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Todd Webb in Africa

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Todd Webb in Africa by Aimée Bessire and Erin Hyde Nolan explores the captivating journey of the American photographer Todd Webb, who embarked on a photographic expedition across Africa in the 1950s. The book showcases Webb's striking images and offers insight into the cultural and historical narratives of the continent during that era. Through the lens of Webb’s camera, readers gain a visual understanding of post-colonial Africa and its diverse landscapes and communities.
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Format: Hardback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you have an appreciation for mid-20th-century photography and the visual storytelling of African cultures and landscapes during that era. The book offers a compelling collection of images that capture the rich diversity and vibrancy of Africa through Todd Webb's lens, making it a fascinating exploration for anyone interested in arts and cultural history.

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A photographic journey by one of the 20th century's great photographers through eight African countries on the cusp of independence post World War II.

Join one of the 20th century's great photographers on a journey through eight African countries on the cusp of independence post World War II

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Todd Webb is largely known for his skillful photographic documentation of everyday life and architecture in cities, most notably New York and Paris, as well as his photographs of the American West. This new book showcases a different side of Webb's work, taken from an assignment that took him to eight African countries.

In 1958, Webb was invited by the United Nations to document Togoland (now Togo), Ghana, Kenya, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (now Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi), Somaliland (now Somalia), Sudan, Tanganyika and Zanzibar (now merged as Tanzania) over a five-month assignment. Equipped with three cameras and briefed to document industrial progress, he returned with approximately 1,500 colour negatives, but less than twenty of them were published, in black and white, by the United Nations Department of Public Information. The archive was then lost for over fifty years and was only rediscovered by the Todd Webb Archive in 2017.

Todd Webb in Africa includes over 150 striking colour photographs from Webb's African United Nations assignment. This book, and an accompanying touring exhibition, provides expert insight into Webb's images with contributions by both African and American scholars. Accompanying essays place the photographs in their historical and artistic moment, and provide crucial insight into the role of photography in visualising national independence and ingrained imperialism.

With 203 illustrations in colour.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Todd Webb in Africa has been celebrated as an extraordinary and fascinating photographic journey. It features a stunning collection of never-before-seen photographs, beautifully presented and sensitively contextualised, drawing praise for its captivating and intriguing portrayal of Africa.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780500545393

Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 21 January 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Illustration: 203 Illustrations, color

Contributors:

  • Contributions by Ali Jimale Ahmed
  • Contributions by James Barnor
  • Contributions by Rehema Chachage
  • Contributions by Betsy Evans Hunt
  • Contributions by Christraud M. Geary
  • Contributions by Jan-Lodewijk Grootaers
  • Contributions by Emmanuel Iduma

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 248.0mm

Height: 298.0mm

Weight: 1860g

Pages: 256

About the Author

Todd Webb (1905-2000) was an American photographer active from the late 1930s to the 1980s whose work has attained an important place in the annals of American photographic history. Previous books on Todd Webb include I See A City, also published by Thames & Hudson.
Aimée Bessire is Professor of African art history and cultural studies at Bates College in Maine. She has co-curated exhibitions including 'The Art of Identity: African Sculpture from the Teel Collection' (Fogg Museum, Harvard 1996) and 'Convulsive Beauty: The Impact of Surrealism on American Art' (Whitney Museum of American Art, New York 1988).
Erin Hyde Nolan is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Maine College of Art, where she teaches the history of photography and visual culture. She was the manager of the Todd Webb Archive from 2010 to 2015.

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