Scope and Contents

192 x 131 mm. Showing Bell (now dressed in civilian clothes) talking to a group of officials on Zungeru Station, with a locomotive at the left and a guard of honour in the background..

Scope and Contents

193 x 132 mm. Showing Bell and other officials walking past a guard of honour on the platform of Zungeru Station on his departure on leave.

Scope and Contents

An undated typescript description of a journey up the Niger March, 1906, 6 pages. Ward visited Forcados, Borutu, Lokoja, Wechisu and Barajuka before travelling by train to Zungeru and continuing her journey by rail. There is also a two-page manuscript fragment containing an account of part of this journey.

Scope and Contents A description of a ten day 'Grand Tour' to Kano, August-September 1913. Ward describes how 'I was to have had a change to Kaduna to open a new hospital there but owing to illness I was unable to go and the medical officer arranged this trip for me instead'. She travelled in the company of Mr and Mrs Goldsmith through Zungeru, Minna, Kaduna, Zaria and Kano (pp. 2-8), Zaria (pp. 8-11) and from Minna to Zungeru. The account includes comments on the position of Islam, mission work and the...

Scope and Contents

These letters document Bell’s early service as Governor of Northern Nigeria, describing his arrival at Zungeru and official duties, including the encouragement of railway development and tin mining, finance and the planning of new towns, as well as his colleagues, accommodation and social life. Bell embarked upon several tours of inspection, reporting upon local rulers, people, climate, terrain and wildlife (109 sheets).

Scope and Contents

These letters likely were written to Bell’s sister Eleanor or Ellen, who was managing his Dominican plantation Sylvania. Those which deal with Nigerian subjects are similar to letters addressed to Bell’s aunt in RCMS 36/4/4 (68 sheets).

Scope and Contents

These letters describe Bell’s service in Nigeria, including tin mines, town planning, railway construction, finance, the efficiency of subordinate officers, official tours, the completion of a new residence at Zaria, leisure, health and the publication of ‘Love in black’ (32 sheets).

Scope and Contents

100 x 74 mm. Showing Bell seated at work at a desk in his office.

Scope and Contents

105 x 77 mm. Showing Bell seated at work at a desk in his office.

Scope and Contents

283 x 205 mm. A full length portrait of Bell, dressed in a civilian suit and wearing a pith helmet, standing beside a railway locomotive. A photograph probably taken at Zungeru.

Scope and Contents A collection of photographs created by the railway engineer Charles Bell Swan. The discovery of gold at Tarkwa during the 1890s provided the stimulus for the establishment of the Gold Coast Government Railway. Sekondi was chosen as the terminal port to support mining operations and construction began there in 1898, reaching Tarkwa in 1901. The line was extended to Kumasi in 1903. Items 1-18 and 44 document the building of the harbour facilities and station at Sekondi, and the European and...