Michael was very generous in the number of pots I was able to have fired.
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30. Michael had established two small two-man potteries at Kano
and Sokoto in the far north. Both were not doing too well, to his
disappointment. He would visit and find no maintenance on wheels
for instance- that being left to his next visit. All materials were
supplied from Abuja.
Diane and Seth at Kano Pottery.
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31. This was a little market place, with pots, on the way to Minna,
the railhead. Michael bought the big pot, and I bought one of the
small ones. He later took that to England and exhibited it at the
end of 1959 at the Berkeley Galleries.
I'm trying to say here that Michael was influenced all the time
by his environment and he saw this sort of thing all the while he
was in Nigeria.
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32. A pottery 'clamp' at the riverside at Jebba island. Raw
pots stacked ready for firing.
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33. Gwari women and pots at Abuja Market.
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34. Store pots at a village near the road.
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35. A Hausa kiln firing at Sokoto in an old market place and near
to the small Cardew pottery. Firing time for approximately 400 to
500 cubic feet of pots was 1 hour 40 minutes.
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36. Kiln opening next morning.
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37. Pots off to market. A potter carrying a load of water pots by
way of sticks pushed into the necks and the sticks tied where they
crossed at a central point.
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38. The huge pottery market at Sokoto.
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39. This is one of my favourite shots, right out in the desert with
the Hamatan wind blowing this excessively fine dust from the desert,
which reached right down to Abuja in the very dry season.
Here, pots are being used by women to collect water from a well.
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40. Independence was in the air for the Northern Region and
the Governor General, Sir James Robertson with Lady Robertson, were
visiting all the Emirates to introduce the idea of independence
to the Northern region. The people of the North were reluctant about
the idea as they thought that problems would arise.
Here are the official parties at a ceremony in the Emir's compound.
The Governor General and District Officers, the Emir and councillors
and invited guests.
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41. The Emir's musicians next to the official stand. Note the extended
cheeks of the trumpet player!
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