Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher

Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher, African Ceremonies (New York, 1999)

Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher, celebrated visual anthropologists, devoted their careers to documenting the vanishing cultural traditions of Africa's indigenous peoples. With rare privileged access granted through decades of immersion and trust-building, they meticulously recorded 93 distinct tribal ceremonies across 26 African nations. Ruth E. Carter, Academy Award-winning costume designer for ‘Black Panther’ (2017), acknowledged Beckwith and Fisher's work as an influential inspiration for the film’s wardrobe.

The present portfolio comprises 25 pigment prints spanning this body of work, selected in conjunction with their seminal publication African Ceremonies (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999). Each image manifests an exceptional sensitivity and unexpected intimacy, capturing universal human experiences—from the exuberance of celebration to the solemnity of mourning—that resonate beyond geographical boundaries. The portfolio edition was never fully realized and only 5 artist’s proofs exist.

The plates as follows:

Adioiukrou Queen Mother, Ghana

Advisor to the Sultan of Agadez, Niger

Afar Girl, Ethiopia

Bodyguard of the Sultan of Agadez, Niger

Dinka Girl in Beaded Corset, Sudan

Dinka Herder at Dry Season Cattle Camp, Sudan

Dinka Man in Beaded Corset, Sudan

Ewe Dancer at Voodoo Festival, Ghana

Fetish Priest at Voodoo Healing Hospital, Togo

Fulani Woman Wearing Bridal Wealth, Mali

Himba Woman, Namibia

Karo Dancer, Ethiopia

Krobo Girls at Initiation, Ghana

Maasai Bride, Kenya

Maasai Girls in Courtship Dance, Kenya

Maasai Warrior with Ostrich Feather Headdress, Kenya

Painted Karo Courtship Dancer, Ethiopia

Painted Surma Man, Ethiopia

Painted Surma Man, Ethiopia

Surma Girl, Ethiopia

Turkana Girl with Carrying Fish, Kenya

Wodaabe Man Preparing for Charm Dance, Niger

Yoruba Gelede Mask, Benin

Young Bassari Male Initiate, Senegal

Young Berber Bride, Morocco