Wedding Guests in London
Photograph
1960s (Photographed), 2011 (printed)
1960s (Photographed), 2011 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Born in 1929, Ghanaian photographer James Barnor documented the shift towards modern living as experienced by black people in both Africa and Britain. Barnor first moved to London in 1959, and his reportage of the capital during the 1960s records the emergence of a modern, multicultural city. The outfits worn by two wedding guests combine Western and traditional West African fashions into a global 1960s style. The leafy backdrop and telephone box locate this multicultural scene on British streets.
The V&A acquired five photographs by James Barnor as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.
The V&A acquired five photographs by James Barnor as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Wedding Guests in London (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Gelatin silver print |
| Brief description | Photograph by James Barnor, 'Wedding Guests in London', gelatin silver print, London, 1960s, printed 2011, ed. 2/10 |
| Physical description | Black and white photograph depicting two women standing on a path in a park in front of a traditional red British telephone box wearing smart clothing. The woman on the left wears patterned heels which match her bag and a white dress with embroidered flowers around the shoulders and a full, fifties skirt. She has a large white flower in her hair and looks straight at the camera, smiling. The woman on the right of the image wears a longer, patterned dress with wide 3/4 sleeves and has a large bouffant hairstyle, she looks out of frame to the right of the image. Both women are stood with one foot slightly in front of the other, tilted showing off the shoes. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Limited edition |
| Marks and inscriptions | Signed 'James Barnor 1960s/2011' at bottom right of the image and 'ED 2/10' on verso, lower right. |
| Gallery label | Text label for the exhibition, 'Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience, 1950s-1990s
16 February – 24 May 2015
James Barnor (born 1929)
Everything in My Hand I Bring, 1953
Selina Opong, Policewoman #10, 1954
Wedding Guests in London, 1960 – 69
Eva, London, 1960
Barnor set up a photography studio in Accra in Ghana
in 1947. Although intended as personal mementos for
the sitters, his studio photographs also record changes
in Ghanaian society in the 1950s and ’60s. Policewoman
Selina Opong, who poses in one of the photographs, was
one of the first female police officers to graduate from the
newly established police academy in Accra. Barnor later
moved to London, where his reportage work for magazines
showed the emergence of a modern, multicultural city.
Gelatin silver prints (printed 2011)
Museum nos. E.102, 104 to 106-2012(16/02/2015-24/05/2015) |
| Credit line | Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. |
| Object history | The V&A acquired this photograph as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | Born in 1929, Ghanaian photographer James Barnor documented the shift towards modern living as experienced by black people in both Africa and Britain. Barnor first moved to London in 1959, and his reportage of the capital during the 1960s records the emergence of a modern, multicultural city. The outfits worn by two wedding guests combine Western and traditional West African fashions into a global 1960s style. The leafy backdrop and telephone box locate this multicultural scene on British streets. The V&A acquired five photographs by James Barnor as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s through photographs acquired by the V&A and oral histories conducted by Black Cultural Archives. |
| Associated objects | |
| Other number | 2/10 - Limited Edition Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.102-2012 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | January 31, 2012 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
