Photograph albums of Arthur Bevan Page relating to Nigeria and other African countries

The first of the two photograph albums is half full of postcards with some photographs of Nigeria and other African countries spanning the years 1918-1940. The second album includes photographs which document Page's time in Abeokuta and elsewhere in Nigeria from 1913-1933. The photographs, many of which are dated and labelled, include pictures of Page, his friends and colleagues, expatriates and local Nigerians, and scenes in and around Abeokuta.

Arthur Bevan 'Bev' Page, the son of an Anglican Minister, was born in Australia on 15 August 1887. He and his family came to Birmingham when Page was a teenager. Here, Page was educated and got his first job, which was in advertising. Page then began to work for a company in Liverpool, possibly John Walkden Co Ltd., which traded on the west coast of Africa. From 1915 until 1925 Page worked as a trader based in Abeokuta, Nigeria. His experiences in Nigeria were varied; he helped to set up a racecourse in Lagos, witnessed the 1918 Abeokuta Uprising and survived blackwater fever, a severe complication of malaria. Page returned to the United Kingdom in 1925 and once more took up work in advertising. He successfully launched his own football pools company called Page's Pools and invested the money he made in the ailing Abbey Theatre in Dublin, contributing to its continued existence. Once the success of Page's Pools had come to an end, due to difficulties with a business partner, Page worked from home as an advertising agent and racehorse tipster. Bev Page died on 25 December 1963.

Open

Donated to SOAS in November 2004

Handlist available