John Matthew Peffer

South African history is usually illustrated by the documentary photographs that brought sympathy to the anti-apartheid struggle. But black South Africans also used other kinds of photography, such as studio portraits and snapshots, to create zones of freedom and conviviality, and to imagine a better future. This project is a book-length study of these vernacular images and their relevance for the post-apartheid generation, the primary research for which was completed in South Africa between 2010 and 2015.