Josephine Powell: Moroccan Folklore

Between 1951 and 1975 photographer Josephine Powell traveled extensively in the Mediterranean and beyond. This collection comprises black and white photographs, predominantly of folklore performances in Marrakech and southern Morocco taken on one of several trips the photographer made to Morocco between 1968-1975. There are also images showing some of the implements of Moroccan handicrafts, workshops, and architecture. The images appear here courtesy of the Josephine Powell Photographic Archive of the Harvard University Fine Arts Library. Originally digitized to provide images for the videos that must be created in order for the Paul Bowlesrecordings of Moroccan music to stream in Archnet, we have decided to make them available in this collection because of their intrinsic value.

Many of the images in this collection were taken in the Badi' Palace, probably during the course of the annual National Festival of Folk Art. There are also photographs of Gnawa in Jama' al-Fna, probably around the same time. Finally there are photos of performances at a market in Taroudant.