St Martin’s Place
London
RWC2H 0HE
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Black Chronicles brings together some of the earliest photographs of Black and Asian sitters discovered by Autograph in the Hulton Archive, a division of Getty Images, with a selection of similar subject matter from the National Portrait Gallery’s Collection.
The display of over 40 photographs highlights an important and complex black presence in Britain before 1948, a watershed moment when the Empire Windrush brought the first group of Caribbean migrants to Great Britain.
The National Portrait Gallery is working in partnership with Autograph, this partnership was developed as part of Autograph's The Missing Chapter project, a three year programme supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund to research, contextualise and present photographic images including earliest photographic examples of black presence in Britain before 1945 in national collections.
As well as collaborating with the National Portrait Gallery and other partners, Autograph is working closely with the Hulton Archive, a division of Getty Images
Banner images: 1, 4) Black Chronicles gallery installation at the National Portrait Gallery, London. 2) John Xiniwe and Albert Jonas, London Stereoscopic Company studios, 1891. Courtesy of © Hulton Archive/Getty Images. 3) Eeanor Xiniwe, The African Choir, 1891. London Stereoscopic Company. Courtesy of © Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
Page images, from left: 1) Saragano Alicamousa, renowned lion and tiger tamer, c. 1870s [detail]. 2) Unidentified sitter [detail], date unknown, Photographer: T.W. Steven. Courtesy Autograph.