Photography and Africa

A continent of vast geography and comprising more than 50 nation states, Africa has long been an essential crossroads for photographers. Since the advent of the medium in the first half of the 19th century, myriad photographers-indigenous and immigrant, amateur and professional, explorer and colonist - have chronicled the tumultuous transformations of cultural, environmental and political landscapes. Photography and Africa investigates the many themes that intertwine photographs with the circumstances of their production. Presenting a wealth of fascinating and rare images, Erin Haney brings together some of the most vibrant examples captured across the continent. Ranging from royal portraiture in the 19th-century Cape Coast to railway gangs in Uganda, to apartheid-era South African resistance photography and to glimmering cityscapes, this book illustrates the fascinating and pervasive relationship between Africa and photography. The importance of pre- and post-colonial African photographers is stressed, and Haney investigates how the medium has influenced other art forms - painting, sculpture, textiles and public performance - from the 19the century through to today.

This powerful and celebratory account of Africa and photography will appeal to all those interested in the medium, and in how the two have interacted and informed each other over time.

Exposures is a series of books on photography designed to explore the rich history of the medium from thematic perspectives. Each title presents a striking collection of images and an engaging, accessible text that offers intriguing insights into a specific theme or subject.

Erin Haney is an independent curator working on projects concerning contemporary and 20th-century photographers from Africa and Its diasporas. She is currently a Research Specialist at the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.