Women by women: 50 years of women’s photography in South Africa

This book celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 1956 women’s march on the Union Buildings. It provides a dramatic and unprecedented showcase of photographic talent, from the early pioneers of social documentary, including Anne Fischer and Constance Stuart Larrabee, to the challenging images created by women in South Africa today. As the struggle against apartheid gained momentum in the 70s and 80s, women photographers recorded the drama unfolding across the land. More recently, women have begun exploring a different aesthetic and developing a wide range of photographic practices in the worlds of fashion, journalism, documentary and advertising. Commissioned by the Ministry of Arts and Culture, this publication is the first to recognise and promote the positive contribution made by women to the art of photography and the advancement of humanity in this country. 75 photographers and more than 400 images are included. An exhibition based on the book will be held in the Johannesburg Art Gallery from October 2006 to early 2007.