This selection of fifty compelling photographs of people from south and east Africa offers an opportunity to re-evaluate the colonial photography of these regions. During this era, indigenous subjects usually struggled to retain their dignity and composure in the exploitative lens of the European traveller, tourist, scientist and commercial photographer. In those instances when the sitter's humanity survived the racial prejudices and technology of the time, the images often transcend their role as historical records and can be seen as provocative and poignant works of art.