Peter Magubane
Peter Magubane (1932-2024) [1]. Photographer.
Contents
Biography
Born in Johannesburg on 18 January, 1932, he began working for Drum in 1955 as a photo-journalist, going on to become internationally renowned, notably for his of the 1976 Soweto riots. Worked for Drum, the Rand Daily Mail, National Geographic, Time Magazine, etc.
He was arrested a number of times and when banned in 1969, he left the country and went to the USA where he studied and worked. Returned in 1987 on assignment for Time, and remained to become Nelson Mandela's personal photographer and to document the new complexities of the "rainbow nation". He published 9 books, including Soweto: Portrait of a City (1990).
Contribution to South African theatre, film, media and performance
His work not only provided an extensive record of the undocumented history of urban life in the counbtry but also the performance culture in the "townships" of South Africa.
He passed away on 1 January, 2023, after a long illness.
Awards, etc.
Among the numerous awards he received have been the South African Press Photographer of the Year (1958), the Pringle Award for Press Freedom (1995), the South African Order for (Silwer Class II) and the American National Professional Photographers Association's Humanistic Award.
Sources
Various entries in the NELM catalogue.
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