Garnet Ifill

Garnett Ifill, an artist and photographer, was born February 8, 1935 in San Fernando, Trinidad, where he has lived all his life except for a brief period when his father went to work at Brechin Castle, Couva, where he worked on the estate as a turner. He qualified as a professional photographer in Los Angeles in 1963 and practices his art in Trinidad and Tobago. He is interested in all aspects of photography - choice of subjects, the camera, the film, the dark room, the processing. He has been described as "the complete photographer: chemist, scientist, engineer, competent craftsman and philosopher." The collection consists of over one hundred (100) photographs dealing with Dr. Eric Williams, Founder of the People's National Movement and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago during the period 1956 to 1977. It includes photographs of the many activities in which Dr. Williams participated during his tenure in the government of Trinidad and Tobago. The photographs cover, inter alia, election campaigns, meetings with local and foreign dignitaries, state visits (e.g., with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Mrs. Indira Ghandi) and visits to schools. The photographer, Garnet Ifill, sold the bulk of this collection to The University of the West Indies in September 2000. A few items were also donated by Mr. Ifill.