Front cover of issue of African Times and Orient Review, Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections Division.
The PPHP has been speaking with and helping a student with this research, we now need to find images! – answers to me please [email protected]
Search Detail: I am currently working on a project researching photography of and by Black communities in the UK pre 1948. As part of this broader project, I am looking for photographs used in pan-African publications published on Fleet Street.
I am particularly interested in photography used in the publication, African Times and Orient Review. This magazine was published sporadically between 1912 and 1920, first as the African Times and Orient Review and then briefly, in 1920 as the Africa and Orient Review. Its offices were located at 158 Fleet Street, London EC4 and it was edited by Dusé Mohammed Ali (1866-1945).
I am principally interested in a beauty competition for Black women that ran in the Africa and Orient Review in 1920. This competition was first advertised in the magazine in its May 1920 issue with a call for its readers to send in images of women in their lives, in the hopes of winning the competition’s £100 prize. The competition was also referenced by the Daily Mail in its 19th October 1920 issue under the headline ‘Coloured Beauty Contest’, published alongside 2 images that had been sent in by the Africa and Orient Review readers.
According to its editor, the magazine received an overwhelming response with photographs of women sent by readers from around the UK and even some from further afield, in West Africa and the United States. Two issues published some of the images received by Ali, in the magazine’s September 1920 (Vol.1 No. IX) and December 1920 (Vol.1, No. XII) issues.
The competition proved so popular, the window for entries was extended to July 1921. However, a winner was never announced as the publication went out of print, with its last issue published in December 1920.
I would be very grateful for any leads on photography used in the African Times and Orient Review/Africa and Orient Review, especially if there is any information on where I can find the images of women sent in to the magazine for its 1920 beauty contest.
