Seeing Ourselves: Archives in Dialogue: Art, Diaspora, and Resistance - Nydia A. Swaby

In this episode, Sharon Walters speaks with Black feminist artist-researcher and curator Nydia A. Swaby about historic photograph albums from the Royal Museums Greenwich Caird collections. Recorded at the Brass Foundry in Woolwich, part of Royal Museums Greenwich, which houses extensive photographs and archival material, they share a rich conversation as the first and second practice-based Caird Research Fellows.

Sharon reflects on following in Nydia’s footsteps and the start of ongoing collaborations. Nydia discusses how the images document Atlantic trade and everyday life, often portraying Black women in labour while also revealing powerful signifiers of resistance and important African narratives. She also shares insights from her book on Amy Ashwood Garvey and her ongoing artistic and research projects. Together, they consider how broader access to archives can expand conversations about African diasporic histories and Black feminist ways of seeing.