Lagos party, 1960

Taken from here.

An open invitation to contribute content to this site

Faaji means 'fun' or 'party' in Yoruba. In order to move forwards to a better Nigerian future, let's celebrate for a moment the good times that were had.

Please send your old scanned party pix from around the 1950s/1960s to nigeriaindependence@gmail.com with a few lines of text and they will get uploaded. Please send the highest resolution image possible. Also provide your name or state whether you prefer to remain anonymous.

The Ajose sisters

This picture is a portrait picture that was taken on the birthday of one of the Ajose sisters who were friends with my mum when they were students at Princess School then situated on Apapa road. They look so similar in age that at first I thought they were twins, but my mother says there was at least a three-year difference between the two of them. I love the confidence exuded by the two ladies as they look directly into the camera with their perfectly synchronized poses and beautiful outfits.

Abby Ogunsanya

The unknown lady

This is a picture of an unknown lady from my mother’s photo collection. Her wonderful smile, innocent beauty and her striking damask outfit and shiny ‘shoe and bag’ collection were what struck me. I am guessing she would have been about 18-21 years of age, and that the picture was most probably taken to celebrate her birthday. People often posed for pictures on their birthdays and distributed copies to their friends as keepsakes. My mum recalls that the picture belonged to her younger brother, my uncle, and that the lady pictured was probably his girlfriend at the time. The original picture is still in very good condition, so I am guessing he didn’t carry it around with him much.

Abby Ogunsanya

At the Ministry of External Affairs

This picture shows my mum (second from left) and her work colleagues at their office ‘End of Year’ party at the Ministry of External Affairs office at Tafawa Balewa Square in 1960. There is a noticeable awkwardness about the people in the picture – almost as if there has been a conspiratorial decision on their part to look as uninterested as possible! All are dressed in typical office clothes of the time (I think my mum worked as a Secretary there). My mum recalls that it was one of their bosses who took the picture so perhaps he wasn’t well liked. I love the party hats (evidently they didn’t!) and you will notice the style of glasses worn by the lady (4^th from the left) – funky 21st Century youngsters are now reviving such vintage styles.

Abby Ogunsanya

Alhaja

Women who worked hard and played hard, running businesses that fed and educated whole communities. Women whose inner lives remain hidden from us. What I do know about the woman in centre stage and some of the friends around her is that they loved to party. They spent money on expensive fabrics and on jewellery.

They were there for each other: at naming ceremonies, funerals, weddings, house warmings. Any opportunity for faaji. Many of these women were dancing well into their 80s. This was a time when everything was known and unknown. Everything was possible. The past was not quite past and the future not quite yet future. When I look at these pictures of my great aunt/mother and her friends, I see total abandonment and joy in the company of women.

Anonymous