Recording the Past, Supporting the Future
African Ceremonies Inc, our charitable foundation, is dedicated to the preservation of African tribal traditions through the photographic documentation of ceremonies and customs, thereby ensuring that the strength and essence of African culture is preserved for the history of mankind and for the education of future generations.
The Foundation is also dedicated to carrying out community and individual projects, serving the needs of the groups with whom Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher have lived.
“During our 40 years in Africa recording traditional ceremonies, we have observed that life relies on a continuing cycle of giving and receiving. Each rite begins with a gift or an offering: survival depends on this basic principle. We, too, have looked for the appropriate ways to reciprocate the support given to us by the communities where we have lived. We found that small projects closely tied to communal and personal needs at grass roots level have made a significant difference to the welfare of the people with whom we have worked.” Carol Beckwith & Angela Fisher
African Ceremonies, Inc is a registered 501C3 organization.
To learn more about current foundation projects and/or to contribute, visit African Ceremonies.
The BECKWITH FISHER ARCHIVE:
The Beckwith Fisher Archive contains approximately 500,000 photographic images, diaries, field journals, drawings, video recordings, and museum-scale exhibition materials. This unique archive, created during a forty year period of dedicated work, encompasses 200 distinct cultures from 45 African countries.
Traditions and ceremonies are disappearing rapidly across Africa. More than 40 percent of what is recorded in the Beckwith Fisher Collection no longer exists. Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher have expressed their intention to place the Beckwith Fisher Archive – the world’s most extensive photographic archive of traditional African cultures and ceremonies – with an institution yet to be selected.
The institution to be chosen must be a venue for ongoing study and research, committed to making the Archive accessible to students, scholars, and the general public, thereby insuring that the legacy of Africa’s ancient cultures is preserved and understood by future generations worldwide. Interested institutions may inquire at African Ceremonies.