Royal Commonwealth Society : Slide collection of Wilfred Court

Royal Commonwealth Society

A collection of photographic slides and prints taken by the architect Wilfred Court (1929-2011) documenting his work and travels in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ghana and Nigeria from the 1950s to 1968, as well as documenting return visits to India and Ghana later in his life. The slides and photographs have been catalogued following a listing provided by Court, and his own system of numbering and labelling has been maintained.The slide collection documents the start of Court’s professional career as an architect firstly in Ghana, and then in Nigeria and Bangladesh. In Ghana, the slides document work carried out in Tema, Tamale and Accra, as well as travels in Ghana and surrounds; in Nigeria, the slides document work carried out at Ahamdu Bello University; in Bangladesh, the slides document work carried out at a hospital in Chandraghona. The slides also relate to return sightseeing or tourist visits to India in 1990, Ghana in 1999 and India in 2001. A small number of original slides have been retained by the donors.Biographical/historical note: Wilfred Court was born in July 1929 in Nottingham. He grew up in Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire, and was educated at the Perse School. He read Architecture at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. In lieu of national service, he was sent to a voluntary camp in Italy in 1953, then going on to volunteer in India and Pakistan. Court worked as an architect first in Ghana and in 1957 was involved in the country’s independence celebrations in Accra. He next worked in Nigeria at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State, opened in 1962. In 1963, Court had married his wife, Elisabeth, and the family returned to England from Nigeria in 1968, settling in King’s Cliffe, Northamptonshire. Court worked for various architectural firms in and around Peterborough before setting up his own solo practice. He also worked as Trust Architect for the Hampstead Garden Suburb Trust. Wilfred Court died in April 2011. (Source: family notes; obituary in 'The Caian').Presented to the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) collection by Judy Innes (nee Court) in March 2022, on behalf of her sisters, Sara Reid and Ruth Court. The digitisation of the slides was kindly funded by the family of Wilfred Court.