Synopses & Reviews
Historically, photographs of Indigenous Australians were often produced under unequal and exploitative circumstances. Today, however, such images represent a rich cultural heritage for descendants who can use this archive to explore Aboriginal history, to identify relatives, and to reclaim culture. In Calling the Shots, contributors investigate the Indigenous significance of engaging with images from each of the former colonies. The result is a fresh perspective on Australia’s past, and on present-day Indigenous identities. Rather than telling us what the white photographer saw, this book focuses upon the interactions between photographer and Indigenous people and the living meanings the photos have today.
About the Author
Jane Lydon is the Australian Research Council Future Fellow at the University of Western Australia. She is a historical archaeologist with more than 20 years of experience, who has worked for various government agencies, including the Australian Heritage Commission and the Victoria Archaeological Survey, as well as for the Museum of Sydney, as a curator-archaeologist. She is the author of The Flash of Recognition and a coeditor of Handbook of Postcolonial Archeaology.