It is essentially the sub-title which underpins this splendid book by Philip Allison,
who served in the Nigerian Forest Service from 1931 to 1960 and then stayed on as a
collector of traditional art for the Nigerian Department of Antiquities. For "A
Pictorial Record of the British West Africa" at once identifies the genre of book,
quickly distinguishing it from a study in necromancy and avoiding the risk of it being
catalogued by some do-not-read-beyond-the-spine library assistant under the History
of Tropical Medicine or Ghost-Stories. Contrary to the publishers' announcement,
this is not "an absorbing account of the last days of Empire". 'Absorbing', yes; but
since only one of its fifteen chapters is entitled "Independence" and most of the rest
stretch back to slavers and traders, "Missionaries" and "Pioneers", George Goldie and
Mary Kingsley, the hint of some study of decolonization, the transfer of power and the
end of empire smacks of a positive infringement of the Trade Descriptions Act.
Historical text there is, succinct and informative, with separate short chapters on
each of Britain's four West African territories, one on the Jubilee Year (1897, of
course, not 1935 or 1977) and one on Lugard. Of perhaps even greater interest to the
generality of our readers - certainly to your reviewer - are the 'social' chapters about la
vie coloniale: "The Voyage Out", "In the Bush", "Home from Home" and "Culture
Contact". Apart from the fine introductory chapter of twenty pages, few of the other
ones are more than three pages in length. The whole book has a mere twenty-eight
references and names no more than forty books, many published before 1900. There is
an index.
So where is the deeper and undeniable value of this minimal text in a book of nearly
two hundred pages? The answer lies, grandly and gloriously, in the historical triumph
of its illustrations. There are nearly one hundred and fifty (exceptional value for
money!), ranging from reproduced illustrations and brass casts to official press
photographs, snapshots from family albums and newspaper cartoons. Each carries a
serious and substantial caption, while a separate list of acknowledgements indicates
the sources.
Philip Allison's fascinating assemblage of illustrations is deliberately complemented
by rather than subordinated to his text. The result is no coffee-table book just
to impress visitors but a cornucopia of goodies. These instantly recapture innumerable
aspects of that life which so many of us enjoyed - and just a few endured - all the way
along the West Coast of Africa down to that Bight of Benin where "There's one comes
out for forty goes in". A veritable treasure-trove indeed!
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