The significance of photographic studios in West Africa
Introduction
The photo below was taken in 1980, at ‘Keita’s Photo Studio’, which is owned by a family friend who used to take pictures of my dad and his siblings for free. In this shot he is posing, slightly smiling, looking to the right of the camera — he is roughly 17 years old here. I’m almost 10 years older than the boy in this image. Photos like this have prompted me to research photographic studios in West Africa are a series of images of my dad taken at a photo studio in Koidu Town, the capital of the Kono district in the Eastern Province of Sierra Leone.
At first when I look at this photo, I feel intrigued. It raises many questions; did he make that outfit (he is/was a tailor)? What did he do that day? How was he feeling? This image feels like a small window into the enigma that is my dad. The backdrop of the black and white photo looks like a curtain and the floor is patterned, replicating the setting of most studio sets during this period of West African photography.
This short text will identify some of the different roles photographic studios played and highlight some notable photographers from this region who owned studios. I will explore the significance of the physical spaces and their presence within West Africa through a socio-historic lens.
Notable photographic studios and their significance
Originally, photographic studios found their place in West Africa in the 19th Century, providing locals with a new and exciting method of documentation and income. During the 20th Century we see a boom of photographic studios, each contributing to society, art and history in a unique way. Photographers were heralded as highly skilled members of society, for example Malick Sidibé (Malian), Seydou Keïta (Malian), Tijani Sitou (Nigerian) and Joseph Moise Agbodjelou (Beninse).
Although photography travelled to the continent from the West, African photographers took this artistic medium and made it their own. They infused their photography with visual cues that present as stamps of this style of photography. My understanding is that it became fairly accessible to open up a studio, as photographers from all backgrounds were able to do so. Most photographers would initially apprentice under an older photographer and then open up their own studios, for example Sidiki Sidibé and Amadou Fané.
Below I identify three photographers who embodied this transformation of the practice:
The first photographic studio in West Africa was opened in 1853 by Augustus Washington (c. 1820 — June 7, 1875). The studio was situated in Monrovia, Liberia where he mainly captured the middle and upper class. Described as a talented Daguerreotypist, Washington moved from America to Liberia to set up this studio, where many of Liberia’s political leaders were photographed. His photography mostly consisted of portraits and he travelled around West Africa, taking a portable studio with him. His images played a role in the depiction of an idealised version of the colony rather than its truth, something Washington himself came to realise. He later moved on from his photographic career to pursue other interests.
Not too long after, in Sierra Leone, Alphonso Lisk-Carew (1887–1969) opened a studio alongside his brother Arthur, in 1905. The images he captured present an honest perspective of Freetown at the time. Although he was also often invited to document visits from colonial rulers, my focus is on his documentation of the Sierra Leonean people. Alphonso apprenticed under W.S Johnston, a photographer, who was described as “master in the art of Photography” (SWLN 1912). Lisk-Carew’s photography ranged from local Freetown sitters to street scenes, social events and more. He ventured out of Freetown to record the communities located in the suburbs such as the Bundu Women’s Secret Society. It is easy to identify Lisk-Carew’s photography by looking at the people and things in the photo. I would argue that his style of photography was defined by who and what he captured rather than by his process . He used his images as postcards, establishing an iconography of Sierra Leone and its people.
The last photographer that I would like to highlight is Sory Sanlé (b.1943) from Burkina Faso, formerly called Republic of Upper-Volta. His images can be recognised by the backdrops created by him of his studio ‘Volta Photo’ (amongst many others), which opened in 1960 the year Burkina Faso gained independence. What separates Sanlé from the aforementioned photographers is the accessibility of his photo studios and the sense of familiarity the individuals had with the camera. You can tell that his studio was a place for everyone from the stories recanted by Sanlé. He used his medium to capture the youth of the time, giving them a space to memorialise and express themselves imaginatively. He would adorn his clients in props, such as telephones, radios, suitcases and more to represent modernity and give his clients a sense of status. These photos serve as an insightful view of the burgeoning culture at the time.
Present day
Bringing this to present day, what role do photographic studios play in West Africa now? Has their role changed? Do they still contribute artistically or culturally to society?
Although digital photography has impacted the financial sustainability of owning a photographic studio and shooting on film, photographic studios and photographers in West Africa still exist in abundance. These studios are used to capture poignant moments such as birthdays, graduations and general celebrations mirroring the same function as the studios mentioned before. People dress themselves in their best outfits and use these spaces to memorialise and document moments of importance. The images produced tend to be glossy and bright, a style that has been adopted across the region. These studios now share their images via Facebook, Instagram and on personal websites. Many studios now also have a videography offering.
It’s hard to accurately understand or identify what the current cultural or social significance of photographic studios in West Africa from London but what I will say is that these studios still culturally and socially serve the same purpose as the post-colonial studios that we celebrate today. I say this because these studios all share the same intention ‘to document people and make a trade of it’. Their documentation captures so much that is culturally significant, for example style of clothing, relationship dynamics, social practices and customs. The people taking these pictures are not just photographers, they are documentors, archivers and historians. They are serving us here in the present and have the potential to serve future generations, provided their documentation is taken care of.
It would be interesting to hear directly from the owner of these studios, to understand how their studios are used. Do people gather and hang out there? Do people have particular photographers they go to? What are the owners’ relationships with their regulars?
Although this particular style of photography does not resonate with me visually from an artistic standpoint, that does not detract from the current or future value their documentation has/might have. The artistic value lies with the photographers and those that have an appreciation for this style of photography. It is hard to determine whether in the future the images taken today will be revered in the same way, I hope they are. It would be interesting to gain an understanding of how the photographers themselves feel about the images they produce and how they consider them from an artistic perspective, if they actually do?
Conclusion
West Africa is made up of at least 17 countries, all with their distinctive stories and cultures. This short text barely scratches the surface of the studios in West Africa and their roles in the past, present and future. It is important to note that all the studios listed above were opened up by men, Ethel-Ruth Tawe has an excellent article celebrating women image-makers here, some of whom opened up their own photographic studios.
From the small amount of information I have presented, it is clear that photographic studios in West Africa served many functions. Although at the time photographers may have opened studios as a way to earn a living, these studios are now celebrated as the birthplaces of notable pieces of art. Studios like Sory Sanlé’s gave people spaces to be willingly captured, a safe space. Today, the images created in these studios represent preserved stories and alternative narratives. Stylistically, this genre of photography is unique and deserves all the accolades.
Sory Sanle stated: ‘Because for me, that’s what it was: a trade. I never knew people would want to look at my photos. I just wanted to make a living, have fun, make sure my clients had the best time. It’s strange to see people getting so excited about all my old photos today. I’m 75 now. I never thought this would happen’
Despite the rise of mobile phones and the accessibility of digital photography, photographic studios have still found their space in society today. The same warmth captured in the postcolonial studios has transcended time and shines through in the images today.
Personally, the significance of photographic studios is hard to define. Embarking on this small research project has evoked feelings of pride in being from the region, discomfort around how these images were archived, joy, intrigue and most importantly hope for the future generations to come. Through these images I have been given the opportunity to see my dad at the age of 17 in outfits he made himself, see my maternal grandparents and gain an insight into an important part of my heritage.
Maybe the next time I am in West Africa, most likely Sierra Leone, I will pop into a studio.
Glossary
Bundu Women’s Secret Society
The Bundu Society, initiates girls into adulthood by rituals, a practice found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast. It has been in existence since at least the seventeenth century.
Daguerreotypist
The daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process (1839–1860) in the history of photography. Named after the inventor, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, each daguerreotype is a unique image on a silvered copper plate (Daguerreobase — What is a daguerreotype?, 2021). A daguerreotypist is someone who uses this method of photography.
Iconography
subject matter in the visual arts, especially with reference to the conventions regarding the treatment of a subject in artistic representation (Definition of iconography | Dictionary.com, 2021).
Recommendations
I’m still at the very beginning of my discovery of this mode of photography but please see below some of my favourite studio photography projects:
Contemporary photographers and studio photography
Ejatu Shaw — Self Portrait as my Mother
Projects championing studio photography in West Africa
Adrien Tache — West African Studio Photographers
Celebrating Female Pioneers — Ethel-Ruth Tawe
References
Crooks, J., 2015. Alphonso Lisk-Carew: Imaging Sierra Leone through His Lens. African Arts, 48(3), pp.18–27.
Daguerreobase.org. 2021. Daguerreobase — What is a daguerreotype?. [online] Available at: <http://www.daguerreobase.org/en/knowledge-base/what-is-a-daguerreotype#:~:text=The%20daguerreotype%20was%20the%20first,on%20a%20silvered%20copper%20plate.> [Accessed 12 March 2021].
Gore, Charles, “Intersecting Archives: Intertextuality and the Early West African Photographer.”, 2015.
Paoletti, G., 2017. Early Histories of Photography in West Africa (1860–1910). [online] Metmuseum.org. Available at: <https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ephwa/hd_ephwa.htm> [Accessed 4 March 2021].
Siddons, E., 2021. Sory Sanlé’s best photograph: the studio where dreams came true. [online] the Guardian. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/oct/18/sory-sanle-photography-my-best-shot-burkina-faso-bobo> [Accessed 28 March 2021].
Viditz-Ward, V., 1987. Photography in Sierra Leone, 1850–1918. Africa, 57(4), pp.510–518.
