Malik Bakht Archive

The collection is principally made up of photographs and material relating to the Everest restaurant. There is a small amount of material held only in digital format.

This archive relates to Abdul Malik Choudhury Bakht, Yvonne Bakht (nee Parker) and the South Asian community in Manchester 1950-1970.

Abdul Malik Choudhury Bakht more frequently known as Malik Bakht was born in Shillong, Assam in 1924. He was the eldest son in a family of six children. During the Second World War he worked as a translator for the Americans. In 1947 he came to the UK to work at the Pakistani High Commission. In 1947 he became a founder and trustee of Victoria Park Mosque, Manchester. Later he became the Seaman's Welfare Office for Cunard. After helping many to establish their own businesses in the UK he decided to set up his own business and began by flock printing ladies stockings. The second venture was a clothes shop, The Blouse Bar. The next business move was into the restaurant trade with the first being Shahi Restaurant in Blackpool and later Everest Restaurant in Manchester. Throughout his life he contributed his experience and time to the community and was always available to help mitigate / translate / solve problems linked with police, airport, courts, prisons or hospitals. As a result he was highly valued by the community which was shown at his funeral in 1977. For more information see the brief biography held at GB3228.76/1/5. For photographs of his wedding see GB3228.76/2/2.

Yvonne Bakht (nee Parker), born Aug 1937, grew up in the Blackpool area before attending Blackpool Technical College and the Royal College of Art, London. As well as following her own career in textile design she married Malik Bakht in 1959 and supported him in his work, community work and business ventures. During the families stay in East Pakistan Yvonne (using the name Rabaya Malik) helped to set up a design centre and became the first qualified, independent female design consultant working in both East and West Pakistan. The family returned to the UK in 1972 and she resumed her career and support of the families restaurant business. After her husband died she moved to Coventry and helped to set up a new concept of workshop to promote the practice of crafts originating with minority communities in Coventry. In 1983 she returned to the North West and continued to develop her career in the creative arts, education, writing and illustrating. For further information on Yvonne see GB3228.76/2/8.

Items have been divided into the following series:

• Abdul Malik Choudhury Bakht
• Yvonne Bakht (including an oral history)
• The Blouse Bar
• Shahi Restaurant, Blackpool
• Everest Restaurant, Manchester
• Victoria Park Mosque, Manchester
• Events
• Miscellaneous

24 hours notice is required to view this collection. Material will then be accessible through Manchester Central Library Search Room, Manchester Central Library, St Peters Square, Manchester, M2 5PD. To access this collection please: Contact the archive

Yvonne Bakht

• Some items held digitally only
• Some conservation work required on some photographs

For private research and study only.

Duplicates returned to donor.

No further accruals are expected.

Victoria Park Mosque photographs held by Manchester Local Studies, Manchester Central Library.