Commemorating Legend, History and the Contemporary World Through Lanterns
Learn about people and events that have inspired Freetown's lantern builders
ReadIntroducing Freetown's lantern tradition
Throughout the 20th century large illuminated floats (called lanterns) were paraded at night in Freetown to mark the end of Ramadan. Lantern imagery drew on many different sources contemporary, historical and legendary (such as St George slaying a dragon).
Schooner ‘Amistad’ (1997) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
Sengbeh Pieh and the Amistad Revolt
Historical figures and events provided rich inspiration. In 1997 the story of one of Sierra Leone's great heroes, Sengbeh Pieh, was celebrated with a lantern depicting the Spanish schooner ‘La Amistad’ on which he led a slave revolt in 1839.
Having been sold into slavery and transported across the Atlantic to Cuba Sengbeh Pieh and his compatriots unsuccessfully rebelled aboard ‘La Amistad’. However, they were later granted their freedom and, in 1841, Sengbeh Pieh returned to Sierra Leone a hero.
Puppet figure depicting Bai Bureh (1993) by Emmanuel DunandOriginal Source: Emmanuel Dunand
Bai Bureh - A warrior chief
Chief Bai Bureh famously led a ten-month rebellion against the British in 1896. Captured, exiled but later reinstated he died in 1908. The figure of Bai Bureh in this photograph was part of a 1993 lantern called 'Crowning Festival of Bai Bureh'.
‘HM The Queen and Sir Milton Margai – October 1961’ (1993) by Emmanuel DunandOriginal Source: Emmanuel Dunand
Sierra Leone's first Prime Minister
Sir MIlton Margai became Sierra Leone's first Prime Minister in April 1961 when the country gained independence from British colonial rule. In 1993 a lantern depicted him being driven in a Rolls Royce next to HM Queen Elizabeth II who visited Sierra Leone in November 1961.
Frame of a large lantern made out of palm pith (1991) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
The first Gulf War - President Bush and Saddam Hussein
Lantern clubs and builders often drew inspiration from contemporary or recent events. The first Gulf War ended a few weeks before the 1991 lantern parade was due to take place and gave rise to this lantern called 'Operation Desert Storm'.
The skeleton of President George H W Bush (made from strips of palm pith) can be seen standing behind a bank of microphones at one end of the lantern addressing Saddam Hussein who is seated opposite. In between them the lantern builder is making further structures depicting different items of military equipment. The lantern was never completed because the outbreak of Sierra Leone's civil war meant that the lantern parade was cancelled that year.
‘Tamaborah Squad on the way to Kono’ (1993) by Emmanuel DunandOriginal Source: Emmanuel Dunand
Sierra Leone's civil war - The Tamaborah Squad
Local defence units such as the Tamaborah Squad were heavily involved in the country’s civil war and inspired this lantern in 1993 when a special lantern parade was organised to mark the first anniversary of the National Provisional Ruling Council (NPRC) coming to power.
‘President Kabbah and Guard of Honour’ (1997) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
President Ahmad Tejan Kabba
This 1997 lantern depicts President Kabbah (dressed in white and just visible on the right) seated behind his Guard of Honour. He was Sierra Leone’s President during the worst years of the country’s civil war.
Radio FM94 - representing popular culture
In the 1980s and 1990s, before the advent of the internet, the radio was the major source of information and popular music in Freetown. In 1991 Firestone Lantern Club built a lantern depicting a popular local radio station called FM94.
The lantern was completed and performed locally after the cancellation of that year’s lantern parade. The lantern included puppet figures representing dancers and a disc jockey (seated in a structure behind the dancers), a huge globe and an enormous satellite dish.
Skeleton of a satellite dish (1991) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
The making of ‘FM94’ – the satellite dish
The different figures and structures all had skeletons made from strips of palm pith, tied with wire.
Partly completed skeleton of a female puppet figure (1991) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
The making of ‘FM94’ – netting
The various skeletons were covered with mosquito netting to provide a surface on which to stick a layer of paper. Used car seat springs were inserted at the waists of the figures to give them flexibility.
Cassava starch glue (1991) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
The making of ‘FM94’ – glue
Paper and other materials were stuck to the netting using glue made from cassava starch.
Partly completed skeletons of puppet figures (1991) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
The making of ‘FM94’ – making faces
The faces of the various figures were covered with foam and their features were cut from paper and glued on.
Preparing the hands of puppet figures (1993) by Emmanuel DunandOriginal Source: Emmanuel Dunand
The making of ‘FM94’ – making hands
The hands for figures were cut out of foam or painted cardboard.
Clothed puppet figures nearing completion (1991) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
The making of 'FM94' - mounting figures
Once clothed, the figures were mounted on long poles and their upper bodies were attached to strings.
A lantern chassis and superstructure (1991) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
The making of 'FM94' - constructing the lantern platform
A club member built a simple fence stick frame attached to a wheeled metal chassis. He fixed wooden planks across the top to form the floor of the lantern. The sides were covered with synthetic sacking.
‘FM 94’ (1991) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
'FM94' performing at night
The puppet figures were fitted onto the lantern with their poles reaching down into the space between the lantern floor and the chassis. Club members crouched unseen to manipulate the poles and strings that made the figures appear to dance in front of the disc jockey's booth.
‘FM 94’ (1991) by Jennifer OramOriginal Source: Jennifer Oram
‘FM94’ – and the collective imagination
‘FM94’ illustrates the imaginative way in which people used lanterns to represent their world, past and present. Hopefully the tradition and the inspiration behind it will continue well into the future.
