In brief
British photographer Kieran Dodds has spent a decade capturing portraits of people with red hair, turning a quirky obsession into a journey of cultural discovery. His new book, Gingers of America, uncovers how ginger strands connect Scottish roots, Native American ancestry and the multiracial tapestry of the United States. From Alabama to Oklahoma, Dodds interviews families, highlighting stories about European, African, and Indigenous gene flows that illuminate America’s identity. The book asks how something as simple as hair colour can reflect shared histories and foster unity.
For the late‑45‑year‑old photographer Kieran Dodds the obsession with ginger haired subjects has become a lifelong road trip from Edinburgh to the southern reaches of Alabama.
His 2020 book Gingers Spanned the World left a glaring gap – the United States. After that book, a flood of messages from American families tugged at his curiosity.
Dodds admits the book discovers a ‘golden thread’ that pulls together people who otherwise seem worlds apart. The red strands of hair have become a living map of cultural exchange: Scottish migrants, Native American marriages, and the multiracial vibrancy of the US.
From a Comanche girl’s Scottish grandparents in Oklahoma to a Cherokee girl with deep ruby hair who hails from Alabama, Dodds shows how genetics, migration and community define identity.
American families share stories of European ancestry, Indigenous ties, and even Iranian heritage. The book estimates about a 4 % prevalence of red hair in the US – roughly 14 million people if imagined as a city called Gingertown glowing bright from space.
Beyond the celebratory tone, Dodds stresses that the word “ginger” carries a descriptive tone, borne of fire engine red, yet he shifts it to a golden, positive connotation, countering older insults.
Through portraiture and conversation, Dodds creates a road map of the nation, one ginger strand at a time.
