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Accepted Paper:
Mobilising Visual Histories - Torres Strait Islander Photographs from Alfred Haddon's Expeditions
Anita Herle
(University of Cambridge)
Paper short abstract:
Drawing on the responses of Islanders to the photographs taken by Alfred Haddon during his two expeditions to the Torres Strait in 1888 and 1898, this presentation highlights indigenous agency in the documentation and dissemination of key aspects of Ailan Kastom.
Paper long abstract:
During two expeditions to the Torres Strait (1888, 1898) the Cambridge zoologist-anthropologist A.C. Haddon and his colleagues took several hundred photographs as part of an extensive project to document Torres Strait Islander history and custom. The sheer volume of information that was recorded and the contribution of individual named Islanders has ensured that the material has remained a key resource for Torres Strait Islander studies. This presentation highlights indigenous agency in the documentation and dissemination of important aspects of Ailan Kastom and explores different ways that Islanders selectively mobilise visual histories in order to address contemporary concerns.