Notes.
This is not meant to be a scholarly work. It is short on references and other citations that one would normally expect in a research paper.
We set out to find out as much information as we could about Kathleen. One of us, NWK, worked in one of of the Yale University Libraries, which made it easier to search for and collect information! We were surprised by how much information there was out there on Kathleen; not just from libraries, but also, thanks to the internet, from dealers in rare artifacts such as photographs and books. We soon realized that there was enough material to prepare a document like this one. The work was done in fits and starts over several years. Thankfully, it is almost done. We say “almost”, because we might come across more material that has a place in it, and some of you might spot errors of one kind or another that will need to be corrected.
Please email your comments to: nkponou@gmail.com AND ahovi.cnc@gmail.com
Our sources of the photographs:
Rugby Team Photo...From the archivist of Epsom College. Its existence was first brought to our attention by Ms. Adenike Ogunkoya, who is working on a book about the Smith sisters.
Figures 00, 01, 02 & 03 are from Mary Kponou's collection.
Figure 04. NWK came across an article about a war cemetery in Cape Coast, Ghana, that was to be rehabilitated with funds from the Netherlands. This seemed like the most likely place to find JFE's grave. AEFK and wife, on a visit to Kobina & Lucilda Hunter in Accra in May/June '13 got Kobi to arrange an excursion to Cape Coast. We found the cemetery, but it was densely overgrown with weeds. Kobi arranged with some local youths to search for the grave while we went to have lunch! We could not find the youths when we returned from lunch, so we headed back to Accra. Sometime into the drive back to Accra, the youths called and told us that they found the grave. But it was too late for us to turn around and return to the Cape Coast. Kobi later arranged for his driver to make another trip to Cape Coast, take pictures of the grave...and give the youths the money we promised them earlier! Kobi's mother, Gladys Casely Hayford, and Kathleen were first cousins. (Sadly, his driver, Robert, died a few months later.)
Figure 05. Cover of the copy of the book that we purchased from a dealer.
Figure 09. The portfolio was purchased by Ahovi G. Kponou from an auction house in England tracked down by NWK.
Figure 12. From Mary Kponou's collection.
Figure 13. Article was provided by Chris Corcoran, at the University of Chicago.
Figure 15. Yale University's copy.
Figure 16. Postcard purchased on the internet.
Figure 19. From Mary Kponou's collection.
Figure 20. LEFT photo bought on the internet. RIGHT photo provided by Chris Corcoran.
Figure 20.1. Bought on the internet.
Figure 21. Internet search.
Figure 23. Internet purchase from a book dealer found by NWK.
Figures 24-26. From Rev Fred Bunker's papers.
Figure 27. From an archive in South Africa...tracked down by NWK.
Figure 28. Discovered by Kobi Hunter. The Simango name caught his eye as he walked by a newsstand!
This is not meant to be a scholarly work. It is short on references and other citations that one would normally expect in a research paper.
We set out to find out as much information as we could about Kathleen. One of us, NWK, worked in one of of the Yale University Libraries, which made it easier to search for and collect information! We were surprised by how much information there was out there on Kathleen; not just from libraries, but also, thanks to the internet, from dealers in rare artifacts such as photographs and books. We soon realized that there was enough material to prepare a document like this one. The work was done in fits and starts over several years. Thankfully, it is almost done. We say “almost”, because we might come across more material that has a place in it, and some of you might spot errors of one kind or another that will need to be corrected.
Please email your comments to: nkponou@gmail.com AND ahovi.cnc@gmail.com
Our sources of the photographs:
Rugby Team Photo...From the archivist of Epsom College. Its existence was first brought to our attention by Ms. Adenike Ogunkoya, who is working on a book about the Smith sisters.
Figures 00, 01, 02 & 03 are from Mary Kponou's collection.
Figure 04. NWK came across an article about a war cemetery in Cape Coast, Ghana, that was to be rehabilitated with funds from the Netherlands. This seemed like the most likely place to find JFE's grave. AEFK and wife, on a visit to Kobina & Lucilda Hunter in Accra in May/June '13 got Kobi to arrange an excursion to Cape Coast. We found the cemetery, but it was densely overgrown with weeds. Kobi arranged with some local youths to search for the grave while we went to have lunch! We could not find the youths when we returned from lunch, so we headed back to Accra. Sometime into the drive back to Accra, the youths called and told us that they found the grave. But it was too late for us to turn around and return to the Cape Coast. Kobi later arranged for his driver to make another trip to Cape Coast, take pictures of the grave...and give the youths the money we promised them earlier! Kobi's mother, Gladys Casely Hayford, and Kathleen were first cousins. (Sadly, his driver, Robert, died a few months later.)
Figure 05. Cover of the copy of the book that we purchased from a dealer.
Figure 09. The portfolio was purchased by Ahovi G. Kponou from an auction house in England tracked down by NWK.
Figure 12. From Mary Kponou's collection.
Figure 13. Article was provided by Chris Corcoran, at the University of Chicago.
Figure 15. Yale University's copy.
Figure 16. Postcard purchased on the internet.
Figure 19. From Mary Kponou's collection.
Figure 20. LEFT photo bought on the internet. RIGHT photo provided by Chris Corcoran.
Figure 20.1. Bought on the internet.
Figure 21. Internet search.
Figure 23. Internet purchase from a book dealer found by NWK.
Figures 24-26. From Rev Fred Bunker's papers.
Figure 27. From an archive in South Africa...tracked down by NWK.
Figure 28. Discovered by Kobi Hunter. The Simango name caught his eye as he walked by a newsstand!
