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The African Historical Photographic Archives (AHPA) was established in 2001 to preserve and promote the rich historical photographic collections on the African continent. The main goal of the project is to create a visual information window or portal of all the significant photographic collections in Africa. The AHPA website aims to create a historical photographic portal for Museums and collectors to showcase their collections to the public and their peers.

The AHPA will focus on early cultural and historical photographs taken in Africa and will also include events of present that is of significant historical importance. Criteria for the inclusion of photographs will inter alia include images of early Africa and attention will be given to all photographs of significant historical value.

Museums, organizations and private collections can submitted their collections for referencing on the website at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Please note that the AHPA is only a visual portal and doesn't own or represent any of the museum or private collections.

Spence Family Archive SP

The Spence Family Archive is a collection of pictures of Mozambique in the 1940s and 1950s that is represented by africanpictures.net Amount of Images in current collection: 128 Bank of Africa - now Barclays Bank, Lourenco Marques, Mozambique Title: Untitled Medium: Silver GelatinSize: -Date: - Buy this photograph and others in the Spence Family Archive from africanpictures.net

Hartzenberg Archive (SP)

The Hartzenberg Archive consist of early Family Portraits and photographs from the Boer War.

Martin Gibbs Collection SP

Amount of Images in current collection: about 500 Aleck Martin Gibbs was born in London in 1905, the son of an acclaimed Engineer and incidentally a keen amateur photographer (as was his father before him). Upon leaving school, Martin went to London University to study Engineering. Although he was doing well, he was simply bored with the subject and decided to leave and get a job. However, due to the post-World War One depression, jobs were in short supply, vacancies being held predominantly for ex-servicemen. Martin did nevertheless hear that the Bank of England was recruiting applicants who could pass the rigorous entrance exam. In those days, working for the Bank of England was one of the most esteemed careers open to a young man. He passed the exam and began working at the Bank. Royal Family with Sir Pierre van Ryneveld and General Smuts at Army College