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Cameroon Photo Press Archives. Protection, conservation, access

Research Project
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01.12.2012
 - 30.05.2015

The Cameroon Press Photo Archives (CPPA) were founded in Buea in January 1955 by the British colonial administration and operational until Anglophone West Cameroon unified with the Francophone Republic of Cameroun under President Ahmadou Ahidjo to form the United Republic of Cameroon in 1972. The photographers working with the government were responsible for covering the President's and Prime Minister's agendas as well as any official events of public interest. Thus, the photographic material held by the CPPA grants a unique view of Cameroon's history for a time period which was, and still is, crucial for its political and social formation. This project not only secures the material for future research but also raises the awareness of the government and the Cameroonian public for this invaluable visual heritage. The project "Cameroon Photo Press Archives. Protection, conservation, access" funded through the Endangered Archives Programme of the British Library has three main components: The first part consists in the digitisation of the photographic holdings of the CPPA in Buea. 3'500 groundsheets will be scanned as well as a selection of about 15'000 negatives from a total of about 85'000 negatives according to predefined criteria such as the state of decay of the negative and the relevance and quality of the contact print (evidence gained from the contact prints on the groundsheets where such a pre-selection has already been made by the photographers). Additional attention will be given to some basic conservational measures in that the groundsheets will be rearranged in new labelled acid free sleeves. The second part aims at raising the awareness of archivists and young researchers from universities in Cameroon and Switzerland to the challenges and chances work and research in and with photographic material can entail as well as in capacity building measures for this group of persons both on a practical and a theoretical level. The third component consists in negotiating between the Ministry of Communication (responsible for the CPPA) and the Ministry of Culture (in charge of the National Archives branch in Buea) the relocation of the photographic material to the adjacent Buea National Archives. This move from the CPPA to the National Archives would firstly improve the protection of the vulnerable material and secondly facilitate the access of researchers to the visual records.

Publications

Haney, Erin and Schneider, Jürg (2014) ‘Beyond the ‘African’ Archive Paradigm’, Visual anthropology, 27(4), pp. 307–315. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/08949468.2014.914845.

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Schneider, Jürg (2014) ‘Bildanalyse. Perspektiven auf ein komplexes Forschungsfeld’, Rundbrief Fotografie. Verlag Dr. Wolfgang Seidel, 21(4).

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Schneider, Jürg (2014) ‘Demand and Supply: Francis W. Joaque, an Early Photographer in an Emerging Market’, Visual anthropology, 27(4), pp. 316–338. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/08949468.2014.914848.

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Schneider, Jürg and Mazuela Coll, Rosario (2014) ‘Réveiller un gisement d’archives: Les Archives photographiques de Presse à Buea (Cameroun)’, Bulletin Images & Mémoires. Images & Mémoires, (40).

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Schneider, Jürg and Vilaró i Güell, Miquel (2014) ‘Fourteen views of Fernando Po to save the colony’, Photoresearcher, 21, pp. 38–52.

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Members (4)

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Veit Arlt

Principal Investigator
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Jürg Schneider

Principal Investigator
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Guy Thomas

Co-Investigator
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Rosario Mazuela

Project Member