This volume presents for the first time the selected photographs of renowned British anthropologist Isaac Schapera (1905-2003). Taken between 1929 and 1934, largely during his earliest work among the Kgatla peoples of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), the images in this selection reveal an emotional engagement and aesthetic impulse that Schapera seldom expressed in his writings. Covering a broad spectrum of daily activities, they include depictions of everything from pot making, thatching, and cattle herding to village architecture, vernacular medicine, and rainmaking ceremonies. Visually fascinating and of exceptional quality, these images capture the uniqueness of an African people in a particular time and place. They are contexualized and their significance explained in Jean and John Comaroff's insightful introduction, while Adam Kuper's illuminating biographical sketch of Schapera provides new insight into the life of the photographer. "Picturing a Colonial Past" reveals not only a rare side of old Botswana, but also of one of the most famous anthropologists to ever work there.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
"This is a wonderful book for lovers of Southern African cultures, as well as for students of classic ethnography and visual culture. . . . There is much value in the aesthetic beauty of these photographs, reminding us that cultures reassert their values in a wide range of contexts."--Nancy Howell and David Lee "Journal of Anthropological Research "
"Picturing a Colonial Past is profoundly respectful and elegiac. . . The Comaroffs write a superb essay on the photographs; Kuper . . . writes a superb article about Schapera's life and career. The photographs have been tracked down, identified, re-captioned, and beautifully presented. Everything about the book breathes scholarship and commitment."--Terence Ranger "International History Review "
"Isaac Schapera's photographs magnificently capture everyday life among the Kgatla at a period of great social change through a seemingly artless focus on artifacts and architecture, dress and deportment. In their introduction, Jean and John Comaroff--Schapera's most outstanding successors--provide a scintillating and thought-provoking portrait of Schapera as ethnographer and photographer. This splendid volume will be a most valuable resource to anthropologists and historians and a source of illumination and enjoyment to readers interested in southern Africa."
-- (12/20/2006)"These spectacular photographs reveal a much more complex Schapera than his writings allow and provide a more complete and aesthetically charming supplement to his work. The combination of clear, insightful, and entertaining scholarship--written by some of the foremost anthropologists of the region--and stunning photographs makes this a highly original and important book with a wide appeal. Readers will gain a better understanding of the history of anthropology as well as visual anthropology and African studies."
-- (01/08/2007)John L. Comaroff is the Harold W. Swift Distinguished Service Professor of Anthropology at the University of Chicago and a senior research fellow at the American Bar Foundation. Jean Comaroff is the Bernard E. and Ellen C. Sunny Distinguished Service Professor of Anthropology and director of the Chicago Center for Contemporary Theory at the University of Chicago. Both are also honorary professors at the University of Cape Town. Deborah James is a reader in the Department of Anthropology and member of the Centre for the Study of Human Rights at the London School of Economics.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
£ 2.84
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
£ 1.98
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Tim's Used Books Provincetown Mass., Provincetown, MA, U.S.A.
Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. Some light pencil notes by a Photography Curator in text. Not a library book. Ships in a cardboard enclosure, from Tim's Used Books, open shop in Provincetown, Massachusetts; providing good books at reasonable prices since 1991. Seller Inventory # 24021235
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 5026400-n
Quantity: 3 available
Seller: INDOO, Avenel, NJ, U.S.A.
Condition: New. Brand New. Seller Inventory # 9780226114125
Quantity: Over 20 available
Seller: Pallas Books Antiquarian Booksellers, Leiden, Netherlands
paperbound, 4to xv+224 pp., ca. 150 ills. this book presents for the first time the selected photographs of the renowned British anthropologist Isaac Schgapera (1905-2003); taken between 1929 and 1940 among the Kgatla peoples of Bechuanaland (now Botswana); covering a broad spectrum of thems; LIKE NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 23714
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GreatBookPrices, Columbia, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: As New. Unread book in perfect condition. Seller Inventory # 5026400
Quantity: 3 available
Seller: PBShop.store US, Wood Dale, IL, U.S.A.
PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # FW-9780226114125
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: PBShop.store UK, Fairford, GLOS, United Kingdom
PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # FW-9780226114125
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: Kennys Bookshop and Art Galleries Ltd., Galway, GY, Ireland
Condition: New. Contains photographs of British anthropologist Isaac Schapera (1905-2003) taken between 1929 and 1934, during his earliest work among Kgatla peoples of Bechuanaland (Botswana). Covering a spectrum of daily activities, this book includes depictions from pot making, thatching, cattle herding to village architecture, and more. Editor(s): Comaroff, John L.; Comaroff, Jean; James, Deborah. Num Pages: 184 pages, 139 halftones. BIC Classification: 1HFMB; 3JJ; AJC; JHM. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 240 x 214 x 13. Weight in Grams: 678. . 2007. New edition. Paperback. . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780226114125
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Springhead Books, Rochester, United Kingdom
Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. This volume presents for the first time the selected photographs of the renowned British anthropologist Isaac Schapera. Taken between 1929 and 1934, largely during his earliest work among the Kgatla peoples of Bechuanaland (now Botswana), the 136 images in this selection reveal an emotional engagement and aesthetic impulse that Schapera seldom expressed in his writings. xiv, 224 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm. Slight shelf wear to edges, no inscriptions, tight and square binding. Photographs available on request. All books dispatched same or next working day in robust packaging. Seller Inventory # 017040
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Ria Christie Collections, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
Condition: NEW. In. Seller Inventory # ria9780226114125_new
Quantity: 2 available