A special limited edition signed book and print by the pioneering photographer James Barnor, part of our Autograph Editions series.

This edition of 30 includes a copy of our hardcover book James Barnor: Ever Young, the nonagenarian’s first artist monograph from 2015; and a numbered and stamped 10” x 8” modern silver gelatin print of Barnor’s photograph Ever Young Studio, taken in 1954 in Accra. Both the book and print are signed by the artist. The limited edition print arrives secured inside the book with adhesive conservation photo corners, and protected within an acid-free sleeve.

With a career spanning more than sixty years, Barnor’s photographs cover a remarkable period in history, bridging continents and photographic genres, while representing societies in transition: Ghana moving towards its independence from colonial rule and London becoming a cosmopolitan, multicultural metropolis.

About the print

Ever Young Studio (1954) captures Barnor’s keen interest in West African women’s hairstyles, and formal portraiture traditions – beautifully lit, the perfectly poised model is photographed against the iconic ‘clouds’ backdrop in the photographer's popular Jamestown portrait studio during the early 1950s. One of the artist’s favourite portraits, a copy of this picture was pinned up on the walls of his college room in Rochester for years. Barnor says of this picture: “I never grow tired [of this image]; every time I look at it, I wish I had taken more … I should have focused more on documenting hairstyles. I return to it time and time again, with pleasure.”

To reflect the artist’s practice both in both London and Accra, a second print and book bundle is also available in Autograph’s shop, featuring a later work taken in London during the ‘swinging sixties’.

About the book

This limited edition bundle includes Autograph’s James Barnor monograph co-published with éditions Clémentine de la Féronnière, accompanying the artists’ first major solo exhibition at Autograph in 2010, and covers key period in his photography between the late 1940s and 1970s with 200 images, texts by Kobena Mercer and Renée Mussai, plus an interview with the artist by Margaret Busby OBE and Francis Hodgson.

About the artist

Born in 1929 in Accra, James Barnor is considered a pioneer of Ghanaian photography. He started his career by opening the Ever Young photographic portrait studio in Accra in the early 1950s, frequented by a diverse clientele representing all aspects of society. In 1959 Barnor left Ghana for the United Kingdom, where he studied photography at Medway College of Art in Kent. Here, he continued to practice street and studio photography, often commissioned for Drum magazine – South Africa’s influential anti-apartheid journal for lifestyle and politics. Barnor photographed London’s ‘swinging sixties’, including celebrities such as Muhammad Ali and a multinational cohort of aspiring fashion models and cover girls. Towards the end of the decade Barnor was trained and recruited by Agfa-Gavaert, before returning to Ghana in 1969 where he opened the first colour processing laboratory and his new photography studio X23 in Accra.

Barnor is now widely recognised as a major figure in contemporary African photography and celebrated globally, and his artworks are represented in major private and public collections internationally, including TATE, V&A, National Portrait Gallery, and Musée du Quai Branly, to name but a few. His work was the subject of a retrospective exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery, London in 2021.

Autograph Editions

For more than 30 years, Autograph has championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice. We are a registered charity, and proceeds from Autograph’s editions help raise funds to support our arts and learning programmes.

Autograph Editions are produced with utmost care and a commitment to excellence, difference, and visual politics – reflecting the diversity of practice among the constituency of artists we work with.

We are proud to be working with professional photography printers Metro Imagining to produce these beautiful limited edition fundraising prints, and grateful for their ongoing support.

Print
James Barnor, Ever Young Studio, London, 1954/2021
Edition of 30 (+5 AP and 5 PP)
Signed and dated by James Barnor (recto)
Numbered, and certified with stamp (verso)
Fibre-based silver gelatin print
Approximately 10 x 8 inches / 10 x 25 cm (paper size), 7 x 7 inches / 17.7 x 17.8cm (image size)
Unframed

The artist’s signature on each print is unique and may appear slightly different than shown here; the images on this page are for illustrative purposes only.

Due to the organic nature of fibre based paper the art work may not appear fully flattened; this is considered normal with this type of print and does not constitute a fault as such.

Book
Published by Autograph in association with éditions Clémentine de la Féronnière, Paris, in 2015

Edited by Renée Mussai

Pages: 176
Images: 200
Dimensions: 41x 26.5cm
Hardcover
Text in English and French
Published as part of the touring exhibition James Barnor: Ever Young
ISBN: 978-2-9542-2664-4

Autograph is a charity run by a small team. Due to social distancing, our staff are still working remotely at times. This means it may take longer than usual for you to receive your order. Books and merchandise are shipped once a week. You will be sent an email when your order has shipped, and also if it is delayed. Thank you for your patience and for supporting Autograph.

Collection of orders at Autograph’s gallery are available the Thursday after you place your order. You will receive an email when your order is ready for collection. We’re happy to help if you have any questions, get in touch at info@autograph-abp.co.uk

European delivery

Unfortunately, we are temporarily unable to accept orders through our online shop for delivery to the EU. If you are located in the EU and wish to purchase this item, please contact us at info@autograph-abp.co.uk.

International delivery

If your delivery address is not within the United Kingdom, you may be subject to import duties, taxes and delivery service charges, which are levied once a shipment reaches your country. Any such additional charges for customs clearance must be borne by you. You should note that customs policies vary widely from country to country; you should contact your local customs office for further information. Please be aware that cross-border shipments are subject to opening and inspection by customs authorities. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, your order may take longer than usual to arrive.

Please note that this sale is for the physical limited edition print only. Copyright is retained by the artist, and this sale does not include reproduction or digital rights for the work.

If resold in the future, the artist may be entitled to the Artist's Resale Right, for more information visit DACS.

Limited Edition prints are released in tiers, and prices may increase as an edition starts to sell out. Prices are subject to change and availability.