MyWeku

Documentary: Ever Young – James Barnor the iconic Ghanaian photographer

James Barnor

Just over a year ago I posted an article entitled Drum Magazine is 60 years old! A reader commented on the post adding more information to the post. The reader’s comment was:

“It seems Drum’s younger sister “AFRICA” has been forgotten. Though it did not last long, it also had the same dynamic features. I contributed a couple of photo stories in it. Likewise, the West African Contribution to the success of DRUM is absent here!.

That reader was none other than the legendary and iconic photographer James Barnor. We exchanged a couple of private emails in which I lauded his work and his contribution to photography. I promised to do my best to ensure our paths crossed.

It is, therefore with great pleasure that I introduce this short documentary narrated by James Barnor himself about his photography career.

Synopsis: James Barnor’s archive was produced during a career spanning more than 60 years. It covers a remarkable period in history, creating a narrative marked by his passionate interest in people and cultures. Through the medium of portraiture, Barnor’s photographs represent societies in transition: Ghana moving towards independence and London becoming a cosmopolitan, multicultural metropolis.

In this film Barnor discusses his practice, Ever Young studio and the characters he has met during his long career as a photographer in Accra and London.




Nii Thompson