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Dissertation deadline

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Write dissertation and curate photobook

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Possible trip to Jamaica:

Interview grandparents about their experiences during migration

Photograph grandparents at home, experimenting with set design

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Notting Hill Carnival (28/29th) - opportunity for street photography and interviews

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Begin photographing (street casting & photography)

Research around critical theories of fashion and representation (books in 'Fashion & cultural identity' section)

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Begin primary research - reaching out to family/family friends about their experiences migrating to Britain (via interviews)

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Visit Victoria and Albert Museum prints and drawings study room (request to view link: https://vam.altarama.com/reft000.aspx?pmi=440440203326485155)

Visit the Photographer's gallery

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Visit Black Cultural Archives in Brixton

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Lead question finalisation: The Windrush Generation: How did their arrival in England influence their fashion choices?

Autograph ABP reopens March 4th

Summative deadline: 14th March

Visit Autograph ABP

Visit Tate Britain: walk through British art

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Idea  - Fashion & Windrush generation
- practice based dissertation: photobook

Look into photographers and practitioners who documented this generation:

Armet Francis

Raphael Albert

Formative deadline: 23rd Feb

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The Windrush Generation - Google Arts & Culture

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Exploring the period of 1948-1962 and the development of the Caribbean communities in London

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The UK's Windrush generation | Showcase Special

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Handsworth has suffered several riots due to civil and racial unrest, and community discontentment.

1981
Characterised as "copycat riots" after the Brixton riots in London and around the time of the Toxteth riots in Liverpool and Moss Side riots in Manchester. The most common reasons for the riots reported by participants were unemployment, boredom and the imitation of events elsewhere

1985
Reportedly sparked by the arrest of a man in Lozells and a police raid on a pub in the same area; the first of a series of similar riots across the country during the autumn

1991
Sparked by a power cut which was followed by a looting spree of shops and houses

2005
Allegedly caused by a gang rape of a teenage black girl by a group of South Asian men, which was not substantiated

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Handsworth has suffered several riots due to civil and racial unrest, and community discontentment. 1981 Characterised as "copycat riots" after the Brixton riots in London and around the time of the Toxteth riots in Liverpool and Moss Side riots in Manchester.

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Disobedient Dress: Fashion as Everyday Activism | Dr Christine Shaw-Checinska | TEDxEastEnd

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The deportation of Windrush generation migrants

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The deportation of Windrush generation migrants

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It is 75 years since the HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, carrying passengers from the Caribbean to the UK.

In 2018 it emerged that the government had not properly recorded the details of people granted permission to stay in the UK, and many were wrongly deported.

Who are the Windrush generation?

HMT Empire Windrush became a symbol of a wider mass-migration movement.

Several hundred passengers were Jamaican, but others arrived from islands including Trinidad, St Lucia, Grenada and Barbados.

These travellers - and those on other ships which came to the UK until 1971 - became known as the Windrush generation.

Many had served in the British armed forces in World War Two.

Why did the Windrush generation come to Britain?

In 1948 the British Nationality Act gave people from colonies the right to live and work in Britain.

The government needed workers to help fill post-War labour shortages and rebuild the economy.

Caribbean countries were also struggling economically and job vacancies in the UK offered an opportunity.

Many of those who came became manual workers, drivers, cleaners, and nurses in the newly-established NHS.

Where are the Windrush generation now?

It is unclear how many people from the Windrush generation are still in the UK, but the number is thought to be in the thousands.

They are among more than 500,000 UK residents who were born in a Commonwealth country and arrived before 1971, according to University of Oxford estimates.

What is Windrush Day?

Commemoration events have been held on 22 June every year since 2018.

The 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Windrush was marked with a series of concerts, exhibitions and seminars across the country.

King Charles, who held a reception at Buckingham Palace to mark the anniversary, hailed the Windrush generation's "profound and permanent contribution to British life".

What was the Windrush scandal?

The 1971 Immigration Act gave Commonwealth citizens living in the UK indefinite leave to remain - the permanent right to live and work in the UK.

This included the Windrush generation but also people from other former British colonies in South Asia and Africa.

However, in April 2018, it emerged that the UK Home Office had kept no records of those granted permission to stay, and had not issued the paperwork they needed to confirm their status.

It had also destroyed landing cards belonging to Windrush migrants, in 2010.

Those affected were unable to prove they were in the country legally and were prevented from accessing healthcare, work and housing.

A review of historical cases also found that at least 83 people who had arrived before 1973 had been wrongly deported.

What did the government do about the Windrush scandal?

The inquiry made 30 recommendations, including:

a full Home Office review of the UK's "hostile environment" immigration policy

appointing a migrants' commissioner

establishing a race advisory board

Then-Home Secretary Priti Patel accepted the recommendations in full.

to appoint a migrants' commissioner responsible for "speaking up for migrants and those affected by the system directly or indirectly"

to give the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration new powers

to hold events with people affected to "listen and reflect on their stories"

Wendy Williams criticised the decision, saying the proposals would have raised the "confidence of the Windrush community".

How does the Windrush Compensation Scheme work?

But the scheme has been consistently criticised for processing delays, low offers, and unfair rejections reversed on appeal.

In response, the Home Office said it was "committed to righting the wrongs of Windrush", and that the scheme had paid or offered more than £68m in compensation to the people affected.

The government insisted it would ensure "similar injustices can never be repeated and [was] creating a Home Office worthy of every community it serves".

Correction 27 July 2023: An earlier version of the story wrongly said that there were 492 passengers on board the Empire Windrush. This figure has been amended to reflect that 1,027 were on board and additional information has been added.

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What is Windrush and who are the Windrush generation?

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It is 75 years since a ship from the Caribbean to the UK became a symbol of a mass-migration movement.

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Photographical Documentary of Civil Rights

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Photographical Documentary of Civil Rights

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Neil Kenlock and Armet Francis were two radical figures, who took their cameras onto the streets of North Kensington as part of a wider commitment to documenting the lives of African-Caribbean people across London and beyond. Both Jamaican-born, Francis and Kenlock arrived in Britain as children and became well-established professional photographers.

Kenlock launched his career through advertising and editorial photography, before finding himself at the forefront of black British history and culture. He was the official photographer of the British Black Panther movement in the UK during the late 1960s and 1970s, a press photographer for the West Indian World newspaper, and the co-founder of ROOT lifestyle magazine and Choice FM radio station, both pioneering media outlets catering specifically to a black British audience. From a young age, Kenlock said he realised "there was discrimination and I needed to fight that. I thought everybody should be equal, that things should be fair. There was a way to do that [through photography] without disregarding my own culture."

As a result of his involvement with the British Black Panthers, Kenlock extensively photographed demonstrations and anti-racism protests in London. He portrayed numerous political and historical figures, including civil rights activists Olive Morris, Linton Kwesi Johnson and Darcus Howe, and international celebrities such as Muhammed Ali, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, and Marvin Gaye. With his powerful, incisive portraits, he sought to represent people who had long been invisible or stereotypically portrayed in public discourse, giving them a voice that had up to then rarely been heard. "Black people never had any personality, any strength, always looking down," he later reflected. "That's not what I wanted my subjects to look like."

A South Londoner like Kenlock, Armet Francis became a fashion and advertising photographer in London after a difficult youth in Elephant & Castle. Having come to Britain from the Santa Cruz Mountains in Jamaica, Francis experienced a profound sense of dislocation as a schoolboy: "England changed me from a smiling little boy into the resilient person I am now. There were a lot of bullies. I had to defend myself everyday. I had to learn their ways of being. The things that made me different were the things I got rid of first."

The shock of arriving in Britain made a long-lasting impact, especially when Francis realised that most Jamaican migrants were unable to go back to their hometowns. The reality they faced in their new environment in London was harsh and unrelenting: "They didn't have enough money. They walked into serious racism. They couldn't even get anywhere to live. They came into a frozen urban jungle, into some serious racism."

Among a wide range of subjects, Francis photographed the Notting Hill Carnival, an annual event that now attracts hundreds of thousands people. A major showcase of black diasporic music, dance and culture, the Carnival was first organised in 1959 as a 'Caribbean Carnival' in St Pancras Town Hall as a direct response to the Notting Hill race riots. "From a photographer's point of view it's perfect", said Francis later, "It is the most influential two days in the black community because of the numbers of people that come together to celebrate, to interact and politic."

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Black British photography: Neil Kenlock and Armet Francis

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Neil Kenlock and Armet Francis were two radical figures, who took their cameras onto the streets of North Kensington as part of a wider commitment to documenting the lives of African-Caribbean people across London and beyond. Both Jamaican-born, Francis and Kenlock arrived in Britain as children and became well-established professional photographers.

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V&A · Staying Power: Photographs of Black British Experience

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Staying Power is a collection of photographs either by black photographers or which document the lives of black people in Britain taken between the 1950s – 90s.

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Born on the Caribbean island of Grenada, photographer and entrepreneur Raphael Albert has gained a reputation for his role as one of the leading cultural promoters of black beauty in recent times. Throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s Raphael both documented and celebrated West London's black beauty pageants, challenging conventional notions of beauty implicated in the social, cultural and political contexts of the time, and providing a space for Afro-Caribbean self-fashioning. Autograph ABP in Shoreditch presents 'Miss Black and Beautiful' the late Raphael Albert's first major solo exhibition.

As a young artist living in the West Indies during the 1950s, Raphael found himself struggling to make ends meet, so one day packed everything he owned into a small suitcase and set out for the United Kingdom. After studying photography at Ealing Technical College and working part-time in a Lyons cake factory, Raphael dedicated himself to a long-term career as a freelance photographer.

Raphael was first introduced to the black beauty pageant scene while on an assignment for newspaper West Indian World, where he found himself documenting Miss Jamaica. Stunned by the absence or marginalised presence of the 'black is beautiful' aesthetic in mainstream fashion, in 1970 Raphael established the local contest Miss Black and Beautiful, from which this exhibition derives its name, followed in 1974 by Miss Teenager of the West Indies in Great Britain, and later Miss West Indies in Great Britain. His efforts culminated in the founding of his own modelling school.

His photographs, spanning more than three decades, offer the viewer a rare opportunity to contemplate an aspect of fashion history which is often overlooked. Contestants in these pageants inevitably wore the obligatory bathing costumes and high heels, but also carried signs of their Afro-Caribbean identities, often sporting large Afro hairstyles and an aptitude for self-reinvention while simultaneously articulating a particular femininity as part of a widely contested and ambiguous cultural performance.

The exhibition's curator, Renée Mussai says: "This historical archive offers a unique and fascinating collection of rarely seen photographs that document the ambivalent cultural performance of gendered and raced identities at a particular historical conjuncture. Imbued with an exquisite, revolutionary sensuality and a certain joie de vivre, Raphael Albert's photographs embody an aura of hedonistic confidence in a new generation of black women coming of age in Britain during the 1970s, fuelled by complex politics of national identity, difference and desire."

It seems fitting that Raphael Albert's portfolio, which incontestably embodies Autograph ABP's raison'être as a cultural promoter, appears in the Rivington Place gallery. Autograph was first established in1988 with the objective of promoting black photography and advocating the inclusion of historically marginalised photographic practices within mainstream cultural institutions. Having gained charitable status in 2007, Autograph has developed as a concept and space, and is now able to provide visibility to an otherwise marginalised community through commissions, publishing projects and various partnerships with institutions. The gallery has worked closely with the photographer's daughters Vikkie Albert and Susan Ibuanokpe to preserve his extensive collection of negatives and prints; these are currently viewable in the resulting exhibition 'Miss Black and Beautiful'.

Open until 24 September at Autograph ABP, Rivington Place, London, EC2A 3BA

Text by Elizabeth Sulis Gear / Images courtesy of Autograph ABP

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Raphael Albert: Miss Black and Beautiful - Something Curated

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Born on the Caribbean island of Grenada, photographer and entrepreneur Raphael Albert has gained a reputation for his role as one of the leading cultural promoters of black beauty in recent times. Throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s Raphael both documented and celebrated West London's black beauty pageants, challenging conventional notions of beauty implicated in...

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Miss Black & Beautiful Sybil McLean with fellow contestants, Hammersmith Palais, London, 1972.

Beauty pageants are often reductive, outdated, and altogether exclusionary. The black beauty pageants that cropped up in west London from the late 1960s through the 1980s were none of these things, and in 2016, still feel very relevant. The community events were aimed at celebrating a feminine beauty that was being sidelined by the mainstream, and photographer Raphael Alpert was there to capture them in all their empowering glory. A new exhibition at London's Rivington Place will be the first major gallery show of Alpert's portfolio since his death in 2009. The Grenadian photographer also helped promote the pageants - including Miss Black and Beautiful, Miss West Indies in Great Britain, and Miss Grenada - while founding his own magazine and associated modeling school. At a time when the "black is beautiful" cultural movement was beginning to resonate across the globe, the hyperlocal events created a space for Afro-Caribbean women in London to articulate an aesthetic largely absent from podiums and catwalks.

"This historical archive offers a unique and fascinating collection of rarely seen photographs that document the ambivalent cultural performance of gendered and raced identities at a particular historical conjuncture," says curator Renée Mussai. "Imbued with an exquisite, revolutionary sensuality and a certain joie de vivre, Raphael Albert's photographs embody an aura of hedonistic confidence in a new generation of black women coming of age in Britain during the 1970s, fueled by complex (body) politics of national identity, difference and desire."

Raphael Albert: Miss Black and Beautiful incorporates over 50 modern exclusive black and white prints, color and vintage photographs, and a selection of archive materials and ephemera. Many of the works are now shown for the first time as a curated selection.
"Raphael Albert: Miss Black and Beautiful" runs from July 7 through 24 September, 2016 at Autograph ABP, Rivington Place, London.
Credits

Text Hannah Ongley
Images courtesy of © Raphael Albert/Autograph ABP

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capturing the radical black beauty pageants of 70s london

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Miss Black & Beautiful Sybil McLean with fellow contestants, Hammersmith Palais, London, 1972. Beauty pageants are often reductive, outdated, and altogether exclusionary. The black beauty pageants that cropped up in west London from the late 1960s through the 1980s were none of these things, and in 2016, still feel very relevant.

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Initial idea: fashion of immigrants (Caribbean/African aunties?)

Feedback:

Narrow down time frame

Specific subgroup or country?

Practice based or written?

Victoria and Albert museum exhibition

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He had his first one-man exhibition at the Commonwealth Institute in 1974 and an exhibition of photographs and paintings at the Jamaican High Commission in 1975. He has also exhibited in Nigeria and was one of six black photographers in the British Council's Black and White Exhibition which toured for a year throughout the West Indies.

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Fashion as Tradition: Tenues Végétales in French Polynesia by Joyce D. Hammond

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Fashion as Tradition: Tenues Végétales in French Polynesia by Joyce D. Hammond

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https://www.jstor.org/stable/26788789

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CULTURAL IDENTITY AND CINEMATIC REPRESENTATION by Stuart Hall

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CULTURAL IDENTITY AND CINEMATIC REPRESENTATION by Stuart Hall

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https://www.jstor.org/stable/44111666

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Civil liberties in the United Kingdom are part of UK constitutional law and have a long and formative history.

It is usually considered to have begun with the Magna Carta of 1215, a landmark document in British constitutional history.

Early History of British Immigrants

The slave trade in Britain was first documented around 1562 and by the early 18th century there were 14,000 black people living in Britain.

The development of civil liberties advanced in common law and statute law in the 17th and 18th centuries, notably with the Bill of Rights 1689. Then during the 19th century, working-class people struggled to win the right to vote and join trade unions. Eventually, Parliament responded with new legislation beginning with the Reform Act 1832.

Few still had any real freedom, and it was not until the abolitionists began protesting that slavery across all of the British Empire was banned in 1833. By 1892 Britain had its first Indian Member of Parliament, Dadabhai Naoroji.

After World War II 150,000 Poles arrived in Britain along with hundreds of men from the West Indies and multi-cultural Britain had arrived.

Attitudes towards suffrage and liberties progressed further in the aftermath of the first and second world wars. Since then, the United Kingdom's relationship to civil liberties has been mediated through its membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Mass Migration

During the 1950s Britain invited workers from the Caribbean especially Jamaica to fill job vacancies such as labourers and transport workers in order to help rebuild post-war Britain.

As the rise in immigration continued so too did the rise in racial violence in cities such as London, Birmingham, and Nottingham.

Racial discrimination in Britain during the postwar period was rife. Many of the immigrants were skilled workers but racism and discrimination meant that semi or unskilled work was the only option.

By the 1960s the economy in Britain was declining and unfortunately, black workers were the first to lose their jobs. Those that did manage to keep jobs usually did double the work for less pay.

The racism and discrimination in Britain echoed that felt in America at the time, although on a smaller scale.

The Bristol Bus Company Saga

There were a number of black people who made a difference to the civil rights of the black population in Britain. One was Paul Stephenson, who in 1963 led a boycott against a racist public bus company.

The Bristol bus company operated a colour bar that refused employment to blacks or Asians. Stephenson, a 26-year-old teacher, organised the 60-day bus boycott on the city's buses. Thousands of people supported the bus boycott and the news of racism made headlines. By 28 August 1963, the bus company lifted the employment colour ban.

Ironically, this was the same day that Martin Luther King Jr made his " I have a dream speech ".

Anti-Discrimination Laws

Paul Stephenson hit the headlines again when he stood trial for refusing to leave a pub until he was served a beer. It was not uncommon to see signs in Britain during the 1960s proclaiming, " No blacks, no Irish, no dogs".

Both cases helped to highlight the treatment of black and Asians in Britain during this period. By 1970 the amount of non-white residents in the UK numbered 1.4 million, although a third of this number were born in Britain.

The government by then had begun to curb immigration and by 1972 non-whites could only settle in Britain with a work permit or if they had parents or grandparents who were born in Britain.

During Prime Minister Harold Wilson's term (1964-1976) he introduced tighter controls on immigration but also introduced legislation that made racial discrimination a legal offence.

The UK Law in the 90's

The United Kingdom, through Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe, led the drafting of the Convention, which expresses a traditional civil libertarian theory. It became directly applicable in UK law with the enactment of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Unfortunately, Civil liberties have been gradually declining in the United Kingdom since the late 20th century. Their removal has been generally justified by appeals to public safety and National Security and hastened on by crises such as the September 11 attacks, the 7/7 bombings and the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus Act 2020

In fact the pandemic oversaw the introduction of the Coronavirus Act 2020, which was described by former Justice of the Supreme Court Lord Sumption as "the greatest invasion of personal liberty in [the UK's] history."

The relationship between human rights and civil liberties is often seen as two sides of the same coin. A right is something you may demand of someone, while a liberty is freedom from interference by another in your presumed rights.

However, human rights are much broader. In the numerous documents around the world, they involve more substantive moral assertions on what is necessary, for instance, for " life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", "to develop one's personality to the fullest potential" or " protect inviolable dignity ".

" Civil liberties" are certainly that, but they are distinctly civil, and relate to participation in public life.

As Professor Conor Gearty writes, Civil liberties is another name for the political freedoms that we must have available to us all if it to be true to say of us that we live in a society that adheres to the principle of representative, or democratic, government.

In other words, civil liberties are the "rights" or " freedoms" that underpin democracy. This usually means the right to vote, the right to life, the prohibition on torture, security of the person, the right to personal liberty and due process of law, freedom of expression and freedom of association.

Now and Beyond

Over the past couple of decades, our Civil liberties have been tested to the limit by modern technology. We are now all being watched by the government and big corporations, especially over the internet.

Those who do not believe in the big brother are living their lives as a slave to their human rights. There was a line that was not to go over but that has gone over a decade ago.

Now using the pandemic as the reason, governments from the UK to New Zealand are proposing mandatory vaccine passports.

There must be movement soon to say no more.... no more hidden surveillance.... no more collecting our data, no more hidden agendas. This needs to stop.

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Civil liberties in the United Kingdom are part of UK constitutional law and have a long and formative history. It is usually considered to have begun with the Magna Carta of 1215, a landmark document in British constitutional history.

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A welcome platform for showcasing the power of native black Britons to capture their culture through their own lens, the exhibit is part of a larger effort by the museum to bring greater awareness of the contribution made by black British photographers to British society. Photos were obtained in conjunction with the Black Cultural Archives, founded in 1981 in the U.K. and whose mission is to "collect, preserve and celebrate the heritage and history of Black people in Britain."

Among the photographers included in the exhibit is Dennis Morris, whose prolific and profound images of 1960s and '70s black life in the London borough of Hackney revealed the heart, soul and indomitable cool of a demographic that had previously been neglected. There's also Norman Anderson, who adopted the moniker "Normski," documented the emerging hip hop and street style scenes in Britain during the '90s. And there are powerhouses like J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere and his intimate portraits of women, Ingrid Pollard and her colorful documentation of people across the diaspora posed against various wild landscapes, and Neil Kenlock and his photos of British Caribbean people at home in the 1970s.

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The 'staying power' of black British life from the 1950s-1990s

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A welcome platform for showcasing the power of native black Britons to capture their culture through their own lens, the exhibit is part of a larger effort by the museum to bring greater awareness of the contribution made by black British photographers to British society.

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Discover the extraordinary story of the Windrush, why it has been characterised as the foundation story of mass migration to Britain, and the experiences of the remarkable people who made Britain their home.

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From: Decolonising the Camera: Photography in Racial Time (by Mark Sealy)

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From: Decolonising the Camera: Photography in Racial Time (by Mark Sealy)

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From: CULTURAL IDENTITY AND CINEMATIC REPRESENTATION (by Stuart Hall)

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From: CULTURAL IDENTITY AND CINEMATIC REPRESENTATION (by Stuart Hall)

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Feedback:

Assume knowledge of wind rush generation

Have a look at photographers Charlie Phillips and Harry Jacobs (Brixton)

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9th March - Tutor feedback on proposal so far

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9th March - Tutor feedback on proposal so far

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Notes on difference between proposal overview and research review:

Proposal overview:

-pitch

-who,what,when,where,why

Research review:

-proof of research

-2/3 key researchers

-research you will do

Feedback:

Look into the idea of fashion as a sentiment/tradition and creating a home away from home

Look into photographers for inspiration when deciding what/how to photograph and style of photography for artefact

Read up on Stuart Hall for research review

Read Decolonising the Camera for research review (library)

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Cultural importance of fashion (Tedx Talk)

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Cultural importance of fashion (Tedx Talk)

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How fashion helps us express who we are -- and what we stand for | Kaustav Dey

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In the early Spring of 1962, I decided that there might be a good photo-opportunity to bus it down to London's Waterloo Station and take some photographs of the final West Indian arrivals before the British Government Immigration Act 1962, came into force.

Sadly the light conditions there were so bad that no printable negatives could be achieved - until 50 years later, when the introduction of digital scanners could restore this now historic collection for posterity.
All images are the perpetual copyright of Howard Grey © 2021

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Windrush Generation - Howard Grey Photography

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This historic collection of photographs capture one of the last groups of West Indies arrivals from the SS Empire Windrush arrive at Waterloo Station. These images reflect the anxiety, expectancy and trepidation of the Windrush Generation beginning their immigration journey in their Sunday best and

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EDITIONS Black History Month Lifestyle Magazine, Windrush, Newsletters & Publications©

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"Dressed in an odd assortment of clothes, many wearing ties of dazzling designs, over 450 Jamaicans arrived at Tilbury Docks on the Empire Windrush to settle down in the Mother Country" - Thurrock Gazette headline 1948.
Photos of Caribbean men and women arriving in Britain, in the 1950s-60s encapsulate the hopes and expectations. The black and white images also capture the vintage fashions, style and influences of the 1950s. Just looking at these images, we see fashion and style was an important element of the Windrush generation.

Fashion for the first Windrush generation was a means of respectability and self-importance; a way to rise above stereotypes. Despite this, on arrival many would face alienation and racism at every level. This treatment included not being able to find accommodation, open bank accounts, or secure loans or mortgages. Howard Grey, an amateur photographer in 1962 photographed new arrivals at Waterloo station to capture 'rowdy' Caribbean's causing disruption, instead, he explained his expectation was wrong, he said 'it was all very 'English' and quiet' as families greeted each other on the platforms.

The 1950s was the decade for youthful freedoms breaking away from the woes and restraint of the turbulent 1940s. The Caribbean islands experienced economic strain, low wages, strikes and political divide. Britain needed men and women to rebuild the economy weakened by the war years. Many Caribbean men and women fought for Britain in the Second World War, therefore, expected to be welcomed by the 'mother country'. The international appeal to the commonwealth was a welcome call for a better life and adventure.

There were stories of many catching flu, bronchitis and pneumonia due to the voyage and cold weather in Britain. A pamphlet, produced by the West Indies high commission in 1959, advised Caribbean's who wished to travel to the UK, 'Going To Britain? - BBC pamphlet' points out the practical importance of the types of clothing needed for the cooler temperatures.

"Dress For The Cold! We have to say over and over that England is a cold country. This is my third visit here, so when I was leaving home on New Years Eve of 1958, I dressed myself in warm woollen socks and underwear, a serge suit, a sturdy pair of shoes, and I carried my woollen sweater, scarf, and heavy overcoat. I decided not to take any risks with my health."

In 2016, 'Stories in a Suitcase' exhibition by the National Caribbean Heritage Museum researched what the Windrush generation had packed and this included the 1950s-1970s mock-ups of open luggage.Notice the hot comb, curlers and tongs in one of the cases. Many women and men straightened their hair by coating it with protective pomade and straightening it with a heated metal comb.

This technique transformed the tight curls of Afro hair into straight hair with a pomaded sheen. The hair remained straight until it had contact with water; many women wore stylish headscarves in different ways to protect the hair from the rain.

The British Pathè footage filmed the large Windrush ship slowly docking into Tilbury docks. A builder, a carpenter, an apprentice accountant, a welder, a teacher, a spray-painter, a boxer, a musician, a mechanic, a valet, a calypso singer, a seamstress, a tailor, and a law student - just some of the occupations of the passengers on board. Dressed head to toe in Sunday best; hats, suit jackets, gloves, scarfs long coats and tea dresses, their faces full of anticipation.

The 50s saw the rise of popular culture, driven by more leisure time and emerging youth culture. Morale was high, and clothing choices reflected social changes. The American movie industry was at its height, TV and film stars set the tone for fashion and style.

The dapper man of the 50s wore a casual suit jacket, with a structured shoulder, tapered trousers and two-tone shoes. Jazz musician Nat King Cole was the first African-American to host a primetime TV show. His slick back hair, suit jackets and slender ties complemented his smooth style. In 1954 the musical Carmen Jones was released, it featured an all-black cast. Leading actress Dorothy Dandridge oozed Hollywood glamour, her key look was a cinched in waist and short-cropped hair. Her leading man Harry Belafonte donned a fedora hat, classic white t-shirt and an army uniform. The film was instrumental in setting the tone for black fashion in the 50s. The Windrush migrants pictured arriving in the UK clearly influenced by American movie glamour.

Caribbean cinema goers desired copies of the outfits they saw on screen they recreated or ordered the designs worn by popular screen idols. Mail order catalogues were very popular and convenient way to stay up to date with the latest trends. Littlewoods, Freemans and Sears a wonderland of the latest fashions, silhouettes, colours and textures they included trace sewing patterns, templates from which the parts of a garment are traced onto fabric before being cut out and assembled. Many Caribbean's became dressmakers and tailors, the garments were professionally made fully lined, with quality materials.

A generation of dressmakers and tailors have a long legacy in British Caribbean communities. Most Caribbean's knew or know of a dressmaker or tailor, with the skills to sew a whole outfit. My late grandmother, a full time nurse at the time, designed and produced all manner of garments for weddings, conventions, holidays, christenings, the list went on. I remember helping out by pinning and tacking garment after garment.

Caribbean style is born of a dynamic blend of cultures formed over hundreds of years, vibrance coupled with poise and a carefree spirit. The visual record of the first Windrush images are an important part of British and Caribbean visual history, a valuable part of our cultural memory. The images capture style and the birth of the Windrush legacy of integration and struggle. They also serve as a mirror of the times, desires, habits, customs, and mode of living. For me, the images remind me of the hopes and personal sacrifices my late grandparents made, journeying to Britain, for a better life.

This article was commissioned and styled by J. Sigaud for Windrush Day 2019. It has since been updated and enhanced by Editions Lifestyle assistant editor/author Serena Lee.

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Windrush Fashion - EDITIONS Black History Month Lifestyle Magazine, Windrush, Newsletters & Publications©

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"Dressed in an odd assortment of clothes, many wearing ties of dazzling designs, over 450 Jamaicans arrived at Tilbury Docks on the Empire Windrush to settle down in the Mother Country" - Thurrock Gazette headline 1948. Photos of Caribbean men and women arriving in Britain, in the 1950s-60s encapsulate the hopes and expectations.

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In their 'odd clothes and dazzling ties' the Windrush generation landed in Tilbury...

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Thurrock and Gazette Newspaper report on Empire Windrush Arrival

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Thurrock and Gazette Newspaper report on Empire Windrush Arrival

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THE Windrush scandal has rightly been making the front pages of many newspapers recently.

Yet back in June 1948, when the Windrush pioneers docked at Tilbury, full of hope for a new and better life in England, the story only made page 4.

The Grays and Thurrock Gazette newspaper carried a picture story charting the arrival of the 492 immigrants as they stepped foot onto British soil following their 8,000 mile journey.

Local reporters were waiting at the dock as the Empire Windrush troopship dropped anchor at Tilbury Docks on June 22, 1948.

The ship was packed with hundreds of men (many ex-servicemen), women and children from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other islands who were seeking a new and better life in post-war Britain.

The Gazette described the scene: "Dressed in an odd assortment of clothes, many wearing ties of dazzling designs , over 450 Jamaicans arrived at Tilbury Docks on the Empire Windrush to settle down in the Mother Country.

"Many have jobs to come to, others have friends in this country but over half of them have little money and no work to go to.

"All had great faith in Britain, however and their hopes of making good here are high."

The Gazette described how the passage had not been without its thrills as several stowaways were found on board including a Jamaican woman.

"Her difficulties were soon over, however because when she was discovered the other colonials subscribed (paid) her passage," told the Gazette.

As the passengers filed out across the docks, special trains were laid on to take them to different parts of the country - although most were taken to London.

"Trains had been charted for the ordinary passengers who had nowhere to go and were taken to London by road and given good and shelter.

"Everything is being done to find them jobs to which they are suited," reported the Gazette.

"Quite a few of the men said they had some kind of knowledge of work on the land and would be prepared to take similar jobs in this country."

The men told reporters of poor conditions and a lack of jobs back home in Jamaica.

One such passenger, Eric Linton, a 35-year old welder, told the Gazette he had been out of work for two years

"When you are desperate you take a chance, he said. You don't wait until you die."

The Gazette reporter was allowed on to the Windrush for a brief time to chat to passengers.

He wrote: "Mingling onboard with these people from the West Indies was an experience.

"There were painters, carpenters boxers and musicians and even a dance band complete."

Within hours of the Windrush docking at Tilbury, more stowaways were found. Ten men were caught by customs officials as they floated down the river on a raft and were taken to Grays Court.

They all pleaded guilty to two charges of travelling on the vessel without having paid their £28 fare - and also with secreting themselves on board.

"All the men said they could not find work in Jamaica. Some were married and had left their wives and children behind.

They hoped to gain employment and eventually send for their families," the Gazette reported.

"One man said it was impossible to carry on in Jamaica under the current conditions and stressed that because he didn't intend to steal, he came to Britain to find work.

Three weeks after arriving it was reported that of the Windrush passengers, 76 had gone to work in foundries, 15 on the railways, 15 as labourers, 15 as farm workers and 10 as electricians.

The others had gone into a wide variety of jobs, including clerical work at the post office, coach building and plumbing.

Those who did not find work straight away didn't have to wait for long. The newly-established National Health Service soon welcomed West Indian nurses, and London Transport recruited bus and train drivers and bus conductors.

Despite the Windrush pioneers - and subsequent waves of immigrants from the Caribbean who came to Britain during the forties and fifties - believing they were answering a call to help re-build 'the mother land' after the war, some reported incidents of racism and discrimination.

Although many of the Windrush passengers flourished and were welcomed by communities, others were left disheartened by the negative treatment they received from some of the white British population.

This treatment included not being able to find accommodation, open bank accounts or secure loans or mortgages.

Now, with the recent scandal which has seen many of the 'Windrush generation' threatened with deportation, denied access to NHS treatment, benefits and pensions and stripped of their jobs - despite being here legally- that hostility has come full circle.

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In their 'odd clothes and dazzling ties' the Windrush generation landed in Tilbury...

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THE Windrush scandal has rightly been making the front pages of many newspapers recently. Yet back in June 1948, when the Windrush pioneers docked at Tilbury, full of hope for a new and better life in England, the story only made page 4.

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Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.

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Recent Acquisition Journeys to Hope display | Free Outdoor Display | 5 Jan - Sep 2023

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Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others. Donate Join our mailing list

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HOME: Remembering the Windrush Generation

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HOME: Remembering the Windrush Generation

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Join us at 3:30pm for a special talk and tour of the exhibition by curator, Tony Fairweather.

Curated by Tony Fairweather, HOME is a nostalgic look back at the well-remembered homes of the Windrush Generation. A recreation of the iconic Caribbean front room, kitchen and bedroom, this exhibition showcases many family favourites, from the Blue Spot Gramophone to the eclectic ornaments displayed in glass cabinets.

We welcome all audiences to immerse themselves in the social history of the Windrush Generation and learn about the cultural significance of artefacts from the era.

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TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE

Two people can enter the Front Room Talk and Tour for the price of one general admission ticket.
ENTRY
£5 GENERAL ADMISSION

£3 CONCESSION (available at the reception desk)*

*Concessions: Students, Over 65s and BCA Friends. Please bring proof of identity.
Children can enter the exhibition free of charge.
Join the conversation: #WindrushGeneration

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HOME: Remembering the Windrush Generation - Front Room Talk & Tour - Black Cultural Archives

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Join us at 3:30pm for a special talk and tour of the exhibition by curator, Tony Fairweather. Curated by Tony Fairweather, HOME is a nostalgic look back at the well-remembered homes of the Windrush Generation. A recreation of the iconic Caribbean front room, kitchen and bedroom, this exhibition showcases many family favourites, from the Blue Spot Gramophone to the eclectic ornaments displayed in glass cabinets.

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Lorna Holder - Style in my DNA: Documenting 70 years of British Caribbean Fashion.

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Lorna Holder speaking about Style in my DNA

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Lorna Holder speaking about Style in my DNA

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Lorna Holder - Style in my DNA: Documenting 70 years of British Caribbean Fashion.

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Amidst racial intolerance and competition over resources, the white working class of the Notting Hill area, London, UK, launched an attack against members of the black community on August 30, 1958. Forced to arm themselves in defense, the confrontation lasted a week.

The roots of the Notting Hill Riots are found in the migration of people from the Caribbean to London right after World War II. With the population influx, Notting Hill became a more international district. The Caribbean population across London grew to be well over 100,000 by 1961, with most in the Notting Hill area. North Kensington, the borough in which Notting Hill is situated, had high rates of poverty, crime and violence. There was also competition for housing between poor black and white families and tensions that were exploited by ruthless landlords. While the governments of Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands encouraged immigration to meet labor shortages at home, many local residents feared being displaced in housing by the newcomers. Moreover, many African and Caribbean colonies were pushing for independence which also contributed to racial tension.

A group of white working class youth known as the "Teddy Boys" were openly hostile to the black newcomers in Notting Hill. Their resentment was further stoked by right wing political groups who sought power on a platform of racial intolerance. The "Union for British Freedom" established a presence in Notting Hill and the founder of the "British Union of Fascists," Sir Oswald Mosely, rallied the local population with the cry of "Keep Britain White" at meetings in West London. Repeatedly, concerns were raised by Caribbean community leaders about this flourishing prejudice and the potential it had to develop into conflict, yet government officials took no action.

Violence broke out on August 20 when property owned by Caribbean immigrants was vandalized and the owners were subject to physical harassment. The violence quickly escalated on August 24 when nine "Teddy Boys" attacked five black men in Shepherd's Bush, London, and Notting Hill, leaving three seriously injured. The wave of unrest spread up to the Midlands city of Nottingham, where there was rioting for two weeks.

These events, in turn, acted as the catalyst for the Notting Hill Riots, which began on August 30. Crowds of white youths, reportedly numbering 400, chased the Caribbean population in the area. Petrol bombs and milk bottles were launched as missiles, and some rioters armed themselves with iron bars and butcher's knives. There were counter-attacks by black youths similarly armed in self defense. The rioting stopped after a week; by that point approximately 140 people, mainly white, had been arrested.

The riots sparked an ongoing debate about race discrimination and the levels of immigration to urban areas. In 2002, it was discovered that contemporary government commentary on the events dismissed assertions that the attacks were racially motivated, preferring instead to frame the disturbance as hooliganism from both sides.

The Notting Hill carnival, an annual celebration lead by the area's Caribbean population which draws huge crowds, was initiated as a direct response to the riots.

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Amidst racial intolerance and competition over resources, the white working class of the Notting Hill area, London, UK, launched an attack against members of the black community on August 30, 1958. Forced to arm themselves in defense, the confrontation lasted a week.