ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the afterlives of four photographs (c. 1900–c. 1960) and their history work alongside oral and written histories. It highlights how Bedouin engagements with both photographs and tribal history are limited by gendered and generational knowledge, which dictate members’ access to photographs, experiences at lineage events, and command of politics. Research found that the more weight an image has among members, the more likely the image will be displayed locally in venues, circulated by members as validation of tribal power, and transformed into evidence online. While maintaining presences in broader visual economies, these case studies demonstrate how images associated with lineage histories undergo more significant transformation and re-reading in closer visual economies. The value of historical images in these contexts lies in their ability to facilitate the broader languages by which members both document their legacies and authenticate their status.
