Kulpa Collection

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THE KULPA COLLECTION

THE KULPA COLLECTION OF IMPORTANT HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHY The first photograph was taken in France in 1826 by Nicéphore Niépce. He called his method heliography – sun writing. This poetic description is relevant to the photographic material within the Kulpa Collection, which sheds light on indigenous societies that might otherwise remain in the shadows. In this sense, the appeal of historical photography rests on the irrefutable facts of each image, whether it is staged or purely documentary. Although names and details are sometimes missing, the images continue to talk to us. The expression in the face of the subject, the surrounding

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scenery, the coy studio setting or the hidden eye of the photographer peering through the contraption make for a fascinating collage, connecting historical speculation with contemporary experience – the seeing of the photograph. The Kulpa Collection offers an important documentary record as the invention and development of photography closely coincided with a period of extensive engagement with indigenous societies. The remoteness of some of the depicted peoples made the very venture of taking the photographs a possibility only for those with great perseverance. The

poignancy of the subject matter also anchors this collection in a special way – the individuals looking hard and straight into the lens of the camera now look hard and straight into us. The Collection also commemorates the pioneering photographers of the day such as Thomas Andrew, W H T Partington and Henry King. It should be noted that some of the most powerful images are unattributed from the perspectives of both subject matter and authorship. However, all stand on their merits as portrayals of societies undergoing radical transformation.

OCEANIC & AFRICAN ART 9


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