The West is slowly coming to grips with its abusive colonial past. Europe dominated Africa with an authoritarian hand for almost a century. The Smithsonian African American Art Gallery’s new exhibit, In and Out of Focus: Images from Central Africa, 1885-1960, focuses on an aspect of colonial rule often overlooked. Photography, a medium just emerging in the late 1880s, was used to manipulate public opinion and foster sentiments about Africa that linger today. The gallery contains photos that both exemplify the biases of the day, as well as others of a more objective nature.
The photographs in the exhibit are drawn from a variety of sources, such as colonial governments, private portraiture makers and missionaries, as well as ordinary citizens. The work of Casimir Zagourski, a Russian expatriate, comprises much of the exhibit. Zagourski ran a portrait studio in Leopoldville, the capital of the Belgian Congo, but his real passion was documenting the everyday lives of Africans. Zagourski feared their culture was on the verge of extinction due to Western encroachment. He explored deep into the central heartland of Africa, capturing images of tribal life that are tinged with emotion and sincerity. He captured authentic examples of tribal dress, adornment, dance and ritual with the majestic backdrop of Africa’s beauty.
Much of the exhibit is comprised of mounted postcards which were used to perpetuate racist stereotypes about African peoples during the colonial period. These postcards enjoyed a wide range of circulation, giving Europeans an altered impression of African lifestyles and serving to instill notions of savage Africa into the popular mindset. The photographers often emphasized situations and traits that Europeans regarded as backwards, furthering the spurious but widely held belief that Europeans were naturally superior to their African counterparts. The exhibit also boasts large screens which span the length of the entire hall, and upon which are projected a rotating array of images, adding a dynamic element to the exhibit. These images blur in and out of focus—indicative of the way in which foreign perceptions of Africa have changed with time.
Examples of colonial “successes” are featured in many of the exhibit’s photographs. Missionary attempts to Christianize Africa were often captured on film and widely distributed in the West, heralded as examples of colonial achievement. With the passing of time, these photographs have gained a radically different connotation—what was once celebrated as the “white man’s burden” is now regarded as a blatant symbol of oppression. Photographs depicting activities such as African men carrying wealthy Europeans around in litters are now viewed as examples of European exploitation.
Collected photographs of the Kuba, Mangbetu and Tutsi tribes share a room in the exhibit, showing chiefs in their full traditional tribal regalia. As photography became more popular in the early 19th century, many Africans began sitting for photographs in European studios that had sprung up in their cities to document their everyday way of life. Many of these portraits show people who have adopted Western lifestyles and dress which became desirable in the cities—showing the extent to which colonial influence had permeated the African consciousness.
The manipulation of images and sentiments for the purpose of colonial propaganda has had a lasting effect on historical perspectives of Africa. While this is the main message of the exhibit, it also serves as an interesting reflection on the power of images to construct and manipulate our worldview. The cultural stigmas of the past haunt our perceptions of Africa today, which run the gamut from notions of Nelson Mandella to less enlightened fare like spear-chucking Hollywood drivel like Ace Ventura II.
In & Out of Focus: Images from Central Africa, 1885-1960 is at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art until March 16th.
