James Barnor’s historic images documented his country as it freed itself from colonial rule. In his 80s, he finally received recognition. In his 90s, his drive is stronger than ever. Barnor has recently – with the help of his Paris-based manager – started the mammoth task of digitally archiving his sprawling collection of pictures. Images taken in Ghana, where he was born and raised, and England, from the 1940s to today: lifestyle, politics, fashion; commercial and editorial. Despite his long and illustrious career, it’s only fairly recently his work has achieved more widespread recognition. A recent major retrospective at London’s Serpentine Gallery has been followed by exhibitions in Switzerland, the US, and, later this month, Antwerp. Multiple books have come out in the past few years to celebrate his pictures.
Pioneering Ghanaian Photographer James Barnor
