Mama Casset

Mama Casset, born in 1908 in Saint-Louis, Senegal, embarked on his photographic journey at the tender age of 12, under the tutelage of Oscar Lataque in Dakar. Upon completing his studies, he joined the ranks of the Comptoir Photographique de l’A.O.F. His skills soon found a place in the French Air Force, where he captured a myriad of aerial shots.

Post-war, Casset established his own studio, 'African Photo', nestled in the heart of Dakar's medina. It swiftly became a household name, with families flocking to have their portraits taken against his signature simple backdrops, often angled diagonally, with subjects adorned in their finest attire.

Tragically, in 1980, blindness halted his illustrious career. Further misfortune struck when a fire ravaged his studio, consuming a significant portion of his archival work. The photographic maestro passed away in 1992, leaving behind a legacy of iconic imagery.

SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• L’AFRIQUE PAR ELLE-MÊME - by Anne Marie Bouttiaux, Alain d’Hooghe, Pascal Martin Saint Leon ; 2003 ; Musée royal d’Afrique centrale de Tervuren et Revue Noire edition ; in French

• MAMA CASSET - authors: Pascal Martin Saint Leon and Jean Loup Pivin ; 2012 ; La Fabrica

• ANTHOLOGIE DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE AFRICAINE, DE L’OCÉAN INDIEN ET DE LA DIASPORA - 1998 ; Revue Noire editions ; in French

• MAMA CASSET ET LES PRÉCURSEURS DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE AU SÉNÉGAL - 1994 ; Revue Noire editions ; in French