Project3541 is an act of reclamation. It is a collection of photographs shared by family members and loved ones of those who lived during the 1935-41 war between Ethiopia and Italy.

Called the first real war of World War II, the Italo-Ethiopian war began on Oct 3, 1935, when Benito Mussolini invaded Ethiopia. What unfolded in the years between the invasion and the eventual ouster of Italy is the subject of this site.

The photographs provide an intimate perspective of an African conflict with global consequences. This is a communal effort and a labor love.

Project3541 includes images from the private collection of Maaza Mengiste, whose novel, The Shadow King, tells the story of this war and those who lived through it.