First Among Equals: John Archer Exhibition
On 10 November 1913 John Archer was elected Mayor of Battersea by a single vote, becoming the first Black person to hold senior civic office in London. This free exhibition returns his story to the borough that elected him.
John Archer was a Battersea councillor, photographer and Pan-Africanist who lived at 55 Brynmaer Road. On his election he told the chamber that Battersea had shown it recognised a man for what he had done. He led the African Progress Union and was a British delegate to the 1919 Pan-African Congress.
The exhibition pairs artwork by pupils of St Mary's RC Primary School with facsimile census returns, council minutes and Pan-African Congress papers.
Free workshops, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October: My Neighbourhood, My Voice, 11.30am to 12pm, ages 5-9. Children compare Battersea then-and-now photographs and draw one thing they would protect or change, added to the display. Your Manifesto: Speak Up, Stand Up, 2pm to 3pm, ages 10-16. Young people write and perform a one-minute manifesto, closing with a spoken word performance open to all. Who Was John Archer? Short talks through the day, all ages, setting the exhibition in context.
Drop in any day, 10am to 5pm, free.
Event Performance Details
Event Location
Battersea Arts Centre
Venue Info160 Lavender Hill
London
SW11 5TN
