Senegalese Village, Franco-British Exhibition

The reconstructed Senegal village, was a feature of the Franco-British exhibition, the first exhibition to be held at London's White City exhibition grounds in 1908. The village was described in official guidebooks, in racist language, as 'a corner of savage dark Africa' peopled by 150 Senegalese villagers, brought to London especially for the event. These 'live exhibits' were contracted to act out the customs and activities of their daily lives to a voyeuristic public. Although the naive intention was to 'educate' the public about 'unknown' cultures the reconstructed villages were clearly symbolic of a racist, exploitative imperial society. This is indicated within the text of this guide that describes the village as ' a cruel-looking stockade' where, over a hundred men and women from the borders of the desert are now living exactly as they do in their native Africa. The Village included a school that, stated the guide 'indicates that France cares for her far-away children with as much solicitude as Great Britain, and seeks as energetically and successfully to raise the standard of their lives'. The guide concludes 'The pleasures and amusements of these "negroes" are not neglected, and the visitor will hear and see with interest the weird chants and rhythmic dancing of the younger members of the tribe'.

The extensive White City exhibition grounds at Shepherd's Bush were constructed by the entrepreneur Imre Kiralfy as a hugely ambitious commercial enterprise. Built in a palatial oriental style White City hosted annual, seasonal exhibitions from 1908 until 1914, as well as the Olympic games in 1908. The exhibitions controversially celebrated the power of Empire but also included hugely popular thrill rides such as the flip flap and Mountain Railway that made White City one of London's most popular visitor attractions for all ages and social classes in the early 20th century. Postcards featuring scenes and exhibits from the Franco-British exhibition were widely sold both within the exhibition grounds and beyond to raise much needed income for the considerable exhibition running costs.