The Willis Bell Archive

The Willis Bell Archive contains over 48,500 original photographic negatives and prints by American photographer Willis E. Bell, who documented vernacular and political life in Ghana, West Africa, during the post-colonial period (1957-1978). Unique for its remarkable scope, the archive documents an important period in Ghanaian history, representing political figures and events, processes of industrialization, and ceremonial and daily life in communities throughout Ghana following independence. The Mmofra Foundation will digitize 4,375 photographic prints from the archive, preserving this extraordinary heritage resource and improving its accessibility through publication in the MEAP’s open-access repository.