ABSTRACT
Ostrich feathers have long been an important export from Africa to different European markets. Ostrich feathers have long been anof the luxury tradefrom Africa to different Europeancenturies. The ostrich plume was a key part important export across Mediterranean shores for markets. The ostrich plumeof ostrich feathers the luxury wild ostriches especially from North centuries. main source was a key part of was from trade across Mediterranean shores for and West The main source of ostrich feathers was century, theostriches especially from North and West Africa. By the middle of the nineteenth from wild rising economic value of ostrich plumes Africa. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the rising economic value of ostrich plumes triggered colonial French and British competition over this luxury commodity, leading to the triggered colonial French and ostrich farms by the French in luxury and West Africa and by the establishment of domesticated British competition over this North commodity, leading to establishment of domesticated ostrich farms by the French in North and West Africa understand British in South Africa. This article uses an economic historical framework to and by the British inostrich feather trade article uses an economic historical framework to during the colonial South Africa. This and its impact on French and British relations understand colonial ostrich feather trade and its impactostrich featherand British relations during the nineteenth century in Africa. We examine the on French commercial networks that began nineteenth particularly Africa. middle of nineteenth century, and focus on the sourcesthat ostrich to emerge century in by the We examine the ostrich feather commercial networks of began to emerge particularly practices for hunting and raising ostriches. We on the that by looking at feathers and the local by the middle of nineteenth century, and focus argue sources of ostrich feathers and ostrich plumes in European marketsraising ostriches. We argue that by looking at the need for the local practices for hunting and and the rise in public consumption of fashion the need for ostrich plumes in European markets and the rise in public consumption ofnot only goods based on the ostrich plume, nineteenth-century European capitalism destroyed fashion goods based on the ostrichbut also local African livelihoods based on wild ostriches.
