Achimota College (A.W.E. Winlaw collection)

Collection of loose prints with duplicates measuring, unless stated, approximately 210 x 160 mm. The collection contains a variety of photographs, some of them taken by the Information Services of the Gold Coast/Ghana, while others are amateur photographs. Nos 1-5, showing Fraser in the Principal's house are clearly pre-1935, when he left Achimota. The majority date from Mr Winlaw's Headship and include a number of views of buildings put up in that period, particularly the Assembly Hall and the Girls Gymnasium. He was also responsible for a Chapel and an Armoury for the Cadet Corps. Most of the groups (176-213) are identified in detail, but very few others have any indication of their subject. Alan Rudwick, Headmaster of Achimota from 1965-77 and a member of its staff since 1951, who took many of the photographs himself, has identified most of them, including indicating some pupils and staff members whose subsequent careers were of particular interest. Except for the groups, virtually all the entries are based on his information, supplemented by biographical material from works of reference as noted.
The photographs have been arranged in five groups;
1-5 views of the Principal's House, pre-1935
6-43 major events, including Founder's Day celebrations
44-61 aerial photographs
62-178 miscellaneous views of School events and activities
179-216 groups.
Photographs taken by the Gold Coast Information Services and the Ghana Information Services are marked GSIC and GIS respectively, with their reference numbers, thus identifying those taken before and after March 1957. A series marked '61' and '62' is also indicated.
Achimota College began in 1924 with the arrival in the Gold Coast of the first Principal, A.G. Fraser and the original members of his staff and it was formally opened in 1927. Principals and Head Masters in the first fifty years have been:
H.M. Grace, 1935-41
R.W. Stopford, 1941-45 (see Y30448H/3 and Y30448I/12)
H.C. Neill, 1946-49 (see Y30448H/5)
P.G. Rendall, 1949-53 (see Y30448I/6)
A.W.E. Winlaw, 1954-59
D.A. Chapman Nyaho, 1959-63 (see Y30448I/35, 37)
I.K. Chinebuah, 1963-65
A.P. Rudwick, 1965-77.
Originally known as 'Achimota College and School', the development of other educational institutions in the Gold Coast and the diversion of many of its activities elsewhere led to its renaming as 'Achimota School' in 1948. At this time the post of Principal was renamed Headmaster.

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).

Presented by A.W.E. Winlaw in 1982. His gift also included Ministry of Information photographs of Achimota at Y30448H and a set of A.G. Fraser's printed letters from Kandy and Achimota.

Includes index.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

Generally in good condition.

For photographs of Achimota between 1931 and 1946 see Y30448G.

This item level description was created by MJC using information from the original typescript catalogue.

Winlaw, A W E, fl 1954-1959