Stunning photographs of the world’s disappearing tribal cultures

Before They Pass Away

by Jimmy Nelson

teNeues

2013, 408 pages, 11.9 x 14.8 x 2.1

$102 Buy a copy on Amazon

This is a massive book. Oversized pages printed on very heavy stock. It’s one of those proverbial coffee table books that are almost a table themselves. But inside is a remarkable journey. Collected into this single volume are high-fashion portraits of tribal people in their most distinguished, authentic costumes. With great care and respect, photographer Jimmy Nelson captures these proud subjects at their best, for all time. For many ethnic groups, their culture is disappearing. In several decades, their traditions will be gone, and even their native dress will have to be faked for tourists. With missionary zeal to capture what he could “before they pass away,” Nelson traveled deep off the road to arrive at these remnant societies. He worked with the indigenous people to present themselves to the world with dignity and joy. What you get is a last testament of tribal life. You can lose yourself for hours – or weeks, or years! – studying the deep details in each image. The extremely large format takes you further into their lives than a National Geographic image does. You can bathe in their diversity, and soak up the differences, and soothe in their commonality. No one who has journeyed into this book has returned unchanged. – Kevin Kelly