Arthur London, Chief Agent of Swanzy and Co.: A Biography of Imperial Commerce on the Gold Coast

Abstract

The European commercial history of colonial West Africa has been obscured by the paucity of primary sources. The ubiquitous Unilever Corporation swallowed up most of the companies involved in the West African trade, along with their records.' Colonial reports, replete with trade statistics, rarely refer to individual traders or companies. Commercial histories seldom delve beyond what can be gleaned from annual reports.2 Most of what has been written on the commerce on the Gold Coast focuses on the role