Gillian Hopwood: Retelling bygone Lagos splendour in lens

Architect Gillian Hopwood may be old, but her memories of Lagos sixty years back remain fresh. With 39 black-and-white photographs, she brings back the once modest tree lined streets of Lagos lost to the rapid urbanization....more

She releases these photographs with a book, Photographer’s Odyssey, to present the transformation of Lagos over a period of six decades.

Gillian came to Lagos in 1954 with her husband, Professor John Godwin OBE, after graduating from the Architectural Association school of London as young architects who were eager to embark on a professional adventure. Aboard the ship, Gillian had studied the instruction booklet of the camera her father gave to her and began to use it as soon as she touched land.  We would walk the streets on Sundays because we didn’t want too many people around April and May when the weather was best with a nice cloudy background and clear blue sky” she explains.  Over several Sundays she photographed choice buildings and areas around Onikan, the Brazilian quarters, Marina, Tinubu Square and Carter Bridge. Notable among the buildings she documented is the St. Anna Court which was demolished in 1960, the Cms  house on broad street now part of the Bookshop house, the Island club and Onikan road which was the only access road to Ikoyi.
These historic yet artistic documentation today helps realize how Lagos has evolved to the present day Mega city known for its hub of activities and highlights what needs to be addressed in the face of its teeming population. 

 For His Excellency, Babatunde Fashola the book captures the development and essence of the growing city-state. “This book now helps to create a torch passing moment between my generation and that of my children” he opined.
Gillian and Godwin, in I955, eventually opened their own architectural practice at their home on Boyle Street.

Over the years, they have written several books on the growth of Lagos and dedicated their time to preserve old buildings in the city through their historical and environmental interest group, Legacy. A number of important old buildings, including JAEKEL House at the Nigerian Railway Corporation, have been restored and, today, functions as a museum. The photographs are on display at the Wheatbaker until 9th of April to the public. The exhibition curator is Sandra Obiago, and is supported by Wheatbaker and Arra Vineyards.

Gillian, born in North England, and her husband have become Nigerian citizens in 2013. She also has the title of Erelu Bakole of Owu in Abeokuta. Gillian, reminiscing about the Old Lagos, admitted her fondness for the city: “You can’t expect to preserve everything” she added, “but looking back, I miss been able to move around and drive myself independently”.

 A photographer’s Odyssey will be made available in bookstores in April for the archives and private collections, while the exhibition is open for the next two weeks at the Wheatbaker. According to  Mosun Ogunbanjo, Director of the Wheatbaker, The photographs have  a   frank nature  which allows the viewer reach a conclusion about the present day Lagos while the captions holds  memories of a time past.

The story was first published in The Sun newspaper on Friday, April 10, 2015 By OLAMIDE BABATUNDE