George Rodger: Nuba and Lakuta

This classic series by legendary Magnum photographer George Rodger introduced the Western world to the Nuba peoples of Sudan. In 1949 the photographer and co-founder of Magnum Photos, George Rodger, learned of the Nuba tribe while traveling in the Kordofan region of the Sudan. Remarkably, he was granted permission by the Sudanese government to take pictures of these striking people, who lived as their ancestors had centuries before. After publication in National Geographic magazine, these pictures—as well as Rodger’s fascinating journal entries from the shoot—have not been available to the wider public. Now, Rodger’s rare softly colored Kodachrome images are gathered in a sumptuous volume, and introduced in an essay by photographer Chris Steele-Perkins. Beautifully reproduced, Rodger’s photographs emphasize the muted colors of the Sudanese landscape as well as the Nuba’s penchant for vivid body paint, clothing, and jewelry. They are a superb example of early color photography, and a stunning celebration of a little-known tribe that lives in one of the world’s harshest environments.

Chris Steele-Perkins is a British photographer and member of Magnum Photos. He has published numerous books and is best known for his photographs from Africa, Afghanistan, and Japan.