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Creating access to photographs from around the world
Photographs allow new ways of seeing: peeking into cultures we do not know, opening windows into places that no longer exist, and capturing communities in a particular moment. Photography works to both preserve past ways of life and invites new ways of understanding our world.
Before digital photography became ubiquitous, photographs were developed on negatives and printed, creating physical collections of images that document life all over the globe. These materials are quickly degrading and the images captured on film are at risk of being lost forever.
In honor of World Photography Week, we’re celebrating the incredible work of archivists and communities to preserve at-risk photography collections that shine a light on unique people, places, and points of view that help us expand our understanding of the world around us. MEAP is proud to fund a range of projects that document and digitize the work of studio photographers, street photographers, ethnographers, architects, film makers, and others. Through these grants, MEAP ensures that photographs from Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East are not only safeguarded, but findable and accessible to a global audience.
For example: the Afghanistan Center at Kabul University recently digitized the Louis and Nancy Dupree Collection, a set of photographs taken by archaeologist Dr. Louis Dupree and his wife, Nancy Hatch Dupree, across Afghanistan from the 1950s to the early 2000s, offering a unique glimpse of life before and after the Taliban rose to power. In addition to stunning portraits of the country’s unique landscape, these images also capture a way of life and culture that goes deeper than any headlines suggest.
Consider other photography collections now available through MEAP, including:
Arab Image Foundation Photo Negatives: In response to Lebanon's various crises, the Arab Image Foundation (AIF) digitized negatives from its collections. representing a range of photography methods practiced in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria in various settings. From commercial studios to personal outings, these images reveal not only diverse photographic practices, but also underrepresented cultural histories. Learn more about the collection.
Ramakatane Archive: The Ramakatane archive provides a unique perspective of Lesotho’s social history and visual culture from a period spanning nearly 55 years. The collection contains approximately 10,000 negatives, prints, article fragments, magazines, calendars, and personal papers, serving as a vital resource for Lesotho’s articulation of identity, sense of history, and memory. Learn more about the collection.
ISPAN Cap Haitian Archive: This archive, digitized through a partnership between Florida International University and Institut de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine National (ISPAN), documents architectural designs, research, and restoration at the Palace of Sans-Souci and Citadelle Henri. The images not only capture the process of preservation and restoration, but serve as guidance for future generations working to ensure Haitian patrimony. Learn more about the collection.
MEAP remains committed to supporting scholars, archivists, photographers and communities who continue to safeguard and preserve photograph collections. Open access to these collections allows us to confront new images and create new connections that offer insights about where we’ve been and where we’re going.
Interested in funding to preserve a photography collection? Our next call for entries opens in September 2023. Check out our applicant resources to learn about the different funding opportunities we offer.
