13 rooms in Artist and Society
South African photographer Ernest Cole’s images document life for Black people during apartheid. Cole’s photographs are displayed alongside his photobook, House of Bondage
Born in South Africa in 1940, Cole was a self-taught photographer. He began his career at Drum magazine in 1958, before becoming a freelance photojournalist. His work primarily focuses on the lives of the Black community. Cole was working and living under apartheid in South Africa. This system of institutionalised racial segregation, underpinned by White minority rule, began in 1948. Anyone who was not classified as White was actively oppressed by the regime.
During apartheid, South African law divided its citizens into four racial groups: Black, White, Coloured and Indian. Officials used a variety of racist tests to classify people into groups. One of these was the pencil test, in which a pencil was pushed into an individual’s hair. If the pencil fell out, signalling that their hair was straight rather than curly, kinky or coily, the person was ‘classified’ as White. To pursue his work, Cole tricked the Race Classification Board. He straightened his hair and changed his name from Kole to Cole, in order to be classified as Coloured rather than Black. This allowed him to photograph the
experiences of Black people and travel more freely, but he was still at risk of arrest. He fled South Africa in 1966, taking many of his photographs and negatives with him.
As most of Cole’s photographs were used for press purposes, or taken for House of Bondage, he is not known to have used titles. Some of the works here featured in Cole’s photobook and are displayed with his descriptive captions. House of Bondage was first published in New York in 1967. Drawing attention to apartheid worldwide, the book was banned in South Africa. It continues to be a powerful visual testimony and archive of the stories and memories of the Black South African population during apartheid.
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Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
Ernest Cole, [no title] 1965–6
This is one of a group of twenty-one black and white photographs in Tate’s collection from the South African photographer Ernest Cole’s series House of Bondage 1965–6 (Tate P82526–46). The photographs, which were taken on 35mm film, are gelatin silver prints on paper and are all untitled. The works can be described as documentary in practice, each capturing an element of day-to-day life under the Apartheid regime in South Africa. There is a particular focus on the black community: from the long commutes from townships to cities, shown in the overcrowding of trains; to the harsh conditions in gold mines and related accommodation for miners; to understaffed and underfunded hospitals; the daily realities of pass raids; and the destruction of townships to make space for building expansion. In some works, Cole has photographed signs that depict the rules that separated different strands of society under Apartheid, with permits needed to enter specific locations, or only allowing entry into buildings via specific routes. Other images are more playful, depicting children cooling off with a water sprinkler or friendships between black and white South Africans. For the most part, the subjects in the images seem to be unaware that they are being photographed.
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artworks in Ernest Cole
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