KENYA

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The then yet to become President Jomo Kenyatta who kindly let me take this photograph of him in Kampala on 9 October 1962  - Uganda's Independence Day - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

Nairobi

Nairobi - Parliament Building - PHOTO Ron Leese

Nairobi - Town Hall and Mitchell Cotts House - PHOTO Ron Leese
Government Road at Independence - PHOTO Zanna Laws
The then Delamere Avenue - now Kenyatta Avenue - PHOTO Zanna Laws  The building next to the Standard Bank of South Africa was for some time Rhodesia House.
Independence Arches by the Khoja Mosque in Government Road, now Moi Avenue - PHOTO Zanna Laws
Jacaranda and bougainvillea by the Fairview Flats Hotel - PHOTO Zanna Laws

Valley Road looking into town from the Hill. Nairobi Municipal buses were the same colour as those of Mombasa and Kampala - PHOTO Ron Leese
Race Course Road, Nairobi. - PHOTO Ron Leese
Nairobi - the then Government Road - PHOTO Ron Leese
Nairobi - Donyo Sabuk over the roof tops - Nairobi Primary to left of picture - PHOTO Ron Leese

Nairobi-Nakuru Road with Longonot right of photograph - Ron Leese

Nairobi Fire Station in 1954 - PHOTO J C Thomson

 Nairobi - 1962

The New Stanley Hotel - with its Thorn Tree sidewalk cafe where strawberry tarts cost 2 shillings! - PHOTOs (left) Malcolm McCrow (right) from Nairobi - City in the Sun (1961) 

Post Independence views of Kenyatta Avenue.  Ahmed Brothers is just visible on the left of the picture looking towards Government Road (Kimathi Street ) (left).  The New Stanley Hotel with its BOAC VC10 sign on the roof dates the scene to the early sixties (right)  - PHOTOs  postcards by Elite Studios
Post Independence views of Sgt Ellis Avenue (left) and Kimathi Street (right) in the mid 1960 - PHOTOs  postcard by Elite Studios

Hardinge Street Bus Stance (left).  Double deck buses carried first class passengers in the lower saloon: first and second class passengers on single deckers were separated by a line running across the roof and floor after the first three rows of seats.  Government Road (right) looking towards the Railway Station.  - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

Hardinge Street Bus Stance with the Ambassadeur Hotel forming the backdrop - PHOTO Janet Davis

Nairobi City Council's bus stance in Hardinge Street, with the backgound dominated by the National and Grindlay's Bank.  Built in the late 40s as the National Bank of India, it was joined around 1960 by the Ambassadeur Hotel with its somewhat incongruous Esso sign - Looking up Government Road passed the Kenya Cinema towards Hardinge Street - PHOTOs Ron Leese

Ron Leese's photograph taken from the Ambassadeur Hotel looking up Government Road towards the Khoja Mosque.  The modern 20th century Cinema - among the most modern anywhere in the world. A Ford Anglia speeds passed the Ambassadeur Hotel in Government Road - PHOTOs - Ron Leese

Modern buildings in Nairobi in the sixties - views from Government Road - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

The modern 20th century Cinema (left) - among the most modern anywhere in the world. Uhuru Celebrations get under way in Government Road outside the Khoja Mosque, (right) - PHOTOs Ron Leese
A policeman on points duty at the junction of Government Road and Bazaar Street (left). Looking down Government Road towards the National and Grindlays Bank (formerly the NBI) (right) - PHOTOs Ron Leese

Behind the distinct massive shape of Nairobi Market, kikapus and drums (left).  Nairobi Railway Station (top left of picture) and East African Railways Headquarters (right) - PHOTOs Ron Leese

Ahmed Brothers in the then Delamere (now Kenyatta) Avenue - PHOTO Columbia - film - Born Free

In the film Born Free Virginia McKenna, as Joy Adamson, arranges to meet Bill Travers, as husband George, "outside Ahmeds".  The then well-known firm now (2005) no longer exists.  Ahmed Brothers Ltd (above) kitted out many organisations, including East African Airways. They were also the Official Tailors and Outfitters to Duke of York  School - see below - PHOTO Columbia - film - Born Free

On Wednesday afternoons schoolboys were given two hours "shopping time" in Nairobi. A schoolboy (Fred Lichtenstein) in Duke of York School uniform in Government Road, Nairobi, in 1960.

The photograph appears to have been taken outside the Ambassadeur Hotel, and Hardinge Street is in the background - PHOTO supplied by David Lichtenstein (taken by their mother).

 

All Saints Cathedral (left) in 1960. - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow   Railway Headquarters (right) in 2002  - PHOTO  David Mbiyu.

 Jamia Mosque (right) in 1960 - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow.  The Jamia Mosque some 42 years later  - PHOTO David Mbiyu 

The Nairobi Jubilee History (1900 to 1950) included this architect's drawing (left) of the new St Andrew's Church which was built to replace the old church (right) which passed to the Dutch Reformed Church - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow

(Left) The view from the Hill with Delamere Avenue and its junction with Kirk Road.  Kirk Road runs off to the left leading to St Andrews Church.  Note the Municipal buses heading for the roundabout where Delamere Avenue crosses Princess Elizabeth Way.  Possibly the double decker is on route number one from Dagoretti Corner.  (Right) Government House in Colonial Kenya - the soldiers' uniforms indicate the photograph was taken before Kenya became an independent state - PHOTOs Ron Leese

A British United Airways Britannia (left) viewed from the departure gate at Embakasi Airport with its up-dated signpost which replaced the more famous original at Eastleigh - PHOTO Malcolm McCrow.   The viewing platform which overlooked the apron (right) with an East African Airways Argonaut is in the background - PHOTO (right) Ron Bullock

Ag Pleeze Deddi, won't you take us to the Drive -in?  Nairobi's Drive-in Cinema was popular, as was Jeremy Taylor's song about an Afrikaaner kid pleading with his father to take him to the Drive-In.  PHOTOs Daphne Seager

Nairobi dam was popular with sailors - at over 5ooo feet above sea level and 200 miles from the sea - PHOTOs Daphne Seager

Sailing on Nairobi Dam (left) -  Within a few miles of the city centre - the entrance to Nairobi National Park (right). PHOTOs Nairobi - City in the Sun (1961).

Entrance to Nairobi Game Park - 3 shs!  PHOTO Daphne Seager

Half Term visit to Nairobi Game Park with my parents who had motored to Nairobi from Kampala - the photograph on the left is included not for the zebra, but for the view of the Ngong Hills on the skyline - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow

 
 

Nairobi Town Hall by day and by night  The Kenya flag and cars date the picture as post 1963 - PHOTOs Ron Leese

(Left) With the Ngong Hills as a backdrop and Delamere Avenue (running up the right of the picture), the picture on the left shows Nairobi in the late 40s.It was the view of the city that passengers could see from flights on finals to Eastleigh and indeed an almost identical movie shot features in the 1950s film Simba which opens with the daily Argonaut flight from London and Entebbe landing in Nairobi

(Right) This view on the right was taken looking in the other direction - the large arched building centre left is the Market. If you know how Nairobi looked then, you should just be able to identify the minarets of the Jamia Mosque, and behind them, the Khoja Mosque at the junction of Government Road and River Road.

- PHOTOS The Nairobi Jubilee History (1900 to 1950) 
A view of Government Road (looking towards the Station) possibly around 1950 (left) and the McMillan Library possibly taken just after World War II (right) - PHOTOs Nairobi Jubilee History
Delamere Avenue viewed from the old Avenue Hotel which was directly opposite the Post Office (left). Hardinge Street showing the Torrs Hotel and, beyond it, the EAP&L - East African Power and Lighting - Building (right) - PHOTOs Ron Bullock
A view over the rooftops (left) - possibly from the upper floor of Mansion House on Standard Street. The Jamia Mosque and MacMillan Library are clearly visible across Delemere Avenue. Taken from the junction of Delamere Avenue, Government Road (right) looking towards the Khoja Mosque at the junction with River Road - PHOTOs Ron Bullock

East Africa 50 years Ago