The Facade Nigeria Periodical. Vol II: No XXI-XXVIII

As we peel back the vellum of this latest edition of The Façade Nigeria Periodical, we invite you to look past the ink on the page and into the dual consciousness of a nation in its painful, complicated infancy. This volume, "Christmas & New Year in Nigeria: A Tale of the Late 19th and Early 20th Century," explores a time when the meticulously curated "civilization" of the British Empire met the vibrant, unyielding pulse of a people negotiating their own modernity. 

Journey with us to the Parade Ground of Old Calabar in 1894 and 1899, where the Annual Athletic Sports served as a carefully choreographed theatre of colonial order. While the Band of the Niger Coast Irregulars projected an image of British discipline, the thousands of local traders in colorful silks lining the perimeter represented a reality that colonial grandeur could never fully domesticate. 

In this edition, we also uncover:

• The Performance of Empire in Lagos: We examine the "sophisticated theatre of soft power" found in musical evenings at St. Gregory’s and the Baptist Church between 1884 and 1886. 

• A Young Herbert Macaulay: Long before he became the father of Nigerian nationalism, we see a young Macaulay in 1885, organizing concerts at Phoenix Hall and finding his voice within these colonial cultural institutions. 

• Yuletide Revelry: From the mechanical melodies of the "Novel Merry-Go-Round" at Tinubu Square in 1884 to the solemn Midnight Masses at the Church of the Holy Cross, we chronicle how the Victorian Lagosian celebrated the season. 

• Sport as a Ledger of Power: We analyze the 1903 Abeokuta Races, where the Alake of Abeokuta and the Governor shared the Grand Stand—a visual representation of the Indirect Rule system that sought to domesticate the local elite through British pastimes. 

As historians, we must read between the lines of the lively airs played by the drum-and-fife bands. We must recognize the quiet resilience of a people who, even while singing "Home Sweet Home" on a violin, were beginning to dream of a home that was truly their own. These records are not just programs of songs and sports; they are the transcripts of a society learning how to speak back to power from the center of the stage.

For delivery outside Lagos and within Nigeria, please send us a DM on Instagram @thefacadenigeria or an email: [email protected]

For pickup, the location is Surulere, Lagos. Please send us a DM.