Tree of Forgetfulness: Boom der Vergetelheid; L'Arbre de L'Oubli; A Bon fu Frigiti [Paperback]

Laura Samsom Rous (Author), Hans Samsom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2004

The trans-Atlantic trade in slaves lasted for three centuries. Millions of Africans were forced to leave their places of birth and march to the coast to await their deportation to the European plantations on the other side of the Atlantic. The histories of West Africa and Suriname are thus inextricably entwined with the Dutch colonial past.

Laura Samsom Rous and Hans Samsom photographed the final section of the slave route in Africa lasting hundreds of kilometres that ended at the port of Ouidah in Benin on the Slave Coast of West Africa. They also took photographs of the king of Benin, whose forefathers had cooperated with the European slave traders.
They followed the trail to Suriname, photographing the inland, the village Tutubuka, and the Maroons, the direct descendants of the slaves that managed to escape the plantations and fight for their freedom.
Laura Samsom Rous took the portrait photographs, and Hans Samsom used a panoramic camera with a rotating lens to photograph the landscape. Text in English, Dutch, French and Sranan.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laura Samsom Rous studied anthropology at the University of Amsterdam and was a lecturer at the Academy of Art in Utrecht and The Hague. Her photographs are in international collections. Together with Hans Samsom, she worked for the United Nations, the Anti Apartheid Movement and the Royal Tropical Institute in the Netherlands. They work and live in Amsterdam.

Hans Samsom studied at the Academy for Photography in The Hague and worked as a commercial photographer at the Groebli studios in Zürich. Together with Laura Samsom Rous he worked for the United Nations, the Anti Apartheid Movement and the Royal Tropical Institute in the Netherlands. They work and live in Amsterdam.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: KIT Publishers (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9068325361
• ISBN-13: 978-9068325362
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,731,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Suriname
  • #38 in Books > History > Africa > Benin

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly beautiful, startling and thought provoking, February 22, 2004

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AfroAmericanHeritage (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tree of Forgetfulness: Boom der Vergetelheid; L'Arbre de L'Oubli; A Bon fu Frigiti (Paperback)

This book is difficult to describe. On one level, it is gorgeous photography...for example, there is a photo of a couple dining in the shade of the palm grove on sun drenched beach at the bungalow hotel Auberge de la Diaspora. Out of context one would think, "Oh, what a lovely setting." In context, this grove is near the monument for "The Port of No Return," a monument at the coast in Ouidah symbolising the largest deportation known to man. This is an unusual approach, and the authors obviously have a deep respect for the people and the land. They include information about the slave trade in general, and its persistence to this day, with links to resources.