"ZIKISTS" AND THE GOD OF IRON: The 1950 David Brooks Nigeria Lecture Tour Archive, (June–September), an extensive and historically
"ZIKISTS" AND THE GOD OF IRON: The 1950 David Brooks Nigeria Lecture Tour Archive, (June–September), an extensive and historically fascinating correspondence archive comprising 17 6d King George VI air letters, with contents documenting a British Council lecture tour of Nigeria, the stationery struck with a range of cancellations, including Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu, Onitsha, Awka, Aba, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Kano, and Zaria, and containing both handwritten and typed contents addressed to members of the Brooks family in Richmond, Yorkshire, England, some typical peripheral opening tears, but an engaging primary source for the rise of west African nationalism. This archive provides a sophisticated witness to the rise of Nigerian nationalism during the twilight of British colonial rule. The writer, David Brooks (Director of Extra Mural Studies at University College Ibadan), captures the "troublesome" atmosphere in the wake of the 1949 Enugu Colliery massacre, documenting the nationalist "Day of Mourning" on July 4th where local Ju Ju traditions and strict prohibitions against women in the streets were enforced. Brooks’s narrative follows his travels via "Dove" aircraft and river launches to remote districts like Langbassi, where he met with Baloguns (village chiefs) to navigate the complexities of introducing local government. He provides a vivid contrast between the colonial high life, dining with the Governor of Nigeria and the Resident in Sir Roger Casement’s former house, and the "frightful scenes" at his lectures caused by "Zikist" agitators demanding the British "go home". Technical and social anecdotes abound, including a personal meeting with the celebrated Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Zik) and the receipt of a massive silver ring from the Emir of Kano, fashioned from a Maria Theresa silver coin. Brooks writes candidly of the physical toll of the tour, from the "dank smell of the mangrove swamps" and primitive "Thunderbox" sanitary arrangements to his eventual recovery from dysentery in the Nassarawa Hospital. Throughout the archive, the writer maintains a highly engaging and literate style, balancing scholarly observation with a dry, often humorous tone that captures the absurdities of colonial travel. His descriptions range from "pagan" worship of the God of Iron to the delightful scene of a child carrying a postage stamp on his head under a brick to keep it from blowing away. A fascinating look at the interplay between British colonial administration and rising Nigerian nationalism.
