The pictures in Vanishing Africa were taken by celebrated Kenya-born photographer Mirella Ricciardi over two years in the 1960s. They capture East Africa’s Indigenous peoples –including the Massai, Samburu, Turkana, Orma, Pokot and Rendille – and show a land of untamed wilderness, diverse wildlife and communities attuned to nature. The exhibition bears witness to ecosystems already transformed beyond recognition.
Roger Highfield, Science Director at the Science Museum Group, said: ‘Mirella Ricciardi’s images challenge us to think about the impacts of climate change on Indigenous livelihoods, culture and ecosystems… it is clear that Ricciardi’s photographs speak not only to what has been lost, but to all that remains—and demands our protection.’
The Vanishing Africa online exhibition is published on the Science Museum website.