AfriPost: Epistolary Journeys of African Pictures

AfriPost: Epistolary Journeys of African Pictures considers intersections of epistolary exchange and imagery to provide glimpses into inner narratives evoked by images of Africa. By presenting personal letters alongside the African imagery that inspired them, AfriPost invites viewers to reflect on the many unique narratives that were occurring in Africa at the same time as the predominant story of colonization, and the many unique narratives occurring today. The project also asks to what extent is the initial reading of a photograph influenced by the culture, history, and place of the viewer? Read the letters in full and new contributions to AfriPost.

AfriPost began as a digital exhibition of images selected from Duke's David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library by curators Candice Jansen and Sarah Stacke. In the original exhibition above, five images are displayed with pre-existing text and fifteen images are accompanied by texts imagined by contributors asked to respond to a chosen image in the form of a handwritten letter.