Editor: Alexandre Kurek

Images from Ghana's independence era, spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, evoke nostalgia for a time when the nation was forging its path towards self-determination and prosperity. These images of modernist architecture and infrastructure symbolize the hope and promise of that era, and they continue to captivate both those who lived through it and younger generations guided by historical accounts and fragments of archival records. They represent not just a longing for the past but a desire for an alternate reality, a future that could have been.

Courage Dzidula Kpodo, an architect at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has collaborated with art directors Manuela Nebuloni and Nana Ofosu Adjei to create Postbox Ghana. This ambitious project is dedicated to collecting, researching, and sharing historical Ghanaian documents, with a particular focus on postcards featuring images of Accra's modern history. Through their Instagram account, @postbox.ghana, the team offers glimpses into the past, often in the form of postcards with stamps and handwritten notes, providing insights into the city's history and its role in the wider context of Ghana's independence.

What makes Postbox Ghana particularly captivating is its emphasis on the indigenous authorship of these postcards, highlighting the photographers' names when available. The postcards were not just a means of communication but a deliberate tool used to underscore Ghana's independence and convey its progress to the world. As the first Black African leader of a former British colony, Kwame Nkrumah harnessed the power of visual symbolism, deploying statues, currency, and various items bearing his image to assert Ghana's new self-governance. Postcards and stamps played a pivotal role in disseminating this message to a global audience, showcasing Ghana's achievements in infrastructure, architecture, and culture.

Today, many of the sites and spaces documented on these postcards have lost their pristine charm. However, projects like Postbox Ghana serve as a testament to what was achieved in the past and what remains possible in the present and the future. These initiatives inspire a renewed sense of agency, reminding Ghanaians that the dreams of the past can still serve as blueprints for the future.

Visit the Project

Editorial Notes:

If you have a News—Features article that you would like to share on this platform, please feel free to submit it using the submission form.

Source: Postbox Ghana

Links: Instagram

Editor: Alexandre Kurek

Visit the Project

Editorial Notes:

If you have a News—Features article that you would like to share on this platform, please feel free to submit it using the submission form.

Source: Postbox Ghana

Links: Instagram