{"product_id":"the-african-lookbook","title":"Catherine E. McKinley: The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn unprecedented visual history of African \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ewomen told in striking and subversive \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ehistorical photographs\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e-\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003efeaturing an \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eIntroduction by Edwidge Danticat and a \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eForeword by Jacqueline Woodson.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMost of us grew up with images of African women that were purely anthropological-bright displays of exotica where the deeper personhood seemed tucked away. Or they were chronicles of war and poverty-“poverty porn.” But now, curator Catherine E. McKinley draws on her extensive collection of historical and contemporary photos to present a visual history spanning a hundred-year arc (1870–1970) of what is among the earliest photography on the continent. These images tell a different story of African women: how deeply cosmopolitan and modern they are in their style; how they were able to reclaim the tools of the colonial oppression that threatened their selfhood and livelihoods.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFeaturing works by celebrated African masters, African studios of local legend, and anonymous artists, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe African Lookbook\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e captures the dignity, playfulness, austerity, grandeur, and fantasy-making of African women across centuries. McKinley also features photos by Europeans-most starkly, striking nudes-revealing the relationships between white men and the Black female sitters where, at best, a grave power imbalance lies. It's a bittersweet truth that when there is exploitation there can also be profound resistance expressed in unexpected ways-even if it's only in gazing back. These photos tell the story of how the sewing machine and the camera became powerful tools for women's self-expression, revealing a truly glorious display of everyday beauty.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0cm;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTitle\u003c\/strong\u003e: The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor\u003c\/strong\u003e: Catherine E. McKinley\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eForeword\u003c\/strong\u003e: Jacqueline Woodson\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/strong\u003e: Edwidge Danticat\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eYear\u003c\/strong\u003e: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e: Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ePages\u003c\/strong\u003e: 230mm × 179mm, 240 pages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e: 9781620403532\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TPG Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57700345708924,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2244\/5351\/files\/lookbook.png?v=1792247449","url":"https:\/\/bookshop.thephotographersgallery.org.uk\/products\/the-african-lookbook","provider":"TPG Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}