Thursday 8 October 2015

Portraits from the immigration archives in Mauritius

Between the 1830s and the 1930s some 450 000 Indian immigrants arrived in Mauritius as indentured labourers. The records of this migration, which are kept in the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Mauritius, include a collection of passport–like photographic portraits.

These photographs offer rich information about the immigrants’ background and the diversity of their stories. Their careful reproduction and publication allows these portraits, for the first time, to fully express their beauty and significance. 


This book offers new information about the author of these images, immigration depot photographer Abraham Sinapa (probably of Indian origin). It also argues that the photographs are not showing indentured labourers as commonly believed, but mainly,  'old immigrants' who had established in Mauritius, making a new assessment of the immigration archives and their meaning.





















Tuesday 18 March 2014

Mauritius Visual Arts Review Vol. 2

Volume 1 : PEM

Mauritius Visual Arts Review: 
limited editions printed with care, on archival quality paper.








Wednesday 12 February 2014

Mauritius Visual Arts Review Vol. 1

Volume 1 : Alexander Thom & Louis Letourneur

Mauritius Visual Arts Review: 
limited editions printed with care, on archival quality paper.








Thursday 12 December 2013

Sari

Sari
Emmanuel Richon

Simple lé de tissu qui tient par lui-même, ce long morceau d’étoffe, varié à l’infini, remonte à la nuit des temps.
Alliant paradoxalement luxe et simplicité, il nous invite aussi à revisiter l’Histoire de la péninsule indienne qu’il a toujours accompagnée.

Sommaire
Origines
Histoires croisées
Une industrie
Un vêtement social
Styles et motifs
Conclusion

Notes 





Par Chemins

Par Chemins
Vaco

Un hommage au soleil mauricien, c'est dire, à ceux qui fréquentent nos plages, et ne nous demandent jamais rien, qui nous sommes afin qu'ils comprennent que sous nos cocotiers on ne pense pas pareil à Port Louis et à Paris et que dans notre expression créole, nous avons tant de choses à dire.








Mauritius: as it was

Nineteenth Century Photographs from the Blue Penny Museum Collection

This book reproduces the contents of two personal photographic albums that are found in the collection of the Blue Penny Museum and which date approximately from the same period.
The earlier one, belonged to John James Harper, of whom little is known.
This album includes some 30 pictures, mainly views of Mauritius, together with the account, which is reproduced in this book, providing some vivid impressions of Mauritius.

The other album belonged to the Barkly family. Sir Henry Barkly (1815–1898) was appointed governor of Mauritius in 1863, serving until 1870. This record contains some 50 photographs and, interestingly, includes not only general pictures of Mauritius, but also some reminders of social events. 






L’île Maurice d’antan

Photographies du dix-neuvième siècle provenant de la collection du Blue Penny Museum

Ce livre reproduit le contenu de deux albums photographiques privés, qui se trouvent dans la collection du Blue Penny Museum et qui datent tous deux approximativement de la même période.
Le plus ancien a appartenu à John James Harper, dont on sait fort peu.
Cet album comprend une trentaine de photos, surtout des vues de l’île Maurice, ainsi qu’un long récit reproduit dans ce livre, qui fournit quelques vives impressions sur l’île Maurice d’antan.

L’autre album appartenait à la famille Barkly. Sir Henry Barkly (1815-1898) fut nommé gouverneur de l’île Maurice en 1863 et occupa cette fonction jusqu’en 1870. Cet album contient, quant à lui, 50 photographies environ et, fait intéressant, comprend non seulement des images générales de l’île Maurice, mais aussi quelques témoignages d’événements sociaux.