The biggest photography library in Africa opens in Accra

The biggest photography library in Africa, with a collection of over 30,000 books, has opened in Ghana's capital city, Accra.

According to theguardian.com, the Dikan Centre library was founded by Ghanaian photographer and filmmaker Paul Ninson.

The report indicated that the Dikan Center is the first of its kind in Ghana and that it comprises a photo studio as well as classrooms that provide space for workshops and a fellowship programme for African documentarians and visual artists.

The library also has an exhibition space that will host regular shows with Ahennie, a series by the late Ghanaian documentary photographer, Emmanuel Bobbie, being the first to be hosted.

The report also indicated that the library was crowdfunded with the support of the author of Humans of New York, Brandon Stanton whom Paul Ninson met while living in New York.

The over 30,000 books in the Dikan Centre include those of pioneering black photographers, such as Gordon Parks, who was the first African American photographer to have a staff position at Life magazine. In addition to publications including National Geographic, there are rare books, including one signed by Stephen Hill, who was governor of Gold Coast, as Ghana was known before independence, dated 1852.

The report also indicated that Paul Ninson started collecting photography books while schooling at the International Centre of Photography in New York.

“I started buying African photo books, with the idea of sharing them with young photographers back home, but as my collection grew, it dawned on me that I could create a library dedicated to photography and visual education, so I started reaching out to booksellers for donations. I also received donations from
private galleries and collectors,” theguardian.com quoted Ninson.



Read the full article by The Guardian below:

Read the full story originally published on December 20, 2022 by theguardian.com

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