Inside Chief Majekodunmi Legacy Exhibition at Lagos Polo Club

Yinka Olatunbosun

Arather quiet and sunny Sunday in Lagos became abuzz as guests arrived at the prestigious venue along Awolowo road, Ikoyi. Behind the scene of the galloping ponies, a mini-exhibition stand in honour of Late Chief Moses Majekodunmi came into view.

The walk-through exhibition which was held at the Lagos Polo Club on February 12 is an aperture to the Moses Majekodunmi Archive (MMA). The archive holds no fewer than 7,000 images and 11,000 documents chronicling the life and times of Chief. (Dr) M.A Majekodunmi. Curated by Oludamola Adebowale, the 13-piece exhibit tells the story of Chief Majekodunmi against the backdrop of history and his contributions to the development of the Lagos Polo Club.

“Today’s exhibition is a fraction of the treasure trove we have at the MMA Archive. The exhibition is about the history of the Lagos Polo Club and the journey of one man and his love for Polo which started in 1949, lasting till his death in 2012,” Adebowale revealed in the curatorial statement.

The exhibition itself was birthed alongside the idea of curating a digital archive in memory of Chief Majekodunmi. Expectedly, the archive contains original documents and other articles of history of the public and private life of the avid polo player, civil servant and astute businessman. The archive was created to serve pedagogical purpose for generations and to celebrate the golden days of the elite club.

Chief Majekodunmi was introduced to the club in 1949 by Sir Gerald Howe, who was then the Attorney- General of Nigeria. The relationship was further strengthened upon the arrival of a senior colleague, Dr. Robert Collis from Ireland in the early 50s. Dr. Collis was said to have helped to establish the paediatrics

department at the University of Ibadan. Together, they enjoyed great companionship and bred the spirit of comradeship.

Hence, this walk-through archival exhibition was done in celebration of these fond memories at the Lagos Polo club.

“The family has continued his legacy of support for the club at the annual tournament and in this vein, thought it befitting to share documents dating back to 1957 relating to the club from his archives. This is the first time that they will be shown or displayed for public viewing since his demise,” the Chairman, Moses Majekodunmi Foundation, Dr. Desmond Majekodunmi revealed while fielding questions from journalists.

He further stated how these articles of history had been preserved over the years even though the exhibition was freshly conceived.

“These historical articles through the years have been preserved through properly organised and catalogued storage in a designated room in Papa’s house; taking care to ward against heat and humidity for proper preservation. After his demise and in order to ensure that the documents were preserved for posterity, we took the decision to digitise the physical archives,’’ he added.

At the moment, the Moses Majekodunmi Foundation (MAMF) is focused on proper documentation and accounting of the digitised document.

Some of the materials at the exhibition include personal membership cards (1970s), Lagos Polo Club Constitution (1970s), three copies of the “CHUKKA” magazine of the Lagos Polo club dated January 1974-1975. Others are the Lagos Polo Club tournament brochure from February 1 to 5, 1967; a rare photo of the Majekodunmi Cup when it was donated in 1962 among others.

The exhibition which is an initiative of the Moses Majekodunmi Archive in collaboration with the Lagos Polo Club opened on February 8 and was viewed by many distinguished guests including the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwoolu.