James Barnor: A Retrospective
03 April 2020
Magazine C& Magazine
2 min read
Born in Accra in 1929, James Barnor is a pioneer of Ghanaian photography. Barnor’s career covers a remarkable period in history, bridging continents and photographic genres to create a transatlantic narrative marked by his passionate interest in people and cultures. His photographs represent societies in transition: Ghana moving towards its independence and London becoming a …
Born in Accra in 1929, James Barnor is a pioneer of Ghanaian photography. Barnor’s career covers a remarkable period in history, bridging continents and photographic genres to create a transatlantic narrative marked by his passionate interest in people and cultures. His photographs represent societies in transition: Ghana moving towards its independence and London becoming a cosmopolitan, multicultural metropolis.
Barnor’s life has been punctuated by many firsts, making him an incredible record of historic and iconic moments. He founded his first photographic studio, Ever Young, in 1953 and went on to capture luminaries including Ghana’s first prime minister, Kwame Nkrumah. Additionally, Barnor was engaged as the first photojournalist to work with the Daily Graphic and he was also regularly commissioned by Drum magazine – South Africa’s influential anti- apartheid journal for lifestyle and politics – for whom he photographed several news features, including Gold Coast’s champion boxer Roy Ankrah, aka The Black Flash. In 1969, Barnor opened the first colour processing laboratory and studio X23 in Accra.
Installation View of James Barnor: A Retrospective, Nubuke Foundation Ghana. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
A store assistant on Station Road, Accra, in 1971. Photograph: © James Barnor. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
Fee Hii Cultural Troupe, circa 1983-84. Photograph: © James Barnor. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
Installation View of James Barnor: A Retrospective, Nubuke Foundation Ghana. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
Installation View of James Barnor: A Retrospective, Nubuke Foundation Ghana. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
Installation View of James Barnor: A Retrospective, Nubuke Foundation Ghana. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
The soccer players Lamptey Mills and Stanley Matthews with an Accra Hearts of Oak team doctor at a friendly match in 1957. Image: James Barnor. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
Installation View of James Barnor: A Retrospective, Nubuke Foundation Ghana. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
Installation View of James Barnor: A Retrospective, Nubuke Foundation Ghana. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
A car accident outside Accra Brewery, year unknown. Photograph: © James Barnor. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
Installation View of James Barnor: A Retrospective, Nubuke Foundation Ghana. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
Installation View of James Barnor: A Retrospective, Nubuke Foundation Ghana. Courtesy Nubuke Foundation
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