Kieran Dodds has made photographing people with red hair his obsession for a decade. A proud ginger himself, he began his work in Edinburgh in 2013, driving his curiosity to cities famed for their ochre‑haired residents – from Perm in Russia to Jamaica’s Treasure Beach.
In 2020 he published the book Gingers Spanned the World, a visual archive of hundreds of portraits. After release he noticed a clear omission: no American subjects. The missing thread prompted a flood of messages from red‑haired Americans, inviting him to document a new continent.
His travels to Alabama revealed a rich tapestry of red‑haired families. He met Henry Davis, who recalls his own red hair fading with age, and Cajal Taylor, whose Indigenous, African‑American and European ancestry made her a living embodiment of America’s diverse roots.
The book’s cover, featuring Joshua Elliot of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, captures the narrative of a Cherokee background described as a “deep ruby” hue — a color that provokes curiosity about its mysterious origins.
From the multiracial families of Oklahoma to the emblematic girl Lottie Wahkinney with Scottish grandparents, the photographs weave a narrative showing that ginger color is more than a trait – it’s a thread that ties disparate histories and cultures. Kieran notes that while the United Kingdom has about 13% natural red‑heads, he estimates around 4% of America’s population carries the trait, suggesting a “Gingertown” of 14 million visible from space.
Ultimately, Kieran’s road‑trip book is not only a visual diary but a cultural exploration of where people come from. In an America worked out of migrations, it highlights why the red‑haired face can symbolize the complex narrative of a nation built on heritage, change and shared identity.
