Richard Buchta’s photos of the then-contemporary borderland between Sudan and Uganda constitute a priceless collection, dating as they do from the 1870s. They were taken using older techniques. They were published in 1881 in Berlin in a very limited edition, intended only for specialists. In spite of this they gained great popularity in publishing houses of the 19th century. This collection is valuable for its pioneering character, as well as for capturing images and persons very important to the history of that region. These photos were forgotten in the 20th century. In the 21st century they have become—thanks to the internet—a component of global information, forming an image of the past and the culture of that part of Africa. Much more modest is the heritage of writings left by Richard Buchta. These do not go beyond basic news—at that time very new and interesting—yet they are characterized by remarkable reliability and attention to detail. Another challenge Richard Buchta presents to us is certainly that of recovering his more personal reflections and, perhaps, texts in Polish, since the place of his birth and the environment in which he was raised testify to his close ties to Polish culture.
Key words: Richard Buchta, South Sudan, Bahr Al-Ghazal, Charles Thomas Wilson, Roberta William Felkin, Wilhelm Junker, Zande (Makaraka), African Photographic Archive
Jarosław Różański, Ryszard Buchta – małopolski fotograf i badacz Sudanu, w: Lucjan Buchalik, Jarosław Różański (red.), Ex Africa semper aliquid novi, t. V, Żory: Muzeum Miejskie w Żorach, Polskie Towarzystwo Afrykanistyczne 2020, s. 51-62.
Open access: https://www.academia.edu/44554565/ [see also: uksw.academia.edu/Rozanski]