Women's anniversary, Nigeria, ca. 1925

Portrait photograph of an outdoor anniversary service held for local women by the Primitive Methodist Missionary Society in Umuahia, Nigeria. Women sit in rows in a large courtyard. Women are dressed in traditional gowns with head-wraps (or "gele.") Boys and girls can be seen in the outdoor "aisles." The central seated area is covered with a wood and thatch shelter. Groups of Nigerian men stand in the background. The caption to this photograph reads: "Women's anniversary. No church large enough to hold all the women!" This image comes from a photograph collection kept by Emily Godfrey, Matron of the Methodist Hospital at Ama Achara from 1921 to 1944.