‘Photographer Unknown’: Neils Walwin Holm and the (Ir)retrievable Lives of African Photographers.

Of the myriad analytical approaches to photography and its practices in colonial Africa, the perspective most often muted is that of black African photographers who were among the most numerous and prolific producers of these early image-objects. The lack of attention to their activities represents a glaring omission in photographic histories of the continent and further evidence of the legacies of silence perpetuated by the colonial project. As a consequence, there are undeniable archival difficulties in recuperating the lives and careers of black African photographers. However, these photographers are important actors worthy of the effort because of their level of immersion within the geographies and processes of visual economies of this formative period. Using Gold Coast-born and Lagos-based Neils Walwin Holm as a case in point, this article explores how black African photographers not only produced image-objects for their clients, but used their photographic oeuvres, practices and networks to advance their own personal ambitions, professional careers and social reputations. Ultimately, this article underscores the need for greater breadth and depth of scholarship on these early colonial-era African photographers – invisible black actors who were essential contributors to the history of photography in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]