Humphrey Winterton Collection of East African Photographs
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Humphrey Winterton Collection of East African Photographs
- Identifier
- BMRC.NU.WINTERTON
- Repository
- Northwestern University, Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies
- Language
- English
- Size
- 14.0 Linear feet
- Predominant Dates
- Bulk, 1880-1920
- Dates
- 1860-1960
- Language of Materials note
- Collection is predominantly in English; some materials are also in German.
- Creator
- Winterton, Humphrey
Biographical note
Humphrey Winterton was a British collector of Africana.
Scope and Contents note
The Humphrey Winterton Collection of East African photographs includes about 6,500 photographs organized in 75 primary collections of separate albums, scrapbooks or loose collections. Primary collections range from a single photograph to a set of several photograph albums plus envelopes of loose photographs. Assembled by the British collector Humphrey Winterton over about 30 years, the collection depicts the breadth of African experience, documents African life, European life in Africa in all its manifestations and the African landscape, in particular as it changed over time. Included are photographs showing the building of East Africa's railways, the growth of its urban centers and the development of European colonial administration. The photographs extensively document rural life as well as the travels and work of European colonial officials and private businessmen. There are outstanding examples of portraiture some of which were taken by commercial studios. Other photographs produced by commercial studios were specifically taken for sale and distribution in Europe and North America. The Winterton Collection also provides an unsurpassed resource for the study of the history of photography in East Africa.
Processing Information note
This collection was surveyed as part of the Black Metropolis Research Consortium's Survey Initiative on 2010 March 24 by Lauren Kalal and Andrew Steadham.
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Purchase of this collection was made available through use of the Charles Deering McCormick Endowment for Special Collections and the George and Mary LeCron Foster Endowed Fund.