Abstract / Description of output
I examine new appropriations of the photographs N.W. Thomas took in Nigeria during his colonial anthropological surveys of 1909 to 1913. Through digital colour editing, the descendants of the subjects of the photographs alter the temporality of the black and white portraits of their ancestors and bring them back to life. The edited images are inserted into the family album, a reintegration that demonstrates new understanding of photography as reincarnation. This practice constitutes a novel kind of family photography that allows for exploitation of colonial past to advance family histories and make political claims. On the other side are those whose ancestors were not pictured in the Thomas archive. They bemoan that absence because it challenges their rootedness in the land.
Original language | English |
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Number of pages | 12 |
Publication status | Unpublished - Sept 2021 |
Event | Citizens of Photography, online conference - Duration: 15 Sept 2021 → 17 Sept 2021 |
Conference
Conference | Citizens of Photography, online conference |
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Period | 15/09/21 → 17/09/21 |