Saint-Louis Photography Museum

The Saint-Louis Photography Museum (French: Musée de la Photographie de Saint-Louis) is a museum located in Saint-Louis, Senegal. It holds the distinction of being the first museum in Senegal, and the first in West Africa, dedicated entirely to photography. The institution serves as a center for preserving the photographic heritage of the region, documenting historical imagery from the early days of Saint-Louis to contemporary works by modern African photographers.

The museum was founded by Amadou Diaw, who also established the Saint-Louis Forum and the Dakar Management Higher Institute, with the intention of preserving the architectural heritage of the city. An additional motivation for opening the museum was to pay tribute to pioneering photographers such as Mama Casset and Meissa Gaye. The institution officially opened in November 2017. In a 2018 interview, the museum's director at the time, Salimata Diop, explained that Saint-Louis was chosen to host the museum because of the city's deep historical connection to the medium. The first camera sent to Senegal was received in Saint-Louis in 1863 by the Ministry of Marine and Colonial Affairs, making the city the entry point for photography in the country.

The museum's holdings draw from Amadou Diaw's personal collection alongside historical photographs from the early days of Saint-Louis. Its scope is diverse, encompassing photographs from various African countries and spanning multiple eras. The institution maintains a collection dedicated to the golden age of photo studios in Saint-Louis, as well as a contemporary photography section. The contemporary segment features works by Malika Diagana, Joana Choumali, Fabrice Monteiro, and Omar Victor Diop. The museum has also exhibited pieces by Siaka Soppo Traore, Malick Welli, Mario Macilau, Laeila Adjovi, and David Uzochukwu.

Among the notable holdings in the museum's collection are photographs documenting the 1977 crowning of Emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa and images portraying Senegalese beauty dating back to the 1930s. The museum also holds black-and-white portraits of Senegalese women taken between the 1930s and 1950s, which were presented in an exhibition entitled Reveries of Yesterday, Dreams of the Present (French: Reveries d'Hier, Songes du Present). In 2018, the museum organized a notable exhibition dedicated to the work of Ghanaian photographer James Barnor.

The museum building is constructed in the typical post-twentieth-century architectural style of the island of Saint-Louis, reflecting the founder's broader goal of preserving the architectural heritage of the city. The structure integrates into the distinct historic urban fabric of the island, which served as a fitting environment for an institution dedicated to the visual history of the region.

The Saint-Louis Photography Museum is located in the city of Saint-Louis, Senegal. Information regarding access and current exhibitions is available through the institution's official website. As the first museum in Senegal dedicated solely to the photographic arts, it plays a present role as a primary venue for engaging with both the historical legacy and contemporary practice of photography in Senegal and across the African continent.