A newly released book, Haile Selassie: The Palace’s Photo Albums, offers an unprecedented glimpse into the personal and political life of Ethiopia’s last emperor. Showcasing 80 rare and never-before-seen photographs, the book sheds light on Haile Selassie’s leadership, personal passions, and lasting impact on Ethiopia and the world. Launched last Thursday, the book is a collaboration between author Denis Gerard and renowned historians Prof. Giulia Bonacci, Prof. Estelle Sohier, and Prof. Shiferaw Bekele.
Gerard, who first encountered the emperor’s personal photo collection eight years ago inside the National Palace, describes the book as a long-awaited realization of a project inspired by that moment. With historical insights and personal anecdotes, the book offers readers a richer understanding of Haile Selassie—not just as a statesman, but as a patron of the arts, an advocate for African unity, and a devoted family man.
“I hope this beautiful book will soon be available in Book World and in the new palace museum, as would be logical,” he expressed.
At the event, coauthor of the book Prof. Giulia Bonacci stated that the book contained several photos that had never been shown to the public since they were archived in the National Palace.
As to her, Haile Selassie is known for being the modern leader of Ethiopia and a supporter of freedom struggles on the continent. It was him who coordinated many African leaders to gather in Addis Ababa and establish the continental organization, OAU.
He was the most famous political figure from Africa and an icon of freedom in many countries, including Jamaica, where the Rastafarian movement stemmed from.
Therefore, the statue of the emperor still continues to be erected to this day, she mentioned.
Coauthor Prof. Shiferaw Bekele said that Haile Selassie was the most successful leader in modernizing Ethiopia.
This improvement included economic progress, as well as social and political development. He introduced the first written constitution, modern schools, hospitals, currency, roads, banks, insurance, and so on, according to Prof. Shiferaw.
The emperor dominated the country for a long time, and his capacity to navigate Ethiopia’s politics was impressive.
Personally, Haile Selassie was a humorous and humble man who liked his family and had a special love for pets, including dogs and horses.He had an artistic passion, as was clearly seen in his visits to artistic places whenever he traveled abroad, while also promoting the arts at home by expanding theaters and awarding artists.
The book, which is written in Amharic, English, and French, was published by Shama Books.
At the launch ceremony, Shama Books’ graphic designer Tsion Haile said that she was not aware of the emperor’s global recognition except for his national and continental contributions.
However, designing the book enabled her to understand the invaluable contributions of the king to modernism, freedom, and his personal life, as well as his humility toward the people around him.
According to Tsion, the book contains well-organized, high-quality pictures along with descriptive explanations. “I am very happy to be part of the book publishing process,” she said.
Ethiostar Companies CEO and translator Brook Beyene expressed that his company had played a key role in translating the book into Amharic.
He said that his company even transcribed videos again to maintain the accurate messages expressed in Amharic during the time some of the pictures were taken—such as the messages of the emperor delivered at the inauguration of the OAU—thereby ensuring that the descriptions in French and English were corrected.
“Haile Selassie was a kind of person who lived ahead of his time—he led a very luxurious life, was very cultured, very sensitive, a lover of animals and art, a very dedicated father, and a great grandfather. He was an extraordinary person. I am very happy to participate in the project,” Brook said.
Attending the event, Rastafarian member Eric Burton Junior said that the book is a very informative one, incorporating pictures of the king that have never been seen before.“I really enjoyed it. It is not important just for the diaspora but also for Ethiopians, Rastafarians, and the rest of the world to know more about the personal life of Haile Selassie.”
“A bit more to me is his love for pets,” he said, mentioning the king’s love for animals.
Haile Selassie’s grandson, Prince BeidemariamMekonnen, found the book unique for comprising many photos that had been kept only in the National Palace, with well-articulated elaborations.
He said that he was happy to see a time in which members of the royal family would no longer be accused of having reminders of their heritage.Understanding both the positive and negative sides of history and recognizing leaders based on their contributions is vital to sustaining the country, he added.
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 5 APRIL 2025
