Chief Solomon Osagie Alonge

Chief Solomon Osagie Alonge (1911-1994) was a Nigerian photographer who held the title of official photographer for the Royal Court of Benin in the mid 20th century. In 1942 he opened his own studio called The Ideal Studio where he did private commissions, documenting Nigeria’s social and cultural elite.
“Those in the upper echelon of society who could afford to do so would come dressed in their best outfits to have their portraits taken. Staring straight into Alonge’s lens, each subject had the power to represent himself or herself in the manner of their own choosing, a significant statement at a time when photos of Africans were often filtered through the gaze of a non-African photographer or anthropologist.”
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