ASIRI Magazine has launched the Vintage Nigeria Digital Campaign, a collection of rare archival images.
The month-long historical photo extravaganza opened on November 2 and will run till December 2. The Rockefeller Archive Center/Ford Foundation and the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau (LASRAB) are supporting ASIRI to showcase important images from the past.
“It has always been about using history as an educational tool to educate further and improve the mental strength of the people and the world in general. The essence of the campaign is to reinforce further our digital vault of Nigerian history documents and images,” said Oludàmọ́lá Adebowale, Creative Director and founder of ASIRI Magazine.
The images would be on all ASIRI Magazine social media platforms- Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Viewers will learn about the history behind some of the photos as well as the narratives behind individuals spotlighted.
Adebowale added that the campaign boasts over 50 rare images that were made available by the Rockefeller Archive Center and chosen by the timeline and narrative they represent.
“Since we couldn’t be at the archive physically to handpick the images, we needed to work with the archivist at the centre in providing images that best capture the Nigeria story,” he added of the online campaign that is part of Nigeria’s year-long Diamond Jubilee.
Also speaking about the campaign, Director General of LASRAB, Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola, said the partnership aimed to raise awareness on the importance of documenting national history. She added that more collaboration would promote the rich cultural heritage of Lagos State and Nigeria in general.
She said, “In the past, LASRAB has coordinated trips to various foreign institutions that have rare historical documents in their possession to ensure that those documents are retrieved and are in possession of the State Government. We will continue to build on our efforts to ensure that all rare documents are eventually retrieved. We are also making significant efforts to retrieve rare documents in the hands of local citizens who may not be aware of the importance of such documents. We will be launching a public awareness campaign soon to promote this initiative.”ff.
Adebowale had previously curated exhibitions for Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi; Prof. Wole Soyinka; Africa Drum Festival 2019 and the British Council before the Vintage Nigeria Digital Campaign.
All the images are courtesy the Rockefeller Archive Center and Ford Foundation.
