The Willis Bell Archive is a project of Mmofra Foundation, dedicated to conserving the visual heritage of Ghana and increasing access to archival materials for both Ghanaian and global audiences. The Archive's primary collection is the bequest of American photographer Willis Bell, who documented life in post-independence Ghana from 1957-1978. 

The Archive houses over 40,000 original photographic negatives and some 4,000 prints, with an extraordinary diversity of subject matter ranging from political and cultural events to architecture, advertising, and portraiture. Our decades-long conservation effort has involved a number of partner institutions, including the United States National Endowment for the Humanities, the Goethe-Institut, the Modern Endangered Archives Program of the Arcadia Fund, the American Embassy Accra, the Peck-Stacpoole Foundation, and Friends of Mmofra. 

In our most transformational phase yet (2023 - 2025), the Archive has digitized the majority of Willis Bell's photographic works, creating a globally accessible catalogue in collaboration with the Matrix: Center for Digital Humanities and Social Sciences at Michigan State University. Explore the full collection at www.willisbellarchive.com.

The Willis Bell Archive

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The Willis Bell Archive

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