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Esther Bruce & her father Joseph Bruce in Fulham, London
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Esther Bruce & her father Joseph Bruce in Fulham, London
Esther Bruce & her father Joseph Bruce in Fulham, London. Josephine Esther Bruce (1912-1994) working-class mixed race seamstress born in Fulham, London to a Guyanese father & an English mother. In London in the 1930s she made dresses for the singer Elisabeth Welch & befriended the Jamaican nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Co-authored her autobiography in 1991 with her adopted nephew Stephen Bourne. Included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Date: 1918
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Media ID 23090824
© The Stephen Bourne Collection / Mary Evans
Born Bruce Dresses Esther Fulham Guyanese Josephine Mixed Race Seamstress Working Class Made
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this poignant photograph, Esther Bruce, a working-class mixed race seamstress born in Fulham, London, is seen with her father, Joseph Bruce, in the late 1910s. Esther, born in 1912, was the daughter of a Guyanese father and an English mother. The image captures a tender moment between father and daughter, with Esther's youthful gaze fixed on her father, who looks proudly at the camera. Esther's life was marked by resilience and determination in the face of adversity. In the 1930s, she made dresses for the renowned singer Elisabeth Welch and befriended the Jamaican nationalist leader Marcus Garvey. Her experiences during this period, marked by racial discrimination and social inequality, would later inspire her to co-author her autobiography with her adopted nephew Stephen Bourne in 1991. The photograph offers a glimpse into Esther's early life, before she became an influential figure in London's working-class community and a trailblazer for mixed race representation. Her story is an important one, highlighting the experiences of Black Britons during a time of significant social change. Esther Bruce's legacy continues to be celebrated, with her inclusion in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. This image serves as a poignant reminder of her humble beginnings and the profound impact she had on British history.
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