Eyes of a Lagos Boy Photo of the Week series shows a rephotoghraph – almost 80 years apart – the Broad street wall section of the place now called Freedom Park, in the mid 1940s and in 2023.
The photographer of the 1940s picture above in the collage is unknown. The image shows that part of Broad Street to the left, a prison wall with Y shaped barbed wires on top and the General Hospital Marina on the right
The shot below is taken by Eyes of a Lagos boy, it shows the place as a green space with Western House, completed in 1958 and Independence Building 1960 in the background. This part of Broad Street itself now serves as a safe space that accommodates numerous internet content creators, musicians, street parties, dancing and skateboarding. The photograph offers interesting cues about the changing character of social life in Lagos.
A brief history of Freedom Park
Her Majesty’s Broad Street prison was built in 1871, its iconic walls wall was imported brick by brick from Britain in 1885. The Colonial report for 1898 indicates that 676 males, 26 females, and 11 juveniles were imprisoned at Broad Street prison for the year.
The prison housed colonial dissents, political prisoners, pirates, robbers and other offenders. Famous politicians that were inmates include Sir Herbert Macaulay, Michael Imoudu, Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro and many others. It was closed down a hundred years after its construction in 1971.
After about three decades of abandonment, plans were drawn up by architect Theo Lawson with Lagos state government approval to transform the site into a creative space with a food court, museum, galleries, concert stages, an amphitheatre and several other facilities.
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