Calabar museum

Calabar museum was constructed by the British Council in the late 19th century. It has a good narrative on the arrival of the Portuguese, the beginnings of slavery, the switch to the palm oil trade etc. Unfortunately, the power to the building was low when I was there so it was hard to read a lot of the exhibits. Upstairs is a fascinating space - the residential quarters of the main administrator for the region. Its a shame that they don't allow photography and yet do not have any postcards of the upstairs interior. It is easy to imagine early twentieth century colonial life wandering through the rooms. Most poignant was a hanging curtain-fan, which a young servant would operate by a pulley. The servant himself had to sit behind a screen, so they colonial masters would not have to see the servant while they lounged about and ate. Our guide used the expression 'colonial masters' a lot.