
Michael Graham-Stewart specialises in gathering up colonial photographs in order to reconstruct the complex stories that such materials encode. His particular interest is in exploring the ways in which photography operates not only as an instrument of oppression, but also as a means of connecting with people of the past. Michael has published several books on photography, including Surviving the Lens: Photographic Studies of South and East African People, 1870–1920 (2001), Out of Time: Maori & the Photographer (2006), Framing the Native: Constructed Portraits of Indigenous Peoples (2011), and Negative Kept: Maori and the Carte de Visite (2013). A Scot, raised in England, he currently lives between London and Auckland.

Francis McWhannell is an independent writer and curator from Aotearoa New Zealand. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Museums and Cultural Heritage from the University of Auckland. He has contributed to various publications, including Painting: A Transitive Space (Auckland: ST PAUL St Gallery Three, AUT University, 2017) and Dynamo Hum: Denys Watkins: Selected Paintings 2004–2016 (Auckland: Rim Books, 2017).
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'A breathtaking document of Australia's past … This publication does not aim to fix interpretations, but relies on the power of the images themselves to convey emotions and to tell stories. It gives a good insight in the life of Aboriginal people. Its captivating record is a start rather than an end point.' - Nic Klaassen, Flinders Ranges Research