The Manton Centre for British Art

Book Launch: Black Chronicles : Photography, Race and Difference in Victorian Britain

With a distinguished list of contributing authors, Black Chronicles brings together an extraordinary collection of studio portraits that attest to the black presence in Victorian Britain. The result of ten years research by curator and author Renée Mussai, this book significantly expands and reframes the archive of photography in Britain, offering new perspectives on the visual politics of race, representation and difference in nineteenth-century Britain. Mussai is joined by artist Pheobe Boswell for a discussion of the book and the important issues that it raises.

This event is organised by Professor Steve Edwards, Manton Professor of British Art and Director of the Manton Centre for British Art, The Courtauld.

Renée Mussai ed. Black Chronicles: Photography, Race and Difference in Victorian Britain, Thames & Hudson, 2025.

2 Apr 2026

18:00 - 19:30

Free, booking essential

Vernon Square Campus, Lecture Theatre 2

This event takes place at our Vernon Square campus (WC1X 9EW).

With contributions from:

Renée Mussai is a curator, writer, and art historian. For ten years, she led Autograph ABP’s art programs while simultaneously organising numerous exhibitions in Europe, Africa, and the United States. She is a research associate at the University of Johannesburg and is currently completing a PhD in art history at University College London.

Pheobe Boswell is an award-winning artist whose work is focused on the black body.

Citations