Sunday, January 03, 2010

Colonialism Through the Lens of a Camera

Agnes Mary Hutchins, born in Zanzibar, 16 May/09
Northwestern University Library has made available The Humphrey Winterton Collection of East African Photographs: 1860-1960, an online database of over 7,000 photographs documenting the European colonization of East Africa. Be warned, the collection is rife with uncomfortable photos in the tradition of The People of India and the library spends a great many words attempting to establish a historical context for the images.

Beyond the typical visual documents you'd expect to find in a collection of colonial-era photographs are some truly amazing landscape and environmental images of East Africa.

The two peaks of Kilimanjaro in the distance

Dongola (gazzelle)
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