Thames & Hudson to publish 'Todd Webb in Africa: Outside the Frame' by Aimée Bessire and Erin Hyde Nolan
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Friday, November 8, 2024


Thames & Hudson to publish 'Todd Webb in Africa: Outside the Frame' by Aimée Bessire and Erin Hyde Nolan
Todd Webb, Untitled (44UN-7990-212), Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), 1958. Pedestrians walking past SAR Travel Bureau, Truworths, and other shops, Bulawayo. © 2021 Todd Webb Archive.



NEW YORK, NY.- In 1958, photographer Todd Webb, best known for his remarkable images of the everyday life and architecture of New York and Paris, as well as photographs of the American West, was commissioned by the United Nations Office of Public Information to document the progress of industry and technology in what were then eight different African nations, either recently independent or on the cusp of gaining independence in the aftermath of World War II.

Over the course of four months, Webb traveled through Togo, Ghana, Sudan, Somalia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia (which are now Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe), Tanganyika and Zanzibar (now merged as Tanzania), and Kenya. Outfitted with three cameras, he amassed approximately 2,000 images in that time, but only 22 of them were published by the U.N., in black & white, in a 7-page brochure. The remainder of the negatives were dispersed in the 1970s and only reunited with the Todd Webb Archive in 2017.

Taken in color, these images of countries at the intersection of colonialism and independence stand out from Webb’s well-known images of the streets of New York and Paris. The newly released book Todd Webb in Africa: Outside the Frame (Thames & Hudson, Winter 2021) showcases more than 150 of these striking color photographs from his African journey, documenting not only industrial change but also people, homes, landscapes, and daily activities, bringing the past to vibrant life.

In the book’s Introduction, co-authors Aimée Bessire and Erin Hyde Nolan write: “Todd Webb in Africa: Outside the Frame investigates the motivations and complicated historical narratives embedded within Webb’s photographs, mining a complex body of work with an intersectional mindset." The authors acknowledge Webb’s practices as ones that were informed by American understandings of African nations, cultures, and histories—all during a pivotal moment in race relations and civil rights in the United States. Most importantly, the essays gathered within this book acknowledge the challenges of interpreting Webb’s photographic series within their colonial context and from today’s temporal distance.

Todd Webb in Africa also features essays by African and American scholars, artists, historians, photographers, and writers who engage with Webb’s photographs, on both historical and artistic levels, to provide context for the images and insight into the role that photography played in presenting to the rest of the world the social, governmental, and economic transformations of these African countries—including their national independence and entrenched imperialism.

Todd Webb in Africa is published to accompany an exhibition opening at the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) on January 28, 2021. Casey Riley is the Curator and Head of the Department of Photography & New Media at Mia. The show was developed by Riley and other Mia collaborators, along with the book's co-authors, Aimée Bessire and Erin Hyde Nolan. Following its run at Mia through June 13, 2021, the show will travel to other venues in the United States to be announced.

The exhibition is organized into eight sections: Colonialism + Independence, Portraits + Power Dynamics, Urbanization, Education, Trade + Transport, Built Environment, Impact on the Environment and Archival Materials.

A Miraculous Discovery
These only recently discovered color photographs taken in 1958 are published and exhibited for the first time in Todd Webb in Africa. The images went missing for decades after Todd Webb had a run-in with a shady dealer. In 2015, Betsy Evans Hunt, the Executive Director of the Todd Webb Archive, received a tip which ultimately led to the discovery of the lost negatives in five trunks in a California basement. Miraculously, the negatives Hunt recovered were in pristine condition.










Today's News

February 3, 2021

Is seeing that Renoir essential? In the pandemic, cities differ.

Napoleon's brother lived in New Jersey. Here's what happened to the estate.

Almine Rech opens an exhibition of works by Tursic & Mille

Europe court faults Turkey over British artist's conviction

'Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism Through the French Lens' now on view at Asheville Art Museum

Freeman's announces highlights included in the European Art & Old Masters sale

Anger in Cyprus after church demolishes protected buildings

Bringing stages to storefronts in a theater-hungry city

'Carlos Rosales-Silva: Sunland Park' opens at Ruiz-Healy Art, New York

Thames & Hudson to publish 'Todd Webb in Africa: Outside the Frame' by Aimée Bessire and Erin Hyde Nolan

Exhibition of new artifacts by Eric Standley opens at Dinner Gallery

Proyectos Monclova opens an exhibition of works by Verónica Gerber Bicecci

Montreux Jazz Festival to livestream future events

France's 'universal' Oscar pick explores elderly lesbian romance

Sibongile Khumalo, South Africa's 'first lady of song,' dies at 63

New walking tour and film explores NYC's 1863 race riots by Kamau Ware

H&H Classics to offer two rare World War II survivors

British artist Andy Burgess to create bespoke artwork for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

Office for Contemporary Art Norway opens large-scale group exhibition at Kunstnernes Hus

'Whiplines, Waterfalls And Worms': Exhibition of works by Ed Moses opens at JD Malat Gallery

Pivotal: New paintings by Nicole Cooper on view at Fontbonne University Fine Art Gallery

The historic kitchen where Queen Victoria sent her chef to hone his skills featured in new online exhibition

American Bottle Auctions announces sale of the Don Dwyer Collection of Bitters and Soda Bottles, Part 1

Hal Holbrook, actor who channeled Mark Twain, is dead at 95

Get Inspired in Galleries-Become a Graphics Design Artist

How to turn font into text art

Easily Make a Virtual Model of Your Art Gallery

How to Design Your Business Catalog on a Mac

Digital Art in the Pandemic and Beyond

Painting Can Be A Great Way for You to Express Your Inner Emotions

The Significance Of Wearing A Good T-Shirt According To Fashion Sense

Why you may need an essay writing service




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful