The Sierra Leone Village

Souvenir picture postcard of the Sierra Leone Village at the British Empire Exhibition. Published by Raphael Tuck & Sons, the 'Oilfacsim' postcard reproduces a painting by the artist Bernard Gribble. On the reverse is printed a brief description of the village. The postcard was sent by two visitors from the exhibition post office indicated by the Empire Exhibition 1925 postmark and a handwritten greeting that reads 'We are enjoying ourselves at Wembley. Do you know the yard outside the P.R We do, it looks at its best about 9 pm From Two Friends'.
The British Empire exhibition was intended to celebrate the achievements of the British empire. Sierra Leone was at this time a British protectorate. The huts in the reconstructed village were made of wattle and daub with thatched roofs, similar to those the inhabited by villagers in Sierra Leone. Inside one of the huts was a handloom, displaying the cotton cloth which was the country’s most important export. Baskets and pottery were also on show. The village was peopled by eight couples from Sierra Leone, who acted as attendants.The village was one of three exhibits representing the West African Colonies - the other two being The Gold Coast and Nigeria.