Abstract:
The paper proposes a reading of "L'oeil de l'ethnographe (à propos de la Mission ethnographique Dakar-Djibouti)", published in the journal Documents (1930, 7) and written by the anthropologist Michel Leiris (1901-1990) shortly before his first research expedition to Africa, when he joined the Ethnographic and Linguistic Mission Dacar-Djibouti (1931-1933). It looks at this journey report before the journey happened, examining its benefits for a reflection on the ethnographic journey, on Leiris' role as one of the editors of Documents in Paris between the wars, and on his work.
Keywords:
Michel Leiris; Journey and Ethnography; Documents; Journey and autobiography; L'oeil de l'ethnographe