1-153-549 - Ann Ronan Picture Library/Heritage-Images

Pierre-Paul-Francois-Camille Savorgnan de Brazza, French explorer and founder of Brazzaville, 1882. Brazza (1852-1905) in the Belgian Congo. Brazza's explorations of the Congo paved the way to the establishment of French colonies in West Africa. His sudden death from a fever in Dakar in 1905 led to speculation that he had been poisoned.