ABSTRACT
Photographs are the subjects of complex narratives. From the frequent use of photographs as illustrations for historical and cultural narratives and the turn towards visual evidence across the humanities and social sciences to in-depth studies of specific collections, photography has become an essential medium for those seeking to understand African societies and cultures of the colonial and postcolonial periods. The complex story of Mayibuye archive involves the coming together in exile of extant collections of historical photographs alongside an accumulation of images, which for reasons of security were sent unattributed in small packets from South Africa to London to be distributed to the international media. The collection was relocated to South Africa in 1990 at the very beginning of the transition to democracy to be held by the Robben Island Museum-Mayibuye Archives. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts in this book.
