Getting pictures right

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This volume features papers from a symposium held in Basel in September 2003, celebrating Paul Jenkins's retirement after thirty-one years as the archivist of the Basel Mission. It highlights Jenkins's significant contributions to preserving and interpreting mission photographs, emphasizing their value in studying missionary interactions with indigenous cultures. The collection includes diverse topics, such as the Basel Mission's transcultural organization, the social biography of Martin Gusinde's photographs, and the role of ethnologists in documenting cultural encounters. It examines the historical context of portraiture in regions like South-East India and Cameroon, as well as the exploration of Ghanaian portraiture as a dynamic archive. The compilation is richly illustrated and is praised for its timely publication. Reviewers note that while only a few articles focus explicitly on Africa, the methodologies discussed provide valuable insights for Africanist historians. The book serves as a tribute to Jenkins's pioneering work and opens avenues for future research in African history and beyond.