Little is known of the provenance of this album of photographs, but an inscription on the inside of the front cover, 'W. H. Himbury, Grosvenor Club, Piccadilly', suggests that its owner was Sir William Himbury (1871-1955). Himbury had a very successful career in the cotton industry and served as Chairman of the Council of the British Cotton Growing Association. In 1918, he was appointed to the Empire Cotton Growing Committee, and did much to promote cotton cultivation within the Empire and Commonwealth, travelling widely in Europe, America, Canada, India, and East and West Africa. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture.
Some of the photographs are captioned, including images from the 1900 Asante Expedition (Y30448U/9, 16, 22, 30), which provides an approximate date for the album's creation. A number of photographs portray trading factories and the transportation of cotton bales (Y30448U/31-32, 40-41), suggesting that Himbury acquired the album through his work encouraging the African cotton industry. The signatures of commercial photographers stamped upon the reverse of some of the photographs are partially visible.
Early views of the Gold Coast
This material is held atRoyal Commonwealth Society Library
- Reference
- GB 115 RCS/Y30448U
- Dates of Creation
- 1900
- Language of Material
- English .
- Physical Description
- 45 item(s) 45 images
Scope and Content
Access Information
Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).
Note
Includes index.
Other Finding Aids
A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.
Physical Characteristics and/or Technical Requirements
the photographs are in good condition unless specified otherwise
Location of Originals
Three images from this collection can be viewed here:
Y30448U/5: Whale (Ju Ju) Big fetish play, Gold Coast
http://www.dspace.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/1810/1262/1/RCSPC-Y30448U-005.jpg
Y30448U/11: Gold Coast Chief (Amoah) and his people
http://www.dspace.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/1810/1263/1/RCSPC-Y30448U-011.jpg
Y30448U/40: [Two-wheeled cart]
http://www.dspace.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/1810/1264/1/RCSPC-Y30448U-040.jpg
To use these images or to obtain a copy please refer to our Terms of Use:
http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/rcs_photo_project/gallery1.html
Additional Information
This item level description was entered by MJC.