{"product_id":"the-african-lookbook-a-visual-history-of-100-years-of-african-women-9781620403532","title":"The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn unprecedented visual history of African \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ewomen told in striking and subversive \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ehistorical photographs--featuring an \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eIntroduction by Edwidge Danticat and a \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eForeword by Jacqueline Woodson.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMost of us grew up with images of African women that were purely anthropological--bright displays of exotica where the deeper personhood seemed tucked away. Or they were chronicles of war and poverty--\"poverty porn.\" But now, curator Catherine E. McKinley draws on her extensive collection of historical and contemporary photos to present a visual history spanning a hundred-year arc (1870-1970) of what is among the earliest photography on the continent. These images tell a different story of African women: how deeply cosmopolitan and modern they are in their style; how they were able to reclaim the tools of the colonial oppression that threatened their selfhood and livelihoods. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFeaturing works by celebrated African masters, African studios of local legend, and anonymous artists, \u003ci\u003eThe African Lookbook\u003c\/i\u003e captures the dignity, playfulness, austerity, grandeur, and fantasy-making of African women across centuries. McKinley also features photos by Europeans--most starkly, striking nudes--revealing the relationships between white men and the Black female sitters where, at best, a grave power imbalance lies. It's a bittersweet truth that when there is exploitation there can also be profound resistance expressed in unexpected ways--even if it's only in gazing back. These photos tell the story of how the sewing machine and the camera became powerful tools for women's self-expression, revealing a truly glorious display of everyday beauty.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Bloomsbury Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/19\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781620403532\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 240","brand":"Catherine E. McKinley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":38028066685109,"sku":"9781620403532","price":25.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_2d3873be-1ed5-4294-9888-89b03f81302a.jpg?v=1609194454","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-african-lookbook-a-visual-history-of-100-years-of-african-women-9781620403532","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}