210 x 160 mm. on mount. Photograph by R.S.G. Aggrey. Described by Miss Smyly as ‘Photo taken in the courtyard of the old fort in Coomasi, of the Coomasi Council of Chiefs, who were there to meet Sir Crampton Smyly, Chief Justice of the Gold Coast Colony, who was in Coomasi on a visit to Mr John Maxwell, Chief Commissioner’. The unmounted duplicate at Y30448L/39 has pencilled identifications on the back, which have been transcribed by Dr T.C. McCaskie. From his notes, and those of Miss Smyly, the following identifications have been made:

Front row, left to right: Asamoa Totoe; Kobina Safo; Miss Smyly; Kojo Poku; Lady Smyly; Kweku Dua; Chief Commissioner Ashanti (John Maxwell); Kwame Frimpong; Kofi Dumfeh; C.J. (Sir Crampton Smyly); Kwesi Nuama; Osei Tutu; Kwamin Kyem; Kobina Kokufu; Kwame Kussi.

Back row, left to right: Orderly; D.C.'s Registrar; C.C.A.'s Registrar; Wusu Sekere; Oheneba (the Asante woman); Kwami Asamoa; Orderly; Yaw Buaten; Kw. Amoo (?); D.C.; (gap, unidentified); Eku Atta (?); P.C.; Omanhene Kojo Apau; Om. Kobina Vusu; Om. Kwami Poku; (unidentified): Chief Clerk; D.C.’s Orderly.

Dr McCaske adds, ‘The Asante in the picture are a mixture of senior members of the Kumase Council of Chiefs, instituted by Sir Francis Fuller in 1905, and created to run the affairs of the Kumase division in the absence (in the Seychelles) of Asantehene Agyeman Prempe (1888-1931), and selected rulers of Asante territorial divisions (aman)'. Miss Smyly identifies the figure centre back as ‘Major Gosling, Provincial Commissioner’. At that time Gosling was a District Commissioner: several individuals held the post of Provincial Commissioner in 1924, but it has not been possible from the Blue Book to be sure which was present on this occasion. Major William Richard Gosling (1891-1968) joined the Colonial Service after demobilisation following World War I; he was an Assistant District Commissioner (1924), Provincial Commissioner (1942) and Acting Chief Commissioner (1945). He retired in 1946. Biographical notes on the Chiefs by Dr McCaskie are filed at the end of Y30448L.