Bonn Guillaume. La Mal d’Afrique: A Journey into Old and New Africa by Guillaume Bonn.

Empire, 2006. First edition. Hardcover with protected dust jacket, like new. Fine/fine. Introduction by Mark Lacey. Photographs and text by Gullaume Bonn.  Guillaume Bonn is a French photojournalist and third generation African from Kenya. Most of these black and white photographs were taken in Kenya and include the city, countryside, traditional life, and interactions between people and wildlife, including hunting and efforts to save rare animals from extinction.  Also included are some of his family photographs. The work in this book was exhibited in a solo show at the Nairobi National Museum. Summary:

La Mal d’Afrique: A Journey into Old and New Africa (2006) is a deeply atmospheric and melancholic photographic essay by the French-born, East Africa-raised photographer Guillaume Bonn. The book explores the complex emotional phenomenon known as le mal d’Afrique—a "homesickness" or obsessive longing for the continent experienced by those who have lived there, trapped between the ghosts of the colonial past and the jarring realities of the modern present.

Core Themes and Narrative

• The "Lure" of Africa: Bonn documents the fading remnants of a bygone era—decaying colonial villas, grand hotels with peeling paint, and the "Old Africa" of his childhood—while simultaneously capturing the neon, chaos, and resilience of the "New Africa."

• Personal and Political Identity: The book is a visual memoir. Bonn travels through countries like Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Congo, searching for his own place in a landscape marked by both breathtaking beauty and historical trauma.

• The Ghost of Empire: Bonn treats the architecture and social structures of the colonial era not with nostalgia, but as "lingering scars." He examines how the "Old World" refusal to let go has shaped the struggles of the "New World" for autonomy and stability.

Visual and Technical Style

• Muted Tonalities: Bonn’s photography is noted for its desaturated colors and high-contrast shadows, which evoke a sense of heat, dust, and memory. His images often have a "grainy" finish that mimics the texture of old film, reinforcing the theme of a disappearing past.

• Cinematic Composition: The book utilizes wide-angle shots and intimate portraits that feel like frames from a documentary film. Bonn often leaves significant "negative space" in his frames, emphasizing the vastness of the landscape and the isolation of the individual.