Postcards From Africa

A close look at photographic postcards made in Africa in the first decades of the twentieth century reveals surprising images and tells their often-complicated stories. Photographers in Africa grasped the opportunity to serve a lucrative market for images of the continent, both locally and worldwide, during the global postcard craze that peaked around 1900 and continued for several decades. Their picture postcards now contribute to understanding political, social and cultural changes in Africa at the time, as the rise of the new medium coincided with the expansion and consolidation of colonial rule. They also provide a way to reconstruct the life and work of the photographers of European, African and other backgrounds who created these images - which often survive only in postcard form - and in some cases published them as well. The cards were produced for residents and travellers in Africa, as well as for buyers and collectors who had never set foot on the continent. Their depictions of colonial administrations, exploitation of resources and peoples, as well as images inscribing tribal identities and racial classifications, often reflect the colonizers' worldview. Yet it is also possible to recover the authorship of some of the African women and men who participated in these photographic encounters. For instance, some cards show that members of Africa's elites recognized the power of photographic images to enhance their standing and present their own narratives. Postcards from Africa reproduces a significant selection of these complex cards - the majority drawn from the extensive Leonard A. Lauder Postcard Archive at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston - accompanied by a leading scholar's exploration of the stories they tell.

For over forty years, professor and culinary historian Jessica B. Harris has collected postcards depicting Africans and their descendants in the American diaspora. They are presented for the first time in this exquisite volume. Vintage Postcards from the African World: In the Dignity of Their Work and the Joy of Their Play brings together more than 150 images, providing a visual document of more than a century of work in agricultural and culinary pursuits and joy in entertainments, parades, and celebrations. Organized by geography—Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States—as well as by the types of scenes depicted—the farm, the garden, and the sea; the marketplace; the vendors and the cooks; leisure, entertainments, and festivities—the images capture the dignity of the labors of everyday life and the pride of festive occasions. Superb and rare images demonstrate everything from how Africans and their descendants dressed to what tools they used to how their entertainments provided relief from toil. Three essays accompany the postcards, one of which details Harris’s collection and the collecting process. A second presents suggestions on how to interpret the cards. A final essay gives brief information on the history of postcards and postcard dating and its increasing use and value to scholars.

An extraordinary view of the bounty of Africa and its diaspora.

The untimely death of Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem in 2009on African Liberation Day stunned the Pan-African world. This lively selection of his weekly Pan-African Postcards demonstrates the brilliant wordsmith he was and his steadfast commitment to Pan-Africanism andoffers a legacy of political, social, and cultural thought from his determination to speak truth to power. Showcasing the author'sexceptional ability to express complex ideas in an engaging manner, this book presents his philosophy on diverse but intersecting themes: his fundamental respect for the capabilities, potential, and contribution of women in transforming Africa; penetrating truths directed at African politicians and their conduct; and deliberations on the institutional progress towards African Union. He reflects on culture and emphasizes the commonalities of African people. Also represented are his denunciations of international financial institutions, the G8 and NGOs in Africa, with incisive analysis of imperialism's manifestations and impact on the lives of African people, and his passion for eliminating poverty in Africa."

In this powerful, poignant and distinctively South African collection of short stories, Rayda Jacobs - leaving suddenly for Canada at the age of 21, to return for good only 27 years later - seeks to understand the deep marks that South Africa has left upon her.

Hazel sends her grand daughter a postcard from South Africa, along the way the postcard has it's own adventures.

For over forty years, professor and culinary historian Jessica B. Harris has collected postcards depicting Africans and their descendants in the American diaspora. They are presented for the first time in this exquisite volume. Vintage Postcards from the African World: In the Dignity of Their Work and the Joy of Their Play brings together more than 150 images, providing a visual document of more than a century of work in agricultural and culinary pursuits and joy in entertainments, parades, and celebrations. Organized by geography—Africa, the Caribbean, and the United States—as well as by the types of scenes depicted—the farm, the garden, and the sea; the marketplace; the vendors and the cooks; leisure, entertainments, and festivities—the images capture the dignity of the labors of everyday life and the pride of festive occasions. Superb and rare images demonstrate everything from how Africans and their descendants dressed to what tools they used to how their entertainments provided relief from toil. Three essays accompany the postcards, one of which details Harris’s collection and the collecting process. A second presents suggestions on how to interpret the cards. A final essay gives brief information on the history of postcards and postcard dating and its increasing use and value to scholars.

The authors discuss the differences between original photographs and their postcard equivalents, and they explore in detail common practices - such as artificial settings, costumes and props, colorization, and patronizing captions - that perpetuated racist, sexist, and romantic stereotypes.