marriage of the Three Daughters of Sero, King of Yemen" Persian miniature from a manuscript of the epic poem " Shahnameh" (Shah Nama)

Polygamous Mormon pioneer with several wives, Echo City, Utah, c. 1870 (b / w photo)
PNP412190 Polygamous Mormon pioneer with several wives, Echo City, Utah, c.1870 (b/w photo) by American Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark Pictures; American

Polygamy In Low Life, c. 1860s (b / w photo)
495470 Polygamy In Low Life, c.1860s (b/w photo) by Savage, Charles Roscoe (1832-1909); Private Collection; (add.info.: A scene of a polygamous Mormon family in Utah.); English, out of copyright

Interior of a Harem (engraving)
725879 Interior of a Harem (engraving) by Allom, Thomas (1804-72) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Interior of a Harem. Illustration for The Gallery of Engravings (circa 1880)

A Karib chef from the island of Saint Vincent in the West Indies with his five women
JLJ4687756 A Karib chef from the island of Saint Vincent in the West Indies with his five women Engraving of the 19th century Chartres, Musee des Beaux Arts by French School

Bahram Gur in the Dark Palace on Saturday, Folio 207 from a Khamsa... A.H. 931 / A.D
Bahram Gur in the Dark Palace on Saturday, Folio 207 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, A.H. 931/A.D. 1524-25

Bahram Gur in the Green Palace on Monday, Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, A. H
Bahram Gur in the Green Palace on Monday, Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, A.H. 931/A.D. 1524-25

Bahram Gur and the Indian Princess in the Dark Palace on Saturday, Folio 23v... ca. 1430
Bahram Gur and the Indian Princess in the Dark Palace on Saturday, Folio 23v from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, ca. 1430

Bahram Gur in the Turquoise Palace on Wednesday, Folio 216 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami, dated A.H. 931/A.D. 1524-25

Tanzania - Sultan Ikoma and his wives - house stockade. Date: circa 1923

Zulu Man with his Six Wives and six of his children (all pictured). Date: 1906

19th Century American Archival Archive Child
A Mormon family in Utah in the 19th century. A man, his two wives and child. From an illustration by an unidentified artist

Mormon Mormonism Mormons Latter Day Saints Religion
A Mormon man brings home another wife. After a 19th century illustration by an unidentified artist

Lady's Life Among The Mormons Mormon Expose Polygamy
Brigham Young at Home. An illustration by H.L. Stephens from Expose of Polygamy in Utah: A Lady's Life Among the Mormons, by Fanny Stenhouse, published 1872

South Africa - A Veiled Zulu bride. Date: circa 1920s

The Former king of Dahomey and his wives
Behanzin, the Former king of Dahomey and his wives in exile in Algeria. Behanzin (1844-1906) is considered the eleventh King of Dahomey (now Benin)

Mormon leader Brigham Young with his latest wife
The Mormon leader, Brigham Young, with his latest wife, in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Kenya, East Africa - Man with his two wives - it appears he may have a false (artificial) left leg (which would explain the walking stick). Date: circa 1910s

Theebaw of Burma
THEEBAW (THIBAW) King Theebaw of Burma with his evil Queen Supayalat (centre) and her sister. Defeated in third Burmese War. Date: 1858 - 1916

The Threatened Slump in Husbands: post WW1 polgamy imagined
The Bystander takes a humourous look in 1915 at the marriage problems that may arise after the war is over. C.E Peto imagines the social consequences of polgamy becoming permissable in the wake of

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Polygamy, a practice deeply rooted in history and culture, has been observed in various civilizations across the globe. From the Zulu warrior and his five wives to Bahram Gur's escapades in different palaces, it has taken on diverse forms throughout time. In ancient times, Bahram Gur, a legendary Persian king from the 10th century AD, was known for his multiple marriages. Whether it was him residing in the White Palace on Friday or indulging himself in the Yellow Palace on Sunday, Bahram Gur's love affairs were documented meticulously. The Khamsa manuscripts from that era provide us with glimpses into this fascinating aspect of his life. Moving forward to more recent times, Brigham Young stands as an emblematic figure associated with polygamy. As depicted in published prints and photographs dating back to the 19th century, Young is shown surrounded by numerous wives at home or engaged in social gatherings such as dinner parties. These visual representations offer insight into how polygamous relationships were perceived during that period. Polygamy extends beyond specific individuals; even mythical figures like King Thespios sought to unite his fifty daughters through marriage. This tale showcases how they are be intertwined with mythology and folklore. Furthermore, historical accounts shed light on other prominent figures who practiced polygamy. Charlemagne himself had four wives according to lithographs depicting him alongside these women. However varied its manifestations may be across cultures and eras, one cannot ignore that polygamy often raises questions regarding gender equality and societal norms. It sparks debates about power dynamics within relationships and challenges traditional notions of monogamous unions. While some view it as a cultural tradition or religious practice deeply ingrained within certain communities, others criticize it for perpetuating inequality among genders or promoting objectification of women. As we explore these historical instances - whether through depictions of Solomon succumbing to idolatry or the daughters of Thespios.