The book review:
This is an unusual book in that it is a collection of extraordinary old photographs that document Kenya’s early years in fascinating detail. A comprehensive and detailed text explains the collection, which displays construction of the railroad, World War I, group photos at important events, scenes of towns and cities that as chronology progresses begin to bear faint resemblance to modern day establishments, life on the farm, game trophies, wild animals, Indian traders, model T’s stuck in the mud, boats, and airplanes.

Prominent visitors, such as Teddy Roosevelt and the Prince of Wales, are pictured along with personalities of the day: Governor Eliot, Lord Delemare, Denys Finch Hatton, Beryl Markham, and others. Since they are the ones who had cameras, naturally many photographs are of and by European settlers, but the highlights of the book are the stunning portraits of indigenous Kenyans: chiefs, warriors in their finery, celebrations, and people going about their daily tasks.

I found some of the shots amazing: Lake Naivasha with no water and no surrounding trees, early scenes of Nairobi with few buildings and no trees, Kisumu and Eldoret with little vegetation, a 1920 aerial photo of Mombasa. In fact, the openness of the landscape then stands in stark contrast to the density seen today. Events such as Winston Churchill’s 1905 visit are chronicled, but truly a pageant of every day Kenyan history unfolds visually as a reader turns the pages.

Nigel Pavitt who collected and edited the collection is to be commended. First, for having the idea and then for the perseverance it must have taken to find the photos, figure out who was in them or what they pictured, then to revitalize them through the magic of modern digital technology and finally to craft a text that illuminates the photos and ably explains the concomitant history.

The book is coffee-table size and priced accordingly. However, I bought a copy from Amazon on sale for $35.