New Appropriations of a Colonial Photo Collection in Nigeria

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

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 languageEnglish
Number of pages12
Publication statusUnpublished - Sept 2021
EventCitizens of Photography, online conference -
Duration: 15 Sept 202117 Sept 2021

Conference

ConferenceCitizens of Photography, online conference
Period15/09/2117/09/21

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