American photographer, Edward S Curtis, and his Southern African contemporary, Alfred Duggan-Cronin were both passionate about their career choices.
Working in the early part of the 20th century they dedicated most of their adult lives to taking photographs of indigenous peoples on their respective continents.
American photographer, Edward S Curtis, and his Southern African contemporary, Alfred Duggan-Cronin were both passionate about their career choices.
Working in the early part of the 20th century they dedicated most of their adult lives to taking photographs of indigenous peoples on their respective continents.
Curtis made thought-provoking portraits of North American Indians posing intently and wearing traditional clothing, while Duggan Cronin did almost exactly the same photographing Tswana, San and
Xhosa people going about their daily activities.
An exhibition of their work entitled Shared Legacies was launched last Friday and will run up to and throughout the National Arts Festival.
Gugulethu Mhlungu, the station manager of Rhodes Music Radio was the MC at the function and Mark Canning, Public Diplomacy Officer of the US Consultate General, delivered the keynote address.
He spoke with admiration about the obsessive dedication of the man who took the iconic photographs that immediately spring to mind when we imagine Native Americans.
Curtis enjoyed the political support of President Theodore Roosevelt and the financial support of financier JP Morgan, but he completely neglected his business in order to pursue his quest of photographing Indians in tribal garb.
When he died in 1952 he was struggling financially and his work was almost forgotten until there was a renewed interest in his photography in the 70s.
Makana Mayor, Vumile Lwana used the opportunity to remind visitors at the launch that we as South Africans, “have very much in common with our North American friends”.
He said that Americans talk of their triple heritage of American, European and African origins and that, “We too, in South Africa, talk of a triple heritage derived from Europe, Africa and Asia.”
Duggan-Cronin was born in Ireland but spent most of his working life in Kimberley. Like Curtis, he enjoyed the patronage of a wealthy citizen, JB Currey and he too went on numerous lengthy expeditions to take photographs of local tribespeople. His work is permanently housed at the Duggan-Cronin Gallery in Kimberley.
