Anyone who has attended life cycle events in Nigeria, such as weddings, funerals, and other social occasions, will have encountered the ubiquity of the photographer. His or her role has expanded since the beginning of 1990s to include the filming of such ceremonies, which, much like the photographs that decorate the walls of the parlor, can be displayed to visitors. These present to the visitor the social biography of the household. There are also widespread practices of commemoration that make use of photography and video by exploiting their status as tangible records of past events or scenes in order to elicit memory. In funerary rites across southern Nigeria, the very materiality of the photograph can contribute to the spectacle and its performance with close kin members dancing with the framed image of the deceased to honor the individual's life and contribution to the family or lineage. Funerary rites vary from...

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