Low-luminosity early-type galaxies. I: Photometry and morphology

We present new multiaperture photoelectric photometry in U, B, V, R and I for 50 southern low-luminosity early-type galaxies (LLE). Asymptotic magnitude and mean surface brightness within the effective aperture are derived from fits to r 1/4 growth curves and colours have been reduced at the effective radius for 154 galaxies (106 LLE and 48 comparison galaxies). A morphological and structural analysis of the LLE sample, based on ESO-LV image data base shows that: (i) The average flattening of these galaxies is high: = 0.58, (ii) The sample can be split in four main categories (plus two secondary). First, the galaxies wearing r 1/4 photometric profile along the two principal axes which have an average flattening of = 0.7 (32% of the sample)