Hello Meltingpot Readers,
Did you think I’d run out of books for my “books about Black hair challenge?” Oh no, cornrow! I’m just getting started. Today’s entry is probably one of my favorite photo books, Dreads by Francesco Mastalia and Alfonse Pagano with an introduction by Alice Walker. Yes, this is a gorgeous coffee table book dedicated to the beauty and wonder of dredlocks, written and photographed by two Italian men.
I remember when this book came out in 1999 there was some shade thrown on Mastalia and Pagano, seeing as how they weren’t Black yet they were writing about Black hair. But here’s the thing, while many of the simple but lush black and white photos in this book do feature Black people and their dredlocks, there are also Japanese people, White people and Indian people among others, who also sport this ancient style. For some people their locs represent their cultural heritage, for others their dreds have religious meaning, for some it’s just a funky style. This book still makes me marvel at the beauty and versatility of hair left in its natural state. I still think dreds are kind of magical. And now I also want to do something exciting with my own locs. Maybe dip them in gold? Hmmm…
Peace + Hair Grease!
