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A photograph from Ghana's Deo Gratias studio, now celebrating its centennial, demands attention.
It is not one of a slew of photos snapped in a hurry to be swiped through and then forgotten. The photographer and subjects clearly put time and effort into the composition and production. That time must be repaid.
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A local chief fisherman with a ceremonial oar must have walked into JK Bruce-studio Vanderpuije's in Accra, the capital of what was then known as the Gold Coast, one day in the 1930s. He captured their regal look - dressed in fine cloth with a symbolic crown - by asking the couple to stand still and look straight ahead. The couple is frozen in time, but the country around them is changing dramatically. Three decades later, under British rule, the colonial Gold Coast would become Ghana as a result of the pressures of an independence movement that served as an inspiration to other anti-colonial struggles on the continent. The 50,000 images that remain in the Deo Gratias archive provide a record of a changing society.
Bruce-Vanderpuije was one of Accra's few commercial photographers at the time, and weddings were one of his main sources of income. Many were dressed in English top hat and tails and white bridal gowns, such as the couple above from the 1930s and the two below from the 1940s. They have the same solemn expression as the chief fisherman, but their attire is a world apart.
By the 1970s, wedding attire remained formal, but suits became more relaxed, and some chose to wear traditional Ghanaian kente cloth so that they could smile in photographs.
The studio, located in the city's commercial Jamestown district, was a magnet for those looking for a keepsake from their lives. It was close to a lot of churches, so people often came in wearing their Sunday best, like the two below from the 1930s, hoping the camera would catch them looking their best.
Kate Tamakloe, Bruce-granddaughter, Vanderpuije's now has access to the vast archive of photographs. She says the Deo Gratias studio, which is still in the same location where it was founded just over 100 years ago, has stacks of old photographs and glass plates in its darkrooms. "It's exciting to see them and see how Ghanaians used to live and look."
There are also envelopes full of old passport photos from a time when visiting a professional studio was the only way to get a photograph for an official document.
There is a profound sense of staring into the past when looking at the photographs now and meeting the gaze of the person in the photograph. However, there are numerous unanswered questions. Ms Tamakloe has some dates for when the photos were taken, but the majority of the subjects' names have been lost. She is now attempting to sort through them and gradually digitize the archive so that it can be seen by more people. "I really want to put them out there and see people get excited about identifying their relatives, so that people can tell the story of every photo," she says. Baby photos were also a favorite of Bruce- Vanderpuije's.
Two proud parents brought their child to the studio to be photographed around the time of Ghana's independence, which occurred on March 6, 1957. He is sitting on a cloth with a portrait of then-Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah commemorating the birth of a new nation. There are thousands of people like this who have gone on to become citizens of a new country.
As a photographer, Bruce-Vanderpuije was sought after by a wide range of organizations, including those at the forefront of the independence movement. In 1948, he photographed the leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), who posed alongside their British lawyer Dingle Foot. The men are regarded as the country's founders. Nkrumah (top row, second from right) was one of them. He later broke away from the UGCC and led Ghana to independence. JB Danquah (bottom row, second from right) founded the party and is credited with coining the name Ghana. Edward Akufo-Addo (top row, first on the left) later became president and is the current president's father.
"Finally, the battle is over! As a result, Ghana, your beloved country, is forever free "Nkrumah told the crowds at independence on March 6, 66 years ago, shortly after midnight. Bruce-Vanderpuije left the studio to capture the famous moment, but it is the slew of other images of unknown people that are more significant. They offer a glimpse into the lives of less well-known people. What Ms Tamakloe wants to do now is "exhibit all these photos… and tell the Ghanaian story to the world".
If you recognize anyone in the photographs or know someone who had their picture taken in the studio, please contact deogratiasphotos@gmail.com or leave a message here.
By Covenantblog
