{"product_id":"the-african-lookbook-a-visual-history-of-100-years-of-african-women-hardcover","title":"The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eCatherine E. McKinley\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eJacqueline Woodson\u003c\/b\u003e (Foreword by), \u003cb\u003eEdwidge Danticat\u003c\/b\u003e (Foreword by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWinner of the African Photobook of the Year Award \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA Choice Outstanding Title of the Year\u003cbr\u003eA USA Today Must-Read for Black History Month\u003cbr\u003eAn NPR Goats and Soda Editors' Pick\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003eBookRiot \u003c\/i\u003eFavorite Nonfiction Book of the Year \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAn unprecedented visual history of African women told in striking and subversive historical photographs--featuring an Introduction by Edwidge Danticat and a Foreword by Jacqueline Woodson. \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.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCatherine E. McKinley \u003c\/b\u003eis a curator and writer whose books include the critically acclaimed \u003ci\u003eIndigo\u003c\/i\u003e, a journey along the ancient indigo trade routes in West Africa, and\u003ci\u003e The Book \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eof Sarahs\u003c\/i\u003e, a memoir about growing up Black and Jewish in the 1960s-80s. She's taught creative nonfiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University. The McKinley Collection, featured here, is a personal archive representing African photographies from 1870 to the present. She lives in New York City.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 240\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.1 x 8.9 x 6.8 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 19, 2021\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51769311461664,"sku":"9781620403532","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/e77fd11e00f06d2b9eaa6cc58766d6c7.webp?v=1780345693","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-african-lookbook-a-visual-history-of-100-years-of-african-women-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}